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1812: creation of Société des Anciens Établissements Cail, specialised in manufacturing equipment for the sugar industry.
1861: founding of Parent-Schaken-Caillet et Cie. The company, specialising in the construction of steam locomotives, built a plant in Fives and was renamed Compagnie de Fives-Lille in 1865.
The history of Société des Anciens Établissements Cail and Parent-Schaken-Caillet et Cie was punctuated by outstanding achievement:the first steam locomotives and railway installations, the Alexandre III bridge, metal frames for Gare d’Orsay and lifts in the Eiffel Tower for the Universal Exhibition in 1889 in Paris. Their reputation spread throughout the world as they built locomotives for Russia, Brazil and China, bridges in Egypt, Russia, Romania and Portugal, and sugar plants in Brazil, Cuba, Argentina and Russia.
1958: the two companies merged to form Fives Lille-Cail.
1973: the merger between Fives Lille-Cail and boilermaker Babcok-Atlantique gave birth to Fives-Cail Babcok (FCB). FCB consolidated and developed its most promising activities through a series of mergers and acquisitions in the fields of minerals, food processing, compressors, port handling equipment, aluminium and steel.
1980: the group’s holding company, established in 1968, changed its name back to Compagnie de Fives-Lille. In addition to the FCB sub-group, it controlled Nordon (piping) and Pillard (combustion engineering) and other companies. This industrial conglomerate specialising in capital goods for industry rose to prominence as the Fives-Lille Group, the name adopted in 1983. In 1987, it acquired the Stein Heurtey sub-group, specialised in thermal equipment for the steel and glass industries.
1987-1996: the Group underwent a major transformation by gradually refocusing on a few key sectors and shedding its manufacturing activities.
1997: the Automotive division was set up and developed by taking control of the Cinetic group (automated handling systems) followed by several acquisitions in the field of automated assembly lines,washing systems for the parts machining process and engine part grinding machines.
2001: following a take-over bid and subsequent squeeze out, Compagnie de Fives-Lille left the stock market and, in the first half of 2001, it parted company with Paribas of which it had been one of the main industrial assets for nearly twenty years. Since 2006, Charterhouse General Partners (VIII) Ltd, backed by Barclays Private Equity, has been the major shareholder in the Group.
2001-2007: the Group stepped up its refocusing strategy and policy of growth through acquisitions (including Metrap, Rapidcharge, Landis, Setaram Engineering and Sandvik Sorting Systems). At the same time, the Group was re-organised into divisions covering the metal (aluminium and steel), automotive and logistics, cement, energy and sugar sectors, while promoting cross-company actions of common interest. In particular, it strengthened its international network by opening representative offices and setting up subsidiaries in strategic areas of the world.
2007: change of name and visual identity: Fives-Lille Group becomes Fives and, under this new trade name, it is confirming its position as a key player in sustainable industrial development. |