With American firm XPO Logistics looking like acquiring Norbert Dentressangle for £2.3bn or so can we start a thread before they vanish,anyone with any history ,info,pics etc about this company who presently employ over 13,000 people,love the firm or hate it,its part of british transport history. 
With a good traditional English name.
They’re still pulling TDG and Salvesen trailers about, so they must have seen it coming
PaulNowak:
… They’re still pulling TDG and Salvesen trailers about …
I see quite a number of “Dressingtable” trucks over here in Portugal,but their condition has deteriated over the past couple of years I’ve noticed.
David
I remember pulling Dentist-strangler tilts out of Dover on traction work in the mid-eighties with this old B-series ERF. Robert
Funny to see the different versions of their name. I always refer to them as Nobby Dillydangle
Just another corporate name change. It’s all trickery to deceive the ‘do gooders’ who believe everything their told. Certain majority Shareholders own ALL these corporations. They run the world!
Honestscott76:
Just another corporate name change. It’s all trickery to deceive the ‘do gooders’ who believe everything their told. Certain majority Shareholders own ALL these corporations. They run the world!
Norbert Dentressangle is actually a real person, and it was he and other members of his family who sold the company to XPO.
IndigoJo:
Honestscott76:
Just another corporate name change. It’s all trickery to deceive the ‘do gooders’ who believe everything their told. Certain majority Shareholders own ALL these corporations. They run the world!Norbert Dentressangle is actually a real person, and it was he and other members of his family who sold the company to XPO.
Taken from a recent blog:
“XPO Logistics to acquire a majority interest in Norbert Dentressangle and launch a tender offer for the remaining shares”
Therefore a Plc company owned by shareholders not as you claim owned by one person.
Honestscott76:
Here’s the evidence ukhaulier.co.uk/news/freight … logistics/
Which clearly says:
XPO has entered into a binding agreement to purchase from Mr. Norbert Dentressangle and his family all of their shares in Norbert Dentressangle, representing 67% of the company’s outstanding shares.
So it would indeed appear that 2/3 of the company was owned by Norbert himself and his family, with the other 1/3 being owned by other shareholders.
Roymondo:
Honestscott76:
Here’s the evidence ukhaulier.co.uk/news/freight … logistics/Which clearly says:
XPO has entered into a binding agreement to purchase from Mr. Norbert Dentressangle and his family all of their shares in Norbert Dentressangle, representing 67% of the company’s outstanding shares.
So it would indeed appear that 2/3 of the company was owned by Norbert himself and his family, with the other 1/3 being owned by other shareholders.
Raymondo, presuming you disagreeing with my comment and excuse me if I’m wrong on that, but JoJo was of the impression that Norbert and his Family owned the company outright. I was merely pointing out they do not and the fact that they are majority shareholders, which is not the same. Plc (public limited company)
Honestscott76:
Raymondo, presuming you disagreeing with my comment and excuse me if I’m wrong on that, but JoJo was of the impression that Norbert and his Family owned the company outright. I was merely pointing out they do not and the fact that they are majority shareholders, which is not the same. Plc (public limited company)
It’s not quite the same as owning the company outright, but being majority shareholders means you control it even though you have to share the profits and the other shareholders can have a say. In addition, some companies have a system of A and B shares, one voting and the other not, and the voting shares are kept within the family. This is how News International works (the Murdoch family have the voting B-shares); not sure if that was the case with Norbert.
Also, in some countries, when you own most of the shares, you are obliged to buy the rest. So buying the Dentressangles out may mean they end up owning it all.
IndigoJo:
Norbert Dentressangle is actually a real person, and it was he and other members of his family who sold the company to XPO.
This is what you said. This is what I commented on.
In the early 90’s I had a visit from Nobby’s then UK MD Ray ? (I’ll have his sir name somewhere in a file) to enquire wether I would be interested in a possible sale of Bewick Transport to ND,nothing came of it as I wasn’t interested but not long afterwards I was told that Ray had to give up his job to look after his very sick wife.I’ve got to say though that contrary to my dim view of all things Le Frog this chap Ray was a right decent sort,well he would be as he was English Cheers Bewick.
IndigoJo:
Honestscott76:
Raymondo, presuming you disagreeing with my comment and excuse me if I’m wrong on that, but JoJo was of the impression that Norbert and his Family owned the company outright. I was merely pointing out they do not and the fact that they are majority shareholders, which is not the same. Plc (public limited company)It’s not quite the same as owning the company outright, but being majority shareholders means you control it even though you have to share the profits and the other shareholders can have a say. In addition, some companies have a system of A and B shares, one voting and the other not, and the voting shares are kept within the family. This is how News International works (the Murdoch family have the voting B-shares); not sure if that was the case with Norbert.
Also, in some countries, when you own most of the shares, you are obliged to buy the rest. So buying the Dentressangles out may mean they end up owning it all.
Having worked in France before retiring in quite a responsible position I can confirm that ND wa owned by 2 familys , the Dentrassangle family and the Lettard family
As a EX driver of the “FIRST” known haulage company to be taken over eventually A.C.H.All stories emerged about this and that to be honest the EX managers of COMPANIES TAKEN OVER WOULD probably know the truth, ONE rumour was that the boss mr Dentestrangle had a small haulage firm around MANCHESTER AREA FOR YEARS AND NO ONE KNEW WHO WAS THE BOSS.!!
