by Everspeed | Oct 9, 2018
A speed demon since his early days as a cheeky backseat driver, Jacques Nicolet’s Everspeed group is making an impact in endurance racing.
Jacques Nicolet is the president of Everspeed, a conglomerate of race car and automotive industry companies. His passion for racing, however, planted itself well before he ever took the wheel of a car himself.
“When I was little, my dad drove me and my two brothers to school in the countryside in the South of France. We were timing dad’s ‘performance’ every morning and we had to be faster every day so, at some stage, he had to change the car to keep improving his ‘lap time’. That is really where it started.”
The young backseat driver soon became a keen observer of 24 hours of
Le Mans. Jacques first attended the race when he was about 13 years old, later following it on TV and in the newspapers. “It’s a unique race because it puts the humans first in every sense,” he begins.
“No matter the level of professionalism and excellence, you can never predict the results or the turnout even during the 24 hours of the race.” He points to the cruel result in the 2016 race, where the Toyota Gazoo prototype lost power with just three minutes to go in the event as an example of its unpredictable nature.
Encouraging teamwork to make results possible
The singular nature of Le Mans means it still holds a special place for Jacques. “It is a race where, to get a result, you need to put together certain values. I recognise these values in the company I manage, such as team spirit, compromise between overall performance, quality and reliability. Everybody has to work together: the mechanics, engineers, marketing and communications people, and the drivers. Everyone has to come together to make a result possible.”
Jacques has also competed in Le Mans as a ‘gentleman driver’, a special class of enthusiasts who compete in the famous endurance race alongside the sport’s elite professionals.
“That was mainly to develop a Le Mans prototype car,” he explains. “Being a gentleman driver helps me bring my own feelings and feedback to our company to help them improve the driveability of these cars for people outside the sport.”
Prior to founding Everspeed (originally named JN Holding), Jacques assumed control of endurance racing team OAK Racing and spent a decade as Director of Development at the Pierre & Vacances Group, which works across tourism services and holiday villages. He also co-founded Altarea SCA, a property development company that has invested in and developed residential and office spaces across France.
He remains member of Altarea SCA’s Supervisory Board and says this experience has given him a valuable background in building connections and bringing a diverse group of people together to develop a project from an idea to fruition.
“It is exactly the same process as with almost every company that joined Everspeed, no matter what the industry,” he says.
In 2016, Jacques’ automotive conglomerate was rebranded as Everspeed. The group’s business is now organised around four pillars of Learning, Motorsport, Connection, and Composites.
Jacques pushes for collaboration
Everspeed Motorsport incorporates several automotive companies that have expertise across the design, construction and distribution of sports cars, endurance racing, aerodynamic simulation, and engine technology. It also runs a motor racing circuit in Le Vigeant, France. The companies are autonomous but highly collaborative and there are significant synergies across the group.
“The rebranding of the group was a good move,” Jacques says. “We wanted to gather all the operations under the same banner and we’ve been focusing on getting this feeling of being part of the same group throughout all the companies. Hopefully, this feeling of solidarity will become much stronger over the next year, but the rebranding is a start.”
Having clarity around the vision of the group has been crucial, Jacques explains. “It’s always been the plan to start in a niche industry and try to become a leader in each of our niches – the high performance automotive industry, training, composites, and building a race car. When we talk about expansion, we still want to stay within these niches, but also diversify the territory and range of projects within each, if possible.”
Working on something you love, you always work with your heart and your passion. It gives you a lot of commitment.
In some areas, the group doesn’t have the in-house knowledge to manufacture or design materials and so will work with suppliers. Jacques says there is a range of practical considerations involved in choosing suppliers to partner with. “It always comes down to a balance between performance, reliability, quality and price, and the overall experience and feedback we have from different competitors with the supplier.”
With HP Composites, the group wants to move towards developing new materials for the structural composite parts used in motorcars, supercars and hypercars. It is also working on concept cars for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and special vehicles for both OEMs and government clients.
