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Rexel set sail for America. The French group announced Wednesday the acquisition of Platt Electric Supply, family owned distributor of electrical products based in Beaverton, Oregon.

When most companies focus on international emerging markets, Rexel, which is one of the first groups of distribution of electrical products in the world with a turnover of 12.7 billion euros in 2011, a presence in 37 countries and 28,000 employees, is growing into a mature country. Mature, but growing: last year, the activity of the distributor posted 8.3% growth for the North American region, which is above the group average of 5.3%. As emphasized by analysts at CM-CIC Securities, "in the portfolio of Rexel, North America is the geographical area the more focused, both in terms of sales growth as improved profitability."

Now the distributor has lost market share in recent years. Last April, Oddo Securities and stressed that "the group, by the closure of many branches in non-profitable, went for about two years of a market share of 8% to 6% today." Analysts felt that even Rexel now occupied the second rank in the U.S., behind Sonepar. They called again to an acquisition.

This is now done. Platt Electric Supply is present in seven states of the American West. The company reported last year $ 409 million in revenue (about 310 million euros) savings account payday advance. "With this transaction, Rexel will exceed 10% market share in the western U.S., where growth is greatest," said a spokesman for Rexel.

To gain this market share, the French group paid a heavy price, "about 300 million euros," said a statement from the company. "The multiple of turnover in 2011 seems a priori quite high, at nearly 1 times, but the price is probably justified by the financial performance of the company and its growth prospects," note analysts at CM-CIC Securities.

690 million of additional sales

External growth is part of Rexel's strategy. The movement seems to have accelerated in recent months. "The group has now made nine acquisitions since the beginning of the year for a total amount that we estimate close to 500 million euros and an additional turnover of 690 million euros," says Oddo Securities. Last year, Rexel had bought 10 companies for an additional revenue of "only" 209 million euros.

Three quarters of this comes from emerging countries, proof that the distributor is not as mature areas. With a successful trial for the time being insufficient for the observers. "Rexel is not an optimal profile as its exposure to emerging markets remain close to 7% of turnover," says Oddo Securities.

It could be that you just hate paying so much for car insurance and would like a better treatment from another company than the one you are getting now.

 

The companies plan to hire a few more in 2012 than last year. The annual "Labor Needs" published by the employment center on Thursday reported 1,608,700 recruitment projects in the year, up 4.3% compared to 2011 (1.1% in , 2011). According to this annual survey, 17.7% of companies plan to hire in 2012, against 18% in 2011 and 19.7% in 2010. In total, 415,800 employers could recruit in 2012, against 428,400 in 2011.

Among the most dynamic sectors, agriculture and food industry are leading with a propensity to recruit 20.2%, to services (19%), manufacturing (18.4%), construction (15.5%) and trade (14.1%). In total, the service activities focus 65% of recruitment needs. As in 2011, it's hotels and restaurants, with 14% of projects (one point), which is the first pool of recruits.

Unskilled labor sought

Another finding of employment center, "several jobs in the agricultural sector (growers, arborists employees) remain among the most sought after (by volume), but with a very strong seasonality", totaling 87,054 recruitment projects.

The study also reports that "36% of workforce needs are related to seasonal work, against 39% last year." With regard to potential recruiters institutions, 49 cash advance no faxing.7% of them propose a CDI and a CDD 37.9% under 6 months.

Employers are nevertheless reported difficulties in recruiting in 43% of cases, up 5 points compared to 2011. A total of 684,600 potential jobs could be affected. The top 15 most wanted jobs, jobs topped the list for most low level of qualification such as servers, carers or harvesters in agriculture.

Still a shortage of software engineers

Computer engineers, however, fall in 10th position with 62.3% of recruitment projects considered difficult. To explain the failure to find the gem, businesses cite inadequate profiles for the posts, a shortage of candidates or difficulties related to working conditions and a poor image of the company, sector or station. Loads are too high or the lack of recruitment subsidies being mentioned by only 1.2% of potential recruiters.

