Interprofessional Group of Manufacturers for Marketing Study

Creation of Gifec

Creation of Gifec in the form of an economic interest grouping with 3M - Kléber - Norton - Paulstra - POE (Peugeot Outillage Electrique) - SAF - Sedis - SKF - Texrope as founders. Gifec had 14 member companies at the end of 1969.

1969

First Fenetec conference

Gifec's first participation in the annual Fenetec (Federation of Industrial Distribution) conference

1971

Gifec becomes an association

Creation of Gifec as an Association under the French Law of 1901 hosted in Paris - President: Pierre Arnould (Norton)

1972

First economic indices

Creation of the first economic indices

1973

New President

Jacques Leca (SAF) is the new president.
Until the beginning of the 1980s, four study trips abroad were made in order to understand the organisation of distribution and the use of computers (New York, Stockholm, London and Düsseldorf).

1974

Setting up training sessions

Setting up training sessions for sales staff of technical traders with a consultant

From 1981

Change of President

Election of Fulbert Optyker (Facom) as President

Joint Gifec - Fenetec commissions have been set up on subjects such as the cost of distribution, the study of contracts, the commercial charter, stock management and restocking at distributors, etc.

1984

First surveys

First survey on "Market potential by department"

1985

Development of EDI exchanges

With Fenetec, creation of Edoni (Electronic Data Interchange for the trade and industry) to develop EDI exchanges between manufacturers and distributors

1986

First "Distribution Meeting" at the Bagatelle Polo

First "Distribution Meeting" at the Polo de Bagatelle

1989

Moving premises

Move to Courbevoie to the premises of the Federation of Mechanical Industries

1991

ISO 9000 certification

Creation of Gifec Quality enabling distributors to obtain ISO 9000 certification with the help of their suppliers

1994

First congress

1st Gifec congress between members in Marrakech

1996

New president

Paul Kempf (SNR Roulements) was elected president. 

This decade was the initiative for the "Centrale des Bilans": an annual summary of the balance sheets of all distributors working with Gifec member manufacturers (documents published for 10 years)

1998

New working group

Creation of a working group on "the evolution of distribution

2000

New partner

Gifec is a partner in the creation of a new "Industrial Distribution Engineering" DUT

2001

Creation of the website

Creation of the 1st Gifec website / First survey on sales force costs 

2003

41 members

Gifec has 41 members

2004

New graphic charter

New logo, new brochure

2005

Creation of "European" Gifecs

Gifec goes beyond borders and helps to create "European" Gifecs (Germany and Spain)

2006

New president

Noël Guichard (Sam Outillage) is elected president

2007

First day seminar

Creation of the first day seminar allowing in-depth reflection on a central theme

2009

Gifec day / New committee

Gifec day at a distributor / Creation of the Export Club

2011

40 years!

Gifec celebrates its 40th anniversary at the Distribution Meetings

2012

New partnership

Partnership with the IUT Lyon 1: days on their site to introduce students to the industrial world

2013

49 members/New committee

The association has 49 members/Creation of the Digital Commission 

2014

New governance

New governance with two presidents: Philippe Chevalier (NTN-SNR) and Thierry Delmas (Hutchinson Paulstra)

2015

14th meeting

14th edition of the Meetings with Distribution

2016

11th Members' Congress

Change management and sales force management

2017