Building on existing expertise rather than new terrain
The ultimate goal is to build road and GT cars for a demanding clientele, though Jacques says expansion will be based around building on its existing expertise, rather than moving into completely new terrain. “It’s not necessarily about new projects, but new ways to do the projects.”
Over the next few years, Everspeed plans to gain a foothold in the US market, which may be equal in size to the rest of the world market combined. The group has already enjoyed success stateside, becoming the first French manufacturer to win the 24 Hours of Daytona with Onroak Automotive.
Jacques says the US is a very different environment from Europe or Asia. “The main challenges would be knowing what exactly the US market is, what the level of integration of composites there is, and what the race cars in the market need.
“The key is to be patient and to gain an understanding of the market and the main players. We are confident that, with our automotive expertise at Everspeed, that this know-how will develop and that we can deploy the team management we have now across the US.”
Jacques has come a long way since encouraging his father to make faster times as a young backseat driver, but he retains that same glee for racing. “I’m lucky to have always worked on something I love, and that I’m still doing it,” he says. “Working on something you love, you always work with your heart and your passion. It gives you a lot of commitment to achieve what you have in mind.”
Asked if there is anything he wishes was different about his field, Jacques’ fulfilment with his chosen vocation is only further evidenced.
“I wouldn’t change a thing. I see automotive as a tool for freedom. It’s an interesting period for the industry as we are at the cusp of a new wave of technology. My only hope is that we do not change, as such, but evolve, and keep the passion for motorsport and the automotive industry in this new world.”
Source: https://www.theceomagazine.com/executive-interviews/automotive-aviation/jacques-nicolet/
by Everspeed | Jul 26, 2017
The company, set in the Piceno area, is growing faster and faster, reaffirming its global leadership in composite materials.
The increased turnover and the resources deployed contributed to strengthen the international renown of HP Composites, which became a brilliant example in the Marche region, providing a unique industrial-technology know-how in the whole territory.
Less than a year after the earthquake hit Marche region, razing to the ground a lot of built-up areas and commercial activities, surrounded by the economic crisis that is becoming more and more severe, at a “difficult” historic moment, there is still hope. That hope is coming from the Piceno territory.
After becoming the world’s leading manufacturer of carbon fiber-reinforced composite materials, HP Composites continues its unstoppable drive to its next goals.
A particularly complex and niche sector that of composite materials, where HP has brilliantly emerged and is considered to be the “flagship” of made in Italy in the automotive and motorsport market. A standing appointment for HP, which, roughly one year ago, was showing its results far in contrast with the current trends in economy.
HP is a running car that does not seem to want to stop but who wants to carry on growing conscientiously, respecting its engagements and its philosophy. The most striking example of its work? The building of a third plant on a total area of about 4,500 square meters that would be added to the two other plants covering an area of approximately 14,000 square meters. Construction work has already begun thanks to the support of the Entrepreneur, M. Maurizio Borgioni, who renewed his trust in HP and in this project.
Local third companies are working to set up this new structure. Upstream, HP made a careful evaluation deciding to choose local suppliers and so offering these companies a great opportunity for growth and thus encouraging the local economy.
This resulted in a strong increase in turnover over the last few years. Only in within the first half of 2017, HP has already reached € 2.2 million, a result that differs little from that obtained at end of 2016.
The company’s balance sheet continues to show a positive trend. In fact, 2016 closed with a turnover of about 23 million Euros, up by 27%.
To date, the results are almost the same. In the first half of 2017, the company recorded an increase of 30% compared to the results obtained last year.
At the same time, production figures are also growing rapidly: over the last three years we have manufactured around 916 chassis with production peaks of 2 chassis per day. For non-professionals, it may be a small number, but you should remember that HP’s structural components are entirely hand-made. The know-how, the meticulous work of skilled and experienced hands are the added value that makes the excellence of our products. Its features have won the challenge of competition and today it is estimated that HP produces chassis and structural components for approximately around 1,500 cars, distributed throughout the world market.
