Category: News

As part of their international development strategy, Somocer Group organized two open days on 23 and 24 February 2018 at the Mouradi hotel in Gammarth.
The audience for these days were Libyan, Lebanese and Syrian wholesalers and resellers who came to Tunisia to attend these open days.
This event was followed by two other open days on 26 and 27 February for Tunisian partners (resellers, architects and projects developers).
The goals from these days were to enhance the group’s know-how, promote and highlight the quality of the Group’s products, and reveal the new 2018 trends in order to attract the sector’s professionals, especially foreign professionals.
On the occasion of these promotional days, which represented a landmark event towards enhancing Somocer Group’s commercial strategy for the year 2018, a large exhibition was organized at El Mouradi Hotel in Gammarth, to exhibit the Group’s companies new product trends, designed to meet the needs of the most demanding consumers as well as of creative interior designers and architects.
Building on the success of its international development strategy, which aims to broaden the group’s business opportunities in foreign markets, Somocer will continue throughout 2018 to go international while further consolidating its leading position in the Tunisian market.

Throughout 2017, building on the success of its international development strategy, which aims to broaden the group’s business opportunities in foreign markets, Somocer Group continued to explore new international markets while striving to further consolidate its leading position in the Tunisian market.
Specialized in the manufacture and marketing of ceramic tiles and sanitaryware, SOMOCER Group, present in several African and Arab countries (Côte d’îvoire, Benin, Gabon, Congo, Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Libya, Lebanon, Jordan) as well as European countries (France, Italy and Greece), participated in 2017 in the most famous specialized fairs in the sector, including those of Cerisaie (Italy), Leroy Merlin (France) and Doha (Qatar).
In this context, SOMOCER Group has indeed worked on reaching international markets, in addition to finding new strategic partners in various countries to support its internationalization strategy.
It is also important to highlight that SOMOCER Group has been committed to a quality approach for several years, which has enabled it to consolidate and maintain its competitive position both in the local market and at the export level.
Since 1985, SOMOCER Group has in fact offered its customers quality products manufactured in accordance with international standards, while guaranteeing them an innovative design and continuous improvement. The company has also provided comprehensive and innovative solutions perfectly adapted to market trends that have generated the resources necessary for the group’s growth and continuity.
Note that the company achieved in December 2016 a record turnover in its export activity amounting to 6 million dinars. In 2017, this turnover almost doubled to reach 11.5 million dinars. These results reflect the ambition of a company that continues to steadily develop and grow.

SOMOCER’s results heralded the 2017 fourth quarter’s activity indicators. The turnover achieved in the last quarter of the past year increased by 38.22% driven by a 40.3% increase in the local market’s sales, compared to the same period of 2016, and representing 21 million dinars.

Export sales also confirmed the upward trend of the previous quarter. Reporting a 25.5% growth in the 2017 third quarter, export sales have recorded a new 24.9% growth in the fourth quarter of 2017 amounting to 2.9 million dinars.

With these encouraging positive results, the company managed to reach new markets like France, Jordan and Algeria, which allowed it to consolidate its position abroad.

Over 2017, the overall turnover increased by 27.25% to 84.8 million dinars supported by a surge in exports of 71.25% and an up to 22.54% consolidation of sales in the local market. The latter representing 87.8% of SOMOCER sales.

SOMOCER Group’s growth has accelerated in the third quarter. The turnover jumped 28% this year to reach 19.2 million dinars. The overall turnover at the end of September was estimated at 23.3%, reaching 60.8 million dinars.

This performance can be explained by the improvement of the local turnover, which increased from 45.194 million dinars on September 30, 2016 to 52.715 million dinars for the same period in 2017(+ 16.64%).

The exports turnover also continued the rise that began in 2016 and recorded a significant increase of (+97.72%) going from 4.102 million dinars on September 30, 2016 to 8.111 million dinars at the same period in 2017.

It is noteworthy that as part of its international development policy, the company has managed to reach new markets to sell its products, particularly in France, Jordan and Algeria.
In addition, the production recorded on September 30, 2017 an increase of 17.90% compared to the same period in 2016.

The company’s liabilities have also increased by 6.39%, amounting to 63.659 million dinars against a total of 59.834 million dinars in the same period of 2016. Long and medium term debts represent 28.6% of the total liabilities as of September 30, 2017.

Compared with June 30, 2017, the company’s liabilities towards banking institutions (liabilities balance sheet) decreased by 2.2%, while off-balance sheet liabilities increased by 9.8% due to activity growth.

At the end of the first three quarters of the year, SOTEMAIL’s turnover recorded an increase of 14% compared to the same period in 2016, going from 29.7 to 33.9 million dinars.

The local turnover of the first three quarters of 2017 reached 30,926 million dinars against 27,654,585 million dinars at the end of September 2016, which represents an increase of 12%. The third quarter of 2017 also confirmed the revival of local sales with a 30% growth rate.

Exports turnover for the first three quarters of 2017 increased significantly by 44% going from 2.066 million dinars on September 30, 2016 to 2.985 million for the same period in 2017.

The value of production for the first three quarters of 2017 was 28.067 million dinars, up 7% compared to the same period of 2016 (26.288 million dinars). The value of production is determined by weighing the total direct production costs against the quantities produced for the period concerned.

In addition, the investments made at the end of September 2017 were valued to 2.463 million dinars, which represents an improvement of 44% compared to the 1.714 million dinars recorded at the same period in 2016.

SOTEMAIL’s liabilities towards banking institutions on September 30, 2017, totaled 44.316 million dinars. Compared to the same period in 2016, these liabilities have increased by 16%.

