2024-01-31 11:02:32
During a hearing at the National Assembly, François Michel, president of John Cockerill who wants to buy Arquus, assured that there was “no question” of eliminating sites, but of developing export sales.
The Belgian industrial group John Cockerill, which is proposing to acquire Arquus, a former subsidiary of Renault Truck belonging to the AB Volvo group, does not plan to “rationalize or eliminate sites” of the French manufacturer of land military equipment. On the contrary, its goal is to develop its export sales, its president, François Michel, said on Wednesday during a hearing at the National Assembly by the Defense Commission.
“There is absolutely no question of rationalizing or eliminating sites, nor of reshuffling management,” declared François Michel.
“Our ambition with the prospective acquisition of Arquus is to shape a leading player in a very specific segment which is that of light armored tanks and with particular emphasis on conquering international markets”, insisted the boss of the group Belgian, present in the “energy, hydrogen, metallurgy and defense” sectors, which produces, for example, electrolysers or nuclear power plant tanks.
Seek volume in emerging countries
Arquus, which employs 1,200 people, notably in Limoges, Saint-Nazaire and Nevers, manufactures armored vehicles and armored chassis. It has achieved “a form of industrial excellence ultimately very focused on state needs (French, Editor’s note) and relatively little focused on export strategy”, noted François Michel.
John Cockerill, which employs 6,500 people including 2,000 in France, produces gun turrets for armored vehicles in the defense sector.
“With the acquisition of Arquus, we will be stronger to develop integrated platforms, turrets and vehicles adapted to the specific needs of our allies, while focusing on cost reduction and competitiveness in the international market” , he pleaded. To do this, we need to “find volume”, particularly in Russia’s traditional emerging client countries, according to him.
“Certain emerging areas have volume requirements that can be four or five times greater than the needs of the French army and the Belgian army combined. So it is enough for us to take a few large contracts of this type in volume to be able to to massively reduce costs.”
This acquisition project comes as France and Belgium established a partnership in 2018 called CaMo (motorized capability) aimed at providing the two armies with similar land equipment and doctrines.
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