FRENCH PRESIDENT VISITS CIAT

21 September 2009

The President of the French Republic at CIAT, leading manufacturer of heat pumps, pioneer of eco growth Historically located in Rhône-Alpes, the CIAT Group is France’s leading manufacturer in the field of heating by heat pumps, centralised air conditioning, air handling and heat exchange. The Group is also a key player in Europe’s HVAC market and ranks among the topmost manufacturers in the world.

CIAT draws its strength from its capacity for innovation, its nine production sites located throughout the world and a presence in over 70 countries. The Group and its 2300-strong workforce build this success on the technological excellence of its products and the expert advice it provides for each specific market.

The CIAT Group has been investing in eco growth for a number of years, now: whether it be products and systems which respect the ecological and economic balance or its production sites, the Group has invested huge amounts and resources in the name of sustainable development. A strategic decision which has resulted in the creation of employment.

The President of the French Republic, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, therefore chose to visit CIAT’s industrial plant in Culoz (the Group’s biggest production site covering 110　000 m²) before delivering his speech announcing the conditions for the implementation of the carbon tax in France.

In his speech, President Sarkozy reiterated "that France has set itself the objective of reducing the consumption of energy in buildings and accommodation by almost 40% by the year 2020". He then referred to the Copenhagen climate change summit in December at which a new international climate treaty will be agreed. "Until then, France is determined to continue to argue unremittingly so that all the nations of the world volunteer to commit to the reduction of their carbon dioxide emissions". And the President added: "Our message is simple; we, Europeans, have drawn the consequences of our duty as regards climate change … and we ask the rest of the world to do the same".

At the CIAT Group’s headquarters, the President was welcomed by Mr. Jean-Pierre Falconnier, Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Francis Guaitoli, Chairman of the Directorate. On the shop floor, the atmosphere was very friendly and handshakes and discussions with the personnel were prevalent.

The French President was very attentive to the technical explanations regarding CIAT’s recent innovations that were given in the industrial plant "Energy" (which houses the production units of high capacity heat pumps and chillers) and the Research and Innovation Centre.

Everyone was very proud of this presidential visit which placed the spotlight on the industrial group’s know-how and achievements.

The French President was accompanied by Jean-Louis Borloo, Minister for the Environment, Christine Lagarde, Minister of Economic Affairs, Industry and Employment, Eric Woerth, Minister of Budget, and Chantal Jouanno, Secretary of State for Ecology.

CIAT - some facts and figures
The Olympic City, Beijing
Madrid (Spain), Larnaka (Cyprus) and Charleroi (Belgium) airports
The Yemgaz gas terminal, Yemen
The neuro cardio hospital, Lyon
The Cité de la Vision, Paris
Teh AXA and Mozart towers Paris - La Défense
The Ministry of Finance, Moscow
Migros in Bodrum and Ankara, Turkey.
French group located in Culoz (Ain),
9 industrial plants throughout the world (France, Italy, Spain, India and China), 5 of which are based in France: Culoz (01) – Belley (01) – Serrières en Chautagne (73) - Mortagne au Perche (61) – Vence (06),
Turnover of 366 million euros in 2008 (+16% in relation to 2007),
50% of its turnover is generated abroad,
2 300 staff in 2008 (1 500 in the Rhône-Alpes region),
Subsidiaries and accredited distributors in more than 70 countries.
　Some recent projects throughout the world

The Hotel Palace "La Mamounia", Morocco