Experimentation and growth are HP’s master-words. And it is thanks to this philosophy that, Carbon Mind, a new Start Up dedicated to the research of new technologies on advanced composite materials, is born under the direction of the engineer Alessia Nardinocchi.
An engineering services company, but also an incubator of ideas. The company will mainly focus on the industrialization of both processes and products, the optimization of production flows, on virtual simulations of processes through CAE systems and on technological innovation.
The challenge, however, is to enter the market of industrial design and fashion design through an innovative approach, in order to promote unconventional projects and thus realize new unique objects in composite materials, in large or small quantities.
The close tie with its home country and its rapid growth are the key nodes for HP which, along with other 13 companies, has decided to promote a large-scale project. The “Pole of composite materials” is thus made up of a panel of companies operating in the fields of mechanics, engineering, training and composite materials.
The main objective of the program is to highlight and provide a systematic and structured network of collaborations and relationships between companies based in Marche and Abruzzo regions. The purpose of this network system is to revitalize these collaborations in order to create both a system for strengthening ties and trades and establish a common path of growth. This “consortium” will allow us to have easier access to regional, national and European funds, to participate in calls for tenders and to benefit from economic incentives. The creation of a vertical supply chain between firms would, of course, contribute to improve individual and collective long-term performances.
A sort of global economy advocating other companies in the region to join this panel would see the light of day. A dense and ambitious program that will allow a significant development of the territory.
This year too, HP took part in the last edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the biggest car race in the world, which celebrated its 85th anniversary this year. The bodywork and chassis of 38% of the vehicles deployed on the Sarthe circuit for LM P1, LM P2 and GTE categories were produced by HPC. The made in Ascoli was once again the great protagonist of this edition. On the podium? LM P1, Porsche 919 Hybrid Earl Bamber, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley for which HP Composites manufactures several body parts.
Le Mans was also the ideal setting to present the racing world news. An opportunity that Onroak Automotive was able to seize by unveiling, two days before the competition, its new Ligier JS P4. Introducing the brand? No need. Jacques Nicolet, the “gentleman driver” who became the manufacturer and majority shareholder of HP Composites, raised the curtain on this new sports prototype.
The new Ligier JS P4 adds to the range of cars already manufactured by Onroak and HP. This closed sports-prototype with a carbon monocoque will be homologated in the FIA Free Formula Racing Cars (Group E) category, and will place itself in the endurance chain between the CN and the LM P3.
The Ligier JS P4 won’t be restricted to test days. It will be eligible to race in various national and international series such as the V de V Endurance Series, the 24H Proto Series and the Sprint Series, but also the GT & Prototype Challenge, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill and the 12 Hours of Abu Dhabi.
HP Composites, continuing their collaboration with Onroak Automotive, will supply all of the composite structural components, as well as the bodywork’s carbon elements. HP President was not a mere spectator of the competition. Jacques Nicolet raced his ninth 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LM P2 category, driving the new Ligier JS P217 number 33, lined up by Eurasia Motosport, teamed up with his son Pierre Nicolet and his faithful friend Erik Maris. His race ended with a 13th place in the category.
HP has great ambitions for its future, which it will achieve thanks to the extraordinary strength of will that characterizes its members and operators. Over the next five months HP plans to make various investments to upgrade its infrastructure and purchase new machines, for a total amount of approximately € 2bn. Several are the initiatives that it intends to implement: above all, the alignment to the principles of the emerging 4.0 Industry.
Its goal ? Becoming a leader in the mass production market while maintaining its leading position in Motorsport, which is at the core of the brand’s DNA. A forward-looking strategy that will lead the company towards the industrialization of composite material processing. A project involving several automobile manufacturers such as the FCA group (Fiat Chrysler Automobile) for the automotive and/or Porsche, Dallara, Ligier, Spark, Tatuus, Michelotto for Motorsport. But in order to accomplish a project of this size, many other resources will be needed.
