Bureau Veritas
 | |
| Type | Société Anonyme |
|---|---|
| Traded as | Euronext: BVI |
| Industry | Testing, Inspection and Certification |
| Founded | 1828 as Bureau d'information pour les assureurs maritimes |
| Headquarters | Neuilly-sur-Seine, France |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Frank Piedelièvre (Chairman) and Didier Michaud-Daniel (CEO) |
| Services | Testing, inspection, certification |
| Revenue | €3,902.3 million (2012) [1] |
| Employees | 59,000 (end 2012)[1] |
| Website | www.bureauveritas.com |
Bureau Veritas S.A. is a global company in testing, inspection and certification services. Bureau Veritas offer services and solutions to ensure that their clients' assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. At the end of 2012, the group has more than 59,000 employees in more than 1,330 offices and laboratories located in 140 countries.
Originally formed in Antwerp in 1828 as Bureau de Renseignements pour les Assurances Maritimes (Information Office for Maritime Insurance), the Bureau Veritas name was adopted in 1829.)
The company has its headquarters in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris La Défense in France.
History
Formed in June 1828 in Antwerp by underwriters Alexandre Delehaye and Louis van den Broek, and insurance broker, Auguste Morel. The Bureau Veritas name was adopted in 1829. This included the adoption of the figure of truth logo designed by Achille Deveria. The company was founded for the initial purpose of collecting, verifying and providing maritime insurance companies with precise and up-to-date information about the condition of ships and their equipment around the world. At the beginning of the 20th century, Bureau Veritas became involved in new activities: inspection of metallic parts and equipment for the rail industry and then for the whole industrial sector as well as construction. At the end of the 20th century, Bureau Veritas extended its scope to set up a merchandise inspection system for imported/exported goods before these are shipped and to set up certification of quality management. At the beginning of the 21st century, Bureau Veritas added 2 new business to its activity: consumer products testings and commodities testings.
The company went public on the Paris Stock Exchange (Paris Bourse) in October 2007.[2]
In 2007, Bureau Veritas released a video to launch its "Move Forward with Confidence" tagline. This video can be found on the company's website.
In 2013, Bureau Veritas launched a video to explain simply its main businesses and raise awareness on its Testing, Inspection and Certification activities. [Link to the video http://en.bureauveritas.tv/386-A_day_with_BV__English_Version.html]
Business
The head office of the group is located in France in Neuilly-sur-Seine near Paris.
Bureau Veritas is a listed company on the Euronext Paris and belongs to the Next 20 (Compartment A, code ISIN FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI). Its latest registration document was submitted to the AMF (the French "Autorités des marchés financiers") on March 22, 2012.
As of December 31, 2012, the issued capital stands at 13,259,836.32 euros
The capital distribution on February 28, 2012 is as follows:
- 50,9% : Wendel group;
- 46,7% : Free float;
- 1,2% : Managers;
- 0,6% : Employees;
- 0,6% : Treasury shares.
In 2012, the group revenues reached 3,902.3 million euros.
Bureau Veritas' organization comprises 8 global businesses/divisions:
- Marine
- Industry
- Construction
- In-Service Inspection & Verification (IVS)
- Certification
- Commodities
- Consumer Products
- Government Services & International Trade (GSIT)
Logo
The Bureau Veritas logo has almost never changed since its origin. It has many symbols each with a specific meaning.
- The date 1828: the symbol of long-lasting of Bureau Veritas as it corresponds to its foundation
- The ship: the marine activities gave birth to Bureau Veritas at the beginning of the 19th century
- The seal: the endorsement, is the symbol of the activity accomplished by the group
- The torch: the knowledge, expertise, and know-how of the group
- The rooster: represents watchfulness, meaning the constant attention paid in the daily tasks of the employees hired by Bureau Veritas
- The mirror: reflects the impartiality that guides every act of the employees
- The scale: justice that alights the way of acting of the group
- The globe: the worldwide activity of Bureau Veritas
- The caduceus: the symbol that Bureau Veritas is a company with a business ambition
- The silhouette (sometimes also called "the lady"): shows both the human aspect of the people that constitute Bureau Veritas and the truth the group is aiming to reach
Main competitors
Among the main global competitors of Bureau Veritas (www.bureauveritas.com) are:
- Lloyd's Register (www.lr.org)
- EBFI (Engineering Bureau Franke International)
- Applus (www.applus.com)
- SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance, www.sgs.com)
- Intertek (www.intertek.com)
- Dekra
- Germanischer Lloyd
- DNV
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Bureau Veritas website Finance section".
- ↑ Fabio Benedetti-Valentini; Elisa Martinuzzi (October 10, 2007). "French goods-inspection firm plans IPO". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2008-10-24. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
External links
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