Compagnie Générale des Eaux

Compagnie Générale des Eaux

Compagnie Générale des Eaux (CGE) was a French multinational company which gave birth to three world's leaders in their respective fields: VINCI, Veolia Environnement and Vivendi.

CGE's core activity was water supplying and still existed under the name Veolia Water, division of world's biggest environment service company Veolia Environnement. It was at once part of Vivendi.

Contents

History

On December 14, 1853, a water company named Compagnie Générale des Eaux (CGE) was created by an Imperial decree of Napoleon III. In 1854, CGE obtained a concession in order to supply water to the public in Lyon, serving in this capacity for over a hundred years. In 1861, it obtained a 50-year concession with the City of Paris.

Guy Dejouany's era

For more than a century, Compagnie Générale des Eaux remained largely focused on the water sector. However, following the appointment of Guy Dejouany as CEO in 1976, CGE extended its activities into other sectors with a series of takeovers.

Diversification

Beginning in 1980, CGE began diversifying its operations from water into waste management, energy, transport services, and construction and property. It acquired the Compagnie Générale d'Entreprises Automobiles (CGEA), specialized in industrial vehicles, which was later divided into two branches: Connex and Onyx Environnement. CGE then acquired the Compagnie Générale de Chauffe, and later the Montenay group. The Energy Services division these companies became part of, was later (1998) renamed Dalkia. During this period the company also had a healthcare subsidiary, Generale de Santé, which it sold to Cinven in 1997.

Telecomunications

In 1983, CGE helped to found Canal+, the first Pay-TV channel in France, and in the 1990s, they began expanding into telecommunications and mass media, especially after Jean-Marie Messier succeeded Guy Dejouany on June 27, 1996. In 1996, CGE created Cegetel to take advantage of the 1998 deregulation of the French telecommunications market, accelerating the move into the media sector which would culminate in the 2000 demerger into Vivendi Universal and Vivendi Environnement (Veolia).

Vivendi and CGE's legacy

In 1998, Compagnie Générale des Eaux changed its name to Vivendi

The CGE is the predecessor of three world's leaders in their respective fields:

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Compagnie Générale Des Eaux — Logo de Compagnie générale des eaux Création 1853 Dates clés 1998 de …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Compagnie Générale des Eaux — Logo de Compagnie générale des eaux Création 1853 Dates clés 1998 de …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Compagnie generale des eaux — Compagnie générale des eaux Logo de Compagnie générale des eaux Création 1853 Dates clés 1998 de …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Compagnie générale des Eaux — Logo de Compagnie générale des eaux Création 1853 Dates clés 1998 de …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Compagnie Générale des Eaux —   [kɔ̃pa ɲi ʒene ral dɛ zo], Abkürzung CGE, in den Bereichen Baugewerbe, Wasserversorgung, Abfallwirtschaft, Energiewesen sowie Medien tätiger französischer Konzern, gegründet 1853, Sitz: Paris; seit 1998 als Konzerngesellschaft der Vivendi S. A …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Compagnie générale des eaux — Logo de Compagnie générale des eaux Création 1853 Dates clés 1998 devient …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Compagnie Générale des Eaux — Vivendi Unternehmensform Aktiengesellschaft ISIN …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Compagnie génerale des tramways suisse — Transports Publics Genevois Basisinformationen Unternehmenssitz Grand Lancy Webpräsenz Transports Publics Genevois Eigentümer Kanton Genf Betriebsleitung Stéphanie Fontugne …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Compagnie genevoise des tramways électriques — Siège de la CGTE, à La Jonction Plan du résea …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Usine des eaux de Saint-Clair — Service des Eaux de la Ville de Lyon Présentation Période ou style Style Second Empire (1854 1855) Architecte …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”