French kissing in Texas

Not only are US politicians cosying up to France, calling the country their “oldest ally” , but American process professionals also appear to thrilled at spending time in French company.

I attended Invensys’ Foxboro and Triconex users’ conference in San Antonio, Texas this week and the general atmosphere was completely out of kilter with what you might expect for a company about to be taken over.

With French giant Schneider set to acquire Invensys in a £3.4 billion deal, you might expect a sombre mood among executives whose jobs, departments, products and divisions could potentially be on the line.

Not a bit of it. The show opened in triumphant mood with the unveiling of Invensys’ latest Foxboro DCS, Foxboro Evo. This included a video message from Schneider chief executive Jean-Pascal Tricoire saying how excited he was with the launch. As analysts have previously described Foxboro as the “crown jewell” of Schneider’s acquisition, it is perhaps of little surprise that Tricoire enthused over the new launch.

All around the conference Invensys staff wearing white t-shirts dubbed “Evo-angelists” gushed about the new DCS

What was perhaps more surprising was the optimism among top Invensys executives and the rank and file staff. Invensys Industrial Automation president and CEO Mike Caliel echoed Tricoire’s sentiment that the deal would bring growth to both companies, while also being bullish that any standoff between Wonderware and Citect following the merger would end up in Wonderware’s favour.

Likewise systems boss Gary Freyburger could only see potential for growth for Invensys through the deal, particularly in those areas where Schneider is strong such as power and upstream oil and gas.

And all around the conference Invensys staff wearing white t-shirts dubbed “Evo-angelists” gushed about the new DCS. Nobody I met looked like they were carrying the heavy weight of job uncertainty.

Instead, there was a tangible air of optimism about the company’s future.

Maybe this was just the excitement of techies over the new Foxboro software and CP280 controller. Maybe it was just the natural American optimism and confidence in their products – because while it may be British-owned, Foxboro’s roots and culture is all-American. Maybe it was just sheer relief that after years of takeover speculation it is finally happening.

Or maybe it was because the conference was taking place in Texas, a state once owned by the French – and French ownership doesn’t seem to have done Texas any harm.

One thing for certain is that, even if Invensys as a business disappears following the Schneider takeover, its well-established brands like Foxboro, Triconex and Wonderware will remain. Their soon-to-be new French owners are clearly enthralled with the products and the people that make them, and apparently the feeling is mutual.