Group Markets Business Careers Newsroom Centenary EN MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN KEY FIGURES COMPLIANCE KEY DATES GOVERNANCE 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. 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 Compliance program Whistle-blower policy 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. SEE MORE 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. SEE MORE 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. SEE MORE 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 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CONTACT US TRACTAFRIC EQUIPMENT TRACTAFRIC MOTORS TERMS AND CONDITIONS