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RAISON D’ÊTRE

OFFER INNOVATIVE, HIGH TECH, COMPETITIVE SOLUTIONS

As an independent international industrialist, the Safe Group has, for more than 60 years, been investing in the same industrial niches to offer innovative and competitive solutions giving all its customers a decisive competitive advantage.

A forward-looking vision of future markets, management of economic cycles, a dynamic global investment policy dedicated to innovation and Industry 4.0, and continuous investment in the development of human potential have enabled the Safe Group to become a world leader in each of its industrial sectors.

The Safe Group favors the autonomy, responsibility and responsiveness of its branches, which have all the managerial, technical and commercial resources they need to develop and operate their plants in the service of their customers.

In addition, the Group, based in Geneva, has a Corporate structure which supervises and coordinates the activities of the Group’s Branches by ensuring:

  • the development and implementation of the Strategic Vision,
  • a policy of targeted acquisitions to expand the commercial portfolio and the geographical location of its branches and integrate complementary technologies,
  • a financial policy aimed at preserving resources and maintaining the independence of the Group,
  • the development of expert resources (Finance, Legal, M&A) serving the branches,
  • monitoring compliance with values, governance rules and codes of ethical conduct (security and protection of people, assets and data, CSR commitments),
  • IT infrastructure security and data protection entrusted to a dedicated organization (SafeOnline).

The Group’s governance bodies have been defined in such a way as to allow the application of fundamental organizational principles, to promote the autonomy of the Branches, while closely monitoring the results and the implementation of the strategy.

The Group Executive Committee (Comex) is the Group’s management body. Its role is to monitor the application of the strategy, define the operating rules of the Safe Group, coordinate operational actions and take management decisions at Group level:

  • Gérard Mura, Chairman of the Board and CEO
  • Frédéric Schwartz, Corporate President
  • Benjamin Fournier, Executive Vice President Safe Metal
  • Pascal Keller, Executive Vice President Safe Demo
  • Franck Lacroix, Chief Operating Officer

The operational management of the Branches remains the responsibility of the Branch General Managers (Executive Vice President) within the framework of the defined objectives and strategy.

The Executive Committee is located within Safe SA, a Geneva-based company.

The Board of Directors, chaired by Gérard Mura, validates the Group’s industrial choices and strategic organizational and development decisions, monitors progress of works, and ensures the financial independence and long-term sustainability of the Group.

It is made up of former Group executives, leading figures from the industrial world and representatives of the majority and financial shareholders:

  • Gérard Mura: Chairman representing the majority shareholder
  • Christophe Mura
  • Marc Génot, industrial founder of the Group
  • Michel Sindzingre, senior advisor at Sagard and former CEO of Imetal
  • Stéphane Magnan, former shareholder and CEO of Montupet
  • Florent Lauzet (Siparex)
  • Frédéric Schwartz, Managing Director
  • Bruno Froideval, ex-shareholder of Safe – Private Equity advisor

ABOUT US

INNOVATION FOR MAJOR ECONOMIC SECTORS

Safe group in figures (2021)

Eur 216 Million

Consolidated turnover
Safe Metal’s turnover 63%
Safe Demo’s turnover 37%

2222

Employees

10

Countries

17

Plants

TURNOVER BY GEOGRAPHIC ZONE

THE AMERICAS

EUROPE

ASIA

THE SAFE GROUP CAPITALIZES ON THE DYNAMICS OF ITS TWO ACTIVITIES

MOLDED STEEL AND PLASTICS PROCESSING

The Group’s growth strategy is based on an investment capacity commensurate with its ambitions as a leader:
  • organic growth based on an increase in the production capacity of the Safe Metal and Safe Demo 4.0 factories;
  • external growth aimed at synergies with its current activities.

These resources are fully dedicated to the requirements of its customers in terms of responsiveness, innovation and quality in order to co-construct globally competitive industrialized breakthrough solutions.

VALUES

Our industrial spirit is based on commitment, dynamism, and innovation

The Safe Group values, commitment, dynamism and innovation, form the pillars of an industrial culture which places customer satisfaction at the center of all its actions. Staff who have actually experienced this spirit over a long period of time, are the basis of the success of “their” company and help attract new members who want to participate in their adventure.

