ECM Technologies
Shortly before the end of the year, this report was published in Présences magazine.
Growth of 36.1% in 2022, workforce growth of 38% in Grenoble in three years… this is rare in the industry. What explains this performance?
Laurent Pélissier: ECM Technologies is a world leader in equipment that ensures the heat treatment of mechanical parts. For example, our low-pressure carburizing furnaces are part of the process of all activities that contribute to decarbonization: automotive chains that rely on the electrification of vehicles (including Tesla and Ford in the United States), semiconductors or the new energy industry (photovoltaics, hydrogen, wind power, etc.). A major heat pump specialist such as Alfa Laval is one of our international customers. However, these activities invest heavily in preparing for the future. This is the number one reason for our organic growth, along with the ability of our teams to achieve this.
You also participate in ecological and energy transformation…
Laurent Pélissier: It turns out that one of our furnace technologies, launched in 1991, provides an 80% gain in reducing the carbon footprint among our customers, in addition to excellent quality of part processing and safety for operators! In the beginning, we marketed this technology for its technical arguments. Today it is also for its energy consumption! We are recognized as the manufacturers of the only Solar Impulse certified furnace in the world. All these features contribute to gaining a share in the international market.
Marlène Pélissier: Thanks to their modular architecture, our devices can be very easily integrated into customer production lines. Our products can also be retrofitted. This means that old generations of furnaces are returning to us, which are renovated and at the same time save material costs for new equipment. Although the final price is not too far from the price of a new one, some customers prefer to renovate in order to practice a circular economy. This segment represented approximately 20% of our services and is experiencing strong growth.
What are your prospects?
Marlène Pélissier: Growth will still be in double digits in 2023, closer to 10%. We still benefit from a very good order book, although the signals sent by the markets are becoming more uncertain.
Laurent Pélissier: Most of the new EV platforms are actually in place and China is experiencing less strong growth. But the United States tends to take control. We were mainly present here in the automotive industry. Other activities are developing, eg semiconductors, shipping, aeronautics, etc. In Asia, India is growing significantly. In the outlook to 2030, we expect to double in size, both in turnover and in the number of employees.
Would this involve expanding your premises?
Laurent Pélissier: A development study is actually being carried out in the Grenoble area. And if it is not possible here, if necessary in the AURA region.
Marlène Pélissier: Today, all our strategic activities are in France, distributed between Grenoble and Montpellier. Our international subsidiaries were created to ensure proximity to our customers and the production of complementary equipment to our installations.
ECM Technologies invests in Carbon, a photovoltaic panel gigafactory project in Fos-sur-Mer. Why?
Laurent Pélissier: Because we fully believe in solar energy and the photovoltaic panel industry. The ECM Group is one of the world’s experts in technology and equipment for the production of solar cells. We deliver our solutions all over the world, except for Europe, where there is no production of panels anymore. Restoring the world’s best-performing sector here is possible, and that’s what Carbon is aiming for. The panels may be slightly more expensive to produce, but the gains from supply chain savings to the value created in France through the development of industrial activity and employment will largely offset these additional costs.
Marlène Pélissier: The ECM Group is a one-third shareholder of the Carbon project. This is not yet included in our 2030 projection, but it goes without saying that such a project would be another growth driver for the company. The start of production at the Fos-sur-Mer gigafactory is planned for 2026.
Laurent Pélissier: Until then, a pilot plant remains to be built. I hope it will be in the AURA region. We will find out in the first quarter of 2024.
Jiri Stanislav
December 21, 2023
