Jean-Jacques Freliger: 40 years of low voltages!
Jean-Jacques Freliger has just joined Building Solutions network team!
He spent a short time at Saunier Duval Electricité (formerly SDEL) at the start of his career, before joining Trindel in 1977 and then Fouassin. For a while he specialised in fire safety, particularly for the Forum des Halles.
During a joint project with SDEL Javel, he was noticed by Alain Bertocchi, at that time a business unit manager (and currently director of the Tertiaire Grand Ouest pôle). He rejoined the group in 2001, initially with the design office, in charge of low voltages. His qualities were noticed and praised by the developer Hines, which complained no company was specifically dedicated to the low voltage systems.
In 2002, that changed: SDEL IMOTIC was divided into two: SDEL GPI and SDEL IMTEC. Jean-Jacques took charge of SDEL IMTEC, with a team from SDEL and specific recruiment. The business line: building automation systems, security and fire safety. No VDI, no high voltages.
18 years of success followed. A total of €170 million in cumulative revenue. With an average business unit result of 6.6%! Those who were used to subcontracting low voltage works and who sometimes suffered big losses, had difficulty believing it.
The recipe? Thorough knowledge of the subject thanks to experienced teams of technicians and an industrial approach: SDEL IMTEC talks to the developers of equipment suppliers, even if it means co-development, as in the case of the IRIS Technologie smart controller box. The context was favourable too, with many large projects (Granite, EdF/PB6, First, Descartes, Basalte, Eole towers, renovation of Les Halles, the Orange Campus, TPS, Ecowest, the Duo towers), many tenants’ works, complex projects and customers prepared to pay a bit more to guarantee a result that matches their investment.
Jean-Jacques has gradually handed over his position in charge of SDEL IMTEC to Yann de Kerautem.
He will now be able to share his 40 years’ experience in low voltages on the BUILDING Solutions network.
And that is excellent news!
Did you like the article ?
