GROUP Optorg has all the assets in place to achieve long-term growth: a century of experience, a robust business and an ambitious shareholder.

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

 

Africa, service and expertise: a steadfast, century-old vision

 

Optorg started out in international business nearly a century ago. Initially spread across a wide range of different markets, the Group later decided to hone its focus by becoming an expert in specialized distribution in Africa. Optorg has now represented major vehicle and technical equipment manufacturers for several decades, providing service with high value-added. During this time, the Group has supported the growth of both Caterpillar and Mercedes-Benz in Africa and taken part in some of the continent’s milestone projects, such as the Trans-Gabon Railway, which has played a major role in the region’s social and economic development.

 

A hundred years on, our cornerstones remain the same: Africa, service and expertise. We continue to build on this founding project, backed by our experience and the support of our shareholder, Al Mada, Morocco’s top investment fund, which has targeted Africa as a strategic priority. We aim to continue working with a collaborative mindset, bringing together and training leading experts to spur on our partner manufacturers’ and customers’ development in Africa.

 

We are about to enter a new era. Africa has become the new frontier of economic development and our businesses, which have deep roots nearly a century old, are set to achieve promising growth for our customers, our partners and the people who benefit from the end service provided by the Group:

  • In infrastructure, where we support construction.
  • In mining, where Africa holds some 30% of the world’s reserves but still represents only 10% of extraction.
  • In energy, where a demographic boom is expected to further heighten needs, which are already enormous.
  • In transportation.

Slide REVENUE AT 31/12/23 €602 MILLION TRACTAFRIC EQUIPMENT TRACTAFRIC MOTORS CONSOLIDATED €313 MILLION €917 MILLION Slide BUSINESS BREAKDOWN AT 31/12/23 58% HEAVY EQUIPMENT AUTOMOBILE TRADING AUTOMOBILE DISTRIBUTION 5% 37% Slide EQUIPMENT SOLD IN 2023 1,017 GENERATORS AND MOTORS 225 752 HANDLING
TRUCKS
MACHINES
(Construction, mining and forestry)
Slide VEHICLES SOLD IN 2023 64 BUSES 4,480 2,147 PASSENGER VEHICLES HEAVY TRUCKS

COMPLIANCE

DOWNLOAD OUR ETHICS CHARTER

Optorg cares just as much about the means used to achieve its goals as the goals themselves. The Group has established an ethics charter that reflects this strong belief, which sets forth the principles that all employees must follow in their daily work – including respect for others, compliance with trade rules and regulations, and respect for company property – as well as an initiative designed to ensure that these rules are known, understood and followed.

Optorg operates in countries that can face difficult conditions, requiring close coordination between compliance officers and operational staff on an ongoing basis. We developed our organization and compliance program to provide support to our teams in their daily work and ensure they reach their targets the right way.

Organization

Optorg has a three-tiered compliance organization:

  • The Ethics Committee, which comprises the members of the Board of Directors, the Compliance Manager, and the Audit and Internal Control Manager, oversees application of the Code of Business Conduct.
  • The Compliance Manager, who reports to the Chairman of the Board, implements the compliance management system, while also supporting, advising and listening to Group employees and other stakeholders.
  • Local compliance liaisons relay Group initiatives to each subsidiary and serve as an initial point of contact for the compliance issues that may arise in each country.
Compliance program

Our compliance program is founded upon systematic risk analysis across the entire company and all its subsidiaries. Following this analysis, we define the measures that need to be implemented to ensure compliance with the law and minimize risks. Another key component of our compliance program is guaranteeing the integrity of our partners and associates. We believe that acting with integrity and complying with regulations is absolutely vital to establishing trust-based relationships over the long term.

Whistle-blower policy

Our employees may encounter complex situations that require outside advice. To ensure they receive the support they need, we foster a trust-based environment with open lines of communication enabling everyone to share their perspective and concerns. Employees are free to speak with their line managers, compliance liaisons or the Group Compliance Manager. Ethics is an issue that concerns everyone at the company, which is why our employees and outside stakeholders alike can call our hotline to report situations involving an ethics risk.

Download the whistle-blower guide

KEY DATES

Optorg’s history began in 1919, when the business was founded by a group of entrepreneurs in the textile industry seeking to develop trade with Russia. The Russian Revolution forced the company to shift its focus to Asia, where it developed a trading business specialized in textiles, equipment goods, agrifood and more. The Indochina War would later impel the company to refocus again, this time on Africa, which has been Optorg’s central marketplace ever since.

1919

Start of trade in Russia

A group of French entrepreneurs in the textile industry seeking to expand into Russia founds Compagnie Optorg. The company’s name is derived from the Russian term for “wholesale business”: “Optovaia torgovlia”.

1920-1940

Growth in Asia

The Group expands its textile, equipment goods, agrifood and other businesses in Asia, primarily in China, Indochina and Malaysia. In the 1940s, Optorg ranks among the top five trading companies in Indochina.

