Fifth French site and upcoming change in ownership for Intelcia, a Moroccan customer relationship specialist
27 January 2015
Read by 2027 persons
Moroccan group Intelcia, specializing in customer relations, inaugurated its fifth site in France this Friday, January 23, in Boigny-sur-Bionne (Loiret). While strengthening its proximity to its French clientele, it plans to create 200 jobs there eventually. Furthermore, CDG Capital, the investment fund that owns more than a quarter of the company's capital, will sell its shares to new shareholders.
Intelcia now has five sites. The Moroccan group Intelcia inaugurated its fifth call center site this Friday, January 23, for its client Humanis, specializing in retirement and health.
TOP 5 FRENCH-SPEAKING PLAYERS
What is driving Intelcia? "Our ambition is to be in the top 5 French-speaking players. To achieve this, we must first consolidate our positions in France and Morocco," explains Karim Bernoussi, CEO and co-founder of Intelcia, whose capital is divided into three parts between historical partners and Moroccan financiers.
This year, CDG Capital, the investment fund holding 27.5% of the company's capital, will sell its stake to other investment funds. (Read the CEO's interview below).
The new project, located in the Lac Charbonnière business district in Boigny-sur-Bionne near Orléans, occupies 1610 square meters spread over two floors.
"We opened this site for our client Humanis. While it is currently used at 50% capacity, with about one hundred employees, we plan to fully utilize it once future contracts are finalized," Karim Bernoussi, CEO of the group, told L'Usine Nouvelle.
The Boigny-sur-Bionne site follows those in Marseille, Lyon, Villepinte, and Dreux in France. Intelcia employs more than 1,000 people in France, generating nearly €30 million in revenue in 2014.
This call center will initially manage various customer service operations in health insurance and retirement. It will later handle other types of operations in telemarketing and telesales for various clients.
This project required an investment of €700,000, financed by equity and bank loans from Société Générale. Intelcia also received a €200,000 grant from the Loiret department and the agglomeration community.
A TOUGH BATTLE
On May 22, 2014, the group inaugurated its previous call center in El Jadida, Morocco, about 100 kilometers southwest of Casablanca, covering 1,640 square meters and employing 250 people.
In Morocco, Intelcia is in a tough battle for third place behind Webhelp and Arvato. In terms of employees, the top 5 Moroccan ranking includes Webhelp, Arvato, Phone assistance, Intelcia, and Atento.
Intelcia plans to continue expanding in France and Morocco through external growth because, according to its CEO, "the market does not allow for rapid development based solely on internal organic growth."
The group's growth slowed after 10% in 2012 and 6% in 2013, reaching €65 million in revenue. In 2014, it was slightly negative at €64 million.
In the telecommunications operator support sector, Free's arrival in 2011 disrupted the sector by driving down prices and reducing already tight margins.
"Despite the consolidation of our market, we forecast €67 to €70 million in revenue in 2015," adds Karim Bernoussi, who strongly believes in his group's ability to regain growth.
To this end, the group is counting on the sub-Saharan market. After a first attempt in Benin that did not meet the optimal conditions for its realization, the West African market remains wide open.
Its experience since its launch in 2000 in Morocco and 2010 in France now allows it to have an overview of nearshore, onshore, and offshore employee costs, estimated at €28 per hour in France, €13 per hour in Morocco, and €7 to €8 per hour in sub-Saharan Africa.
"The realization of a future project in West Africa will allow us to complete our offer with an offshore dimension," concludes Karim Bernoussi.
Nasser Djama.
Nine sites opened by Intelcia
The Intelcia group employs a total of 3,500 people across 9 sites, including 5 in France (Dreux, Lyon, Marseille, Orléans, and Villepinte) and 4 in Morocco (3 locations in Casablanca and 1 in El Jadida). It offers its clients activities such as B2B commercial BPO, customer service, surveys and polls, technical support, insourcing, and training in the telecommunications, media, internet services, banking, insurance, public services, distribution, and mail-order sectors. In its market, Intelcia ranks third in Morocco and ninth in France.
"No drawbacks to opening up our capital further"
3 questions to Karim Bernoussi, CEO and founder of Intelcia
What growth strategy and financing methods will you favor?
It is difficult to double in size with the low growth of the current market. We can only achieve our goals if we make acquisitions. However, an outsourcing strategy requires significant financial resources. This year, we are parting ways with our shareholder CDG Capital, an investment fund of the Caisse de dépôt et de gestion which owns 27.5% of Intelcia's capital. Its shares will be bought by other funds with which we are negotiating. But we see no drawbacks to opening up our capital further.
What is your pricing strategy?
The best margins are in high-end services. But today, the market is not large enough to develop exclusively in this niche. If you look at our client portfolio, you will find high value-added activities and others that are standard. Consolidating ourselves in the French-speaking market will help us offer a lower-cost service and then gradually move towards the high end.
What is your long-term vision for Intelcia?
Our primary goal is to be among the top 5 outsourcing companies in the French-speaking world. We want to have a broad offer in nearshore, onshore, and offshore, respectively in France, Morocco, and sub-Saharan Africa. After consolidating the French-speaking part, we want to specialize in areas such as medical, for example, and open up to other languages. In the next 5 to 10 years, we aim to become a major player in the sector worldwide.
