Shell, Vitol, and Helios: The First Fruits of the Union

• The Vivo Energy group opens a hub in Casablanca
• 250 million dollars to invest by 2016

Two years after taking control of Shell's capital, the Swiss trader, Vitol, and the investment fund, Helios, have kept their promise. That is, to invest a lot of money in this joint venture born from this three-way partnership, Vivo Energy, in which Shell retained a 20% minority stake. The remainder of the capital is held equally by the two entrants, 40% each.
By exclusively revealing to L'Economiste the amount of 250 million dollars to be invested by 2016 in 16 countries on the continent where the group is present, Mohamed Raihani, CEO of Vivo Energy Morocco, hinted that "the Moroccan subsidiary, by far the largest of all in terms of size, should benefit most from this investment amount." Especially since Ian Taylor's wink to Mohamed Raihani, CEO of Vitol, even before the finalization of the transaction, opening Shell's capital to its new shareholders, provides even more information about the interest in the Moroccan market. "Morocco will make it or break it," he launched. In short, according to Taylor, the success of Morocco will determine the success of the other markets on the continent where Vivo Energy is present. According to Raihani, things seem to be going as planned. For now, "shareholders are very happy with their investment and they continue to have confidence in the Moroccan market," notes the CEO of the group's local subsidiary.
In two years, Vivo Energy Morocco has strengthened its network of points of sale with the opening of 12 new service stations and the upgrading of 13 others. The amounts invested have allowed the recruitment of sixty employees and the creation of more than 500 indirect jobs, mainly young people in the regions hosting these new stations.
Beyond the figures and financial performance of the company, what pleases management most is all the added value in all areas in Morocco thanks to the group's various actions. This, according to Raihani, "is certainly not tangible and quantifiable but has a real impact." This is the case of all the civic actions in which the company participates or even in convincing the group's shareholders to make Casablanca its new hub for Africa. A project "that will open new perspectives on a continental scale for the Kingdom in the market for the distribution of petroleum products," rejoices the CEO. In addition, the installation of fifty executives from different countries on the continent to run this hub will certainly "strengthen Morocco's positioning" and raise the level of Vivo Energy Morocco's management, which is made up of 100% Moroccan executives...
Mohamed Raihani, CEO of Vivo Energy Morocco, doesn't say it, but thinks it very seriously. This strategic step for the company is already a winning bet.

Beyond the numbers
The management of Vivo Energy Morocco doesn't like to talk much about numbers, but about "actions with added value for the community." This is why the emphasis is placed more on its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and the health-safety-environment (HSE) system than on its financial performance. However, its turnover reached 11.27 billion DH in 2012. This places the company 7th in the ranking of the 500 largest Moroccan companies, compiled by the Economie & Entreprise and Kompass groups, and second in the hydrocarbon sector behind Afriquia SMDC. Vivo Energy Morocco also has 680 employees and more than 5,000 contract workers through 1,400 companies.

B. T.

Leconomiste.com

Published December 17, 2013.

Posted online December 18, 2013.