Groupe Dubreuil is a diversified family holding company, including Air Caraïbes and French Bee.
| Company type | Diversified family holding company |
|---|---|
| Industry | activities of head offices  |
| Founded | 1924 |
Key people | Jean-Paul Dubreuil (chairman) |
| Subsidiaries | Air Caraïbes, French Bee |
| Website | www |
History edit
The Groupe Dubreuil, first wholesaler of grocery stores and fuel distribution, was founded in 1924 by Henri Dubreuil in La Roche-sur-Yon.[1] After 1950, the company developed "a network of rural gas stations".[1] In 1961, the company partnered with the Spar (food wholesaler).[2]
In 1966, Henri Dubreuil died of a heart attack and his 24-year-old son, Jean-Paul Dubreuil, succeeded him.[1]
In 1973, two years after joining two Spar wholesalers to create Oedis, the company partnered with Wholesaler Disco (Oedisco). In 1974, Jean-Paul Dubreuil opened his first Bravo supermarket (now Hyper U thereafter), in a warehouse of his father-in-law.[1][2]
An aviator, Jean-Paul Dubreuil, who passed his pilot's license at age 17,[3] established a small taxi company, Air Vendée[4] in 1975. This allows him to manage the Disco wholesaler, whose sites are distributed throughout France.[1][5]
At the same time, the group opened its first brick-and-mortar store, Bricogite, in 1980 and its first Peugeot car dealership in 1987. In 1985, supermarket resale allowed the group to continue to develop in aviation.[4]
Air Vendée is bankrupt and partnering with other small local airlines (Airlec, etc.) to establish Regional Airlines in 1992.[1][4] It links provincial cities to larger European cities.[1][4]
In 1996, Regional Airlines was publicly traded. The 10.96 percent of the capital transferred allows the company to raise 33 million francs.[1]
In 1998, the company bought Air Caribbean to reduce the taxes of the Dubreuil Group, followed by Air Martinique, Air Guadeloupe, Air Saint-Martin and Air Saint-Barthely.[1]
In 2000, the group transferred its stake in Regional Airlines (70%) to Air France for EUR 42.7 million.[6][7]
At the end of 2003, following the judgment of Air Lib, another airline, the group purchased a long-haul from its subsidiary Air Caribbean for -150 million to connect Paris-Orly with the Caribbean. It offers 15% cheaper routes than Air France.[8] Seven years later, it holds 27% market share.[8]
In 2008, the company sold its oil trading subsidiary to invest in photovoltaic energy.[9][10]
In 2015, the group tried to buy back its competitor Corsair but eventually gave up.
The following year, Dubreuil Group established a low-cost long-haul airline, first named French blue, then French Bee.
In 2020, following the outbreak of COVID-19, the CMA CGM group is expected to take up 30% of the capital of Air Caribbean and French Bee, when a capital increase of EUR 50 million is achieved. The following year, the agreement was not reached.[11] The Dubreuil Group receives an EMP of 150 million.[12] At the end of December 2021, the two airline subsidiaries of the Group Dubreuil are recapitalized by the group itself at EUR 15 million each.[12]
At the end of June 2023, the Dubreuil group announced the departure of Jean-Paul Dubreuil and Marc Rochet, a duo that has been leading the group for 20 years. Jean-Paul Dubreuil, President of Groupe Dubreuil Aéro (GDA), gives his place to his son Paul-Henri Dubreuil, currently CEO of the family group Dubreuil. Christine Our-rnes-Widener will take over the position of Chief Executive Officer of Air Caribbean, Air Caribbean Atlantic, Frenchbee and Heline Cargo in place of Marc Rochet.[13]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Tallec, Isabelle (25 January 2007). "L'envol de la grande distribution" [The take-off of mass distribution]. L'Express (in French).
- ^ a b "Groupe Dubreuil - Historique - Dubreuil". archive.wikiwix.com. 23 February 2011.
- ^ André, Trentin (15 March 2017). "L'irrésistible ascension de la famille Dubreuil" [The irresistible rise of the Dubreuil family]. Le Point (in French).
- ^ a b c d Figaro, Le (31 October 2008). "Du Bocage aux Caraïbes" [From Bocage to the Caribbean]. Le Figaro (in French).
- ^ Epinay, Bénédicte (27 October 1994). "Le grossiste Disco contraint de déposer son bilan" [The Disco wholesaler forced to file for bankruptcy]. Les Echos (in French).
- ^ Fainsilber, Denis (19 January 2000). "Air France devrait annoncer aujourd'hui le rachat de Régional Airlines" [Air France should announce today the acquisition of Regional Airlines]. Les Echos (in French). Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ "Global Corporate Report: Business Diary". Wall Street Journal. 20 January 2000. p. 6. ProQuest 308414270.
- ^ a b Michel, Caroline (13 December 2010). "Le pirate des Caraïbes à l'assaut d'Air France" [The Caribbean pirate assaults Air France]. Capital.fr (in French). Retrieved 2022-01-08.
- ^ Guimard, Emmanuel (9 November 2009). "Le groupe Dubreuil monte en régime dans l'énergie solaire" [The Dubreuil group is up in solar energy]. Les Echos (in French). Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ^ Guimard, Emmanuel (21 January 2008). "Le groupe Dubreuil se diversifie dans le solaire" [The Dubreuil group is diversifying into the solar]. Les Echos (in French). Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ^ Guérin, Jean-Yves (11 February 2021). "CMA CGM renonce à monter à bord d'Air Caraïbes et French Bee" [CMA CGM gives up boarding Air Caraïbes and French Bee]. Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ^ a b Guérin, Jean-Yves (17 December 2021). "Air Caraïbes et French Bee espèrent être bénéficiaires en 2022" [Air Caraïbes and French Bee hope to be beneficiaries in 2022]. Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ^ Figaro, Le (29 June 2023). "Changements à la tête du groupe Dubreuil (Air Caraïbes, French bee)" [Changes at the head of the Dubreuil group (Air Caraïbes, French bee)]. Le Figaro (in French). AFP. Retrieved 30 June 2023.