Philippe de Moerloose: The big Belgian groups have vanished from Africa

“Africa has always had a negative image, but it is currently experiencing growth at a rate of 7 or 8%.”Philippe de Moerloose

Interview : Luc Van Driessche

Philippe de Moerloose has been active in Africa since 1991. Demimpex, the cooperative company he founded that year has now grown into a vast holding encompassing a range of subsidiaries employing a total of 3,000 people (including 100 in Belgium), and present in 25 African countries. He sees room for other Belgian companies to get involved.

How did you to come to launch an economic activity in Africa?

I received my primary and secondary education in Lubumbashi. I then returned to Belgium to study at l’Ichec. The ARC but from a very young age, I always knew that whatever activity I would develop it would be focus on Africa.

Why have you not expanded into other regions around the globe?

Culturally and emotionally, I’m very attached to Africa. Between the ages of 3 and 18, I lived in DRC, which allowed me to develop close ties with this continent that is so magnificent and so fascinating, which offers such great potential for development.

Yet Africa is perceived as a continent lagging behind in development.

That’s true. Africa has always had this negative image, but it is currently experiencing growth at a rate of 7 to 8%. When people talk about Africa, it often is in reference to coups d’État or Civil Wars,yet there are so many great things happening there. It’s 22 years ago that we faced the challenge of deploying our activities is on the African continent. Today, we can only conclude that it was a good decision. The group has seen excellent growth whilst Europe and the United States are in crisis.

Is the resurgence of activity attracting foreign investors?

The image of Africahas changed. That’s because there is more increasingly talk of the crisis on other continents than at the moment in Africa. It’s first time in history that multinationals are investing by the billions. This was never the case in the past. During the previous decade, everyone went to Africa for short-term operations. There were a few international groups who, like us, chose to invest long-term on the African continent. Today, more and more American, Australian and South African international groups are investing in Africa, particularly in the mining sector.

Your activities were originally focused within the DRC. What share of your income does this country currently represent?

Less than 10% in distribution. At the moment we have a very good geographical diversification with the presence in 25 countries.

Do you plan on continuing with this diversification?

Yes. We would like to cover the entire continent. There are still many countries to discover, particularly in English-speaking Africa, especially in the east, staying within our main activity: distribution of cars, machinery for construction and agriculture. Distribution requires a lot of skill. The competition, especially from the Chinese, forces us to be experts in our field of activity.

What are your strengths compared to your competitors?

First of all, the knowledge of the continent and its culture. We also have highly effective logistics services and significant stocks in our three major storage platforms (Antwerp, Dubai and Shenzhen), which allows us to keep the delivery times to a minimum, which is very important. We also have efficient after sales services.

You’re also an automotive distributor. Is there are good market in Africa for new cars?

Second-hand cars mass is ancient history. Many countries now only permit the import of maximum 3 years oldvehicles. Africa is seeing the emergence of a middle-class who is able to invest in buying small cars. The banking world is also evolved. Up until about six or seven years ago, it was inconceivable to get a car loan in Africa. Now, the major banks on the continent all offer such credit, although the interest rate are definitely higher than in Europe.

Three years ago, you mentioned that you were sorry to see Belgian entrepreneurs leaving the Congo. Has this trend continued?

When I was a student in Congo, there were lots of Belgian groups there, whether it was in banking, industry, raw materials or construction. Now, I have to conclude that the major groups have vanished. Others have taken their place, particularly the Chinese, which have grown at a speed scarcely imaginable.

Do you think they have staked their claim?

It will be very difficult to recover the ground. These big companies are investing whilst Belgium is still organising exploration visits. Currently, I do not believe that the economic world in sub-Saharan Africa expects explorations. They are expecting direct action.

What niche activities could encourage Belgian companies to return to Africa?

Everything needs to be done on this continent: electricity, infrastructure, agriculture, distribution and maritime activities. It’s all about believing in it. It’s true that in Africa, these things are not easy to manage, but Belgians are highly adaptable. Africa has its limitations and its constraints, particularly the administrative redtape, but it still offers potential for growth.

