Since 1932, the history of Proxis Développement is that of a family which has never stopped evolving without ever betraying its roots.
From textile chemistry to biotechnology, via pharmaceuticals and perfumes, from European markets to global markets, three generations have built a unique industrial model: rooted in science, forward-looking, and always independent.
La diversification maîtrisée des activités
L’intégration progressive de la chaîne de valeur pour des ingrédients robustes et innovants
L'internationalisation progressive.
Before 1932:
the origins
At the end of the First World War, the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire disrupted industrial networks across Central Europe.
Frédéric Moor, an Austrian chemist whose rubber business was suffering from shrinking markets, strategically repositioned himself in the field of textile chemistry.
He developed textile finishing products: chemical treatments designed to improve the properties and performance of textiles. Bleaching, sizing, functional treatments such as hydrophilisation (for greater fabric uniformity) and antistatic finishes.
1932:
Products for the textile industry
In 1932, this expertise led to the creation of Protex in Paris, with its very name derived from ‘products for textiles’. From the outset, the company targeted industrial clients, confirming the group’s roots in textile finishing and surface treatments.
Following the untimely death of Frédéric Moor in the early 1950s, his son Robert took the reins, aged 22 and being a recent graduate of Centrale Paris.
1952–1990s :
Transformation and diversification
Robert Moor established three strategic priorities for the group that would remain ingrained in its DNA. He navigated all the changes in the textile industry throughout the 20th century, then embarked on a gradual diversification into the paper industry. The technical similarities with textiles were clear: cellulose, aqueous processes, and surface chemistry.
He then moved up the value chain. Rather than limiting himself to creating formulas, he integrated the production of ingredients and developed expertise in chemical synthesis (formaldehyde derivatives, sequestering agents, specialised functional products, etc.). Self-sufficiency through ingredients remains a founding principle that runs through the group’s entire history.
At the same time, two acquisitions marked this period:
· Sozio, a historic Grasse-based company acquired after the second oil crisis, signalling a return to raw materials
· Icrom in 1996, with its API business as part of a strategy focused on high-value-added services.
1955–1980s :
Setting its sights on the international market
From 1955 onwards, the company began exporting to Germany and Belgium. This momentum earned it recognition as one of France’s leading exporters.
When the textile industry migrated en masse to Asia, the group followed suit:
· first subsidiary in Hong Kong in 1979,
· first factory in China as early as 1980.
Internationalisation is not a goal; it is a mindset.
2004 :
A new generation, a new ambition
In 2004, Arnaud Moor founded Proxis Développement with a clear ambition: to build an independent family-owned industrial group capable of combining scientific excellence, strategic diversification and a long-term vision. It is important not to depend on a single market and to master the different development dynamics across sectors.
Four founding divisions will gradually shape the group:
· Aquaprox — water treatment
· Bioprox — biotechnology and bio-based ingredients
· Sozio — perfumery and fragrance raw materials
· Icrom — active pharmaceutical ingredients
Thus, embracing the father’s legacy with a strong connection to:
- expertise in ingredients (chemistry, synthesis, processing),
- diversification
- and to internationalisation.
Moreover, Arnaud Moor adds his own signature: a resolutely science-based vision, focused on innovation and new technologies. Cybèle Agrocare, Gene&GreenTK: the group’s recent spin-offs and investments in high-tech equipment reflect this new direction.
2010 :
A fully independent family-owned group
Proxis invests in research and development, expands its industrial sites and positions its growth within an international context, continuing the industrial history that began in 1932.
During the 2010s, the transfer of ownership was completed: Arnaud Moor and his family became the sole owners of the group, affirming its total independence and stable family governance.
Proxis Développement is today a medium-sized family business, both rooted in its industrial heritage and focused on more flexible, application-based and solution-oriented models.
Today:
the fourth generation steps up
In keeping with this family model, Olivier Moor, son of Arnaud Moor, is now contributing to the group’s financial structuring and consolidation. A gradual handover, following the same philosophy that has always guided the Moor family: building for the long term, without ever sacrificing independence.
From the textile chemistry of the 1930s to today’s biotechnologies, the group’s history is that of a company capable of reinventing itself without losing its soul: technical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, family succession, and long-term vision. Three generations. A common thread.
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The son of Robert Moor, educated at HEC Paris rather than in the sciences like his father and grandfather, Arnaud Moor deliberately chose a hands-on career path: he began as a sales representative at Synthron, a subsidiary of Protex, before taking over the management of Sozio France. This hands-on experience gave him an in-depth understanding of the group’s business lines and international dynamics.
In the early 2000s, faced with increasingly complex markets and the emergence of new scientific challenges, he decided to create a new-generation holding company. His ambition: to combine the industrial excellence inherited from his father with a vision firmly focused on science, innovation and life sciences.
