LACOUR GROUP is delighted to be renewing its partnership with the Sancerre Trail for the third year running. This 11^th edition will take place on Saturday 15 June 2024. A not-to-be-missed race in the Centre-Val de Loire region, the Sancerre Trail showcases the Sancerre region and the village of Sancerre. Runners will be able to compete in three races at different levels:

There will also be two races for younger runners:

Finally, a 7.5km Randonnée des Terroirs through the Sancerre vineyards will be available for those who prefer walking. More information on : https://www.trail-de-sancerre.com/

The LACOUR Group is pleased to be partner of the Sancerre Trail for the second consecutive year. Major sport challenge of the Centre-Val de Loire Region, this race is the opportunity to highlight the Sancerre Terroir and bring people together around sport. The 3 different races of the event will take place on Saturday 17^th June 2023:

Two races are also dedicated to the younger ones :

For those who prefer to walk, a nice hike of 9 km through the Sancerre vineyards, "La Randonnéee des Terroirs" will be available. More information on : https://www.trail-de-sancerre.com/

For three years already, the Professional Bodywork and Automotive Aftersales Trade Show is the meeting point dedicated to the players of the automotive aftermarket sector. During two days, you can discover the latest trends of the market regarding automotive tools and equipment, glazing, painting, IT and digital solutions… and attend conferences and product demos. The LACOUR Group, specialist of the digital solutions for the automotive aftersales professionals, looks forward to seeing you there. Come meet our team on Thursday 16^th and Friday 17^th March 2023, at the Bordeaux Exhibition Centre, Palais 2 l’Atlantique, Stand 24, to discover our digital solutions. Entrance is free. More information and registration on https://salondelacarrosserie.com/

Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) announced today that it has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in Groupe Lacour (“Lacour”), a leading French software provider for the automotive after-sales value chain. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Saint-Doulchard, France, Lacour is a leading provider of software solutions with a comprehensive suite of products supporting vehicle repair and maintenance including document management systems, costing solutions, and parts databases. Lacour has over 300 employees and a diversified customer base of over 6,000 clients comprising independent automotive repair shops and repair shop networks, car dealerships, glazers, claim adjusters, insurers, and fleet managers. It has deep relationships with numerous major automobile brands, paint manufacturers and suppliers and distributors in the sector.
The Carlyle Europe Technology Partners (“CETP”) platform will aim to support Lacour’s growth as a leading one-stop-shop solution provider for the automotive after-sales value chain with the objective of building a category leader at the forefront of innovation. It will do so by partnering with management to further penetrate existing and new market segments, broadening its software suite and complementary product offering, building on Lacour’s R&D initiatives including AI modules and a new SaaS delivery model through products such as Iris and Mosaic, capturing new cross-selling and up-selling opportunities, enhancing commercial best practice across the group, and focusing on international expansion predominantly in Europe.
Angelo Maida, President and CEO at Groupe Lacour, said: “Our business has grown considerably since its founding in 1985 and today has a leading position in the automotive after-sales value chain in France – this is the result of our focus on innovation, and the commitment and hard work of the entire Lacour team. The automotive sector is undergoing changes that require us to constantly innovate for our ecosystem of customers and partners, supporting them in the digitalisation of their operations. In CETP, we believe we have found the perfect partner to help us capture the significant opportunity we see ahead as the sector continues to transform, and to help us grow internationally across the highly fragmented market in Europe. We look forward to working with Cyril Bourdarot and the CETP team on this exciting new chapter for our business.”
Cyril Bourdarot, Managing Director in the CETP investment advisory team, said: “We believe Lacour is an excellent, resilient business with a strong position in the automotive after-sales industry, which is rapidly changing due to the increasing complexity of both motor vehicle fleets and the value chain – through developments such as the continual evolution of car models, the increasing penetration of electric cars, the complexity of repairs, regulations, and supply chain management – as well as the ongoing digitalisation of the sector. Lacour has a range of outstanding software products and deep customer relationships, and we believe it is well-positioned to capture this growth opportunity in France and across Europe. With Carlyle’s experience in the automotive sector and in software and our track record of growing and internationalising high quality independent European businesses, we believe the opportunity to partner with Angelo Maida and the team in a primary deal of this nature is perfectly suited to CETP’s expertise.”
Carlyle has a longstanding track record of investments in the automobile and supporting software sectors including Autoform, Metrologic Group, Axalta, Allison Transmission, United Components Inc., and Tempo Participações. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory and works council approvals. It has been a busy few months for the CETP team, which has recently announced investments in ETC Group, Incubeta, Tescan, and Hack The Box.

The GNAC organizes its Annual Convention on Saturday 19^th November 2022 in the Paris Saclay Congress Center of Massy. The LACOUR Group is happy to participate and meet the Citroën and DS Agents. This Meeting will be the opportunity to (re)discover our digital solutions and their developments: ALPHA2A, our NF Software certified DMS and its new interface to CREANCE AUTO, the MOBILIANS App dedicated to the Assignment of Receivables, as well as IRIS HUB & SERVICES, our new full web interactive platform. We look forward to seeing you there!

The LACOUR Group looks forward to seeing you at the GAAP Regional Meeting of the DR Rennes on Friday 18^th november 2022. This meeting will take place at the Calvenais Sports Complex located in "La Calvenais" in Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande. Our teams will be pleased to welcome you during the Partners Forum and present the latest developments of our digital solutions:

Two specific solutions to optimize your activity.

This year, the AXIAL Annual Congress, will be held in La Baule from Friday 14^th to Sunday 16^th October 2022. Privileged partner for several years, the LACOUR Group will be happy to participate. This Annual Congress will be the opportunity for AXIAL to gather the members of its Network and share news and pleasant moments on the seaside. Come meet the LACOUR Group during the event. Our teams will be pleased to meet you and present the latest news about our digital solutions.