Express

Active in Africa since 1991, the Belgian entrepreneur Philippe de Moerloose is calling for Belgian companies to invest in a continent experiencing a growth rate of 7 to 8%.

Having established a presence so far in 25 countries, his holding SDA aims to expand into English-speaking countries in East Africa.

Philippe de Moerloose has a target turnover of €1 billion in 2014. To achieve this, he is particularly counting on the growth of his activities in an thedistributionof cars, construction machinery and spare parts.

Philippe the African, 115thlargest fortune inBelgium

For the general public, Philippe de Moerloose is virtually an unknown. In Africa, he is a household name. This discreet entrepreneur has in fact, in the past 20 years, managed to transform a small import-export company – Demimpex -into a vast conglomerate, SDA, with a turnover of some 860 million euros. This ranksPhilippe de Moerloose in 115th place among the wealthiest Belgian, with a fortune of 94 million euros.

Having landed at the age of 3 in Lubumbashi (Katanga), where his father accepted a job as an accountant, Philippe de Moerloose would not return to Belgium for 18 more years when he came to pursue his higher education at l’Ichec. He already knew then that his passion for business would take shape in Africa.

Demimpex – “de Moerloose Import-Export” -was born in 1991. Its activity: exporting spare parts for cars to Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi. The company really took off four years later, with the purchase of VRP (Vehicle Repair Parts), a company specialised in the sale of major automobile brands and the on-site delivery of vehicles and equipment for industry and mining. Philippe de Moerloose in this way was able to create, in one fell swoop, a fast network that has allowed him to gradually expand in Western and Northern Africa. Today, the company distributes cars- Nissan, Ford, VW, Mercedes, Hyundai, Dacia -, heavy trucks – Volvo, Mercedes – and equipmentfor construction (Hitachi, John Deere) and agriculture (John Deere). His clientele is highly diverse: public works and civil engineering companies, mining companies transporters, public authorities …

The portfolio of SDA grew particularly in the 2000s. Currently, the appetite of Philippe de Moerlooseappears insatiable. He is moving into industrial activities – PVC tubes, steel structures, tanks, mining sub-contracting… – and purchased a security company that he restored to profitability before selling it in 2006 to G4S,at a tidy profit. He has also acquired two hotels in Congo, a country responsible for only 10% of his turnover at the moment but which remains one of the nerve centres for the group. And an anchor pointforPhilippe de Moerloose, whose ties with president Joseph Kabila and his entourage are publicly known.

Airline company

Very quickly, de Moerloose also realised that to reduce delivery times to the maximum extent, air transport would be indispensable. He launched his own company Demavia Airlines, which rents aeroplanes and flies cargo twice a week between Brussels and Kinshasa. It serves the subsidiaries of the group, but particularly the major names in air freight.

Philippe de Moerloose does not like to talk much about the issue of Hewa Bora, the Congolese company that was blacklisted in 2009,of which he was a shareholder-never a majority shareholder, he hastens to add-and which he directed in the 2000s. The joint-venture with Brussels Airlines planned in 2007 is long gone. For now, the airline division of SDA is limited to Demavia.

The number-one growth centre for SDA remains the distribution of vehicles,machinery and spare parts. Philippe de Moerloose would like to see his group’s turnover reach €1 billion starting from 2014. He is particularly setting his sights on East Africa and the Maghreb.

At age 46, Philippe de Moerloose spends a lot of his time on the African continent. But this doesn’t stop the father of three teens from closely following the youngsters at the school of the Tennis Club inBercuit, of which is the owner.

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Philippe de Moerloose

1.Biography:

Philippe de Moerloose was born on 30 June 1967, in Watermael-Boisfort, Belgium, but grew up in the Congolese province of Katanga. Philippe de Moerloose founded DEMIMPEX upon graduating from l’Ichec in 1991.

