“We started in the early 1990s with titanium and soon had a huge selection of materials for orthopedic implants,” Paul Etienne Carrillon, President of the Administrative Board, says. Since then, the spectrum has grown to encompass titanium for aeronautics and industry; steel, chrome-cobalt and plastics for orthopedic and medical technology; and a service program called ACNIS+ for special alloys, cuts, drilling and more.
Medical technology still accounts for up to 80% of sales volumes, and the chemical, oil and watchmaking sectors are also represented on the customer lists. “In principle, we are interested in all industrial sectors that involve titanium,” Mr. Carrillon says. “There are some sectors, such as the aerospace industry, that we have yet to develop to their fullest potential. It is actually our current focus.”
The acquisition of the company Aerometals & Alloys will be helpful in ACNIS International’s endeavour to become a respected manufacturer and supplier for the sector. The subsidiary near Paris is approved for Airbus Helicopter (previously Eurocopter) and Dassault, and cuts and processes rods and plates on 15 machines.
“We recently invested in another machine that will equip us with state-of-the-art technology,” Mr. Carrillon adds. Aerometals & Alloys will follow the same business model as ACNIS International. “Besides titanium, Aerometals & Alloys also offers other materials that the aeronautic industry needs,” he continues. The subsidiary’s warehouse and logistics center in China will prove beneficial for sales to China, Taiwan and the neighbouring countries.
ACNIS International can boast a sizeable warehouse and fast delivery. Its products can be available anywhere within just 48 hours. Customers appreciate the wide array of high-quality products, which can even be provided in small quantities. “We can also cater to special requests,” Mr. Carrillon notes. “We listen to our customers to advise them on the best choice of materials for their application. They can also consult us when they have trouble processing or forming the parts.” ACNIS International’s in-house engineers have vast knowledge in metallurgy and are there to support customers.
The company was founded by Mr. Carrillon in 1991 and is still in the hands of the family. The founder’s two daughters have joined the business in the meantime: Carole Carrillon heads the export department while Fanny Carrillon is in charge of sales.
The company was founded by Mr. Carrillon in 1991 and is still in the hands of the family. The founder’s two daughters have joined the business in the meantime: Carole Carrillon heads the export department while Fanny Carrillon is in charge of sales.
Half of the company’s 18 million EUR turnover comes from exports to roughly 40 countries. Since ACNIS International’s acquisition of a medical technology company in Brazil in 2011, today called ACNIS do Brasil, export rates have improved.
To find customers, ACNIS International attends trade fairs on a nearly monthly basis, including the Medtec, the Medica and the Midest. “We have been attending Le Bourget since 1995,” says Mr. Carrillon. “We now showcase the portfolio of Aerometals & Alloys there. We also attend fairs in China, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.”
One of ACNIS International’s short-term objectives is the establishment of a sales office in Australia. “A staff member here in France moved to Australia for us to get this operation off the ground,” Mr. Carrillon says. ACNIS International has also begun talks with Boeing and was invited to the company’s location in Seattle, Washington, USA.
In ACNIS International’s 25 years, it has found its place as France’s number-one supplier for medical applications. “We have expanded our fields of activity and have a considerable range – geographically speaking, as well,” Mr. Carrillon says. “We are now looking forward to the adventure that Boeing brings us.”
