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Milestones
Le Bélier is a worldwide supplier of automotive parts.
The key milestones in the Group's development have coincided with growth in production capacity and ongoing improvements in the quality of services to meet the requirements of customers.
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- 1961
- Jacques Galland founded an aluminium and copper alloy gravity die casting plant in Vérac for the manufacture of parts for the railway and electrical industries.
- 1965
- Establishment of a sand casting plant.
- 1979
- Construction of a new copper-aluminium casting facility.
- 1981
- Development of aluminium safety parts for the automotive industry.
- 1982
- Establishment of a machining workshop for foundry parts.
- 1985
- Creation of a quality department.
- 1988/91
- Le Belier is named Best Supplier of 1990 by General Motors and certified ISO 9002 by BVQI and AFAQ.
- 1992/93
- Development of automated gravity die-casting and the creation of a squeeze-casting workshop for research and development focusing on new processes.
- Launch of international expansion supported by an increase in production capacity.
- 1994
- Acquisition of a majority shareholding in the Hungarian foundry LBH, employing 400 people in Ajka, specialising in high-pressure die-casting.
- 1995
- Installation of gravity die-casting technology in Hungary.
- 1996
- Development of machining sector and installation of two flexible production lines. Acquisition of 100% of LBH, and on-site completion of a new gravity die-casting workshop for the mass production of cored parts. The Ajka site is certified ISO 9002 and Valéo 1000.
- 1997
- Creation of a mechanical product development department in Bulgaria: Le Bélier Bulgarie.
- 1998
- Creation of two new foreign subsidiaries:
- The Italian subsidiary, BMP Manfredonia;
- The Chinese subsidiary, LBD, to meet the requirements of the Chinese railway industry and the company's European customers who have set up in China (Bosch and Lucas).
- 1999
- Le Belier is listed on the Second Marché of the French stock exchange (11 June).
- 2000
- Creation of a new machining site at Szolnok in Hungary 100 km from Budapest. This is a joint venture with the Italian group Vigel;
- At the end of the year a new aluminium casting plant is created in Queretaro, Mexico, which produces parts mainly for the American truck industry;
- The company joins the ranks of the "TOP 100" of French exporters;
- "Le Belier " becomes a registered trademark.
- 2001
- Expansion in North America: Le Bélier successfully develops new markets for aluminium brake parts to be produced by the Mexican subsidiary;
- Machining unit in Hungary (BVM): installation of machining facilities completed during first six months and production begins in the second half of the year.
- 2002
- Inclusion of the share in the Second Marché index of the French stock exchange April 2002;
- Buildings extension at LBH (Hungary) concerning the mechanical activity, at BVM (machining Hungary) and at LBQ (Mexico) concerning the braking activity;
- Ownership interest in BVM increased from 60% to 78%;
- Reorganization of the foundry site in Hungary into Technical Units.
- 2003
- Creation in April of a new company in Kikinda in Serbia (LBK) as a joint venture with the Serbian state and 96.43%-held by Le Bélier Group;
- Acquisition of 100% of the companies FBMP and LBO;
- Change in the system of corporate governance from the dual management model to a management by a Board of Directors;
- Creation of an IT management department.
- 2004
- Buyout of minority interests in BVM (Machining Hungary);
- Buyout of minority interests in LBK (Serbia);
- Liquidation of FBMP (Italian holding company);
- Full 100% consolidation of the two property investment companies in France and Mexico;
- Increase in equity capital by €10,596,000 through the issuance of 623,304 new shares;
- Launch of an R & D programme for a new semi-solid casting process.
- 2005
- Launch of a new IT system in France and Italy;
- In Hungary, launcher production for suspension and chassis parts;
- At 01/01/2005 in Mexico, merger of IPR (Mexican property company) with LBQ;
- Creation of BQM (a machining subsidiary) and installation of 9 new machining units;
- Reorganization of industrial operations in France.
- 2006
- Transfer of turbo production of Hungary to the plant in Serbia;
- Launch of semi-automated foundry production in China;
- Production launch at two new machining plants in Mexico and Hungary;
- Reorganization of French industrial operations continued.
- 2007
- Transfer of Europe machining operations to the Hungarian plant;
- Reorganization of the Italian subsidiary.