Ireland Blyth Ltd. (IBL) is the largest business group in Mauritius[2] with a turnover in Mauritian rupees of 54.1 billion (approx. US$1.18 billion) in 2023.[3] As of 2015, it is listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius. It operates in Commerce, Engineering, Financial Services, Logistics, Aviation & Shipping, Retail, Seafood & Marine sectors under various names, representing over 200 brands and employs over 6,000 people [2]
 IBL logo until 2012 | |
| SEM: IBL [1] | |
| Industry |
|
| Predecessor |
|
| Founded | 1972 |
| Founder | George Ireland and James Blyth |
| Headquarters | Caudan Waterfront, , |
Number of employees | 35,000 [2] (2015) |
| Parent | GML Group (As from 2010) |
| Divisions | Ireland Blyth Limited |
| Subsidiaries | BrandActiv, HealthActiv, Scomat, Mauritian Eagle, Logidis, Winner's, Froid des Mascareignes (FDM) |
| Website | www |
In 2008 the company was reported as the largest company in Mauritius per their net sales revenues.[4]
History
editIt was incorporated in 1972 following the merger of two leading companies which had been trading in Mauritius since the early 19th Century, namely Blyth Brothers, founded in 1830 by James Blyth, and Ireland Fraser & Co. Ltd.[5] Ireland Fraser & Co. Ltd was founded on the 1st July 1850 by George Ireland, Hugh Hunter and James Fraser.[6] The original name was Hunter Ireland & Co., but when Hugh Hunter left the company in 1860, the name was changed to Ireland Fraser & Co.[6] It became Ireland Fraser & Co. Ltd. in 1927.[6]
In 1994 the group became a public company and was admitted to the official list of the Stock Exchange of Mauritius.
Notable subsidiaries
editBrandActiv
editSource:[7]
Created in 2011 from the merger of IBL Consumer Goods and IBL Frozen Foods,[8] BrandActiv is involved in the importation and distribution of consumer goods in Mauritius. Amongst more than 100 brands that it represents, international brands include L'Oréal, Kraft foods, Colgate Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson and H.J.Heinz.
The earliest predecessor of BrandActiv, Cold Storage (became New Cold Storage in 1970 and then IBL Frozen Foods in 1996) was the first importer of frozen meat in Mauritius from Australia in the 1900s.[7][8]
Chantier Naval de l'Océan Indien
editSource:[9]
Chantier Naval de l'Océan Indien (CNOI), established in 2001, is involved in the construction, repair and maintenance (including dry-docking) of vessels in Port Louis.
It was founded as a joint venture between IBL and Chantier Piriou of Concarneau, France before IBL took a 60% controlling stake.
The shipyard's facilities include a covered building berth and slipway for the construction of vessels and vessel sections up to 50 metres long, a dry-dock (130 metres long, 27 metres wide), a ship elevator of 1400 tons and 350 metres of quays which can accommodate ships with a draft reaching up to 8.5 metres for repairs afloat.
Ships worked on by the company includes frigates of the French Navy[10] to French and Spanish tunny boats, trawlers, small oil and gas tankers and yachts. Regular customers include the French Navy, which signed a contract for the maintenance and repair of its frigates and patrol ships operating in the Indian Ocean, Sapmer of Reunion island and Austral Fisheries of Australia.
Notable construction projects include a 35-metre patrol ship for Madagascar, a 39-metre barge for Mayotte,[11] and a trawler and a long-liner for Reunion. CNOI also enlarged an Australian fishing boat by 8 metres.
Winner's supermarkets
editWinner's is an integrated chain of 20 supermarkets established in 1994 operating in the retail segment of the group. Its turnover of MUR 5.5 billion represented 35% of the turnover of the group in 2015. IBL took 100% stake in the company (from its previous 51%) in 2015.[12]
Scomat
editScomat operates in the engineering segment of the group and provides products and professional services in the field of earthmoving and agricultural equipment, generators, uninterruptible power supply, hydraulics & diesel.
It is also a dealership for Caterpillar in Mauritius, the agreement dating to 1929 between Caterpillar and one of IBL's predecessor, Blyth Brothers.
Mauritian Eagle Insurance Company Limited
editMauritian Eagle Insurance Company Limited (SEM: MEI) is a provider of personal and commercial insurance. It was created in 1973 as a joint venture between Ireland Blyth Limited and South African Eagle Insurance Company Limited (now part of the Zurich Group) and listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius in 1993.[13]
In 2007, the company became the first in the Indian Ocean (and in Mauritius) to obtain the ISO 27001 certification relating to information security.[13][14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Company Snapshot Information - Code". Stock Exchange of Mauritius. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ a b c "IBL 2015 Annual Report" (PDF). IBL Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
- ^ "IBL publie un chiffre d'affaires en hausse de 20 %". Le Defi Media Group (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-01.
- ^ Anganan, Villen (March 28, 2008). "Ireland Blyth of Mauritius Profit Rises 5.7% on Higher Sales". Bloomberg. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
- ^ "Ireland Blyth Ltd (IBL): Investing in Africa's future". African Business (283). London: IC Publications, Inc.: 39–41 January 2003. ISSN 0141-3929. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ^ a b c Marcelle Lagesse (1982). Blyth Brothers and Company Limited, 1830-1980. Mauritius: M. Coquet. p. 142. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Our History". Ireland Blyth Ltd. Archived from the original on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ^ a b Bertrand Hérisson (June 25, 2011). "IBL Consumer Goods et IBL Frozen Foods fusionnent pour créer IBL BrandActiv" (in French). L'Express (Mauritius). Retrieved December 24, 2015.
- ^ "About Chantier Naval de l'Océan Indien". IBL Group. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
- ^ "ARRÊT TECHNIQUE : La frégate Nivôse en réparation à Port-Louis" (in French). Le Mauricien Ltd. 20 January 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
- ^ "Le plus grand navire jamais construit à Maurice livré à Mayotte" (in French). L'Express (Mauritius). June 24, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
- ^ Kervin Victor (December 9, 2015). "IBL prend à 100 % le contrôle de Winner's" [IBL takes 100% control of Winner's] (in French). Le Défi Media Group. Archived from the original on December 25, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
- ^ a b "Milestones". Mauritian Eagle Insurance. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
- ^ "La Mauritian Eagle Insurance décroche l'ISO 27001" [The Mauritian Eagle Insurance obtains ISO 27001] (in French). L'Express (Mauritius). April 8, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2015.