His activities were initially focused on the export of spare parts to Africa, but rapidly expanded to include sales of vehicles and industrial equipment. Today, the Consortium SDA-SDAI that Philippe de Moerloose founded has a consolidated adjusted turnover of some 500 million euros and employs over 2000 people.

Philippe de Moerloose is also active in the industry, hotel and airfreight sectors, strictly via the Belgian company Demavia.

2. Introduction:

1991 Creation of Demimpex (short for: “de Moerloose-Import-Export”), specialised in the sale and export of spare parts to Africa.

1995 Demimpex purchases “Vehicles Repair & Parts” (VRP), the leading Belgian company in the sale of 4×4 vehicles and spare parts abroad.

1996 Creation of the first subsidiary on the African continent: Demimpex Afrique.

1999 Acquisition of Transco, a Belgian competitor of Demimpex-VRP based in Antwerp.

2000 Creation of the bonded logistics centre (Pre Delivery Organisation) in Antwerp with a capacity for 2,500 vehicles.

2001 Acquisition of “Auto Transport Company”(ATC) in the Belgian Group Chanic. This acquisition allows the Group to officially distribute the Nissan brand in RDC.

2004 Joint venture ATC Comafrique with the Group SIFCOM allowing the distribution of the brands Nissan, Volkswagen, Audi and Budget Rent A Car in Côte d’Ivoire.

Creation of a Belgian-Algerian joint venture, Demdistral, for the distribution of the brands Hitachi and John Deere in Algeria.

2005 Creation of Demimpex Middle East in the Dubai free zone.

2008 Creation of the holding under Belgian law, Société de Distribution Africaine (SDA), allowing consolidation of all of the interests acquired to date.

2010 Launch of SDA Asia, a base for the Group in China

2011 Development of the network SMT (Swedish Machinery & Trucks), official distributor of Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Trucks and Volvo Penta, in Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and RDC.

Demimpex is split into two companies: Demimpex Motors and Demimpex Equipment.

Creation of DEM Equipment in RDC.

Creation of SDIAG for the distribution of John Deere Agriculture agricultural equipment.

Automotive activities are added to the joint venture TRACTAFRIC MOTORS CORPORATION. This company is the second leading player in sub-Saharan Africa in the automotive sector and is owned for 60% by the Group Optorg and for 40% by the Group SDA.

Purchase and integration of the Multitech group (official distributor of Volvo in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin and Liberia) into the SMT network.

2012 Establishment of management committees within SDA, Demimpex Equipment and SMT Europe.

Creation of the holding under Luxembourg law SDAI, encompassing the interests SDIAG and CBA Trading (formerly SDA Asia).

2013 Creation of the sub-holding SMT Group by adding the subsidiaries owned in Africa.

Creation of the sub-holding DEM Group by adding the DEM Equipment subsidiaries owned in Africa.

Reinforcement of the DEM Group network through the creation of the subsidiaries DEM Ghana, DEM Mauritanie, DEM Maroc, DEM Nigeria and DEM Sénégal.

3. Hobbies :

A fan of marathon running and endurance sports, Philippe de Moerloose has completed numerous races including the Paris, Brussels, Barcelona and New York marathons. He also enjoys tennis, and has been an outstanding player for many years.

These physical challenges demand qualities such as surpassing oneself, mutual support and endurance. This is a reflection of the energy and the capacity “to push the limits” that characterises Philippe de Moerloose in both his athletic and professional endeavours.

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Philippe de Moerloose A man deeply committed to Africa

Our guide to the extraordinary career of Philippe de Moerloose is Michaël Delvaux, a close friend from the start and a key figure in the structures of SDA and SDAI, who tells us about the small SME that has grown into a holding currently rivalling the big names in international distribution.

At the head of the holdings SDA and SDAI, in over 20 years, Philippe de Moerloose has developed a Group of companies with a presence in 27 countries and three main sectors of activity: the distribution of cars, the distribution of construction equipment, mining and forestry machinery and the distribution of agricultural tractors.

