Founded in 1970 by Michel Renard, Groupe Renard has grown steadily, becoming a major player in administrative and then communications printing, both regionally and nationally. Thanks to acquisitions and investments in modernization, the group has been able to diversify, notably with the purchase in 2003 of Imprimerie Bellêmoise, specialized in printed communication materials.
Investment in LED-UV technology: an attempt at diversification
One of Groupe Renard's latest major moves was the investment in a Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 LED-UV press for Imprimerie Bellêmoise in 2019. This acquisition marked a commitment to modernization, with equipment enabling printing on a variety of substrates.
This technology has also enabled the printing plant to adopt an environmental approach, essential to the image of the group, already committed to certifications such as Imprim'Vert and PEFC. However, despite this investment, employees' efforts to reinvent themselves were not enough to offset the growing economic difficulties.
Hearing of May 16, 2024: a disposal plan with no follow-up
Faced with the group's financial difficulties, the Alençon Commercial Court held a hearing on May 16, 2024 to consider a disposal plan. The aim of this initiative was to find a buyer capable of saving all or part of the Renard Group's activities. However, no concrete solution emerged from this hearing, leaving the group in a difficult situation.
Falling sales and chronically negative results
The Renard Group's financial decline is marked by a significant drop in sales, from 10 million euros in 2020 to 6.23 million in 2023, a reduction of almost 40%. This fall reflects changes in the printing market, with demand for paper-based printing declining in the face of the rise of digital solutions. In addition, the group was posting chronically negative results, accentuating its economic difficulties and making the search for a buyer even more complex.
Governance without succession and an uncertain future
The absence of a succession plan has also played a major role in the Renard Group's current difficulties. Michel Renard, the group's founder and still at the helm at the age of 82, never organized a succession plan for his management team. This lack of a continuity strategy has contributed to the Group's fragility, unable to anticipate changes in the printing market and reposition itself effectively.
The Renard Group's situation illustrates the challenges facing the traditional printing sector. Rapid transformation to digital solutions and automation, declining demand, and the absence of a succession strategy have led this historic group into an uncertain situation.
