Spie Batignolles
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Construction, Infrastructure |
| Predecessor | Ernest Goüin & Cie., Société de Construction des Batignolles, Société Parisienne pour l’Industrie Electrique (SPIE) |
| Founded | 1968 (merger forming Spie Batignolles) |
| Founder | Ernest Goüin (original firm) |
| Headquarters | Neuilly-sur-Seine , France |
Area served | France, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland |
Key people | François-Xavier Clédat (CEO), François-Xavier Anscutter (Deputy CEO) |
| Products | Building and infrastructure projects |
Spie Batignolles is a construction firm based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. The company specializes in building and infrastructure projects and operates within France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland.
Company history
The origins trace back to 1846 when Ernest Goüin established Ernest Goüin & Cie., which eventually transformed into Société de Construction des Batignolles (SCB). Separately, the firm Société Parisienne pour l’Industrie des Chemins de Fer et des Tramways Electriques developed into Société Parisienne pour l’Industrie Electrique (SPIE) by 1900, under the leadership of baron Édouard Empain.
In 1954, SPIE took a stake in SCB’s capital, culminating in a merger in 1968 that created Spie Batignolles. Expansion continued during the 1970s and 1980s with acquisitions including Compagnie Industrielle de Travaux (CITRA) in 1972, Canalisations Pétrolifères, Aquifères et Gazières (CAPAG) in 1977, and Travaux Industriels pour l’Electricité (TRINDEL) in 1982. The group's rail engineering capabilities were established in 1989 through the purchase of rail constructor Drouard, forming Spie Rail.
The 1990s involved corporate restructuring: Spie Construction was created in 1990 and merged with CITRA in 1992 to become SPIE CITRA. In 1997, a management buyout backed by AMEC acquired the company from Schneider. By 1998, Spie Batignolles adopted the SPIE brand, organizing subsidiaries such as Spie Trindel (energy), Spie Enertrans (transportation), and Spie Batignolles (construction).
On 1 July 2003, AMEC acquired Spie and divided it into three entities: AMEC SPIE for engineering services, AMEC Spie Rail for railway construction, and Spie Batignolles focusing on construction. AMEC intended to divest Spie Batignolles, leading to a management buyout by 78 senior executives in September 2003 supported by Barclays Private Equity Finance. By 2004, Financière Spie Batignolles purchased the remaining shares from AMEC.
AMEC disposed of its other divisions subsequently: AMEC SPIE was sold to PAI Partners for €1.04 billion in 2006, reclaiming the SPIE name; meanwhile, the rail joint venture Amec Spie Rail was sold to Colas Group for approximately £200 million in 2007.
The metal construction subsidiary CM Paimbeuf, acquired in 1995, was divested to Fayat in 2008.
Constituents of the Spie Batignolles Group
- Spie Foundations
- Spie Batignolles TPCI – specializing in underground works, civil engineering, infrastructure projects, and industrial construction
- Spie Batignolles Technologies – focused on concrete and wood pathology treatment
- Valérian – earthmoving services
- Spie Batignolles Réseaux – renovation and construction across multiple sites
- Spie Batignolles Immobilier – real estate marketing
- Spie Batignolles Concessions – managing car park concessions and swimming pool facilities
- Eurelec et Fontelec – electrical installations and multi-technical maintenance
Major projects
- Saddam International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq (1979)
- Pegasus Bridge (1994)
- Channel Tunnel (1994)
- Pont de Normandie (1995)
- Submerged tube tunnel for Paris Métro Line 14 as part of the Météor Project (1998)
- Terminal 2F at Charles de Gaulle Airport (1999)
- Lesotho Highlands Water Project (2002)
Key Leadership
- François-Xavier Clédat, Chief Executive Officer
- François-Xavier Anscutter, Deputy Chief Executive Officer