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Sebastien Laurent spends a lot of time on his bike negotiating narrow Paris streets, breathing carbon monoxide fumes and maneuvering around demented French drivers. "The drunks see our biker outfits and think we're training for the Tour de France. We turn a lot of heads," said Laurent. At 26, this Franco-American is managing director of Breakaway Courier Systems France, a subsidiary of the parent company based in New York City. Laurent was born in France but did most of his growing up in the US. During year exchange program in Rouen, he fell I in love with his native country as well as a girl. "This got me back to France a whole lot quicker," he admitted. "I had also started doing interviews with a couple of New York banks and soon realized I really needed a master's degree to do something worthwhile. The thought of a suit and tie job was also a bit scary." So back to France he went, this time working as a waiter in Rouen. About at this point, he started to get this idea for opening up a bike messenger company in France. "I love bicycling, I like thinking and managing. So why not put the two together?" But it takes capital to open up a business in France, where procuring a loan is near impossible without the necessary collateral. Thanks to another American in Paris, Laurent was put in touch with the owner of Breakaway in New York. "We first met when he came over for the Tour de France in 1997. 1 told him about my idea and he invited me to New York to show me the ropes. At the beginning of the week, we were talking $10,000 needed to open a company in France. By the end of the week, he had pledged $50,000 to the venture." Sebastien is among the fortunate few to have turned a passion into a business. "There is only one bike delivery competitor on the market and more than 100 kin of cycling paths in Paris. Moreover the city has started alternating even and odd license during peak pollution alert days," he explained. Breakaway bills itself as an environmentally friendly alternative to rival motorbike and car services, one of the attractions to Laurent's backer, who is an urban biking advocate. New services will continue the clean air ethos. "In addition to delivering small envelopes, we're looking into buying a kiddy trailer to attach to the bikes or even finding an automotive partner manufacturing electric cars," Laurent said. His New York partner owns 98 percent of Breakaway Paris. In return, Laurent and his French partner have signed a licensing agreement for the logo, software, outfits and technical support. "In New York, they employ 200 messengers, make 2,000 runs per day and had $5.5 million in sales last year. In Paris, we have three full-time employees and can do a Maximum of 60 runs daily." Opened since February this year, Breakaway France has already clocked in a lot of kilometers. "We're adding new bikers regularly. We've changed the billing system to suit French customers. People are starting to notice us," said a confident Laurent. All members of Laurent's team are amateur cycling fanatics, so who knows. If the US Postal Service can field a team, then with all this training in speeding through the crowded Parisian streets, Breakaway may make the Tour de France one of these days, too. 4 - Breakaway Is located at IS rue Chariot, 75003 Paris. Telephone: +33 (0)1 44 59 24 00. Fax: +33 (0)11 42 72 47 40. E-mail: breakaway@iname.com |
