In 1930, three brothers, Victor, Alfred and Gabriel Lafuma, each one more enterprising than the other, launched a compnay, based on their skills as tanners and saddlers, to manufacture and market all types of bags including back-packs, and and they named their company Lafuma.
In 1936 the invention of the frame of the backpack along with that of paid leave allows the birth of "Lafuma". In 1954, wishing to coincide with the era of the car and entertainment, the company embarked on the creation of camping furniture and the success was immediate.
The turnover of the company was then close to 115 million francs. In addition to launching in 1985 the schoolboy bag , and in 1986 the creation of a manufacturing subsidiary in Tunisia (Context), which employs 290 people, 80 years and above are also reflected by the strategic decision to develop around the backpack, a full range of excursion bags.
The end of the decade also saw a rise with significant changes in strategy at Lafuma. Indeed, it was not until 1987 that the country witnessed the first opening of the family business outside the capital, with the arrival of Axa and Siparex.
Then in 1988 Lafuma made its entry into the USA, with the initial intention of distribution of Lafuma products in the United States, and this allowed the group to settle in the U.S. market.
The same strategy was used a year later, in Asia (1989) with the creation of Lafuma Hong Kong, with the subsidiary responsible for marketing in Asia and the quality control of outsourcing in Asia. Thus, in 1990, Lafuma exceeds the symbolic barrier of 200 million francs in sales.
The year 2000 was also an opportunity for Lafuma SA. to consolidate its position in the outdoor market, and the same year saw many acquisitions.
In 2001 the company resumed activity with Madden, an American brand of backpacks techniques, and the company Lallemand, that specialized in the manufacturing of camping furniture and aluminum garden furniture.
Then in 2002, Lafuma SA. bought the company Big Pack , a German clothing and equipment company, for hiking. To ensure maximum performance, there the same year the company created two sales offices and production in Asia (Japan and China). The milestone of 150 million euros in revenue is passed on September 30, 2002, with an annual turnover of 154.6 M euros from 2001 to 2002 with 38.5% internationally.
The year 2005 saw the birth of the creation of a fourth pole "Slide"with the acquisition of Oxbow and the opening of a shop Lafuma Chamonix. Finally, Lafuma resumed on 1 February 2006 the business and principal assets of the German equestrian clothing company, Georg Schumacher.
Sourcing is generally improving productivity, extending purchases for each type of product, to the level of strategic customer for each major supplier, whether a manufacturer of raw materials or subcontractor of finished products, or even service services.
The advantage is two fold: financial, by obtaining a better purchase, but also access to the latest technology. U.S. competitors are already, by the strength of their domestic market are ahead of some of their industry counterparts, and this has a dual effect.
Tags: Lafuma, evolution of the company, strategic analysis
[...] Yann Le Gal & D director LAFUMA) Beyond this diversification purely focused on direct production, the Lafuma Group SA. has for many years began a diversification strategy implemented by numerous acquisitions of companies whose respective activities completed to better those of Lafuma SA. for several reasons: • Risk management: As we have seen before, the parade against the many risks inherent in the outdoor market is diversification. It makes it possible when a business is in a phase of positive growth or when environmental hazards are not favorable, to rest on one or other, more verve at this time, and compensate for this shortfall. [...]
[...] In addition, an internal newspaper “Leaf " is broadcast in the group. It shows the relevance of each brand Corporate culture ♣ LAFUMA has been developing a partnership with the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) since 1998, which allows the company to pay a percentage of revenues from products co- signed with the WWF and thus finance actions to protect the environment. Most Lafuma- WWF products are eco-designed products. Since 2000, Lafuma has expanded eco- design of clothing and shoes. Lafuma also conducts more specific operations such as those called " 1 shirt = 1 tree." For every t –shirt sold, € 3 is donated to WWF to help reforestation following the fires of summer 2003. [...]
[...] In the world of the outdoors, the Lafuma brand specializes in three main areas: hiking camping and the school bag Hiking (sleeping bags, tents, and clothing) is a marketing diversification, which plays on the legitimacy of the mark on the territory of the outdoors. Example: An industrial diversification: the backpack satchel: Since its inception, Lafuma manufactured backpacks metal structure. These structures are subcontracted industrial know- how of the company was primarily an assembly expertise. In the 50s, the company imagined use this know -how in manufacturing camping furniture. In 1985, she embarked on the production of school bags. [...]
[...] 20) 21) 22) 23) The 478,035 new shares of nominal value € 8 will be issued and admitted to trading on Eurolist by Euronext Paris March Capital Lafuma will be composed of 2,071,486 shares. 24) 25) The operation was led by Calyon as sole guarantor leader and SOCIETE GENERALE as co -lead non guarantor. 26) 27) The prospectus relating to the transaction that received the AMF visa n ° 06-034 dated February is available on the websites of the AMF www.amf -france.org and Lafuma www.groupe- lafuma.com . 28) 29) A notice was published in the BALO of 10 February 2006. [...]
[...] Redemption of OXBOW invests power in the Asian market. Finance and Control Internal control procedures (commitment of expenditure, reporting, consolidation, planning long-term accounts) that correspond to objectives (optimization, compliance, reliability of accounting and financial information and transactions) + risk control fraud in within the same group. Actors: CA, Management Committees (Group parent company and subsidiaries) HRM Workforce 2005: 1911 with 978 in France. Training (€ 247K in 2005), profit-sharing agreements and participation (701 K € in 2005), opening up the capital to employees. [...]
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