About 1.6 million establishments (except State civil service) were were approached in late 2011. Employment center has received 390,000 responses by mail and investigated further by additional telephone survey of 19,000 representative establishments.

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Fears of mad cow resurface. But everything seemed to return gradually to normal. In the wake of reassuring messages issued by the United States, one of two South Korean brands, which had suspended sales of American meat, finally decided Thursday morning to end the embargo.

Moreover, no country had so far taken any restrictive measure: neither Europe nor the U.S. beef importing countries like Japan, Taiwan or Mexico. This is no longer the case. Indonesia on Thursday became the first country to suspend part of purchases of U.S. beef, after a new case of mad cow disease was discovered Tuesday in the U.S.. "We decided to stop importing the meat on the bones and offal from the United States, but imports of meat devoid of bones are kept," said AFP the Deputy Minister Indonesian Agriculture, Rusman Heriawan. He added: "The suspension starts today and we do not know how long it will last," he said, adding that deliveries were not being affected high quality business cards.

Less than a third of Indonesian imports

The U.S. Department of Agriculture had yet assured yesterday that there was no risk to consumers. The U.S. Trade Representative has called Jakarta to lift its partial ban.

U.S. meat represents only a small share of imports of meat in Indonesia, unlike those from New Zealand or Australia. In 2011, the U.S. exported 18,000 tonnes of beef and various pieces to Indonesia, amounting to some $ 28.2 million, according to the American Federation of export of meat, less than a thirds of Indonesian imports.

But the announcement could bring back some tensions especially if one importer of beef, such as Mexico, decreed an embargo. On the livestock market in Chicago, futures are up slightly from 0.13% to 112.425 dollars.

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The ras-le-bol rises among users of TGV Nantes / Angers / Le Mans / Paris. And also the response … The members of the collective defense of Subscribers Line Atlantic (Ladala) took a new step in their protest movement against the repeated delays of the station, on the line leading to the capital. The trick to reach the railway portfolio. To do this, they have not hesitated to launch a "ghost TGV" massively by booking every seat of a TGV line in question. Of seats they will not play of course. Each member buying between 5 and 10 seats, 800 seats have already been blocked, all classes, as pointed out this morning on RTL Pascal Mignot, the representative of the collective.

Reaction except the SNCF, the train should travel empty, which would result in a serious shortfall. Because the protesters are concerned subscribers, a status that gives them access to places for a mere $ 1.50. And the date chosen is not trivial since the 250 members of Ladala have set Wednesday, May 16, the eve of Ascension Day and the weekend so great starts.

Greece of tickets

This is not the first time Ladala tries to voice his displeasure. Mid-March, the group had launched a strike of tickets and passes, along with daily rallies in trains and on platforms. Faced with the continuing delays and lack of financial consequences for the SNCF, the association thus increases the pressure, also taking on its website a statement of the duration of the movement, and delays on this line quick guaranteed personal loans.

Faced with the accumulation of failures since the schedule changes in December 2011, their demands are clear: rate freeze on packages (over 500 euros per month), on-time to avoid disputes with employers, indemnity 2.5 euros per 10 minutes late, and got 150 euro for subscribers to compensate for failures of January, February and March. In total, officials estimate that the collective duration of 14 hours cumulative delays over this period.

Side of the Authority of the quality of service in transport (AQST, dependent on the Ministry of Ecology), although the figures show a surge in failures since November, with up to 30% of trains delayed . But since February, the trend seems to be improving. Apparently not enough to calm those subscribers, still wearing a badge "subscribers on strike," which also launched an online petition and sent a letter to presidential candidates. Denouncing a 18% increase in travel time on an ordinary trip to Le Mans / Paris, they have finally created a Twitter account inviting followers to list all the failures of the Atlantic line. An initiative that has been emulated the Creusot subscribers and Amiens have since joined the movement.

