As son and grandson of the founders of the MOBILITAS Group, Alain Taïeb and his nephew, Cédric Castro, were invited to speak at the latest Family Business Network (FBN) event, held virtually on 17 September 2020. The FBN is the first global network dedicated to family-owned businesses and their shareholders, and the two gentlemen were honoured to share their thoughts on running their family business under the motto Preserving the Present to Ensure the Future.

Cultivating resilience by putting family first

Since its foundation in France in 1974 by Alain’s parents, Isaac and Sarah Taïeb (Le Point September 2016), the MOBILITAS Group, then known as AGS, has grown from an SME into a mid-sized multinational group. To achieve this, the family first expanded their core activity of removals beyond French borders and then embarked on a strategy of diversification by adding complimentary services to the AGS portfolio. Today the group is active in 98 countries with four areas of focus:  international removals, relocations, records management and heritage digitisation.

The reason behind this approach to growth? Family, of course.

“Building for the future – the next generation – has always been a priority for our family business,” explains Alain Taïeb, Chairman of the MOBILITAS Supervisory Board. “If we have always been able to bounce back and be resilient, it is thanks to this principle and the resulting strategy, which is based on three pillars: the family entrepreneurial DNA, a diversified geographical presence and the addition of new activities to minimise risk.”

President of FBN France, Philippe Grodner, confirms: “Thanks to their long-term vision, family-owned businesses have shown that their performance is often superior to that of traditional companies. The family’s values act as an essential glue that binds all employees and stakeholders together.”

This sentiment is echoed in a report published by Centennial Family Companies, in which 86% of family-owned businesses feel that their strong culture and values set them apart.

Adaptability is key

Cédric Castro, Chairman of the MOBILITAS Management Board and the third generation of the family to be at the helm, believes it is the focus on longevity and family values that has allowed the group to remain sustainable in these uncertain times.

“The importance the family places on the future has been absorbed at every level of our operations. Our teams’ daily activities form a continuous momentum that builds on what we have already achieved and lays the foundations for our upcoming plans. Our other strength is being able to adapt quickly. At each critical moment in the life of our group, we have been able to be flexible and adjust. This allows us to continue to develop, diversify and consolidate,” he says.

As such, the adaptability and diversification of the MOBILITAS Group enables it to withstand the current crisis well. “Our archiving and heritage digitisation activities are well-received. We manage archives for banks, government administrations and private companies, and through our company Arkhênum, we also offer heritage digitisation.  Just recently we have worked with a prestigious cognac brand and digitised valuable museum print collections,” Cédric continues.

It’s a fact. More and more companies want to preserve their heritage as a way of safeguarding irreplaceable know-how while strengthening their identity and their brand. This is illustrated by the testimonial of Hélène Galzin from the Renault Group, which has just carried out a great project to preserve its heritage, comprising an art collection, vintage cars and a collection of archives of inestimable value (discover the video).

MOBILITAS knows that conserving knowledge and strengthening brand identity are key activities for any business, which is why they offer digitisation services to their clients. Internally however the company also achieves these objectives through family involvement, building on the present through resilience and adaptability to ensure the future for the next generation.

Access issues made the stairs unsuitable for a delivery in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Instead, the AGS team used a crane to reach the client’s terrace on the 8th floor and delivered the goods.
 

 

AGS’ boxes are understandably close to the hearts of our staff and our clients.

Countless journeys have started with households’ possessions being gently packed into them, and their unique white colour is symbolic of AGS’ commitment to quality and professionalism.

Now, however, we are proud to reveal that AGS’ packaging materials – including our boxes – will be phasing over to a brown colour, while guaranteeing the same level of protection and security on which AGS’ reputation is based.

As much as we loved our white boxes, AGS’ new packaging will not require bleaching, and is therefore in line with our global commitment to environmental sustainability.

Rest assured that all our packaging materials continue to be stringently quality-wwwed, delivering the same high levels of protection.

Learn more about AGS’ packaging solutions.

AGS’ services are frequently utilised due to the company’s commitment to superior quality. This was a prerequisite when AGS Warsaw was tasked with an extremely delicate removal: moving World War II museum pieces from the Auschwitz Museum to an exhibition in Rome. AGS applied their meticulous packing techniques, and transported the items safely via airfreight to and from Italy.

AGS Movers Paris is so passionate about mobility solutions by road that they recently entered a team of ten staff runners into the annual 10km L’Equipe race. Participating for the second time, the AGS team was spurred on by their 109th place finish this year (out of 132 teams) and are already looking forward to participating again next year.