Focused chiefly on Africa, Philippe de Moerloosewas able to seize the opportunities offered by the continent in order to transform them into an exceptional business. SDA encompasses companies active in the exclusive representation of automobiles and machineryin Africa.

More broadly, the consortium SDA/SDAI (2008/2012) offers a full range of high-quality products and solutions and above all, after sales service on a par with any European network. The investments in structures to meet the international needs of manufacturers and the recruitment of talented staff have been the keys to their success. But even more than his thorough knowledge of Africa gained over his two decades on the continent, it is Philippe de Moerloose ‘scapacity to pass on his knowledge that has made the consortium a true asset for its partners, clients and suppliers.

The start of an adventure

After spending his youth in Katanga, Philippe de Moerloose was sent to Belgium for his university studies. But it was with a certain apprehension that he landed in his country of origin, and he immediately missed Africa. A people-person and above all, culturally African, Philippe de Moerloose was determined to return to Zaire after having benefited from all that Belgium had to offer. After all, hisheart was in Africa.

In 1991, at the age of 23, Philippe de Moerloose founded a cooperative company that henamed Demimpex (an acronymfor de Moerloose Import Export), specialising in services in the import-export of spare cars parts between Belgium and Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi. No market study, no business plan, but three reasons, each of which alone would be enough: to provide service to the people he had met during his summer jobs in the mines of Katanga, a consuming passion for cars, and the intuition that there would be a demand that could be filled by a serious, resourceful and hard-working entrepreneur, and through which could earn a living. Service, intuition, passion and hard work became the foundations for his success. And it is no accident that these elements are inseparable from Africa, where the custom of sharing generously with the community, the value of hard work and the uncertainty of what the next day may bring are characteristic aspects of the culture.

Between 1995 and 2010, the dream was realised with accelerating growth for the company thanks to numerous takeovers. These acquisitions helped to expand the activities, allowing collaboration with teams from highly diverse backgrounds, and to grow the group by gaining representation in Africa for many leading brands (such as Nissan, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Ford…)as well as for industrial equipment (such as John Deere, Hitachi, Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Trucks). More than just takeovers, Philippe de Moerloose was also acquiring know-how and thus gradually building an invaluable network; he would be able to use it to optimise sales and to expand the structure in order to offer his clients the service he believes they deserve: “the same kind of service that your average person receives in Europe.”

A growing success

Philippe de Moerloose quickly built up a clientele among mining companies, commercial companies, transport companies and African governments. On the basis of this success, he could have simply stopped there. But it wasn’t in his nature: he can’t abide failure, or waste, and sees the debacles and abandoned projects of others as opportunities and ideas that simply haven’t been implemented properly. For a decade now, Philippe de Moerloose has specialised in overhauling and restoring to profitability companies that have got into trouble due to poor management or lack of persistence. “You can reach a goal when you have a clear one, and through hard work”, he exhorts his teams. In this way,Philippe de Moerloose was able to create his hotel and industrial activities by taking over assets thatothers did not have the dedication to make profitable.

A man of strong intuition, Philippe de Moerloose also added a new link to his group, given the constant demand and the results achieved: in fact, he created logistical platforms in Dubai and Antwerp as well as in China. These are all part of a commercial strategy to focus on the idea of services. Some are resigned to losing ground against the commercial power of China or the Middle East. For his part, Philippe de Moerloose is investing to learn and to turn a profit just like he did as a young student in Belgium.

Understanding his client’s needs and meeting them remain his sole obsessions. With slim margins and fierce competition, the strength of the consortium is in the availability and the large stock of vehicles and machines. Thus, instead of delivery from the factory in 2 to 3 months, the company is able to deliver in 3 or 4 weeks. He has large warehouses that allow him to store 2500 vehicles and machines; the same applies for the spare parts. Currently the group has a workforce of nearly 3,000 employees around the world and has experienced growth of between 15 and 20 % annually over the past decade.

