The businessman king of transport continues his irresistible rise and invests in the European market.
The man is discreet, but once the ice is broken, he loves to talk. The ambition that has always motivated Alain Samson can be traced back to his childhood. An ultra-modest family and the indelible memory of a difficult life. Like the two kilometers he had to walk to school every day when he was a kid. From those days, the businessman has retained a desire for revenge and a “niaque” that has never left him.
3,000 employees 2,200 vehicles
The result is indisputable: today, Alain Samson is at the head of the Malherbe transport group, which has almost 3,000 employees and a fleet of 2,200 vehicles. With its recent acquisition of a stake in TLW, a 3ᵉ haulier based in Luxembourg, the group has taken a further step forward and is aiming to establish itself on the European market. Its sales of 405 million euros are up and its fleet has grown by 60 units. Above all, the momentum generated by the Luxembourg-based company will open the door to new European customers.
For Noël Samson, the brother of the CEO and head of Malherbe, “this operation marks a fundamental step for the group… because having the ambition to develop internationally is one thing, having the means and the people is another. It’s now a done deal.
A pebble in the shoe
Alain Samson has ambition written all over him. He has always wanted to diversify his activities. “Alongside transport, I’ve launched into real estate, wind power and energy storage. And each time, I put men I could trust at the head of these new businesses.”
A complete success, with one exception. A pebble has slipped into Alain Samson’s shoe. A certain Franck Supplisson. A senior civil servant with a host of prestigious diplomas, he was close to Nicolas Sarkozy, Christine Lagarde and former minister Éric Besson. The conversion of a civil servant to business is not necessarily synonymous with success. For Alain Samson, Supplisson’s track record was reassuring. And so it was that, together, they embarked on their first venture into industry with the purchase of Alpine Aluminium.
But in this case, Alain Samson admits he gave Supplisson too much freedom. The latter was careful not to warn the CEO of certain dubious decisions which led to the two men being placed under investigation. It should be pointed out that Franck Supplisson is no novice. He is currently detained in connection with another Ascometal affair...
Frédéric Crotta