Interview by N.D.
Usinenouvelle.com
Published January 27, 2015.
Posted online January 27, 2015.
Intelcia now has five sites. The Moroccan group Intelcia inaugurated its fifth call center site this Friday, January 23, for its client Humanis, specializing in retirement and health.
TOP 5 FRENCH-SPEAKING PLAYERS
What is driving Intelcia? "Our ambition is to be in the top 5 French-speaking players. To achieve this, we must first consolidate our positions in France and Morocco," explains Karim Bernoussi, CEO and co-founder of Intelcia, whose capital is divided into three parts between historical partners and Moroccan financiers.
This year, CDG Capital, the investment fund holding 27.5% of the company's capital, will sell its stake to other investment funds. (Read the CEO's interview below).
The new project, located in the Lac Charbonnière business district in Boigny-sur-Bionne near Orléans, occupies 1610 square meters spread over two floors.
"We opened this site for our client Humanis. While it is currently used at 50% capacity, with about one hundred employees, we plan to fully utilize it once future contracts are finalized," Karim Bernoussi, CEO of the group, told L'Usine Nouvelle.
The Boigny-sur-Bionne site follows those in Marseille, Lyon, Villepinte, and Dreux in France. Intelcia employs more than 1,000 people in France, generating nearly €30 million in revenue in 2014.
This call center will initially manage various customer service operations in health insurance and retirement. It will later handle other types of operations in telemarketing and telesales for various clients.
This project required an investment of €700,000, financed by equity and bank loans from Société Générale. Intelcia also received a €200,000 grant from the Loiret department and the agglomeration community.
A TOUGH BATTLE
On May 22, 2014, the group inaugurated its previous call center in El Jadida, Morocco, about 100 kilometers southwest of Casablanca, covering 1,640 square meters and employing 250 people.
In Morocco, Intelcia is in a tough battle for third place behind Webhelp and Arvato. In terms of employees, the top 5 Moroccan ranking includes Webhelp, Arvato, Phone assistance, Intelcia, and Atento.
Intelcia plans to continue expanding in France and Morocco through external growth because, according to its CEO, "the market does not allow for rapid development based solely on internal organic growth."
The group's growth slowed after 10% in 2012 and 6% in 2013, reaching €65 million in revenue. In 2014, it was slightly negative at €64 million.
In the telecommunications operator support sector, Free's arrival in 2011 disrupted the sector by driving down prices and reducing already tight margins.
"Despite the consolidation of our market, we forecast €67 to €70 million in revenue in 2015," adds Karim Bernoussi, who strongly believes in his group's ability to regain growth.
To this end, the group is counting on the sub-Saharan market. After a first attempt in Benin that did not meet the optimal conditions for its realization, the West African market remains wide open.
Its experience since its launch in 2000 in Morocco and 2010 in France now allows it to have an overview of nearshore, onshore, and offshore employee costs, estimated at €28 per hour in France, €13 per hour in Morocco, and €7 to €8 per hour in sub-Saharan Africa.
"The realization of a future project in West Africa will allow us to complete our offer with an offshore dimension," concludes Karim Bernoussi.
Nasser Djama.
Nine sites opened by Intelcia
The Intelcia group employs a total of 3,500 people across 9 sites, including 5 in France (Dreux, Lyon, Marseille, Orléans, and Villepinte) and 4 in Morocco (3 locations in Casablanca and 1 in El Jadida). It offers its clients activities such as B2B commercial BPO, customer service, surveys and polls, technical support, insourcing, and training in the telecommunications, media, internet services, banking, insurance, public services, distribution, and mail-order sectors. In its market, Intelcia ranks third in Morocco and ninth in France.
"No drawbacks to opening up our capital further"
3 questions to Karim Bernoussi, CEO and founder of Intelcia
What growth strategy and financing methods will you favor?
It is difficult to double in size with the low growth of the current market. We can only achieve our goals if we make acquisitions. However, an outsourcing strategy requires significant financial resources. This year, we are parting ways with our shareholder CDG Capital, an investment fund of the Caisse de dépôt et de gestion which owns 27.5% of Intelcia's capital. Its shares will be bought by other funds with which we are negotiating. But we see no drawbacks to opening up our capital further.
What is your pricing strategy?
The best margins are in high-end services. But today, the market is not large enough to develop exclusively in this niche. If you look at our client portfolio, you will find high value-added activities and others that are standard. Consolidating ourselves in the French-speaking market will help us offer a lower-cost service and then gradually move towards the high end.
What is your long-term vision for Intelcia?
Our primary goal is to be among the top 5 outsourcing companies in the French-speaking world. We want to have a broad offer in nearshore, onshore, and offshore, respectively in France, Morocco, and sub-Saharan Africa. After consolidating the French-speaking part, we want to specialize in areas such as medical, for example, and open up to other languages. In the next 5 to 10 years, we aim to become a major player in the sector worldwide.
Interview by N.D.
Usinenouvelle.com
Published January 27, 2015.
Posted online January 27, 2015.