However once ACH were integrated it was a good thing" DIESEL EVERYWHERE " depots,.I did not stay that long, suspicion was " HE" they, wanted the AVON JOB, AND KODAK ,WHO KNOWS what deals were made ,lots of dosh floating around i bet…lots of drivers out there who know more than me ,anyway i was biased as i detested THE ACH owners lots did not…my view.
It may be a capital injection .Tibbet and Britain anyone
Evening all,
Sitting here with my second Bollinger of the night…(totally forbidden by my medicine lady)…but forbidden fruits are certainly the best…
And before this thread vanishes into the “ether”, I thought, (if it would not bore you all), important to just outline a few facts about this operation, and the individual, (who I know rather well), behind it. For it is a tale of some endeavour, some gigantic conflict, and perhaps a very uncertain future!
L` Enfant Terrible Dentressangle!
Back in `74, I met Georges Dentressangle, a small operator, in Saint Vallier in the Rhone Valley. He had a son, Norbert, who had left business school with rather high grades, (oh how I am sad at the true lack of business education in the United Kingdom…truly the depravation of a whole generations potential)), and who wished to develop his family business
And develop it he did!For the Rhone Valley was an ideal Geographic situation for any Hire and Reward Haulier, in France, and International.
By `78 the Dentressangle operation encompassed 25 separate operations, involved in Volume, Bulk, and local, and International Road Transport.
The first major deal that “we”, as RVI did was with Norbert, 300 units, Tractor, and Drawbar, including a number of extending draw bar trailers manufactured by Joel Soulard`s SAMRO, Fontenay Le Comte, (surely a man as innovative and possessing the same genius as our own Gerald Broadbent, the man who created the tensioned curtain side trailer). 300 units, 36 months contract, and a residual value guarantee. The first, but by no means the last such deal.
By `85, Dentressangle S A, Avenue Quebec Saint Vallier, was rated 31st largest in France, with Norbert at its head, his father Georges, as Director General, Norberts delightful wife Marie-Therese as Personel Director, and the dynamic Daniel Letard driving forward sales In particular concentrating on the UK business potential.
87, Dentressangle invested heavily in day cab tractor units, fitted with cab top “pavilion” sleepers by SAMRO, and aluminium framed 13.5 metre tilt trailers, (33 pallets), for UK traffic. The idea being that despite the gvw disparity between France and the UK, then a similar payload to that carried on French domestic transport could be accommodated.
A UK office had been opened in Lytham St Annes, (and as Bewick relates, a super guy worked for Norbert, and like Bewick I cannot remember his name…Ray, Roy)■■? But tasked with acquiring UK operations for Dentressangle Group. The first being Aston Clinton Haulage, followed by the Sheddick families operation in Wales.
`88 Dentressangle was rated as the 28th largest operator in France, Groupe Giraud at 25…mark this name well, for the battle that was to ensue between the two Groupes was to affect the domestic French, and International road haulage industry with dramatic, and devastating effect!
`89, Dentressangle were operating 100 cross English Channel movements
And our beloved Paul Channon was celebrated for securing derogation from increased lorry weights until 1999!!!..Plonker!!!
1990 Dentressangleoperated 1509 lorries, and employed 1710 people.
Then in 1991 the battle for market supremeacy with Groupe Giraud began!!!
Perhaps a little of the background to Groupe Giraud would help to understand the great rivalry that was to ensue.
Leon Giraud was a wine merchant back in 1934.
1954 his first “Pinadier”, (wine tanker, a Somua JL was acquired.
In the UK we probably best remember Giraud for their wine red Scania L110 bonneted tanker combinations, by `86 they ran 650 units, and were the French market leader in liquid transport.
The second generation joined the business, Michel, Andre, and their Brother in Law, Alain Fauquer. and did they drive the business forward…(And introduce me to the delights of Mdme Bollinger…for which I am forever indebited to them)!
`91 came the first battle…costly and bloody…over the ex Onatra companies Extrans, Samat, and Charles Andre…Giraud won!
Then Norbert acquired Dax, a favoured haulier to the Renault Group, and UKs Salvesens Darfueille, and biggest of all, the entire Savam, home delivery, and volume transport Group. A French institution, previously owned by the UK s United (BET), Group, and sold to Rentokill, then Norbert, reputedly the largest “volume” operator in Europe, with over 600 120 cu m plus outfits on the road.
94 Norbert acquires the first TDG company, Translitterol of Bolougne Sur Mer,..............then fridge haulier Pivoin, (complete with the UK livery including the juggler on the air deflectors of its Scanias.
1995 Giraud operated 2800 vehicles, and employed over 4000 staff.
But Norbert was giving over 25% return on capital employed in the business. But profitability had “peaked”.
2000, Giraud Groupe began to" shed", its road haulage operations, concentrating on warehousing and logistic provision to its main clients.
2000 in the UK Norbert, and his UK MD, Petar Cvetkovic faced a series of major hours and records offence in the UK.
The opportunity arose to absorb the entire “rump” of TDG, (a long admired operating company). But now of questionable profitability…
2015.Dentressangle operate over 45000 units, (including 690 Rumanian registered, and 767 Polish)
Gentlemen , there you have a “potted” history. I can fill in copious details, companies, personalities, but Norbert and Therese are friends, and private people, and that I respect…But what an achievement…what an empire…and what a story. …Dentressangle/Giraud…
But the Bollinger wins…
Cheerio for now,
