Founded by Mr. Walner in the French city of Dijon in 1987, this electrical installation firm, CGE D customer, generates annual revenues of 6 million euros. With consistent double-digit growth, it's no surprise that the Walner firm has grown into a ten-person outfit. Its development and reputation are the result of Walner's unique blend of know-how, professionalism and ability to respond swiftly to client needs.
Sonepar: How is your market evolving?
Walner: Today, we work at the local, regional and national levels. In fact, 80 percent of our business is with the residential, local government, real-estate development and services segments. The rest is with the Courtepaille restaurant chain owned by the Accor group.
Sonepar: How do you manage to respond so efficiently to the demands of your clients?
Walner: Our greatest asset is knowledge of our business. We are highly disciplined, making sure that deadlines and specifications are complied with no matter what. At the same time, we try to maintain a certain degree of flexibility. Because we are a small organization, we can always come up with a customized solution or respond to an unusual request. For us, the greatest reward is our reputation. We are known for our professionalism and the quality of our relationships.
Sonepar: In what way does CGE D support your growth?
Walner: The fact that CGE D has operations nationwide is a genuine advantage for us. Thanks to the degree of product availability, we can be very responsive. And we can find what we're looking for in record time!
Today's clients are increasingly demanding, which means that we have to be, too. CGE D offers us a smooth and trust-based working relationship, plus competitive pricing and short turnaround times. Let's just say there are no bad surprises at the end of the day. We have established a real partnership based on a win-win attitude. Confidence, loyalty and success are the key words driving this long-term relationship.
Sonepar: Roland Schoumer, you are head of the Dijon CGE D agency. What are your business values and what is most important to you?
Roland Schoumer: Our agency is in a state of constant flux. Our top priority is to satisfy the client. Recently, we have begun to develop our inventory management and merchandizing capability to ensure that our clients feel as comfortable as possible in our store. Our job is to render our products accessible.
Other values are also important: price, proximity and availability. Maintaining good relationships is crucial. I truly believe that service delivery is the key to building loyal business relationships with clients. We host a number of promotions with manufacturers, too: special events, informal breakfast meetings, daylong training on products and standards, on which Hager has communicated extensively. We also perform a number of new product demonstrations with Thorn.
Roland Schoumer, Branch Manager of Dijon
