Spa fax
SPAFAX (also SPAFAX SA ) was a French manufacturer of fastening and connection technology, originally founded in 1973 , with headquarters in Alençon near Le Mans . As SPAFAX SA est rattaché à Berner Holding , it generated sales of around 130 million euros per year in the 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 financial years.
history
After its foundation and several years of independence until the beginning of the 1990s, the company belonged to an English tool and mechanical engineering manufacturer from 1993 to 2001, but continued to operate under its own name, which is well-known in France.
Subsidiary under its own name
In October 2001 it was acquired by Albert Berner GmbH from its former English parent company First Serve Ltd for an undisclosed purchase price in order to increase its market share there. With its own 220 employees and a turnover of around 98 million francs (around 15 million euros) in the financial year, Spafax was largely independent and, alongside its new parent company, was one of the five largest direct sellers in this market segment in France by 2000, and was therefore of strategic importance for the Künzelsau company, on the second most important European market in this branch. From 2001 to the end of 2003, the entire French Bern company was called SPAFAX SA est rattaché à Berner Holding .
Product focus
The company Spafax had its product focus in the tool sector - among other things as the exclusive distributor of the MacTools brand in France, and brought this important sales figure to the parent company. A fifth of sales in France are traditionally achieved with electrical items and more than ten percent with fastening technology. The 4,500 articles predominantly own special products, such as B. unbreakable mirrors - produced the optimal addition to the range for the Bernese group of companies and especially for the subsidiary Berner France.
Specialty
The peculiarity of the sales of the acquired company, a direct sale of consumables from the minibus , without the customer having to order them and have them sent to him, was largely taken over, taking French customs into account, and is unique in this way in the entire Berner holding company .
Change of name in 2004
Since the beginning of 2004, this still independent foreign company has been operating in France under the uniform European appearance of the Berner Group Holding, although many French craftsmen still say SPAFAX and mean the products of Berner-France.
Significance within the Berner Group
In the meantime, the company SPAFAX / Berner France, with around 1,200 employees and 140 million euros in sales, is the largest foreign subsidiary within the Berner Group and is the second largest direct distributor of consumables and tools for professional users in France.