More information on: https://www.congresaxial2022.com/fr/

The Bourges Inter-Company Challenge comes back for its 25^th Edition and will take place this year on Friday 30^th September 2022. This challenge is the opportunity for companies of the Bourges Agglomeration and the Department of Cher to bring people together around sport. As usual, the LACOUR Group will participate. Come support our teams starting from 5:45pm at the Val d'Auron Sailing Center. They will compete against other teams from the Department on 3 tests :

More information on : https://defi-entreprises.fr/les-defis/defis-2022/bourges

World’s leading trade fair for the automotive service industry, Automechanika Frankfurt 2022 will be held this year from 13^th to 17^th September 2022. The LACOUR Group is pleased to announce the participation of its company, LACOUR ELECTRONIQUE. Our teams will welcome you Hall 11.0, Stand D57. During the entire week, they will present the latest versions of our Smart Weighing Scales and the new features of our software suite ColorCloud. Come also discover the new LACOUR ELECTRONIQUE innovation! More information on: https://automechanika.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html

The LACOUR ELECTRONIQUE Company, located in Saint-Doulchard (18230, France), is proud to announce the certification of its Quality Management System according to the ISO 9001 : 2015 standards for the scope of activities : Design, manufacture, shipment and after-sales service of computerized scales and paint shop management software. This certification has been awarded by SOCOTEC Certification France, an independent certification body, after an audit carried out in the company on 08^th and 09^th June 2022. This audit certifies that the LACOUR ELECTRONIQUE Company complies with the requirements of the ISO 9001 : 2015 standards and assures the implementation of continuous improvement on quality issues. This certification is a key step for LACOUR ELECTRONIQUE, which reinforces the quality of its services among its customers.

The LACOUR Group is pleased to become partner of the Ninth Edition of the Sancerre Trail which will be held on Saturday 18^th June 2022. Major Event of the Centre-Val de Loire Region, the Sancerre Trail aims to promote the Sancerre Terroir and the village of Sancerre thanks to 3 different races:

Despite the high temperature announced on this Saturday, close to 2000 runners will participate. Every generation will be able to participate as the children will also have their race: Les P'tits Vitis. The LACOUR Group is happy to share this beautiful day with participants, volunteers and organizers. More information on : https://www.trail-de-sancerre.com/

After Toulouse, the GAAP will gather members and partners of its Network for a second Regional Meeting. This one will be held on Friday 24^th June 2022 in the Novotel Avignon Centre. As usual, the LACOUR Group will participate. Our teams will be pleased to meet you again and present the latest developments of our digital solutions:

Two specific solutions to optimize your activity.

CESVI France organizes its Partners Trade Show on Tuesday 21^st June 2022, in its office in Jaunay-Marigny, near to Poitiers. An enjoyable day with products and equipment demos, many different technical workshops, crash tests and road test tracks. As CESVI’s Partner for some years already, the LACOUR Group offers to its clients a direct and easy access to CESVI’s repair methods through IRIS Hub & Services, its new full web interactive platform. Come meet the LACOUR Group teams during this event, they will be pleased to welcome you.

The LACOUR Group has been chosen by its partner BCA Expertise, French player of the Automotive Expertise market, to host the Final of their 2021/2022 Olympiads, an internal challenge for all their employees. Between September 2021 and May 2022, more than 90 teams competed through digital games. After 8 months of competition, 3 teams were finally selected to participate to the Great Final on Friday 10^th June 2022. To determine the winners of this 2021/2022 Edition, the last 3 teams will compete on 3 tests: a quiz, specific Automotive Expertise tests and a final oral test. This day was also the opportunity for BCA teams and partners to visit the LACOUR Group and discover the different departments of the company. The LACOUR Group is pleased to host this event. A great occasion to share a pleasant moment with BCA Expertise.

From 26^th to 29^th may 2022, A+ GLASS will bring together the members of its Network on Les Embiez Island for its Annual Congress. As long-time partner, the LACOUR Group will be happy to join the event. This Annual Congress will be the opportunity to share news and pleasant moments on a beautiful location. Our teams will present the new features of FLUIDE, our billing web solution exclusively dedicated to the A+ GLASS Network. More information on: http://rassemblement.reseau-aplusglass.com

This year, the ACOAT SELECTED Annual Congress will be held on Les Embiez Island on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st May 2022. Come meet the LACOUR Group on this beautiful island. Plenary meeting, meeting with the partners, gala evening, sea tour and lunch at the port await you during these 2 days. The LACOUR Group will be happy to present all the news about its digital solutions and share these pleasant moments with you. During the gala evening, you will also have the chance to win one of the many gifts given by the partners. The LACOUR Group offers two of them: a Smartbox for two and a ThinkVision full HD multimedia screen with an integrated infrared camera.

The LACOUR Group is happy to join the GAAP regional meeting which will be held on Friday 20^th May 2022 in Toulouse, at the Casino Barrière. This event will be the opportunity for the LACOUR Group to meet the members of the GAAP and to share with them the latest developments of our digital solutions. Our teams will also be pleased to present IRIS HUB & SERVICES, our new full web interactive platform. Day program: assembly, lunch, meeting with the partners and cocktail. Come to meet us on the 20th May 2022!

The Autodistribution Network organises several Trade Shows in May and June 2022 :

The LACOUR Group will join these different events. Come meet our teams! They will be happy to share with you all the news about our digital solutions. It will also be the opportunity to present IRIS HUB & SERVICES , our new full web interactive platform.