Humility in the face of a complex market

Whilst success can be disorienting for some, Philippe remains a discreet man with a low profile who doesn’t enjoy flattery. He retains his outspoken taste for challenges, for surpassing himself and his profound commitment to the African continent. He is fluent in Swahili and more than ever he feels at home expressing himself in this language.

After all, Africa is a difficult continent in which to work if you are not African. It takes patience and you need to approach people with an understanding of their culture, without losing your own personality. Africa sometimes frightens away Western investors, particularly because the press generally refers only to the political instability, war or questionable business practices. “It’s a very simplistic image transmitted by certain media”, he notes. Africa is an extraordinary growth zone with many opportunities in all sectors, particularly in infrastructure, agriculture and services. It has a young population full of energy and talent who only need benevolent leadership and the means to express themselves. This is my credo and my profound conviction. That is why I am confident, and why I make these investments. The business world in Africa is changing for the better. And it’s thanks to this that we are able to fully realise our goals. The successful companies are those who create value, not those who confis
cate it.”

Never one to resist a challenge, but has Philippe de Moerloose achieved his goal?It matters little. This true businessman is always looking for more. Not simply for himself, but for his 3000 employees and his clients. With the help of experience, he has learned that the tide can shift and the market moves very rapidly. He has seen companies go under for good, or unable to recover. He has purchased some of them. Starting from scratch to become an established name in the market today, as a company that is successful, loyal and acknowledged by its clients, employees and suppliers was never a goal in and of itself; but it has become a point of pride. Today, the caption of industry hasa nostalgia for the days when he discovered the mines during summer jobs and the period when, although he was the boss of the SME, above all, he was an outstanding salesman. Already at a young age, Philippe de Moerloose gained this talent which became the other invaluable secret of his group: his capacity to organise dedicated manag
ement committees, competent in their jobs, allowing each member, male or female, to develop the qualities of vision, strategy, and perseverance necessary for the group to emerge.

Few people are able to convey their qualities to their teams, but those who manage to do it no doubt reap more rewards than all the dividends in the world. At a time when financial holdings are under fire for their short-term vision, Philippe de Moerloose would like to prove, with the help of Africa, that it is still possible to reconcile financial goals on the medium-term with long-term industrial goals. He can scarcely believe it himself but in our opinion, he is an example of the entrepreneurial model of the future.

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15% Discount on All Labour Charges From Jan to Feb 2014 at Glasgow Painters and Decorators

Glasgow based decorators and painters, No.1 Décor have announced that they’re offering up to 15% discount on all labour charges for jobs done between January and February 2014. They have been announced as the most reviewed company in Scotland by freeindex.co.uk, and the discount is to celebrate this honour.

“We’ve received more than 140 reviews about our jobs and all of these have been written by real customers with whom we’ve worked. No job is too small or big for us; we cover the whole of Glasgow and the surrounding areas,” says Mark Collins of No. 1 Décor.

“We not only just decorate, but also make sure that we tidy up after the job is completed so that the customer does not have to spend hours fretting about cleaning up. We quote reasonable and accurate prices; you do not have to worry about hidden or additional costs,” he adds. All jobs are completed within or ahead of schedule. For instance, a simple job of painting your living room and stairs can be completed in less than 4 hours. A DIY job for the same space could take anywhere around 2 weeks.

The Company also helps homeowners plan their maintenance so as to avoid unplanned emergency repairs. They can also identify factors that may lead to deterioration of the paint job through friendly advice and free estimation.

As for the offer, it is available for all painting and decorating jobs undertaken by the Glasgow decorators.

About No. 1 Décor: No. 1 Décor is managed by Mark Collins and his team of experienced and professional decorators. They offer high standards of work and ensure customer satisfaction every time.

