Alliance Marine acquires HDS Peintures
After administrative formalities lengthened by the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the transaction was made official: the Alliance Marine group, the largest French player in the distribution of materials and equipment for yachting, bought HDS Peintures. It thus takes over the exclusive distribution of the marine paints and antifouling brand International on the entire Channel/Atlantic coast, but also other references such as Marlin and Alexseal paints, NauticClean cleaner or 3M and Sika adhesives. HDS Peintures, based in Montivilliers in the suburbs of Le Havre, is also present in Lorient and La Rochelle. Its director, Eric Jouannin, remains with the company. "As always, we are taking over the company with the teams. Eric will continue to develop his company," stresses Jean-Paul Roche, President of Alliance Marine.
A logical acquisition after Sogeric
For the head of Alliance Marine, the transaction is a clear continuation of the strategy pursued by the nautical group. "This acquisition is of absolute logic after that of Sogeric a year and a half ago, which is the expert in painting in the Mediterranean area. We've been thinking about how to do the same thing in the Atlantic zone. Either we got closer to HDS, or we created something from scratch. There is a strategic and geographical logic. HDS Peintures distributes the International brand exclusively like Sogeric" sums up Jean-Paul Roche.
Strengthening niche expertise in the French yachting industry
It also places the operation in the context of the Alliance Marine group's external growth strategy in France and abroad. "We always take over healthy companies. In France, we are looking for technical product families with expertise, know-how and training, to train and inform professionals. These can be small or large companies. Abroad, they are more likely to be companies of a certain size to already have a structure and organisation. The further away you are, the more you need them," explains Jean-Paul Roche.