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Free Mobile Will it or not benefit from wholesale rates (called call termination) preferential? ARCEP, the telecoms regulator, has made a proposal along these lines for voice calls, and is currently thinking about for SMS. These tariffs, paid by one operator to another to reach a call on its network, are an important component in the economic equation telecom.

But Friday night, the European Commission got involved addressing "serious reservations" to the proposal of the ARCEP. "Imposing tariffs on mobile termination rates over the networks of new entrants only makes sense if the costs are actually more important," said Commission. Clearly, the French regulator has not sufficiently justified its proposal. ARCEP has immediately responded, saying it would reflect the opinion of the Commission, but considers that its decision is not challenged on the merits.

Finally, what impact will Mobile for Free? If Arcep reviews its copy, it could result in less favorable prices for Mobile Free. However, the economic impact should have been limited because these rates apply in any case for a short period and the proposed differential rates with competitors is weaker than expected.

"For Free, the new would be unpleasant, but of limited importance, because in any case, European regulations do not allow an asymmetry that over a maximum period of four years," say analysts at Natixis. "We believe that this could make the start-up losses expected in the early years of Free Mobile a little more important. At first assessment, it could have an impact of around 25 million euros on our valuation of the mobile business, or 0.4% of the current valuation of the group, "they continue.

Technical difficulties seem resolved Free

Oddo: same observation, the impact seems too limited. "According to our preliminary calculations, the impact should be limited to 0.5 euro per share or 1.1 euros in the scenario of an abandonment of the asymmetry which seems unlikely," analysts say.

But behind the subject of voice call termination, covering tens of millions of euros for Free Mobile, looms on the SMS termination, whose stake is about ten times larger, Arcep on which to make a decision this summer.

While Free Mobile asked a very strong differential on SMS interconnection rates, its competitors are totally opposed. "There is no question of accepting the call termination on asymmetric voice calls and SMS, it would amount to subsidize the Iliad offers up to 7 euros', stated the CEO of SFR in late January . While ARCEP must decide, the Commission has wanted to send a signal?

The debate on tariffs between operators comes as Free Mobile seems to have solved the technical difficulties encountered during peak hours. "Capacity problems are solved," said Maxime Lombardini, chief executive of Iliad-Free on lemonde.fr, adding that the group had "added last week, and again in early this week, links to physical spend more simultaneous calls. "

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While sales of magazines fell 3.1% in France last year, according to OJD, a jury of press and publicity on Wednesday unveiled the list of the "Best Magazine of the Year "organized by the Press Union Magazine (SPM). This tenth edition awarded it (in the "Ten Years of Success"), The Express ("hit" journalism), Geo (media brand), GQ (application for tablet) and The Good Life (innovation), a bimonthly masculine "lifestyle" launched last October by Lawrence White, the founder of Ideat. Paris Match, one of the flagship titles of Lagardère Active, a leading news magazine in France that she also edits or Tele 7 Jours, was named "Magazine of the Year".

The jury praised the fairness of treatment by the media weekly highlights of 2011 (Arab spring, tsunami in Japan, weddings …) with a "constant quality editorial and photographic." "This award recognizes the work to densify our editorial offer (…) and the professionalism of a team engaged in all fields of news," said Edward Minc, editor of the news division of Lagardère Active.

United front of national press info

It's The Point who won the award last year. Among the families of magazines, it is also general news headlines (Paris Match, Le Figaro Magazine, World Magazine …) and "news" (Le Nouvel Observateur, L'Express, Le Point, Marianne … ) that have best withstood the erosion of broadcast in 2011, falling by respectively 0 paydayloans.55% and 0.76%, according to the latest release of the Observatory of OJD published on March 22.

Although the editors were at the party at this annual event that promotes the vitality of the media magazine, Lesouëf Bruno, president of PMS and CEO of the Lagardère Active magazine, did not fail to recall " difficulties of the logistics sector and trade "sector. Thinly veiled allusion to the fragility of current NMPP, the first distributor of the press in France, near "breaking point", he said. He called for "general mobilization" and "solidarity" among publishers, stating the proposed merger between PMS and Professional Union of magazines and opinion (SPPMO), chaired by François Orcival ( current values), "engaged on a concrete project, governance, a roadmap and timetable."

