The company Huard Tunisia, subsidiary of the group Loukil is specialised in manufacturing agricultural, agro-food and industrial equipment as well as the study and realisation of big boilerworks, metallic construction and telecommunication equipment, has just concluded an important contract in Algeria. With an amount of 7,5 MDT (12 million Euros), this deal was concluded with the Algerian Naftal and the group would be in pool-position to win another deal of an amount of 11 million Euros with the mother company Sonatrach. The first is an agricultural machinery market, and the second, in negotiation phase, is a petrol equipment deal.
Who are the Loukil ?
Le groupe Loukil, of which Huard is a subsidiary, was founded in 1976, from an agricultural material enterprise, by Mohamed Loukil today assisted by his sons Bassam and Walid. The group has developed in the implementation of important infrastructures such as the construction of electric units (such as the one in Radès for the account of the French industrial group Alstrom), of grain silos (2/3 of the silos built in the last five years) or the construction of petrol platforms (such as the one at Cercina field in Kerkennah for the account of British Gas).
Today, gathering 18 subsidiaries, the group, employing 1617 workers, is also developing in computer services (supplier of the Tunisian ministry of national education and research through equipping schools and research laboratories), in the automobile sector after the purchase of Aures (representative of Citroën in Tunisia) and in the mechanical industry after the purchase of Sacem and AMS (Mechanical workshops of the Sahel) within privatisation operations. The group Loukil is also a Tunisian private group specialised in industrial equipment, the construction and public works, international trade and environment activities, engineering and consultancy.
The group, employing today 2500 collaborators, has also developed an international strategy oriented mainly towards the Arab world. In 2003, it made 58% of its turnover in Tunisia, 10% in Libya, 13% in the Maghreb and 13% in Irak. In 2007, the group continued its activity potfolio diversification in the Maghreb mainly, with Sacem which exported for 7, MDT adapters to Libya and Huard exported for 5,4 million Euros telecom equipment to Algeria and 3,8 MDT machinery to Mauritania.
With 300 partnerships with foreign enterprises, Loukil is one of the most internationalised Tunisian companies, this internationalisation is enough to prove its financial capacities. This internationalisation which «translates the will of the Group Loukil to expand its know-how beyond frontiers offering services with strong added value within the respect of human beings and their environment. Through the approval of worldwide known partners and leaders ain their field, the Group Loukil endeavours with a policy of integrating the enterprises within a structured network seeking continuous value synergies. This is how it is the representative of the French Citroën (partial or exclusive) in Tunisia, of Alcaltel, of the Japanese Kubota, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Kawasaki, of the Italian Same and Lombardini, the German Deutz, the Thai Acer, of the South-Korean Samsung, of the multinational Sony Ericsson most importantly », according to the site of the Group.
A good financial health.
Through this prospective vision, the Group Loukil is today among the 5 leading groups in Tunisia and looks to the future with calm thanks to its capacities to adapt to the economic conjecture and to the technological revolution with as principle perseverance for a continuous gain in competences and competitiveness.
With solid financial back-ups, despite repeated expansions for several years, the group realised in 2007, a turnover of 356 MDT and is registering from September 2008 a growth of 17 % in its turnover which should stabilise at 420 MDT by the end of this year.This growth is mainly the result of the increase in its exports through mainly Sacem, AMS, Huard and Aures.
Investor and developer, this Tunisian group discloses its commitments. At the end of September 2008, they represented, only 238 MDT are in bank credits, 35 MDT in bank credits, 18 for Aurès borrowed from Krifa family with 90 employees and which employs now 252. Debt from this takeover was of 34 MDT and refund is being done, especially that the turnover of the enterprise is doing well and increased from 56 MDT in 2006, to 85 MDT in 2007 and should exceed 100 MDT, this is despite 1 MDT taxes in 2007, concerning the previous years (this is normally the responsibility of the previous owner) and after a very long absence from tax services. It is certainly because of this good financial health that its French partner represented by Gilles Michel, director de Citroën, expressed his satisfaction during his last visit in Tunisia for the launch of the C5.
Come back to the Stock Market, very soon
This commitment (238 MDT) and this small debt (35 MDT) did not, of course, affect the profits of the group. Up to now, mute on profits, the group only says that its net result will increase by 25 % for 2008. This discretion cannot last, though, since the group announces the official entry in the Stock Market, during 2009, of Huard Tunisia which has just completed its second upgrading programme. The group announced, for 2009, the resumption of AMS quotation. This is good news for the brokers.
