A French group with a European footprint
STEF is all about chilled distribution. Its history is closely linked to technological progress in this area, changes in food consumption patterns and the increasingly high expectations among consumers for quality and food safety.
- 1938The newly formed SNCF, which owns almost all the French railway network, buys STEF and all its fixed and mobile equipment including its 600 wagons. STEF therefore becomes a subsidiary of SNCF.
- 1940During the Second World War, in spite of the difficult supply conditions, STEF continues to develop, notably by building a warehouse in Perpignan.
- 1950Road transport of foodstuffs begins to emerge. But STEF is not threatened by the new competition, as the new lorries do not have any refrigeration facilities. The Group therefore continues to grow.
- 1964While STEF continues to grow steadily, three transport companies (Galopin, Sancier and Eurotransit) combine to create the leading shipment consolidation network: TFE.
- 1974TRADIMAR is founded.
- 1987SNCF decides to dispose of STEF, its subsidiary for 50 years. Although TFE seems to be the natural contender for a takeover, it is ultimately Financière de l'Atlantique, created in 1983 by Francis Lemor and Bernard Jolivet, which wins. With one clear objective: building a leading group in refrigerated logistics.
- 1989Now begins the Group’s European adventure first in Belgium, Spain and then in Portugal. In the meantime, Financière de l'Atlantique becomes TFE’s major shareholder, with the aim of building the perfect alliance between the specialist in deep-frozen logistics and the leader in refrigerated transport.
- 1992In 1992, Financière de l'Atlantique becomes TFE’s sole shareholder and merges the two businesses as STEF-TFE in 1996. The business is now based on three networks: warehousing (STEF), transport (TFE) and seafood activities.
- 1998STEF Group is listed on the French stock exchange on the second market. A year later, the company forms a subsidiary specialised in information systems: AGROSTAR, the predecessor to STEF IT.
- 2006Acquisition of CRYOLOGISTIC in France
- 2009The Group expands its Swiss operations with SGF and becomes the sole shareholder in its shipping company, La Méridionale.
- 2012STEF-TFE begins trading under a single commercial brand in Europe: STEF. This change marks a milestone in the convergence of all its temperature-sensitive business lines across Europe.
- 2013Acquisition of EBREX in France
- 2018The Dutch companies SPEKSNIJDER, VERS EXPRESS, and later NETKO (2019), already Group companies, join the STEF umbrella brand.
- 2019The company is restructured into business units to better meet its clients' needs.
- 2021STEF enters an eighth country, the United Kingdom, with the acquisition of the Langdons group, a national specialist in temperature-controlled transport. This acquisition represents an important step in our network development strategy.
- 2022The Group consolidated its presence in Italy with the acquisition of SVAT and in German-speaking Switzerland with the acquisition of Frigosuisse.