For information about the offer or for some friendly advice, contact them at; www.no1decor.co.uk

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Valley Fence Emerges the #1 Fence Company in New Mexico

The New Mexico residents in search of a reliable fencing assistance need not look beyond- Valley Fence has reportedly emerged as # 1 fencing company in New Mexico. The leading Albuquerque fence company promised premium assistance in both residential and commercial fencing.

Valley Fence Company is a seasoned name in the fencing sector running for over 4 decades now, since 1969. The locally owned and operated company is an endeavor by veteran fence professional Mario Chavez.

“If you are looking for quality fencing assistance, we extend a hearty welcome. We are the topmost fencing company in NM and have been widely acknowledged as the absolute portal for any fencing need across Albuquerque & New Mexico. We are backed by extensive professional experience and highly skilled crew-force to support our customers with the desired too-notch service. The best part is that every project undertaken is attended unique personalized care & commitment”, said a spokesperson.

Over the years, Valley Fence Company has catered to a versatile platter of clientele including government departments, contractors, small scale business owners, industries, homeowners as well as farmers and ranchers. The company is ready to support for both DIY fencing installation and professional installation by the firm’s in-house crew.

“We are equipped to serve you with a vast spectrum of fencing services. We assist our clients with custom fencing designs, meeting up with their exact specifications. Then, you can count on us for expert design-build consultation without any additional charge as well as full-installation. We always send highly-trained installation crews for a perfect job”, said the firm manager.

“In case you are interested in a DIY fencing job, we welcome you to walk-in to our store. We stock for a huge gamut of DIY fencing supplies like fences Albuquerque, gates Albuquerque, guardrails, chain link etc. Our seasoned officials are always ready to guide you on choosing the ideal supply. We assure easy credit & financing”, he added.

For any further details about this major Albuquerque fencing company, visit the official website link http://www.valleyfencecompany.com/

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Incoils North America Launches New Office in Ohio

Incoils North America, the leading oriental name in electro-mechanical assembly, has recently announced the launch of its new office in Ohio. The new Dayton based office is meant to cater to the company’s growing customer base in North America.

Incoils is a recognized name in electro-mechanical sub-contract scene with facilities in Malaysia and Indonesia. The seasoned firm has been serving for more than 2 decades now and holds business relations with elite corporations such as Phillips, Sony, Deltrol, Johnson Electric and Danfoss.

“It’s great to report that recently we have extended our new branch in America”, said a spokesperson, “the new launch in Dayton, Ohio, is to ensure better service to our valued customer base in North America. We are hopeful that our localized Dayton office would be able to reach out & support the superior level of dedication and attention expected by even the most demanding of clients here. The new office has even deployed US based sales personnel to assure a smooth co-ordination with the customers here.”

The company manager stressed on a versatile repertoire of products including standard & custom coils, Solenoid, solenoid valve, printed circuit boards, wire harnesses, transformers, stampings & strings. All the products are shipped worldwide.

“We always focus on the best proven methods of production and service given our strong adherence to premium products. We deploy cutting edge equipments and practices as well skilled yet inexpensive workforce. All the products from our facility undergo thorough quality verification & final testing before it’s sent out for the customers. Client satisfaction is paramount to us and hence we take every step possible to realize it”, the company manager said. He further noted that it’s their cheap labor cost that helps them to keep their prices low.

Incoils approaches every project with a design review in collaboration with the client to confirm that all the requirements have been documented & clearly understood. The company follows documentation of manufacturing & turnkey assembly procedures as well as compliance monitoring. Every project from the firm has to pass through PPAP approval.

“We are always responsive to customers’ needs; hence we always make sure to take up a bespoke approach since we understand that every client would have his own specific needs. We guarantee you a consistent quality”, the spokesperson added.

About Incoils: Incoils is a leading South-East Asian company operating in the electro-mechanical sub-contract zone. The company recently opened a new outlet in Dayton, Ohio.

