Safran (Euronext: SAF) is a French conglomerate involved in defense, aerospace propulsion and equipment, communications and security. It is the result of a merger between the propulsion and aerospace equipment group SNECMA and the defense conglomerate SAGEM. Its headquarters are located in Paris.
The name Safran, literally meaning "rudder blade", was chosen from 4,250 suggestions.[citation needed] As a holding company for many subsidiaries the name was deemed suitable for the suggestion of direction, movement and strategy. Safran also translates as saffron, which the company highlights as one of the catalysts for early international trade.
History
The Safran Group was created on May 11, 2005 with the merger of Snecma and Sagem SA.
Snecma
In 1905 Louis Seguin created the company Gnome. Production of the first rotary engine for airplanes, the Gnome Omega, started in 1909. This company merged with the Le Rhône, a company created in 1912 by Louis Verdet, to form the Gnome et Rhône engine company. Gnome & Rhône was nationalized in 1945, creating Snecma. In 2000, this company gave its name to the “Snecma Group”, and carried out a number of acquisitions to form a larger group with an array of complementary businesses.
Sagem
Sagem (Société d’Applications Générales de l’Electricité et de la Mécanique) was created in 1924 by Marcel Môme. In 1939, Sagem entered the telephone and transmissions market by taking control of Société d’Applications Téléphoniques (SAT). It acquired Société de Fabrication d’Instruments de Mesure (Sfim), a measurement instrument specialist, in 1999. However, by 2008 Sagem Mobile and Sagem Communications have been sold.
Group organization
The Safran group is divided into three main branches:[2]
Aerospace Propulsion
The Aerospace Propulsion branch groups all operations concerning the propulsion of airplanes, helicopters, missiles and launchers, for the civil aviation, military aviation and space markets: design, production, marketing, testing, maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO).
- Snecma (formerly Snecma Moteurs)
- Commercial & military engines, liquid propulsion for space launchers
- Turbomeca
- Turboshaft engines for helicopters
- Jet engines for training and support aircraft
- Turbines for missiles and drones
- Snecma Propulsion Solide
- Solid rocket motors for launchers, strategic and tactical missiles
- Thermostructural composite materials
- Techspace Aero
- Components for aircraft and rocket engines
Other subsidiaries
- Cenco
- Microturbo
- SMA - Société de Motorisations Aéronautiques
- Snecma Services Brussels
- Snecma Suzhou
- Snecma Xinyi Airfoil Castings
|
- Turbomeca USA
- Turbomeca Canada
- Turbomeca Manufacturing
- Turbomeca AustralAsia
- Turbomeca do Brasil et
Turbomeca America Latina
- Turbomeca UK
|
Aircraft Equipment
The Aircraft Equipment branch groups all design, production, sales and support operations for systems and equipment used by civil and military airplanes and helicopters.
- Messier-Bugatti
- Wheels and carbon brakes for mainline commercial jets
- Braking control and hydraulic systems.
- Aircelle
- Commercial airplane engine nacelles
- Hispano-Suiza
- Mechanical, hydraulic, electronic and electrical equipment
- Teuchos
- Engineering and consulting company
Other subsidiaries
- Cinch Connectors
- Globe Motors
- Messier-Bugatti USA
- Safran Aerospace India (SAI)
|
- SLCA
- Sofrance
- Technofan
- Teuchos Maroc
|
Defense – Security
The Defense Security branch operates in the civil, military and space markets, and covers the following areas: inertial guidance and navigation equipment (SIGMA INS based on Ring Laser Gyro (RLG) sensors), optronic systems and equipment, avionics systems, UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) systems, air-land systems and equipment, biometric identification systems, secure transaction terminals and smart cards. On July 1, 2009, the European Union approved Safran's acquisition of 81 percent of the GE Security division which produces airport security systems and biometric identification systems.[3]
- Sagem
- Technologies and services in optronics, avionics, electronics and safety-critical software
- Sagem Sécurité
- Multibiometric technologies, smart cards, secure transactions and identity management solutions
Other subsidiaries
Financial information
| Year |
2006 |
2007 |
| Sales (M€) |
11,329 |
12,003 |
| Net income, Group share (M€) |
177 |
406 |
| Cash flow (M€) |
1,003 |
1,221 |
| Self-financed R&D (M€) |
334 |
401 |
Shareholding structure
At December 31, 2007:
References
External links