The real asset that characterizes our company is the umbilical and carnal bond with our land. Right after the earthquake that struck the region in August 2016, HP made every effort to provide concrete support in such a difficult time.
A gesture dictated by the deep desire to prevent the flow of talents and potential resources that regularly occurs in these cases.
A course dedicated to people from the affected areas was activated in record time and led by our training schools, Ecodime Italia and TCA (The Composite Academy). Approximately 67% of the young people involved in this project were then hired and are now working in our buildings.
The need to organise and structure a unique training course in response to the high demand of many companies operating in the field is what gave birth to our Education department. As this area requires specific skills in automotive and performance, the preparation of the courses is entrusted to selected and experienced teachers in the field. This peculiarity has enabled TCA to deliver training to leading companies operating in Formula 1 and to several Italian and German companies operating in the endurance market.
In the last three years, from 2015 to the first half of 2017, we have activated 12 specific training courses addressed to internal and external staff, with the participation of approximately 267 people, much of them are still working in HP.
Since 2015, the activation of internships has enabled us to hire 50 new employees; a number that keeps increasing. The last three years assessments show a record number of hiring 2016: since 2015 we have hired 127 people, of whom 108 were hired at the end of an interim contract and 19 received a specific training. To sum up, HP now has 350 employees, all living in Marches (235) or Abruzzo (99) regions.
“In these difficult years, we provide concrete answers to the crisis and to unemployment,” says the engineer Abramo Levato, the General Manager of the company. “When people talk about HP Composites, it is mainly to highlight the added value of our staff and work, an essential condition of human dignity “.
A great opportunity for HP and for the regional economy more in general, came in May when the region announced the activation of the “Area di crisi del Piceno” (the Crisis Area of the Piceno), which, beyond a certain number of other advantages, will allow to hire new employees. An opportunity not to be missed for HP who hopes to hire 60 people within the next three years.
On this day dedicated to its successes and the results obtained, HP teams address a special thought to their colleague and friend Paolo Volponi, who died recently, and congratulate his work, a capital contribution in achieving these results.
by Everspeed | Oct 5, 2016
Sodemo, which is located in the heart of the Technopole at the Magny-Cours circuit, develops innovative engine power technology, equipments and electronic embedded systems dedicated to both automotive and aerospace markets.
Jacques Nicolet Everspeed President: “What we’re aiming to do at Everspeed is to offer the widest possible range of services in the industrial and motor sporting sectors through companies between which we can optimise synergies. Sodemo’s expertise has been acknowledged in motor sport, among other areas, for more than thirty-five years, and its activities in the engine and electronic sectors will dovetail perfectly with the services we provide in our motor sport branch.”
by Everspeed | Sep 24, 2016
After undergoing its first tests at Magny-Cours the Ligier JS P217 was unveiled this evening at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Onroak Automotive presented its brand-new LM P2 to numerous guests, media, teams and drivers at the fifth round of the European Le Mans Series.
The Ligier JS P217, a new LM P2 complying with the regulations that will come into force in 2017, was unveiled today Friday 23rd September 2016 after more than a year of intense work. This new model takes advantage of all Onroak Automotive’s experience in the construction of LM P2 chassis.
The design of the Ligier JS P217 is the fruit of the know-how of the Onroak Automotive Design Office directed by Nicolas Clemençon. It is a completely new car and it makes use of very advanced aerodynamic studies that have optimised drag reduction and led to the development of a particularly efficient cooling system.
The Ligier JS P217 left the Le Mans workshops early in the week to have several shakedown sessions on the Magny-Cours circuit. As these tests fulfilled all the Onroak Automotive’s expectations, the development programme will go ahead as planned so that the first cars delivered to clients will be as fully sorted and fine-tuned as possible by the end of the year to run in the United States, where the first race will take place in January.
This presentation is organised a few days after the announcement of the presence of Onroak Automotive in DPi via a partnership with Tequila Patron ESM and Nissan. Two Onroak Nissan DPis based on the chassis of the Ligier JS P217, powered by Nissan engines, will race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2017.