To know more about Incoils’ new Dayton office or for any further information on the company products and service approach, visit http://incoils.com

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Canadian leading SMS Marketing Company now offering businesses free mobile campaigns and strategies

If you’ve ever thought of trying out mobile marketing strategies for your business, now is the best time to do so. Click2text Inc. a leading Canadian owned and operated mobile marketing company is now offering to create SMS Mobile Marketing strategies for businesses in Canada for free. We work with businesses to develop, create and maintain innovate and creative mobile marketing strategies to respond to sales opportunities; meet organizational objectives and grow brand awareness while understand, monitor and review our promotional strategies and modify as necessary to ensure success.It’s like having your own marketing team just without the payroll.

The entire strategy would revolve around creating campaigns that would build customer loyalty and increase sales. “Let’s be honest, marketing has transformed considerably in the last couple of years and majority of business owners are unaware of what is currently available for effective marketing strategies”. says Moses Koori, the company’s CMO.

Click2text is the ultimate mobile marketing platform for business development, lead generation and proactive networking. It requires no IT or marketing knowledge, but with etiquette, dedication and time to utilize it effectively it is a powerful marketing tool and communication medium.

All messages originating from Clicktext’s platform are sent through a 5 digit Short Code tied to a tier 1 aggregator with direct connectivity to the wireless carriers. This protects our client’s messages from being slotted as spam message through texting a keyword to our Shortcode 82828 thus ensuring that messages are delivered to the right target audience

“Mobile technology has made it easier for small and medium businesses to reach their target audience directly through inexpensive strategies and allows for better accountability through sophisticated reporting and tracking. This has enabled our client to reach the right audience with the right message at the right time on any device or network. We also continue to experience an increased ROI for all our clients,” adds the CEO Guilda Gesmundo.

To know more, visit, http://click2text.ca

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Certified and Licensed Oakville Electrician Offers 24×7 Emergency Services

ELVART Industrial Services are Oakville based certified and licensed electrical service engineers. They’re now available 2×7 and assure same day service.

“Just call us on our customer service number or contact us through our website and we can help you plan a same day schedule to quickly address the problem. The master electrician can look into the maintenance and ensure that the job’s thoroughly completed. This emergency service is open for residential, commercial and industrial needs,” says a spokesperson for the company.

Among the commercial services offered by the Company includes service panel installation, wiring, indoor/outdoor lighting, thermostat installation, fire alarm, HVAC installation/maintenance etc. As for mechanical services, the Mississauga electrician offers forklift installation, repair, maintenance, mechanical drafting, systems, repairs etc. Commercial services include service panel installation, service wiring, lighting retrofit, fire alarm installation etc. As for thermal imaging problems, the Company takes care of jobs like loose connection, imbalanced load, incorrect voltage etc.

“As soon as we arrive on the scene, one of the expert electricians will ensure that electricity is restored within a few minutes, so that you may get back to your normal working condition as soon as possible,” adds the spokesperson.

As for the certification and license, ELVART Industrial Services is certified by Electrical Safety Authority and licensed.

About ELVART Industrial Services:

Incorporated as an electrical contract company in 2007, ELVART Industrial Services is a residential and commercial electrical contracting company in Oakville. Besides these, the company also services industrial and mechanical companies.

To know more, visit, http://elvartindustrialservice.com/

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Import Export Planet, the organic Import Export Marketplace Launches Long Awaited Website

Import Export Planet (IEP) finally launched its website importexportplanet.com on 17th Oct 2013. IEP is a website that lists manufacturer, importer, exporter, service provider companies, their products and services. In fact any company that is in some way connected to world trade or import and export can apply to be a member.

At first glance, the website has some similarities to other B2b Marketplaces, but then it also has some characteristics of a high quality web directory. One thing we noticed was the URLs used for companies, categories and even products were incredibly short and friendly.

It seems as if IEP is trying to be the happy medium between a Marketplace and a directory. It doesn’t go as far as providing escrow accounts or financial transaction between members but then it’s much more than a web directory in the sense that companies can create profiles, upload products, generate and receive product and company enquiries, post trade leads as well as a messaging facility that allows members to contact each other and make enquiries.

