Manufacturers and Distributors: Key Takeaways from the GIFEC Plenary Meeting in Lyon

On 29 September, GIFEC brought its members together in Lyon for its third plenary meeting of the year. Throughout the day, manufacturers and distributors gained a better understanding of each other's businesses. The SEFI Group, a specialist distributor, presented its organisation to manufacturers. The Distribution Committee, meanwhile, outlined the scope of its first initiatives.

September's Plenary Meeting Saw Record Attendance

For Serge Teyssier, GIFEC Co-President and Sales Director at Trelleborg, and Stéphane Tesse, GIFEC Vice-President and Distribution Sales Manager at WIKA, "this turnout demonstrates that, in a challenging and rapidly changing economic environment, players across our industry have a growing need for dialogue, shared experiences and a common vision."

Discussions had begun the previous day in Annecy, with a meeting of the Export Club led by Mathieu Ollier (NTN), focusing on international development. In Lyon, following a joint lunch bringing together manufacturers and distributors, Jérémy Robiolle, Director of Development at Xerfi, presented the economic outlook and forecasts for 2026–2027.

How Does a Specialist Distributor Operate? The SEFI Example

During the session dedicated to manufacturers, GIFEC welcomed François Guignet, President of the SEFI Group, accompanied by Pierre Reberat, Marketing Manager, and Sébastien Heraut, Director of FTS.

Their presentation of the group's organisation and vision of the market was particularly well received by members. It gave manufacturers an inside look at what makes a specialist distributor valuable.

From a Family Business to a Nationwide Player

Founded in 1977 in Angoulême with just three employees, SEFI is a family-owned business that has expanded through organic growth and successive acquisitions. Today, the group operates 55 branches across France, employs around 800 people and generates €260 million in revenue. Two logistics centres, offering 50,000 m² of storage space and one million product references, enable it to deliver to customers throughout France.

Three Core Areas of Expertise

SEFI's business is organised around three main areas:

• power transmission;
• fluid power;
• engineering plastics.

The group also offers a broader product range, from tools and machining products to protective equipment, hygiene and safety products, welding supplies and lighting.

This expertise is supported by technical teams: 170 field-based technical sales representatives, 370 branch-based technical sales representatives and around 30 product specialists.

Technical Services That Make the Difference

The distributor helps its customers improve the reliability of their equipment through:

• vibration measurement;
• thermography;
• bearing failure analysis;
• shaft alignment and balancing;
• lubrication audits.

It also carries out compressed air system audits and energy assessments.

For manufacturers, these services make the distributor a genuine technical partner for end users.

FTS: An Acquisition That Expands the Network

Alongside SEFI's management team, Sébastien Heraut represented FTS, which was acquired by the group in 2023. This acquisition helped expand the network from 47 to 54 branches. It forms part of a series of acquisitions carried out since the late 1980s, enabling the group to strengthen its presence across France.

Working Better Together: The Distribution Committee's First Initiatives

In the morning, alongside the Board of Directors and the other committees, the Distribution Committee, chaired by Didier Duffaut, held its second meeting. Launched on 25 June in Courbevoie, it moved on to practical matters and presented two priority initiatives.

Improving Statistical Data Sharing

The first initiative focuses on improving statistical data sharing between manufacturers and distributors, particularly as part of GIFEC's monthly economic outlook report. Produced in partnership with Xerfi, this report tracks monthly sales trends among member manufacturers. It distinguishes between sales through distributors and those made directly to industrial customers. The more comprehensive the shared data, the more reliable the market insights for everyone.

Structuring Product Data

The second initiative concerns product data management. Product references, technical specifications and documentation: this information flows from the manufacturer to the distributor, then to the end customer. Its quality determines how effectively catalogues can be updated and how well distributors can advise their customers.

The next step for these two initiatives is to establish working subcommittees tasked with identifying concrete actions for distributors.

Upcoming GIFEC Events

On the agenda: management in the age of AI, followed by the French political landscape.

5 November: A Webinar on the "AI-Augmented Manager"

From 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., this webinar will explore how to manage in the age of AI and support an AI-augmented team. It follows the 3 February conference on the "AI-Augmented Salesperson", which focused on how AI can improve productivity. This time, the discussion will expand to team management.

1 December: A Conference on the Key Issues Surrounding the Presidential Election

The association will once again bring its members together in Courbevoie for a conference led by political scientist Olivier Costa, focusing on the key issues surrounding the upcoming presidential election. An opportunity to take a broader view of the French political landscape and its potential implications for business activity.