SAM, FRENCH PROFESSIONALTOOL MAKER

SAINTETIENNE

SAINTETIENNE

SAM,LEADING FRENCHMANUFACTURER

OF PROFESSIONAL HANDTOOLS

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While SAM has successfully evolved over the past century

to continue to off er both its clients and users a range of tools that

are perfectly adapted to their needs, the company’s evolution has

always respected and perpetrated the fundamental values

of its founders and those of the Saint-Etienne industrial base.

It is these very intrinsic values which place SAM in a strong

position to confront the challenges of an ever-increasingly

demanding environment. A well thought-through balance between

tradition and innovation that together make SAM a French

manufacturer of professional hand-tools that continues

to operate out of its original site located just a “ball’s kick” from

the equally traditional, but constantly changing-with-the-times,

Geoff roy Guichard football stadium!

Just fi ve Presidents have been responsible for the company’s

fortunes since its creation. From François Blanc, the founder,

to his great grandsons and current managers Frédéric Champavere

and Olivier Blanc, all have sought to defend these values

to ensure the sustainability of an economic, social and societal

model all our collaborators and partners believe in and are proud

to be part of.

Bearing these values in mind, the two current company directors

have put together an ambitious strategic development plan,

the “Cap 100” to accompany the organic growth through carefully

targeted external growth via inspired and audacious acquisitions

and partnerships and massive investment in R&D.

To secure the future of the company and consolidate its founding

values even further, Frédéric Champavère and Olivier Blanc have

also masterminded bringing the company’s capital back into

the hands of management and the families behind its creation.

FOREWORD

Frédéric Champavere,Chairman of the Board,

Chief Executive Offi cer

COMPANY BACKGROUND

In 1906, François Blanc, an engineer by profession, created the Forges Stéphanoises at the Marais site in Saint-Etienne alongside his father-in-law and Chambon-Feu-gerolles-based industrialist Claude Peyron. This was a crucial time for the industrial development of France and François Blanc turned his attention to the macroeconomic issues at stake. This open-minded free thinking visionary wrote a nu-mber of articles proposing solutions to the challenges that faced the country at the time and met a nu-mber of infl uential political fi gures who were involved in promoting economic and social progress: Aris-tide Briand, Alexandre Millerand, Félix Faure, etc…

From the forge and traditional stamping operations at the end of the First World War, François Blanc decided to diversify into forged hand tools after witnessing the outstanding quality of those the American army had at its disposal as they arrive to back up their allies. Hence the name he chose and patented in 1921, SAM, as a tribute to the quality of the American equipment!

His brother, Félicien Blanc, then took up the company reins and led it through the Second World War. His visits to the forging and ma-chining workshops left their mark as he sought ways before many others to manage production fl ows and waste in a quest to instil fi nan-cial rigour and optimise workplace performance.

1921

SAMBRAND

CREATED

1927 196119321914-18

1ST WORLDWAR

1939-45

2ND WORLDWAR

FRANÇOISBLANC

FÉLICIENBLANC

PIERREBLANC

INTERNATIONALDEVELOPMENT

LIFE TIMEWARRANTY

ESTABLISHED

BOLTCUTTER

SOCKETWRENCH

1906FORGES

STEPHANOISESINCORPORATED

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Pierre Blanc, an engineer also and Francois’ son-in-law, who had been working for the company since the thirties, was appointed President at the beginning of the sixties until his accidental death in 1972.His sister married François Blanc’s son, André Blanc, thereby deepe-ning and strengthening the two branches of the founding families who remain SAM’s principal shareholders to this very day.

Michel Blanc, a Centrale enginee-ring school graduate, André’s son and François’ grandson made the decision to divide the activity of the Forges Stéphanoises to allow SAM to expand at its original site in Saint-Etienne. In the 90s, Noël Guichard was quite naturally na-med General Manager, after having spent his whole working career at SAM. He was made President in 2004.

Today, Frédéric Champavere, Pierre Blanc’s grandson, and Olivier Blanc, Michel’s son, both great-grandsonsof the founder, hold the positions of President and General Managerof Sam Outillage, and are deter-mined to perpetuate SAM’s deve-lopment into the third millennium by continuing to combine Tradition and Innovation.

OUR CREDOAlthough we work in what is the “oldest trade in the world”, we believe our future depends on our invention and creation potential, hence our motto: A balance between Tradition and Innovation.

Although our sector is dominatedby giant American multinationals,we believe European partners, stillindependent manufacturers, have a key role to play towards our customers.

