What does ICONE Group propose?

Our Clients:

ICONE Group is a consulting agency assisting its clients in conducting Mergers & Acquisitions of industrial companies and production sites in Europe, with one of its specializations in Industrial Reconversions. More precisely, for the Reconversions, ICONE Group supports major international industrial groups in their projects of disengagement of some of their industrial sites. After a technical analysis of these production sites, ICONE Group offers developing SMEs and international promising industrial groups to take over one of these industrial sites BEFORE a Social Plan in order to produce OTHER products. It is a specific methodology, developed by our firm on the basis of the experience of our consultants.

Our practical solutions – a “win-win” strategy:

ICONE Group proposes to the “sellers”, international industrial groups, practical solutions in order to avoid the significant social problems and expenditures during a plant closure. They propose to the "buyer" of these industrial sites a very interesting solution: lower initial investments than planned and less time required for the installation, as well as trained staff, motivated by a new industrial project.

Our Network:

ICONE Group represents more than 100 partner offices worldwide thanks to a partnership with the German and the Paris-based French Consulting Group in Emerging Markets, XAVANTES. This international presence allows to identify quickly potential buyers worldwide.

Our Remuneration:

ICONE Group proposes to its customers a low monthly retainer fee compensation, and a large portion of variable target compensation, paid only upon success, at the contract approval of a proposed takeover of an industrial site.

Cost is 50 to 60%
of a normal procedure

100% of the employees are taken over

Our Terms of Collaboration

At the beginning of each new project, ICONE Group present their detailed methodology to interested industrial groups. It is important that the project starts before the company has communicated on a redundancy (social) plan.

If there is agreement between both parties to collaborate in this specific Sale-Take-over-Conversion approach, a detailed collaboration contract is signed.

In outlines, the phasing of a typical Reconversion mission is:

  • Acquisition of detailed knowledge of the site, and signing of a confidentiality agreement,
  • Expertise of the industrial site (advantages, pre-requisites,...)
  • Targeting of industries and projects,
  • Discrete and if needed enlarged prospecting for Buyers,
  • Selection of the interested Buyers, and organization of site visits,
  • Follow-up of the respective business plans,
  • Support for both the group and the purchaser for the "Successful sale to employees'

If necessary, legal experts, financial and technical experts are called for more detailed support.

Efficient and impressive Results

The operation ends with the following results, if the client has approved this methodology:

  • 100% of the employees concerned are taken over by the Buyer (no layoffs) - employees are taken under Article L. 1224 -1 of the Labour Code,
  • The assets (buildings, production facilities) are transferred for a nominal amount (if applicable),
  • A non-repayable grant of several tens of thousands of € per employee taken over is attributed to the buyer (if applicable),
  • The overall cost of operation for the Group of transferor represent 50 to 60% of the cost of a normal closure procedure,
  • No disturbance on the site or on other Group units.

Our References

The Buyers develop different activities from the original one on the respective site. Here are some examples for the most “original” ones:

  • The transfer of a production site of an Italian Group in Italy that manufactured automotive parts a to a French company that manufactures in that same establishment today professional electronic equipment and electromechanical products for the general public,
  • The conversion of the site of an Italian subsidiary of an American group that manufactured cylinders, which is now used by an Italian SME to manufacture bathroom showers,
  • The conversion of a subsidiary of a French group that worked as a subcontractor in the domain of consumer electronics, to a Japanese group, that brought a complementary manufacturing capacity of telephone equipment,
  • The transfer of a subsidiary of an American group that manufactured pneumatic components for automation, to a small French firm that has established in this same site of the subsidiary the manufacturing of parts for HDI automobile engines.

A multitude of major references in the last ten years may be disclosed under a Confidentiality Agreement.

These sale-conversions have been conducted in France and Western Europe on behalf of large international French, Italian, English, American, Swiss, Spanish groups. We would be happy to present you more details in a first meeting, to analyse your potential new disengagement projects.

>