1947

Arrival in Central Africa

Optorg takes its first steps in Africa: the group acquires a controlling interest in Société du Haut-Ogooué (SHO), a dealer of construction equipment, forestry equipment, automobiles and hardware in Central Africa.

1955

Arrival in West Africa

Optorg continues its development in Africa: the group acquires a controlling interest in Établissements Ch. Peyrissac, an automotive and motorcycle distributor, and industrial equipment and hardware importer in West Africa.

1960-1980

Specialization in Africa

Optorg consolidates its positions in Africa by establishing locally incorporated companies. The Group winds down its business in Asia, where major geopolitical conflicts are unfolding.

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Optorg decided to move on from its early days as a general trader and specialize in two core businesses. Its first area of expertise is equipment, a business that the Group developed through the acquisition of Tractafric, a company that had represented Caterpillar in Africa since 1932. The partnership with CAT gradually expanded and now covers 10 countries in Central Africa and Morocco. Meanwhile, the Group formed partnerships with specialist manufacturers in order to strengthen its portfolio in a targeted way.

1932

Partnership formed with Caterpillar

Caterpillar contracts Traction Africaine de Débardage (now Tractafric) to represent the brand in the French colonies of Equatorial Africa (now the Congo, Gabon, Chad and Central African Republic) and Cameroon. Tractafric is acquired in 1937 by Société du Haut-Ogooué (SHO), which, in turn, is acquired by Optorg in 1947.

1992

Expansion of partnership with Caterpillar

Caterpillar selects Tractafric as its representative in Morocco.

1996

Partnership with Manitou

Manitou, the world leader in all-terrain forklifts, selects Tractafric as its representative in Central Africa.

2002

Partnership with Perkins

Perkins, a specialist in industrial Diesel motors, selects Tractafric as its representative in Central Africa and Morocco.

2003

Expansion of partnership with Caterpillar

Caterpillar selects Tractafric as its representative in Rwanda, DRC and Burundi.

2005

Partnership with Hyster

Hyster, a specialist in handling equipment, selects Tractafric as its representative in Central Africa and Morocco.

2009

Partnership with Sullair

Sullair, a specialist in compressed-air systems, selects Tractafric as its representative in Central Africa and Morocco.

2014

Partnership with Terex Powerscreen

Terex Powerscreen, a specialist in mobile crushing and screening equipment, selects Tractafric as its representative in Central Africa and Morocco.

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Optorg’s second pillar is automobile distribution, a longstanding business that has steadily grown since 1992, when Tractafric became the exclusive official dealer of Mercedes-Benz industrial vehicles in several African countries. The partnership with Mercedes-Benz VI has developed over the years and now covers 23 countries – nearly half of the African continent. The Group has also formed distribution agreements with various other passenger and industrial vehicle manufacturers, to support their development in Africa.

1992

Partnership formed with Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz selects Tractafric to distribute industrial vehicles in the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Chad and Central African Republic.

2002

Expansion of partnership with Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz selects Tractafric to distribute industrial vehicles in the DRC.

2007

Expansion of partnership with Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz selects Tractafric to distribute passenger vehicles in Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, the DRC, Chad and West Africa.

2007

Partnership with Renault

Renault selects Tractafric to distribute industrial vehicles in Cameroon and the DRC.

2009

Expansion of partnership with Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz selects Tractafric to distribute industrial vehicles in West Africa (excluding Côte d’Ivoire): Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

2009

Partnership with Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi selects Tractafric to distribute passenger vehicles in Cameroon, Chad, Congo and the DRC.

2009

Partnership with Ford

Ford selects Tractafric to distribute passenger vehicles in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and the DRC, and industrial vehicles in Côte d’Ivoire.

2010

Partnership with Fuso

Fuso selects Tractafric to distribute its vehicles in 10 countries: Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Congo, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea.

2011

Development of automobile trading business

Tractafric Motors develops its automobile trading business under the Autoredo trade name. The subsidiary, which serves as a complement to the Group’s local distribution operations, specializes in international direct sales of new vehicles, parts and accessories from a range of brands.

2011

Partnership with MCV

MCV selects Tractafric to distribute its buses in Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the DRC and Gabon, as well as in West Africa.

2011

Partnership with Hyundai

Hyundai selects Tractafric to distribute its passenger and industrial vehicles in Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Chad, Niger and CAR.

2014

Partnership with Nissan

Nissan selects Tractafric to distribute its passenger vehicles in the DRC, Gabon and Chad, and its industrial vehicles in the DRC and Gabon.

2014-2015

Partnership with Isuzu

Isuzu selects Tractafric to distribute its trucks (2014) and pick-ups (2015) in Morocco.

2016

Expansion of partnership with Fuso

Fuso selects Tractafric to distribute its vehicles in seven new countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Niger, Rwanda, Togo and Sierra Leone.