Although every individual on earth hasthe opportunity to use our products,we believe our overriding mission isto satisfy the needs of our professional clients.

Although customer satisfaction is our everyday priority, we believe our responsibility towards our employees and the community at large is essential, and our fundamental values, inherited from the founding family, are the binding source of all the constituents of our company.

CITIZENSHIPAWARD

SAM TOOLSBELGIUM

1972 20041983 2011 20132010

NEWFRONTIER CHILE

SAM HERRAMIENTAS

ACQUISITIONSTRATEGY(PTS & Rodac 2011)

1998

MICHELBLANC

NOËLGUICHARD

FRÉDÉRIC CHAMPAVERE& OLIVIER BLANC

1990

TORQUEWRENCH

THE ORIGINS OF OUR ANCESTORS, MASTER FORGERS ANDENGINEERS DOWN THROUGH THE GENERATIONS, AND THE TIMEOLD SKILLS OF THE INDUSTRIAL FABRIC IN THE LOIRE ARE THE INSPIRATION BEHIND OUR LEGENDARY KNOWHOW.

From the very outset our Saint-Etienne site has housed every stage of the production process. Our products are the result of around twenty diff erent operations, for twenty diff erent trades, all diff erent yet totally complementary.

In Saint-Etienne, we draw, design, forge, machine, treat, polish, assemble… and are proud to do so. Each year we invest in the modernisation of our production lines, evenif some gestures have remained unchanged for centuries. The training and development of our employees has always been a real concern and has given rise, generation after generation, to our unparalleled expertise.We are fully aware our collaboratorsperform diffi cult and strenuous tasks.We continue to cultivate this expertise while promoting the acquisition of new skills for new opportunities. We reward them for their work and commitment accordingly.Over and above these two values, respect, proximity and integrity best illustrate our working relations enabling the instaurationof a natural hierarchy through merit.

FRENCH MANUFAC TURERIN SAINTETIENNE AND IN MONTPELLIER

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THE LABEL MADE IN FRANCE ISBEGINNINGTO SHINE!Among our 9000 productreferences, many are manufac-tured from A to Z in Saint-Etienne and Montpellier… we are the fi rst(or rather the only!) socket wrench manufacturer in Europe; the fi rst for bolt cutters, our most emblematic product that we continue to update to improve user performance; our wrenches, screwdrivers hammers, pliers, ratchets, they all benefi t from the latest technical and technological evolutions that have beenperfected by our teams through dialogue with our clients.

With the recent acquisitionof Sova2i near Montpellier,we have brought the production of cabinets, trolleys and panels back home to be in a positionto meet the ever-evolving needs of our clients in this fi eld, and also develop new partnerships with budding local start-ups.

From Saint-Etienne, and our ultra-modern logistics hub,we can deliver to all our French clients within 24 hours witha global service completion rateof 98%. With this centre we can also export to over a hundred diff erent countries in whichour products are distributed.

Finally, we have recently inaugu-rated our brand new SAM shop(“la boutique Sam”), where our clients can come and pick up their orders and benefi t from our quality services and the expertise of our technicians.

www.sam.eu

CUSTOMER FIRST Our ambition is to become the leading French manufacturer

of industrial hand tools by spreading our development over

the four following market segments: industrial maintenance,

automobile repair work, construction second fi x work and

“Out of France”. With time, each sector should represent

a quarter of total sales.

To achieve this, we are counting on our organic growth

which benefi ts largely from our dynamic R&D operations

but also on targeted external growth operations to acquire

specifi c expertise and know-how.

DEVELOPMENTSTRATEGY

For example, the acquisition of PTS

mid-2011 enabled us to become

the leading French company for

pneumatic tools which was vital

to conquer the automobile repair

market. This acquisition gave us new

insight into the sector’s distribution

channels which meant we were able

to accelerate the development and

boost the presence of the brand SAM

with some of these newly acquired

clients.

The acquisition of Rodac at the

end of 2011 presented us with new

geographical horizons while Sova2i

in 2013 meant we rediscovered the

basic skills relating to storage which

is a radically-changing high-growth

sector in which individual client

needs are constantly evolving.

With this new know-how, our technical

sales teams are in a position to react

quickly to the ever –increasingly perso-

nalised needs of our clients. We develop

partnerships with a truly international

scope for the co-development of com-

plex technological solutions,

such as the torque wrench.

