Merger of the Lavail and Mecadoc groups to form T3M
Lavail (Revel) and Mecadoc (Auch), two significant players on the farming vehicle and equipment market in the Occitanie and Nouvelle Aquitaine regions of France, joined forces to form the T3M Group, a regional leader on this market.
To combine our respective expertise and reinforce our competitive edge to serve the world of farming.” These are the words used by Pierre Lavail, Chief Executive of the eponymous group to define the aims of T3M, the entity formed by the merger of Lavail and Mecadoc, two leaders in farm equipment distribution in the south-western region of France. “This alliance became self-evident in view of our complementary activities and the values we share,” added Jean-Jacques Pons, Chief Executive of Mecadoc. As CNH Industrial Group sister make dealers (New Holland and Case IH), Lavail and Mecadoc had already established a successful partnership by setting the used farm equipment market on a more professional level. In just a few years, they became a reference player in this sector on a nationwide level, via the Tracto Marché du Midi and T3M brands, now combined under the name of T3M Occasion.
Apart from their leading position on the tractor, combined harvester and grape harvesting machine market, the two companies were both distributors of the flagship makes of the CNH Industrial Group, New Holland and Case IH. The latter will continue to benefit from a separate network within the bases of the new group. With a 25% market share for tractors, 40% for combined harvesters and 65% for grape harvesting machines, T3M now stands out as the reference operator in its geographic sector (*). “Performance made possible by the high quality of the New Holland and Case IH ranges and the professional standards of our team, achieved by constantly adapting to technological changes to these machines and the evolution of the needs of our customers”, said the Chief Executive of the new group, Pierre Lavail, by way of emphasis. He will be heading up T3M’s management team, consisting of his brother, Jean, Jean-Jacques Pons and his wife, Nadine Pons.
BETTER PURCHASING CONDITIONS FOR CUSTOMERS
Thanks to this merger, the T3M Group has consolidated its position as regional leader for farming vehicles and equipment. It represents a total sales figure of over 100 million euros and employs two hundred people in its seventeen bases located in the Occitanie and Nouvelle Aquitaine regions of France. “This new dimension will enable us to reinforce our partnership with the CNH Industrial group makes, to the mutual benefit of the latter and our customers,” indicated Jean Lavail. “We will therefore be able to bring in new competency, reinforce our existing three sectors of wine-growing, cereals and mixed / livestock farming.” “T3M will be able to offer its customers better purchasing conditions.” “We will endeavour to pool the best practices in each of our structures.” “Our one hundred and ten technicians and thirty spare parts advisers will have the benefit of training programmes - in precision agriculture, in particular, a strong challenge for the profession.”
A PRIORITY: MAINTAIN CLOSE LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE WORLD OF FARMING
By undertaking this merger, brothers Pierre and Jean Lavail, Jean-Jacques Pons and his wife, Nadine Pons, refute the notion of being tempted by gigantism: “Our aim is to preserve close local links with our customers - a value that is part of our DNA and one that has forged the success of our companies since they were set up several decades ago,” explained Jean-Jacques Pons. With the acquisition of the Porcher group, a reference in farming vehicle and equipment distribution in Haute-Vienne, followed by Nougadère, a historic operator in Gimon in the Gers area, Jean-Jacques Pons has sought to preserve high-quality relationships with customers.
An approach shared by the Lavail brothers: “Close local relationships remain a strong element of T3M’s new organisation.” “In this context, we will endeavour to preserve the operational independence of our bases by delegating responsibility to local teams.” “In the field, these teams are in the best position to come to grips with and satisfy the expectations and requirements of the farming world,” emphasised Pierre Lavail. This new farming vehicle and equipment distribution model initiated by the T3M Group means it will have a natural tendency to expand beyond its historic territory of the South-West of France. This is a project already being considered by the new management team in a medium-term perspective.
(*) The T3M Group’s distribution bases are located in the Occitanie and Nouvelle Aquitaine regions of France: Aude: Carcassonne, Montredon des Corbières; Corrèze: Saint-Sornin Lavolps; Dordogne: Condat-sur-Vézère; Haute-Garonne: Revel, Auterive; Gers: Auch, Gimont; Hérault: Pezenas, Clermont-l’Hérault, Servian; Pyrénées-Orientales: Le Soler; Tarn: Lavaur, Vielmur-sur-Agout; Haute-Vienne: Nantiat, Pierre Buffière (T3M Occasion [used vehicles/equipment]), Saint-Yrieix La Perche.