The union of the national daily press (SPQN) could support this initiative as part of a new "national press association of political and general information," said Bruno Lesouëf. "We experimented in the past, at our expense, the dispersion of the representation of magazine publishers. Let us draw the consequences for upcoming deadlines, "he pleaded.

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Determined to help the growth, in this election year, Republicans abandoned their zeal for deficit reduction. While the campaign for parliamentary and presidential undertakes November, Republican leaders of the House of Representatives agreed to a compromise that will cost nearly $ 100 billion budget for the current year.

This is extended through December of reductions in social charges weighing chiefly on wages. Some 160 million Americans benefit from this gift, supposed to boost consumption and sustain growth to be too fragile by Barack Obama. The average American will have 80 dollars a month more.

Rise of Barack Obama in the polls

Since December the right wing of the Republican Party, very influential in the House, tried to package this as looking for savings of an equivalent amount elsewhere in the budget.

The Republican retreat is the rise of Barack Obama in the polls thanks to recent signs of improvement in the labor market. He campaigned on the urgency of reducing taxes on the middle classes, while wishing to increase taxes on the rich. Maintaining a budget deficit greater than 8% of GDP this year, and about 5.5% of GDP next year, do not seem to scare the Americans, or on Wall Street, which is found even at its highest in seven months.

Unemployment benefits reduced

The compromise that should be passed by Congress this week also provides a progressive shortening of the maximum period during which the unemployed can receive benefits. It will increase from 99 weeks to 73 weeks now by the end of the year.

The Republicans would rather reduce the period to 59 weeks. In yielding on this point, they got the cost of this measure is funded in part by an increase in pension contributions for federal employees. In addition, the Republicans give up a projected savings in health spending.

The electoral climate that prevails in Washington is so tense that it is likely that once the tax package passed no important legislation can not move forward until December. It was at that time, and after that we know of who emerges victorious in November elections, as important decisions will be taken to respect the timetable set last year in budget savings.

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The U.S. stock markets have opened slightly lower Monday. In early trade, the Dow Jones ceded 0.17% to 12,132.64 points and the Nasdaq 0.23% to 2672.49 points. On Friday, the New York Stock Exchange ended in the green, driven by the hope of breakthroughs on the front of the crisis in the eurozone.

The events in Europe during the weekend still seem to dictate the evolution of Wall Street. Since the appointment of Lucas Papademos, former European Central Bank, to head the new Greek government was followed by that of the former European Commissioner Mario Monti as the new prime minister in Italy last night.

Pasta with pesto sold alongside kebab silkworm larvae or fried chicken feet? This is the crazy challenge of Italian Barilla, which hopes to soon be eating his pasta to the Chinese. "Fast food is an effective way to install the brand and a direct relationship with consumers, said Guido Barilla, chairman of the Italian group that carried out last year EUR 4 billion in sales. If food purchases for the home are traditional, there is now a real interest of people in the street to the kitchens of the world. "

In the Middle Kingdom as in the rest of Asia, food is becoming more and more often on the go, bought in the shops that fill the streets.Or international chains of fast food like McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken, which are present in large cities.

"The goal of Barilla is to be present in twenty years with an offer dedicated to Asia, which is consistent with the true Italian gastronomic tradition, says Guido Barilla. We look at different ways to adapt the offer to local habits with recovery modes that do not exist in the business portfolio of Barilla. "

Ready meals in Europe soon

Therefore no question of selling Barilla noodles Asian or to eat his pasta with chopsticks. The Italian group, which wants to reach consumers in major cities of the region is still at the beginning. He formed earlier this year a regional team of five people based in Singapore. He also sent ten people in Tokyo.All work closely with the headquarters in Parma.