Jacques Nicolet, President Onroak Automotive: “The presentation of a new model is always a very emotional moment. After several months of intensive work by all our teams in the utmost secrecy, it’s a great thrill today to unveil our new LM P2 in which we have invested all our passion and our professionalism. After the Ligier JS P2 and the Ligier JS P3 in 2014 and 2015 we’re very proud to present the Ligier JS P217. It retains the initials « JS », the historic homage to Jo Schlesser by Guy Ligier who is very much in my thoughts today.”
Sébastien Metz, Le Mans site Director: “The Ligier JS P217 is the result of the work of our Design Department and our different services, plus the very efficient collaboration we’ve enjoyed with the technical partners who’ve been helping us on this programme. In the early phase of the design process the aerodynamic studies were carried out with EXA for the CFD, and the RUAG wind tunnel. HP Composites with whom we already worked on our previous models is the exclusive supplier for the structural elements in carbon and the Ligier JS P217’s bodywork. Finally, we would also like to thank PKM and Hewland for the work we did together on the chassis. We’re very satisfied with the first shakedowns on the Magny-Cours circuit, and we’re going to continue working in the coming weeks to give the teams full satisfaction.”
by Everspeed | Sep 21, 2016
With only two days to go to the unveiling of its brand-new Ligier JS P217 at Spa-Francorchamps at the ELMS meeting, Onroak Automotive is honoured to continue its collaboration with the Tequila Patron ESM team in the United States in the context of a DPi* programme with Nissan and Nismo.
After two seasons in the FIA WEC with a brace of Ligier JS P2s and victories in the Daytona 24 Hours and the Sebring 12 Hours early on in the year, the Tequila Patron ESM team has renewed its confidence in Onroak Automotive by choosing the French constructor for their return to the WeatherTech SportCar Championship in 2017 with two Onroak Nissan DPis.
In partnership with Nissan and Nismo, Onroak Automotive will supply the Tequila Patron ESM team with two Onroak Nissan DPis based on the Ligier JS P217 chassis and powered by the 3.8-litre V6 twin turbo engine from the GT-R Nismo GT3. In parallel to the installation of the engine, Onroak Automotive in partnership with Nissan will adapt the bodywork of the Ligier JS P217.
Yesterday while the Ligier JS P217 covered its first laps on the Magny-Cours circuit, all the Onroak Automotive teams were hard at work to respect the dates on the American calendar, which will kick off with the 55th staging of the Rolex 24 at Daytona at the end of January.
The first tests of the Onroak Nissan DPi are scheduled for December and Onroak Automotive may adapt to this model the various developments which will be trialled during the test programme between mid-September and December on the ACO version of the Ligier JS P217.
This agreement with Nissan and Tequila Patron reinforces Onroak Automotive’s presence in the United States in 2017 even more. The French company will provide a client support programme, equivalent to the one in Europe, at all the rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for its teams in DPi, LM P2 and LM P3.
Jacques Nicolet, Onroak Automotive CEO: “We’re delighted to begin this Onroak Nissan DPi programme with Tequila Patron ESM, Nissan and Nismo. I’d like to thank Scott Sharp and Ed Brown who, after two years’ collaboration and success with the Ligier JS P2, have renewed their confidence with us with this new project. In addition, we’re very proud to launch this programme in partnership with Nissan and Nismo with whom we’ve already collaborated in LM P2. This programme marks a new and important step for Onroak Automotive. It adds a new model to our range of sports prototypes in the United States with the Ligier JS P2 and more recently, the Ligier JS P3, and it also reinforces our implantation in North America while enabling us to compete at the highest level in motor sport in endurance racing.”
*A 2017 IMSA DPi car is a standard ACO/FIA homologated 2017 LM P2 Prototype chassis from one of the four approved constructors (Dallara, Onroak Automotive, ORECA or Riley/Multimatic) fitted with IMSA-homologated, manufacturer-designed and branded bodywork and engines.
