Interview with Mr. Patrick LOPES

Algeria Block Leader and Africa Export Agency Manager at Samson Regulation ♦

Hello Patrick, you work at Samson Régulation, an expert in intelligent process automation, with systems and solutions for the control and regulation of fluids of all types. You are the "Leader" of the Algeria Block within the RACE cluster. 

To start our exchange, can you tell us more about Samson Regulation?

SAMSON REGULATION is a company specialized in the manufacture of control valves since 1907. Our comprehensive product range and extensive experience enable us to work with a wide range of companies in different industries all over the world.

The development of Industry 4.0 is also an important topic for our managers, who are committed to this approach throughtools & solutions connected within the various factories of the group. A predictive analysis software and other communication solutions on our products also commit us to this future path.

Our agency is composed of 6 people and we also work with the local support of various foreign partners.

A few words about you, Patrick? What is your motivation to take the lead in this geographical block?

I joined the sales team in Lyon in 1996 and have been in charge of the African export activity (29 countries) since 2010.

My main motivation is toaccompany companies in their local development. My experience of more than 10 years in Africa but also in different sectors of activity in Algeria seems relevant to me and will save a precious time to companies engaged in this block.

SAMSON REGULATION also sees the RACE cluster in these blocks as a good way to establish a quality and sustainable business network.

The "Algeria" block is one of the first geographical blocks launched by RACE, after the one on Senegal, what are the current expectations of its members?

I attended the 1st edition of the RACE cluster in 2015 and SAMSON has never taken its eyes off this organization. The initial objective was to federate the maximum number of companies around a common development, mainly based on the "Countries". The "activities" development only appeared afterwards through exchanges and expectations of the companies.

The expectations of the members of the Algeria block are mainly based onoperationalissues, such as knowing the tender procedures of state institutions, better understanding the creation of local partnerships or initiating customer meetings through events, such as trade shows, a technical day, B2B meetings, etc...

So concretely, what actions have been taken?

A few framing meetings were organized in order to get to know each other better, to understand each other's activities and especially to define the maturity of each member with regard to the Algerian market. Indeed, even if the final objective is common to all of us, "to do business", the expectations vary according to the profile of the participants and their experience on the Algerian market.

So the first objective was to exchange with each other to try toshare our experiences. In 2020, we had even planned to exhibit together at the NAPEC show; 6 members of the Cluster were to exhibit under the RACE banner. This initiative allowed to mutualize part of the costs and to create a group dynamic on our stand... but the health crisis postponed this common project.

The year 2021 has also started well, with 2 meetings held in March and May.

During the last meeting which gathered 6 companies, in the company of our General Delegate Adeline DELMAS, we discussed various subjects, such as theinterest of the various upcoming fairs, certainparticularities of the countryas well as the future means of communication of our Algeria Block to put forward the companies.

The next meeting of the block is scheduled for next September.

What are the challenges of the Algeria Block and the next steps?

The major stakes of the block are to create a grouping of French companies which, under the RACE banner, could advance together by collaborating on common business.

There is a lot of experience, for sure, but we still need to get to know each other better before defining and assigning roles to certain members.

Regarding the next steps, we have many projects for this block! In terms of prospecting and trade fairs, we will have to clarify the situation regarding the organization of the NAPEC 2021 trade fair, which has been postponed to the end of September 2021. We will also have to position ourselves on a participation in a trade show concerning the "AVAL" activity which will be held in Oran next December (Business France).

To improve our communication, we are beginning to think about a means of inter-block communication on some identified cases.

From a business and partnership point of view, we wish to deepen the use of BAOSEM, to approach the theme of the security of payments or to prepare exchanges of experience around some Algerian companies.

We are also thinking of setting up partnerships with other Associations of the France Energy Team.

Any last words?

See you at our next block meeting on September 15th.