In emerging markets, which account for only 7% of sales, Barilla also looking to South America. "Barilla is a family business, we are not pressed by the objectives of growth or profitability, says Guido Barilla. Our priority now is to install Barilla in new geographies. But we do not make shots. What matters are the group's financial stability and product quality. "

The internationalization of the Italian group has accelerated since the mid-1990s, when Guido and his brothers and sister took over the reins of the company at the death of their father, Pietro, grand-son of the founder.

After settling in France – its second largest market after Italy – and Germany in the 1980s, Barilla headed for the United States.Three years ago, he won first place in the pasta market. Barilla, which generates $ 500 million in sales in the U.S., it now holds 30% market pulp and posted growth of 4 to 5% per year. The Italian was offered four years ago a second plant in the country, near New York. The growth potential is enormous. If the Italians consume 27 kg of pasta per year per capita, Americans eat three times less …

Meanwhile, Barilla brand of pasta popular in Greece and Turkey. In Europe, where the group wants to expand its business scope, it introduced last year pasta with vegetables. This board today the launch of cooked pasta, bearing the signature of chefs.France, where the brand holds 20% of Barilla pasta market, would be among the first countries to sell this product.

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Cold coffee "ready to drink" in a can? This is the new Coca-Cola hopes to drink from the French. Accustomed to swallow their little black zinc, they have already converted to coffee to drink in paper cups with the arrival of Starbucks and other coffee Columbus.

Since this summer, the world leader in soft drinks, combined with specialist Italian Illy coffee, launched its cans of coffee at Daily Monop 'and Monop' (Monoprix). Illy issimo named this new drink is declined "caffe" and "cappuccino". "This drink is not far from the tastes of the French, it's just a new way to drink coffee as was the case some years ago with the iced tea in cans," said Ilaria Presotto, marketing director of Ilko, the joint venture created in 2007 by Coca-Cola and Illy.

With this coffee "ready to drink," Coca-Cola wants to meet new consumer needs.He hopes to reach young and urban assets, on the road, often of tiredness during the day. "This is a premium drink that matches the new lifestyles, says Ilaria Presotto. This is a niche category that did not exist in the French market, so we need to educate consumers and encourage impulse buying. "Suddenly, the price of Illy issimo (2.20 -3 euros) is aligned with RedBull, alongside which he finds himself in the rays in the absence of competitor.

As with VitaminWater, the world leader in soft drinks has chosen a selective distribution. He wants to know Illy issimo by word-of-mouth.He focused primarily on fresh produce stores so that its drinks are lost on the shelf.

Starbucks and PepsiCo in ambush

These cans of coffee, which are now available in 400 outlets in France, were first sold exclusively at Colette, La Grande Grocery of Paris (Le Bon Marché) in several luxury hotels in the capital as the Hotel George V and the Côte d'Azur. "With these first months of launch, we will expand our offering next year and increase the distribution of our products to major retailers, says Ilaria Presotto, currently in talks with Carrefour. We hope to at least double our sales in France in 2012. "In the Hexagon, Illy issimo – which is produced in Denmark – is sold by the sales of Illy. In Barcelona and London where Illy issimo was launched along with Paris, the distribution strategy was the same.In the British capital, the drink is sold in stores in the chain Waitrose premium, in addition to sandwiches. It is also found in company canteens as Disney or head of the Daily Telegraph.

In Europe, Illy and Coca-Cola inspired by the success of Illy issimo Japan and the United States, where the drink was launched two years ago. In Japan, the first market issimo Illy, the coffee is sold in cans hot or cold in the millions of vending machines in the country. The country accounts for 70% of world consumption of coffee "ready to drink." A market of 17 billion dollars which increased by 5% in five years. In the U.S., too, is a high potential market. From year to year, sales have doubled in the country. But Coca-Cola is facing a strong competitor, Starbucks Coffee, combined with another heavyweight soft drinks, PepsiCo.After the United States, China, Britain or Germany, their coffee "ready to drink" Frappuccino will land next year in France.

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