At the same time we need to focus on

the distribution of our products although

we have noted an increasing need

among our clients to see, to touch, ma-

nipulate, test and feel the tools in their

hands. This is the reason behind the SAM

shop, a place where professionals from

the Saint-Etienne area can come to pick

up their orders personally. More than

ever before, the SAM concept store is the

opportunity for our distributors to pro-

mote the added-value of our partners.

This new channel also means SAM can

off er its clients services and advice that

is updated in real time. Here also, we

are creating partnerships with new key

players who have a vital role to play in

the satisfaction of our clients’ needs.

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Although this new distribution outlet will certainly develop

with time, this does not mean we are in anyway neglecting the

contacts between our technical sales teams and our distributors

who must continue to provide technical solutions to our clients’

problems.

Once again, a careful balance of tradition and innovation

is needed … in our product distribution channels that must

continue to ensure we are doing what we have always set

out to do: satisfy demand!

Our strategy to serve our “Cap 100”

vision is illustrated by this temple

supported by the 5Ps: Products,

People, Process, Presence and

Performance with at the base, the

company’s founding values: Work,

Respect, Integrity, Proximity and

Commitment with new values added

to accompany our development:

Transparency, Responsibility,

Innovation, Productivity and

Competitive spirit.

Denis Prompt, Director Products (Manufacturing, Sourcing and R&D), Frédéric Champavère and Olivier Blanc

INTERNATIONALOUTLOOK

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SAMTOOLS

Although the international expansionof SAM began quite early, namely during the 70s with the creation of ANDES-SAM in Chile, it really took off in 1983 with the inauguration of Sam tools Belgium where Olivier Blanc learnt the tools of the trade and in 1998 with Sam Herramientas in Spain.

Over the years, SAM’s export activity has mainly developed in North Africa andFrancophone Africa to represent abouta quarter of annual turnover.

The acquisition of Rodac at the end of 2011 opened the door to new marketsin Northern Europe (Benelux, Scandinavia, Germany, Central Europe, etc… ) where,by benefi tting from the renown of this brand of pneumatic tools, we hope to promote the SAM brand name, particularly thanks to recently developed products from our R&D activities.

These are the products which will helpus penetrate markets in countries where the demand is high, in particular other countries bordering the Mediterranean, the Gulf region and major markets such as Brazil,some Asian countries and even the United States!

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL ANDSOCIETAL RESPONSIBILITYBoosted by the company’s fundamental values that wereinherited from the founding family and the industrial cruciblethat is Saint-Etienne, we are continually seeking to fi nd the right balance between environmental initiatives, social responsibility, societal commitment and economic aspects.

While satisfying our clients is a permanent concern, we are fully aware of our responsibilities and gratitude towards both ourcollaborators and the community at large in which the company has evolved.

Concerning our collaborators, the pride they share in belongingto the company and that all visitors feel when they meet themis a feeling we cherish since we are convinced this pride is alsoa guarantee for the future of the company. We seek to optimise their skills through training and motivation and we are fully aware that communication has a major role to play here and we are committed to developing our presence in the media. The recent company news is the perfect example.

If collective and individual performance is a key value for the com-pany, it remains conditioned by strict safety measures, and in a hard, complex and dangerous trade such as ours, we are proud to record an extremely low accident rate. Finally, our values are also illustrated by the fact that some 10% of our employees are invalid.

These commitments have been rewarded. We have receiveda number of diff erent labels and awards which justify and comfort us in our approach which has always played a role in thedecision-making process.

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We would like to thank our clients,

whose satisfaction is our priority,

our collaborators for their commitment

and for sharing our values, our founders,

the Presidents and shareholders for their loyalty,

the community at large and fi nally our suppliers

and partners for being with us every day.

You have all helped make SAM what it is today,

and with this cohesion and our values, together

we can forge the SAM of the future.

Thank You

Frédéric Champavere,Chairman of the BoardChief Executive Offi cer

Olivier Blanc,Chief Operating Offi cer

EVEN AFTER 90 YEARS IT IS STILL JUSTBEGINNING! THE HISTORY OF SAM CONTINUES WITH A FINE BALANCE OF TRADITION AND INNOVATION.

WWW.SAM.EU

SAM OUTILLAGE SAS60 Boulevard Thiers - BP 1052842007 Saint-Etienne Cedex 1 - FRANCET. +33 (0)4 77 92 13 13 - F. +33 (0)4 77 92 13 49e-mail : sam@sam.eu