2016

Expansion of partnership with Mercedes-Benz and MCV

Tractafric becomes an official importer and distributor of Mercedes-Benz industrial vehicles and passenger vehicles and MCV buses in Côte d’Ivoire.

 

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GOVERNANCE

The strategic management of the group is performed by a Board of Directors. An Executive Committee also provides support for Optorg’s operational management.

Board of Directors
The role of the Board of Directors is to determine the guidelines of the company's activity and ensure that they are implemented.
Tarafa Marouane
Chairman of the Board of Directors,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Optorg
Karim Khettouch
Director
General Manager of Siger
Noufissa Kessar
Director
Executive Director of Al Mada
Mohamed El Kettani
Director
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Attijariwafa Bank
ONA INTERNATIONAL
Director
Represented by Mr. Hassan Ouriagli,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Al Mada
Rachida Benabdellah
Director
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee comprises senior management from the Group’s operational and functional departments, who meet monthly to oversee business operations, with a focus on monitoring targets and results.
Tarafa Marouane
Chairman of the Board of Directors

A graduate of École Centrale de Nantes who also earned an MBA from École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Tarafa Marouane began his career in 1989 with the Autohall group. He then moved on to Cosumar, followed by ONA. He went on to hold a top management positions at Sopriam and then Sonasid, before becoming CEO of Somed. He has served as Chairman of the LafargeHolcim Morocco Board of Directors and CEO of Sopriam since 2017. He was named Chairman of the Optorg Board of Directors in January 2019. Tarafa Marouane also serves as Vice President of CGEM (Confédération Générale des entreprises du Maroc).

Laila Ait Elmkadem
Group Deputy CEO

Holding a Master’s degree in Finance from HEC Montréal, Laila Ait Elmkadem began her career in the Managem mining group, where she held various positions, most recently Corporate Finance Director. In 2009, she joined Optorg as Chief Financial Officer of the holding company and the French entities. In 2011, in the redeployment of the Group’s automotive activities, the Finance and Management Control Department of the Motors activity was entrusted to her and then extended in May 2015 to the Equipment activity under the position of Group Chief Financial Officer. After being appointed as Group General Secretary and member of the Optorg Executive Committee in 2019, Laila Ait Elmkadem was promoted to Deputy Group CEO in 2020.

Othman Douiri
Managing Director, Tractafric Equipment

Othman Douiri, a business school graduate, began his career in investment banking, in 1999. In 2005, he joined Sogecap’s Moroccan subsidiary as Head of Solutions for Major Companies, Financing Organizations and Asset Investors. In 2007, he took on a role overseeing the development strategy at Saham, before joining Somed in 2010, where he opened and then managed Maserati’s Moroccan dealership. Othman Douiri joined Optorg in September 2016 as General Secretary and a member of the Board of Directors. In October 2018, he was appointed Managing Director of Tractafric Equipment.

Abdelali Ennaciri
Managing Director, Tractafric Motors

Abdelali Ennaciri holds an engineering degree from ENSEM and an MBA from the University of Sherbrooke. He began his career in 1993 in the transport sector at CTM-LN, then at Transports CARRE. In 2000, he joined Sopriam, the Peugeot, Citroën and DS automotive distributor in Morocco, where he held the positions of Development Director and Peugeot Brand Director. In 2009, he joined the Optorg Group’s subsidiary Tractafric Motors, where he successfully managed the launch of the Isuzu and Mercedes-Benz Trucks ranges on the Moroccan market. In March 2023, he was appointed Deputy Managing Director of Tractafric Motors.

NAWAL BAROUDI
Human Resources Director of the Group

Nawal Baroudi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from ISCAE-Casablanca and a Master’s degree in Finance from UQAM-Montreal. She began her career in 2002 with Ernst & Young as an auditor. In 2005, she joined Lafarge in Morocco. She started working at the Internal Control department before moving to the HR department as the HR Manager of the group’s largest plant in Bouskoura. She was later appointed HR Director of the Premium group from 2015 to 2017, before joining Sopriam where she implemented all HR processes. In addition to her missions at Sopriam, she took up a position at Optorg in 2019 as the HR Director of Tractafric Morocco and HR Development Director of the Group. In 2022, Nawal Baroudi was appointed as the HR Director of the Group.

Philippe Lemasson
Director of General Affairs

With a DESS (post-graduate degree) in Human Resources & Social Legislation, Philippe Lemasson began his career in an engineering school before moving to the Vivendi Group. Philippe Lemasson specialises in supporting organisations in a context of structural change. He also possesses solid experience in international human resources management issues. Philippe Lemasson joined the Optorg group in 2012 as Director of Human Resources and is a member of the Executive Committee. In July 2020, as part of the implementation of the new governance of regional affairs, he was appointed to the position of Director of General Affairs of the Group.