With a vision of an economy that is closer to entrepreneurs, and based on the observation that the M&A market is still not very accessible to SMEs in the regions, Exco has launched Exco Finance et Transactions, with the technical support of the merchant bank Financière de Courcelles, to support managers in all their projects involving sales, transfers and growth financing.
" When it comes to M&A, structured players are still few and far between, and access to these services remains difficult for SMEs. They generally need to be of a critical size to access the skills of investment banks, which forces them to go through a traditional banking organization, and can thus raise questions of independence for managers," analyzes Matthieu de Baynast, Chairman and CEO of Financière de Courcelles.
Exco Finance et Transactions will provide all business owners seeking to finance their growth, open up their capital or sell their business, as well as those wishing to invest, with local contacts ensuring a global vision of existing solutions.
" To offer this kind of relevant support, we are convinced of the legitimacy of a player with strong local roots and a close relationship with business leaders. This is what the Exco network can provide through its 140 offices, all of which are capable of providing access to a highly concentrated financial sphere that is often difficult for SME managers to understand ," emphasizes Franck Parker, Exco's Managing Director.
The partnership between the two groups will involve the sharing of methods and technical support, thanks to a synergistic and complementary approach to knowledge of regional ecosystems and expertise in equity capital transactions.
"Our experts have been providing this type of support for some 70,000 Exco customers for a long time, and our aim is to further professionalize these services. To achieve this, we feel it would be a good idea to transfer our skills to a leading investment bank, whose core business is in this area," asserts Franck Parker.
In a macro-economic context resolutely focused on recovery and growth, new products and new opportunities for financing companies are emerging to strengthen their balance sheets and support investment in their development. By way of example, and following on from the "Act I" of equity loans, the new "Obligations Relance" (stimulus bonds) backed by the French government through investment funds, which are also designed to finance companies with solid prospects for recovery, are a scheme that deserves to be explained to local business leaders to make them more readily accessible.
"In the context of Relance Bonds, opening up to funds is an interesting option: on the one hand, it enables companies that have suffered from the Covid crisis but remain healthy and wish to develop over the long term to get back on their feet, and on the other hand, it is not dilutive for shareholders. We still need to promote it and explain it to companies," comments Matthieu de Baynast.
About the Exco network
With sales of 195 million euros and a presence throughout France and abroad, the Exco network is one of the top 10 multi-disciplinary networks in France. Founded in 2002 and chaired by Bruno Geeraert, this audit, accounting and consulting network employs over 2,600 people in 140 Exco offices in 18 countries. Backed by its local offices, Exco helps its customers to manage their businesses in terms of financial, legal and social issues on a regional and national scale. Exco is a member of Kreston International, a global network present in 100 countries.
Find out more at www.exco.fr
About Financière de Courcelles (FDC)
La Financière de Courcelles is an independent investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services for entrepreneurs, investment funds, major groups and families. A founding member of the Global M&A Partners network (bringing together over 400 M&A professionals in more than 30 countries), FDC has a strong international support capability, as well as a strong local presence through its partnership with Exco.
With a reference team for Mid-Cap transactions and its Augmented M&A® approach, which combines financial technique, operational experience and sector expertise, the bank advises its customers upstream and downstream of transactions to ensure the success of all transactions, with a view to creating sustainable value for all stakeholders.
To find out more about FDC: www.financieredecourcelles.fr
Press Contacts
Exco
Isabelle Mauriac - Imédia Conseil & Communication
01 43 38 75 35 / 06 27 70 71 60 - imauriac@imedia-conseil.fr
Financière de Courcelles
Florian Ridard 07 69 59 14 95 - florian.ridard@vae-solis.com
Houri Demirdjian 06 50 92 68 56 - hdemirdjian@fdc-International.com
