Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
JCDecaux SA has announced that its subsidiary, JCDecaux Belgium, has completed the first stage of a merger with Publiroute, a long-established Belgian billboards player operating under the Dewez trademark. When the operation is complete, JCDecaux Belgium will be the majority shareholder.
Jean-Sébastien Decaux, JCDecaux’s CEO Southern Europe, Belgium and Luxembourg, Africa and Israel said “We are very proud to be teaming up with Publiroute, a long-established billboards leader in Belgium formed nearly one hundred years ago, and a family-run company with which JCDecaux share values. I am delighted to work with Chris Stone, whose professionalism and unique experience are recognized in the sector, and firmly believe that this merger between our two companies will produce an abundance of opportunities and will create value, in particular for our advertiser and media agency clients. “
Created as a family-run company in 1920, Publiroute, through its trademark Dewez, currently operates 15,000 displays across Belgium.
Chris Stone, Chief Executive Officer of Dewez, told us “I’m very excited to collaborate with JCDecaux, specifically relating to temporarily and permanent billboard, and the future development of digital in Belgium fuelled by the knowledge of the JCDecaux Group.”
The assets of Dewez, who specialise in long-term local advertising billboards, will no doubt complement JCDecaux’s current assets in Belgium, and will significantly increase its billboard offering by extending reach outside the main city centres.
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