CFE and DEME soon to be listed separatly

CFE, founded in 1880, announces its intention to split the Belgian industrial group into two separate listed entities: CFE and DEME. The purpose of this demerger is to create two leading players in their respective business as both entities are operating in different segments and geographical markets, each with their own distinct strategic priorities. It should allow the marine engineering as well as the contracting and real estate activities to develop as two solid and separately listed companies, each with their own governance.

CFE has undergone profound changes since 2013: the civil engineering activities were transferred to DEME while the construction activities in Belgium were grouped in the Belgian entities of CFE Contracting. The residual operations of the holding company, such as nonmarine civil engineering and the construction activities in Africa and Central Europe, with the exception of Poland, have gradually been phased out.

Today, the group is made up of three divisions (DEME, CFE Contracting and BPI) led by separate management teams that have full responsibility for the daily management of their respective divisions, both operationally and financially. After the partial demerger, CFE will be a diversified industrial group focused on four activity lines - real estate development, construction, technical installations and rail - and operating in Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland.