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Even though SHV Gas is active in quite a number of markets, the
widespread network and knowledge the WLPGA offers is extremely
valuable to us. It is an honour for us to serve the Association
with our experience.
SHV has been particularly successful in sustaining and vitalizing
developed markets - can you share some of the secrets of your success
in this area?.
We aim to provide first-class service to our customers by keeping our
decision-making close to our clients. We delegate as many key decisions
as possible to the country level. We transfer know-how and share best
practices between established and developing markets. This helps us provide
tailor-made answers to customers' needs.
Sustainable development is also an important priority for you, can you tell
us about your work?
About 2 billion people still almost exclusively use traditional fuels,
such as kerosene, wood and cow dung, for cooking and heating. Adverse
effects on health and the environment are a predictable consequence.
LP Gas is a cleaner, portable alternative with many applications. We
promote and distribute LP Gas widely with an emphasis on safety,
efficiency and affordability.
Conversion from liquid fuels like diesel oil, furnace oil & kerosene
to LP Gas in industrial applications is important to us. This goes a
great way towards improving the quality of the environment.
SHV Gas supports sustainable development. I would like to highlight
Primagaz France, which supports an initiative known as ADIE
(Association pour le Droit a l'Initative Economique),
the association for the rights of economic initiatives.
Since 2005, ADIE has supported unemployed people in France by enabling
them to set up their own business, as plumbers for example. The businesses
are funded through Micro Finance and Primagaz France was one of the first
to support this project. Primagaz helped the "start ups" with training on
installations, by coaching and offering them free tools. Since 2005, 30 to
40 people have been granted a small loan and received the help of Primagaz.
It has proven to be very successful. This simple, but thought provoking
project does allow people to reintegrate with the workforce and contribute
to the economy.
This is only one example of the many projects in our Business Units.
With all projects that we support, we always try to emphasize the fact
that LP Gas is a clean, all purpose, safe and efficient energy.
What do you predict will be the main challenges for the industry globally over the coming years?
The speed of change is increasing. Change creates threats but also opportunities
- we analyze change and capitalize on it as effectively as we can. We differentiate
by looking for the unusual at all levels and see how it can help our business. We
listen, learn and react and make sure that the knowledge within our many individual
companies around the world is shared with the whole group. Competitiveness of LP Gas
as a heating, cooking and automotive fuel needs continuous adaptation.
The industry will be facing high and volatile prices in a more
transparent market. We have seen and will see more on climate
change issues and should therefore expect major developments in
renewable energies. To be able to grow our business in this ever more
transparent market, I believe that customer focus is key. Customers will
continue to challenge us more and more and we should be receptive to that.
And where do you expect to see the biggest opportunities?
There are many ways of developing our markets further. As an industry we
need to innovate and develop new applications and the appliances that will
serve the needs of the customers. But we also need to look for efficiency
improvements to keep LPG competitive with other fuels.
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