Plastic Omnium - 2020 Universal Registration Document

PRESENTATION OF PLASTIC OMNIUM AND ITS BUSINESSES History and development of the Group PLASTIC OMNIUM UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2020 51 2002 The Company’s global R&D center for exterior automotive components, ∑-Sigmatech, was inaugurated in the Lyon area. The 3P Division’s pipe fitting business was sold. 2004 Plastic Omnium Medical was sold. The joint venture HBPO, the global leader in complex front-end automotive modules design, development, assembly and logistics, was set up by Plastic Omnium and two German automotive suppliers, HELLA and Mahle-Behr. 2006 The Group took control of Inoplast, a manufacturer of components and products made with composite materials and thermoplastics for cars and trucks. 2007 The Group celebrated its 60 th anniversary with a gathering of 1,000 people in La Défense (Paris). Plastic Omnium began operations in China, as part of a joint venture with Yanfeng Visteon for exterior body parts. The Group also began operations in India, through a majority-owned joint venture with Varroc for exterior body parts. The Group took full control in 2012. The Group acquired German-based Sulo, Europe’s second largest waste container group. Plastic Omnium acquired Signature, the European leader in road signage and marking, from Burelle SA, the parent company, and launch of a partnership with Eurovia (Vinci) in the same business segment. 2008 The Performance Plastics Products (3P) Division was sold. 2010 The Group took control of the Inergy Automotive Systems joint venture through the acquisition of Solvay’s 50% stake. Since 2010, the Company has continued to expand in fast growing regions, through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions. 2011 The Company acquired Ford’s fuel system production assets in the United States, and the Polish auto exterior plants of its competitor Plastal. 2012 Two majority-owned fuel system joint ventures, one in China with BAIC, and the other in Russia with DSK, were set up. Signature’s German and French operations were sold to Eurovia. 2014 R&D activities were strengthened with the opening of -Alphatech, Auto Inergy Division’s global center in Compiègne, France. 2016 In July, the Group finalized the acquisition of Faurecia’s Exterior Systems business. 2017 On June 6, Plastic Omnium celebrated its 70th anniversary at the Grand Palais, in Paris, with more than 1,500 guests. 2018 On June 26, Plastic Omnium raised its stake in HBPO, the world leader in automotive front-end modules, by acquiring a 33.33% stake in the German group Mahle (HBPO had previously been held equally by Plastic Omnium, Hella and Mahle-Behr), bringing Plastic Omnium’s stake in HBPO to 66.67%. On December 18, Plastic Omnium sold its subsidiary Plastic Omnium Environment BV to the consortium Latour Capital/Bpifrance (French public investment bank). 2019 In 2019, the Shareholders’ Meeting approved the transformation of Compagnie Plastic Omnium, a French société anonyme , into a Societas Europaea (SE). During the year, Compagnie Plastic Omnium SE formalized its sustainability commitments as part of a worldwide program called ACT FOR ALL™. Compagnie Plastic Omnium SE’s sustainability policy is a key factor in its performance and excellence. On September 24, Compagnie Plastic Omnium SE announced changes in its governance with effect from January 1, 2020: Laurent Burelle became Chairman of the Board of Directors, Laurent Favre joined the Group as Chief Executive Officer and Félicie Burelle was appointed Managing Director. On December 4, Compagnie Plastic Omnium SE sold its non-industrial real estate assets to the property company Sofiparc, wholly owned by Burelle SA, for an amount of €128.5 million (excluding tax). 2020 Faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, Plastic Omnium has implemented all measures to protect the Group’s 31,000 employees, ensure its business continuity in close collaboration with its customers and preserve the strength of its financial structure. During the year, the Group rolled out a transformation plan called Omega to respond to both the moderate recovery of the worldwide automotive market and the acceleration of technological and societal change. On October 28, the Group announced the creation, with the German supplier ElringKlinger, of a joint venture, EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies, specializing in fuel cell stacks, as well as the acquisition of the Austrian subsidiary of ElringKlinger, specializing in fuel cell stacks to complete its global hydrogen offering. On November 25, Plastic Omnium presented its strategic vision for hydrogen mobility. The Group continued to transform its business lines and accelerated its innovation strategy for clean and connected mobility. At end of 2020 The Group and its joint ventures employed more than 31,000 people in 135 plants, 25 R&D centers and 25 countries worldwide, supplying 93 automotive brands.