GUINEA

AGS Movers Guinea recently received a letter of appreciation from South Africa’s ambassador to the country. This letter thanks AGS for the charitable donation received from the branch while commemorating International Mandela Day. Demonstrating further commitment to the cause, AGS also transported all donations to the South African Embassy.

SOUTH AFRICA

AGS’ International Movers Johannesburg sponsored the Defence Foreign Relations golf day in August, strengthening AGS’ relationship with senior embassy diplomats and South African government employees attending. While AGS Johannesburg’s German corporate sales executive played golf with Austria’s Ambassador (coming second in the tournament!), the rest of the AGS staff treated teams to tasty refreshments.

MALAWI

When a client recently needed a large boat transported from Malawi by road to Tanzania, AGS Movers Malawi was not deterred by the unusual request (for a land-locked country).

“The client chose AGS because we were the only company that could promise him that we have enough capacity to do this kind of job,” explains Branch Manager Luis Fernandez.

The ITGBL approval means that both have been endorsed by the US Department of State to ship personal and household effects on behalf of its diplomatic staff.

AGS Coussaert in Belgium and AGS Movers Manila bring the Group’s total count to 59 ITGBL-approved branches in over 67 destinations globally.

The ITGBL programme was first introduced by the US Government in 1992 when international freight forwarders were given the go-ahead to ship  government personnel’s goods.

In order to achieve approval, removal companies must adhere to strict requirements relating to service performance, transit times, the timely provision of reports, cost of services and communication.

This lawww achievement confirms that AGS is constantly developing and striving towards service excellence and complying with the stringent standards needed to achieve ITGBL approval.

Well done to AGS Coussaert and AGS Movers Manila who are proving to be beacons for AGS in their pursuit of service excellence.

Margaret, who retired in April, had worked at AGS Movers London for nearly 14 years.

Margaret mastered all aspects of import services and was praised for her reliability and efficiency. She decided to retire to dedicate time to leisure and her family.

Jennifer was the natural choice to succeed Margaret. Jennifer joined AGS Movers London a year ago and worked as a coordinator. Trained in all aspects of import services, Jennifer will definitely rise to the challenge.

Jennifer’s appointment will ensure that the AGS Movers London imports department continues to provide great service to its clients. Her mission is to take customer service to new heights and build strong relationships with agent partners.

We wish Margaret and Jennifer all the best for their future.

The client needed some assistance to set-up their new home, in addition to supervising the delivery and unpacking processes.

Known for her professionalism and ‘can-do’ approach to her work, Mrs Wilma McKenzie was selected and recommended to the client as the perfect candidate for this project.

Mrs McKenzie spent six weeks in Israel, during which she set-up the client’s new home and took delivery of the 40-foot container. She also project managed the delivery and unpacking process, while ensuring that the client’s needs and wishes were respected and fulfilled as far as possible.

Rahim Ebrahim, branch manager of AGS Movers Durban, commented:

“Mrs McKenzie is an experienced team member and has already proven herself a true ambassador of AGS Movers. We are proud to say that the assignment was carried out professionally and efficiently, and we thank her for a job well done.”

The new  location has been strategically chosen, in order to facilitate its access and to optimise its performance:

• 10 minutes from Madrid-Barajas Airport
• 10 minutes from Madrid’s Dry Port
• 11 km from the city centre, and conveniently located on the A2 motorway from Madrid to Barcelona.

The new premises are also larger and boast:

• Storage and warehouse space of 1000 m²
• 400 m² of office space for the reception and the move management team.

The space has been carefully fitted to offer the best guarantee for the protection of our clients’ goods, when being handled and stored.

In particular, the warehouse is equipped with a hydraulic deck and secure parking which allows staff to easily manage long-term storage, storage in transit and the storage of vehicles.

Those new premises are the result of the privileged relationship AGS Madrid has kept with its clients. AGS Madrid will offer a service quality even higher, whilst maintaining competitive tariffs.

The new physical address is:

C/ Mario Roso de Luna, 29 – Nave 11
28022 Madrid

Tel: +34 916 96 53 51
Email: manager-madrid@agsmovers.com

For any additional information, please contact Antonio Gonzalez, AGS Movers Spain country manager.

The new warehouse is larger (an additional 400m²) and taller, therefore enabling the storage of all warehouse crates over three levels, increasing the available volume for our clients.

The new branch location offers many other advantages, including:

• A closed and secure park for all the crates and vehicles
• A more welcoming warehouse for the clientele of AGS Alsace
• Purpose-built changing rooms with toilets and showers for the staff
• A functional platform for the handling of containers without blocking traffic.

Antoine Millet, branch manager of AGS Alsace, is pleased to be able to provide his customers with quality storage solutions tailored to their needs.