We spoke to Zoe Guven, IEP’s regional marketing manager based in London-UK. She sounded upbeat and excited about the future. “Our ultimate goal is obviously to increase visibility, generate leads and increase sales for our members, but we believe that trade is as much about people and relationships as it is about the products and companies. We have a lot of fresh ideas about making the business more interesting and more fun to use. As well as usability, we aim to maximise exposure for those members who are more pro-active, more persistent and more likely to respond to communications”, Zoe said.

When asked about the idea and inspiration behind IEP, Zoe responded: “When we were developing the IEP concept, we were mindful of the fact that whilst being very useful, many marketplaces have become too chaotic, too flat in structure and the quality of members and information they provide, is sometimes questionable. So structure was one of the key factors in the development of the IEP website. We really liked the purity and the organic nature of human edited directories such as dmoz.org. We felt that marrying the best features of a quality organic directory and a global marketplace is the way forward. To mix things up, we even introduced some social features to provide interactivity between members and for visitors to determine how active member companies are. We provided a private messaging service for members which means they can freely communicate with each other and make enquiries. Obviously visitors would be more inclined to do business with a company that is highly visible and proactive than a company that has been inactive and its profile not been updated for a long time.”

“As far as memberships go, we offer a free and a gold membership. With both types, we check every single application and make sure that the information entered meets our standards. If it doesn’t, then the application is declined and in the case of gold members, we immediately refund the applicant’s money.

We are human-edited directory after all. I believe if we keep up our standards and stay true to what we want to achieve, we will continue to grow and expand our horizons. That is the main challenge”, concluded Zoe.

About Import Export Planet:

Import Export Planet is a directory/marketplace for manufacturers, importers, exporters, distributors and wholesalers from around the globe. Import Export Planet offers free and paid memberships.

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JOURNAL NOTRE AFRIK : N° 37 OCTOBRE 2013.

JOURNAL NOTRE AFRIK : N° 37 OCTOBRE 2013.

 Michaël Delvaux

 << Nous avons un pôle de croissance assez important en Afrique >>

 Membre du Comité de Direction en charge de la finance et de la stratégie du Consortium SDA-SDAI, Michaël Delvaux détaille la stratégie du Groupe belgo-luxembourgeois spécialisé dans la distribution.

 Fondé par Philippe de Moerloose en 1991, le Groupe réalise 450 millions d’euros de chiffre d’affaires sur le continent, surtout dans la distribution automobile et d’équipements de chantier, de BTP, pour les mines ou l’agriculture( John Deere, Hitachi, Volvo…) avec 20 000 véhicules, machines et poids lourds commercialisés par an dans 25 pays africains. Discret, le Groupe a fait parler de lui en 2011, en mariant sa société Demimpex ( Ford, Nissan, VW, Audi…) à celle du franco-marocain Optorg ( Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia, Dacia …). SDA-SDAI détient 40 % de cet ensemble baptisé Tractafric Motors Corporation, et est le n°2 de la distribution africaine de la distribution derrière Cfao.

 Notre AFrik : L’année 2013 est bien avancée, quels enseignements pouvez-vous déjà en tirer concernant  l’activité de la Société de Distribution Africaine ( SDA) ?

 Michaël Delvaux : Pour ce qui est de l’activité du premier semestre et de l’atterrissage que nous prévoyons pour 2013, nous sommes assez confiants pour réitérer des résultats identiques à ceux de 2012.

 Notre Groupe a la capacité de fournir un résultat de l’ordre de 10 millions d’euros par an, notre objectif est donc clairement d’atteindre ce chiffre cette année.

 Lire la suite :

 http://issuu.com/philippe-de-moerloose/docs/notre_afrik__interview_de_micha__l_

http://www.philippedemoerloose.com/page/root/Presse/51/NotreAfrikInterviewdeMichaeumllDelvauxseptembre2013.html

 

 

 

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