Accor lightens the Society of sleepers
Accor train just keeps on getting shorter. Just days after it formally separated from his service branch, and renamed Edenred publicly traded hotel group Accor has formalized its withdrawal on Wednesday its subsidiary Compagnie des Wagons-Lits (CWL).
The project had been discussed in our columns, before being denied by Accor. Its position has obviously changed since then. The group sells for an undisclosed fee, 60% of the catering on board trains CWL Newrest its competitor, based in Toulouse. From January 2013, the French group will assign the remaining 40%, for an amount which depends on the valuation of the company at this time.
Last year, Compagnie des Wagons-Lits has achieved a turnover of 248 million euros and operating profit (EBIT) of EUR 3 million. In late 2009, the CWL has lost a major contract in Spain.The impact on turnover in the first quarter of 2010 represents a shortfall of 40 million euros, says it Accor, stressing that the CWL has instead awarded the contract for the TGV East March 7 last. A year earlier she had lost the tender for the provision of bar cars off the TGV North-East.
Other possible assignments
Present within the Accor Group since 1992, the Company has lost its former glory. Founded in 1872 by Belgian Georges Nagelmackers, who built the first sleeping cars and dining cars before embarking on the Orient Express and the Trans-Siberian railway, it has diversified into the hotel chains with Pullman, Etap- Hotel and Arcade (now in the lap of Accor) and in the service on board trains. The latter is now the only one of the Company.Over the past year, the Pullman Orient Express is indeed operated by the SNCF ….
Newrest, the new owner of Compagnie des Wagons-Lits, himself is present in the food on board aircraft, the catering, the basics of life for the oil industry and mining, VIP lounges at airports .. . Last year, its turnover reached 407 million euros. "This joint venture represents a unique opportunity to expand into the catering market on trains and expand into new countries such as Austria and Italy," says one in Newrest. For Accor, which is defined as the first global hotel operator, "This transaction is part of its policy of focusing on his heart craft." This does not preclude other interruptions.Draft assignment of Sofitel and Motel 6 chains have been mentioned by analysts of the market … and denials by the management of Accor.