As a member of the FACC, I attended the visit of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Washington DC, with the expectation of meeting TechnoPref, a French company who has the contract to repair the bridge, and learn about its know-how and how it differentiated itself from competition. I was not disappointed. The civil engineering behind the project was impressively sophisticated; and the team, composed of both French expats and locals, was remarkable.
In addition, we discussed the future plans of TechnoPref in the region. I realized that the company I work for, Aggregate Industries, can help TechnoPref in its next projects. Aggregate Industries is a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, a Swiss-French multinational manufacturer of building materials. There is a great deal of complementary business possibilities between the two companies, and the infrastructure market in the U.S. is promising for us, particularly for bridge repairs.
The French-American Chamber of Commerce has been instrumental in creating such an opportunity. I hope this is the beginning of a win-win partnership, and I hope there will be more of those opportunities for other French companies in the Mid-Atlantic Region and in the U.S.