Dynamism

Since its inception, the Safe Group has challenged conventional industrial practices to define transformation opportunities, the primary objective of which is to offer a competitive advantage to its customers.

This dynamic has forged the leading position of its two business lines in their markets, which they perpetuate through irreproachable quality and absolute cost control.

It is in this regard that they aim to conquer new market shares by relying on the sustainability of the Group and the flexibility of their organization to seize all opportunities to always better serve customers.

Innovation

Innovation is an essential component for gaining the Safe Group’s customer loyalty.
Quality of listening, responsiveness of proposals, customized prototyping of solutions,

The Safe Group’s plants share a culture of co-construction with and for their customers, with production capacities that are directly aligned with customer expectations.

Investment in research and development is important and continuous in order to be at the cutting edge of progress on all fronts.

Commitment and responsibility

For the Safe Group, a company’s responsibility towards its employees, society and the environment is an essential component of its identity and one of the strategic pillars of its development.

The Safe Group places the protection of the environment and the safety of its employees at the heart of its priorities. Working conditions in all the countries where the Group operates, the quality of production facilities, energy savings and the sharing of best practices are constant objectives enshrined in its DNA.

DNA

An industrial spirit based on a long-term vision

By adopting the “industrial spirit” as a signature, the Safe Group intends to:

  • enhance its ability to design innovative breakthrough products and solutions;
  • place its industrial development in a long-term perspective;
  • assert the expertise of its employees in highly technical professions.

Closely linked to the Safe Group signature, its values are also reflected by a decentralized organizational structure and a simple and direct mode of governance.

The governance bodies have been defined in such a way as to affirm the Group’s solidarity with its two divisions, to promote their operational autonomy, and to optimize the implementation of the strategy.

ESTABLISHMENTS

BE WHEREVER OUR CUSTOMERS ARE DEVELOPING

The Safe Group has a very strong corporate culture that is constantly being enriched by all the cultures of the countries in which it operates, in order to give the men and women of the company a predominant role in its development.

Through its two branches Safe Metal and Safe Demo, the Safe Group comprises:

  • 7 production plants for the manufacture of technical cast steel components for construction, mining, heavy goods vehicles, railways and the construction, aeronautics and wind energy sectors;
  • 8 plants producing injected plastic parts for the automotive industry, making the company the world leader in airbag covers.

THE SAFE GROUP

50 ANS DE CROISSANCE

Following the merger of two regional foundries in the depths of French Franche-Comté, two men, Marc Génot and Gérard Mura, who successively presiding over the destinies of the Group for fifty years, established a world leader in all its markets, in mature industrial sectors which are regularly shaken by crises and restructuring.

1967

CREATION OF ACIERIES ET FONDERIES DE L’EST (AFE)

by the merger of two French family companies created in 1918

1987

20 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT

Acquisition of several French foundries

1989

ACQUISITION OF DEMO

Plastic injection

2001

START OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
United Kingdome, Germany, Czech Republic, Mexico, Turkey, etc.

2007

LAUNCH OF DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA

2016

PLANT VISION 4.0

2018

VISION 2025

Growth through sustainable acquisitions

Safe Metal

OVER 100 YEARS OF CAST STEEL EXPERTISE

Safe Metal is a specialist in the co-design and production of cast steel components made from green sand. As a World leader, its parts are key components of public works and mining machinery, trains – TGV, metro, tram – semi-trailers as well as agricultural and handling machinery.

Safe Metal produces more than 58,000 tons of components each year, the unit weights of which vary from a few kilos to several tons depending on the application and recycles 35,000 tons of scrap, mainly from the automotive industry and over 90% of sand used for the casting of steel components.

Safe Demo

A MAJOR PLAYER IN AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY AND DESIGN

The world’s leading manufacturer of airbag covers, Safe Demo is the market leader in precision and decorative plastic parts for the automotive sector.

Working alongside its clients to support them in their international development, Safe Demo masters state-of-the-art production technologies for decorative parts.

Equipped with 140 injection presses and 11 painting lines. Its vast range of decorated plastic parts and precision technical parts help to enhance the vehicle interior and contribute to the personalization of the vehicle.