As part of its international development strategy and in order to strengthen its presence at the international level and reach new foreign markets, Somocer Group and Sanimed are participating for the second consecutive year in the world leading CERSAIE ceramic fair.

Somocer Group and Sanimed are the only representatives of the Tunisian industry in this famous International Ceramics Fair for Architecture and Bathroom Furnishings, organized in the Italian city of Bologna from 25 to 29 September 2017.

Through this participation, Somocer Group and Sanimed, leaders of the sector in Tunisia, will exhibit their new collection of earthenware and interior and exterior floor coverings as well as their sanitary appliances (shower trays, basins, washbasins, etc.).

By taking part of this fair, Somocer Group and Sanimed aim not only to present their products manufactured in accordance with international design and quality standards, but also to demonstrate their Tunisian know-how in the field.

They also hope to take advantage of this famous international fair to strengthen their networking and connections with their foreign partners and to establish new contacts with foreign business partners working in the same sector.

This event will allow them to develop partnerships and synergies, strengthen links of exchange and experience and increase their exports in the coming months to other markets such as the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Germany and the Scandinavian countries.

As part of its international development strategy and in order to consolidate its strategic relationship with Leroy Merlin, SOMOCER Group, the Tunisian leader in the production and marketing of ceramic tiles, takes part in the Suppliers Fair of this large French retailer company specializing in construction, DIY and gardening.

This fair, which will be held from 4 to 8 September 2017 at the Terradeo campus in Lille, will bring together more than 400 employees from the 135 Leroy Merlin stores. As part of the fair’s program, the organizers have scheduled meetings with the store teams as well as an awards ceremony.

This Supplier Fair will offer SOMOCER Group an opportunity to promote its products and improve its reputation with the stores.

In addition, this fair will present an opportunity for SOMOCER Group to demonstrate its know-how and its commercial strength points.

SOMOCER Group, which aims to develop its international reach, will take advantage of this fair to present its new 2018 products to the employees of the Leroy Merlin store chain. This would further promote its products in the stores and strengthen its commercial links with its partner.

It is worth highlighting that SOMOCER Group concluded in November 2016 a partnership agreement with Leroy Merlin, which will improve its export turnover.

As part of its international development strategy, SOMOCER Group (SOMOCER and Sotemail) is taking part, for the first time, in the International Building and Construction Fair “Project QATAR 2017”, held from 8 to 11 May 2017 in downtown Doha, Qatar.

This participation, the first in an Exhibition in the Gulf and Middle East region, will undoubtedly offer a precious opportunity for SOMOCER Group, leader in the sector in Tunisia, to present its new products abroad including ceramic tiles, stoneware, porcelain and earthenware.

Indeed, the “Project QATAR” fair is a kind of melting pot allowing first-rate business contacts thanks to the presence of a big number of international investors and other decision-makers in the construction sector and the sector’s financing actors coming to present their products and services and aiming to establish contact and potential partnerships.

This year’s exhibition is of particular importance given the special circumstances in which it takes place. It is important to highlight the launch of numerous projects in the run-up to the organization by Qatar of major international events, including the 2022 World Cup, hence the rise in the construction market of around 12.4% in 2016 with nearly 9.3% of the 100 largest construction projects recorded in the Middle East.

This indicates the importance of this participation for SOMOCER Group, which will have serious chances of winning contracts to represent and carry out one or more projects in progress in Qatar. Thanks to its experience acquired during previous participations in Trade Fairs in Europe, the Group is able to conclude fruitful partnership contracts, which would give an additional boost to the Tunisian Group’s vocation as an exporter.

SOMOCER thus confirms its serious and ambitious approach, that has yielded remarkable results in 2016, and which it continues to follow in 2017, by strengthening its position as leader on the Tunisian market while placing itself in pole position at the international level, in particular in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

SOMOCER achieved a total turnover of 21,113 million dinars in the first quarter of 2017, up 13.58% compared to the same period in 2016. Local turnover recorded a slight decrease of 2.95%, going from 17.6 million dinars on 31 March 2016 to 17.097 million dinars at the end of March 2017.

As for exports turnover, it increased by 313.59 %, going from 0.971 million dinars in the first quarter of 2016 to 4.016 million dinars in 2017. This is the result of the development policy established by the company and which has enabled it to reach new markets where it has sold its products, in particular in France, Jordan and Algeria.

In addition, production recorded an increase of 11.32% on 31 March 2017 compared to the same period in 2016.

The company’s liabilities (liabilities balance sheet), stood at 66.023 million dinars on 31 March 2017 against a total of 67.055 million dinars in the same period of 2016. Long and medium term liabilities represent (31.4%) of the total liabilities as of March 31, 2017.

The off-balance sheet liabilities decreased by 11.5% as on 31 March 2017 compared to 31 December 2016 following the payment of part of the bank guarantees.

As part of its development strategy, SOMOCER Group organized an open day on Friday 3 February in which local architects took part as well as a large delegation of Lebanese architects and professionals.

On the occasion of this promotional day, a large exhibition was organized at the Hotel El Mouradi in Gammarth (Northern Suburbs of Tunis) to exhibit the different ranges of products from the Group’s companies specializing in the design and manufacture of earthenware, sandstone and sanitary products.

According to the Group leaders, this open day seeks to encourage local professionals to buy Tunisian products and to convince them that the product offered by the SOMOCER Group is of great quality.

In addition, the organization of this event falls under the strategy set by the Group to develop the export market given that the local market has now reached maturity.

It is worth mentioning that in November 2016 the Group signed a partnership agreement with Leroy Merlin, a French chain of large retailers specializing in construction, DIY and gardening. The agreement included confirmed orders of around 500,000 euros for the 2017 financial year, which will be increased to 1 million euros in 2018.