Pierre Saubot, born September 16th, 1943, is the President of The Haulotte Group.
Career
The ascension of Pierre Saubot began in 1985. Following the liquidation of Creusot-Loire, he created the holding company Solem and acquired Pinguely and Haulotte, specializing in the fabrication of public works equipment and headquartered in L’Horme.
In 1989, he became the majority shareholder of Pinguely. The acquirement of lucrative contracts with the National Defense permitted him to further invest in his own companies and in the production of cherry pickers. This investment paid massive dividends, as their sales went from a couple of hundred to several million each year. As it continued to develop, the decision was made to go public and enter into the stock market. Progressively, the group installed itself on five continents and became the third largest producer in their sector.
In 1984, Pierre Saubot passed his shares to his son, Alexandre, who became the new CEO of the Group. He kept the position of President of the Board and began to focus more on the business strategies instead of management. When Pinguely Haulotte came into a financial crisis, it showed strong resolve, rebounding as it underwent a structural reorganization. Most notable of these changes, the company acquired two new rental companies. Pinguely Haulotte kept itself on the market with this move and regained its significance on the global market. In an effort to add to its global dimension, the company was rechristened the “Haulotte Group.”
Although he was an accomplished industrial millionaire, Pierre Saubot was still a man attached to his roots. The Béarn and his birthplace, Artiguelouve (1500 inhabitants) remained close to him, as he was also one their municipal advisor. Saubot pursued a passion of his that would also help to develop the economy of the region: Béarnais wine. He began to use some of his capital to produce and promote wines from independent wineries in the area. In 2006, he helped to found Lacommande and to reestablish Cinquau, which were both small, local, family-run vineyards. These efforts brought a notable increase in wine-based tourism for the region. He hopes to double the production of the area and export 60% more than Jurançon currently does
Anecdotes
In 2001, Saubot was recognized as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in France for the performance of The Haulotte Group while he has been the CEO. Although influential in the economic sphere of France, Saubot sought to expand beyond commercial activities. Consequently, he invested himself in the cultural side of France as well. Pierre Saubot presides over the Garbure association and became the President of l’Académie de Béarn on May 7th, 2011. As a result of his work with these organizations, he began to develop stronger relations with related cultural movements. At 69 years old, he is a model of success in multiple industries and is worth an estimated 251 million euros (325 million dollars), which ranks him at number 172 of the 500 richest men in France
