The Meyer Louis-Dreyfus family office: Florac

The family of French merchants

The Meyer family, a branch of the historic Louis-Dreyfus family, which owns significant shares of the Louis Dreyfus Group. The Loius Dreyfus company is one of the world’s leading agricultural commodities traders. The most prominent figure in the family is Marie-Jeanne Meyer. Her wealth is attributed to her 12% ownership over the Louis Dreyfus Holdings. This holding was managed by her brother, Robert Louis-Dreyfus, until his death in 2009.

The Louis Dreyfus Group was founded in 1851 in Alsace, France, and has since become a multinational corporation. The Group operates in various industries, including energy, commodities trading, real estate, and telecommunications. Today, the Louis Dreyfus Group employs over 22,000 people in more than 90 countries. Furthermore, it is a leader in agricultural commodities trading, handling approximately 10% of global agrarian product trade. The Group is also the largest global trader of cotton and rice. It has yearly revenues of over $65 billion.

The investment focus of Florac

Florac, the family office of Marie-Jeanne Meyer Louis-Dreyfus and her family, was founded in 2009 by Meyer Louis-Dreyfus, her husband, and their three children. Florac exclusively manages the family’s funds through a diversified investment strategy. Florac’s investment approach is flexible, partnering with financial firms, families, or management teams to provide growth capital, acquire minority or majority stakes, or engage in full leveraged buyouts (LBOs). The firm focuses geographically on Europe, primarily France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and the United States. Its typical investment size ranges from $20 million to $80 million in the U.S. and €20 million to €100 million in Europe, allowing it to address opportunities across various industries and markets. Exemplary investments are Dentius, Sperber Landscape Companies, fusalp, and the Groupe Delcourt.

Picture source: Dan Meyers via Unsplash