Romande Energie : Acquisition of PolyForce SA

Press release

Morges, 27 November 2017

Acquisition of PolyForce SA

Strengthening energy services in Fribourg canton Romande Energie Services SA continues to expand its business with acquisition of PolyForce SA (Bulle). The company provides services in heating, ventilation, air- conditioning, bathroom installations and refrigeration in Fribourg canton.

In January 2018, Romande Energie Services SA will acquire PolyForce SA, strengthening its business in the canton of Fribourg. "Our intention is to continue closing the physical gap with our customers to offer them the best possible service," says Oliviero Iubatti, Managing Director of Romande Energie Services SA. This emphasis on customer proximity is reflected in the decision to keep the current business structure and teams unchanged and to develop business locally.

Romande Energie Services, part of the Romande Energie Group, seeks to meet evolving demand patterns amongst its customers by offering a full line of services, from PV/thermal solar energy, heating systems (including heat pumps and district heating) and ventilation to air-conditioning and electrical installations (lighting, home automation, telecommunications, IT and clean rooms). Supplementing these services are innovative turnkey solutions, such as building renovation and building management technology.

A supraregional vision

Romande Energie Services SA is determined to expand its expertise throughout Western Switzerland, as reflected in business developments within Vaud canton and the new Geneva branch. Acquiring high-grade companies and opening new branch offices in Valais and Neuchâtel cantons will provide additional impetus for achieving its stated goal of becoming a top-three provider of energy services in Western Switzerland by 2020. With the acquisition of PolyForce SA, Romande Energie Services SA will have almost 200 employees spread across Western Switzerland.

The outright acquisition of PolyForce SA fits into this framework. The firm, which is based in Bulle and was founded in 1993 by Anne and Jacques Morand, currently has over 50 employees. Its core business lines are heating, ventilation, bathroom installations and refrigeration, and operations will now span the whole of Western Switzerland. The management team together with existing staff will be tasked with business development. "The future of the building industry is about unlocking synergies between various areas of expertise," says Jacques Morand, Managing Director of PolyForce SA.

As of 2018, free space in PolyForce's building will be assigned to extra staff, who will provide electrical installation services so that Romande Energie Services SA can offer its full range of multi-technical solutions (building renovation and building management technology) in Fribourg canton.

Lastly, PolyForce SA will assist in the renovation of the district heating plant owned by Romande Energie in Val-de-Charmey.

Note to editorial desks

This press release is being issued outside the trading hours of the SIX Swiss Exchange as required by the SIX Listing Rules on ad hoc publicity.

Contact

Michèle Cassani

Head of Communications

Direct line: [phone]

Mobile: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Romande Energie at a glance

Romande Energie Group is the leading electricity distributor in Western Switzerland. Through its subsidiary Romande Energie Commerce, it supplies more than 300,000 end-customers directly in approximately 300 municipalities in the cantons of Vaud, Valais, Fribourg and Geneva. Its core business lines are the generation, distribution and marketing of power together with energy services.

Priorities are liaising with customers to ensure high-quality services in line with expectations; guaranteeing a reliable, sustainable and competitive supply of energy; developing proprietary power generation through priority investments in renewable energy; and promoting innovative energy-efficiency solutions.

Romande Energie's corporate social responsibility policy systematically guides its approach to business.

For more information on Romande Energie Group, visit www.romande-energie.ch