At the head of Rivalen, a group of French SMEs in the lighting sector, the former head of Bpifrance's Know-How Excellence Fund, Tristan De Witte, is also the sponsor of the Accelerator Know-How d 'Exception. On the occasion of the announcement of the acquisition of the company Radian, specialized in the lighting of workspaces, he tells us about his career.

« I come from a family of industrialists », says Tristan De Witte, president of the Rival. His transition from the world of investment to that of entrepreneurship therefore came as no surprise to anyone. It began its reconversion in 2017 with the takeover of Roger Pradier, a living heritage company (EPV) more than 100 years old, specializing in outdoor lighting. " At 40, I thought it was time to change my life. », Explains the ex-investor.

Rebuilding the French industrial fabric through know-how

After bathing in the world of EPVs By developing Bpifrance's Savoir-Faire d'Excellence investment fund, Tristan De Witte identified a sector in which he could spread his wings as an entrepreneur: decoration. " At the beginning, I didn't necessarily have a favorite sector. But decoration seemed to me to be one of the sectors with the most leeway for export. I said to myself: this is a niche that interests me. There is room and a multitude of small players to consolidate »

It is with Rivalen that this consolidation takes place. This industrial collective, of which Tristan De Witte is the president, today brings together five SMEs: Roger Pradier, Sécurlite, Brossier-Saderne, Luzeva and, since March 2023, radians. All specialized in lighting, they have in common to rely on niche know-how and to produce locally. While the first has obtained the EPV label, the other three can be proud of the Origine France Garantie certification.

But what holds the holding company together is its mission-driven company status obtained in April 2022.” It is extremely important. With this label, we are embarking on the difficult path of the circular economy and eco-design. This is the guideline of the companies of the group. Because if each company is autonomous, they invest, together, to achieve the objective set by Rivalen: to create a local collective of industries. This aims to participate in the reconstruction of a French industrial fabric driven by social and environmental values.

Investing in the energy transition

To fulfill this mission, for example, Rivalen recently invested 4 million euros to expand and modernize the Roger Pradier production site in Châteauroux. " There was in this factory a whole paint surface treatment chain which was becoming a little obsolete. “, explains Tristan De Witte. Its long-term ambition is to have this transformation benefit the other companies in the group, as well as all the companies in the French lighting sector. " They will be able to use this tool for their own production and avoid going to other countries for supplies.. This is enough to reduce the environmental impact of the entire sector. " This factory will be in zero rejection, specifies the manager. We have therefore put in place much larger investments than those required by the standard. »

In the same logic, Sécurlite, the French manufacturer of LED lights which also belongs to the Rivalen group, has doubled its means of production. " Today 99% of lighting players are supplied in Asia. This company is the only one capable of producing in Europe. This is why we are going to further increase its production capacities »

Since December 14, 2022, Tristan De Witte has added a new string to his bow by becoming the godfather of theExceptional Know-How Accelerator. Launched by Bpifrance as part of France 2030, this tailor-made support program aims to accelerate the growth of companies practicing exceptional know-how. " It's funny because when I left Bpifrance, it was the start of accelerators. When I took over Roger Pradier, I went out of my way to get into the regional accelerator in Centre-Val-de-Loire. Convinced of the interest of the device, he pushes for all Rivalen SMEs to integrate a accelerator. " By becoming a sponsor of the program, the circle is somehow closed. “, he concludes.

Photo credit: Roger Pradier