Louis Nicollin

Louis Nicollin (29 June 1943 – 29 June 2017) was a French entrepreneur and director of the Nicollin Company, which specializes in the collection and reprocessing of household and industrial waste. Nicollin notably served as chairman of Montpellier Hérault Sport Club, a football team, from 1974 to his death in 2017.

Early life

Nicollin was born in Valence, capital of the Drôme department. As a young man he worked in the family business of waste collection.

Business career

In 1974, he became chairman of the amateur football club Montpellier Paillade Sport Club, which played in the division d'honneur. Under his leadership, and the support of Mayor Georges Frêche, the club grew and was promoted to Ligue 1 within eight years.

He became the manager in 1977 and developed its activity mainly in Montpellier, before spreading the company around France and creating overseas departments. The company has operations in Belgium and Morocco. It took the name of Montpellier Hérault Sport Club (MHSC) in 1989, the same year Nicollin became the sole shareholder. Under his leadership, the club of Montpellier has won the championship of Ligue 2 in 1987, the Coupe de France in 1990, and Ligue 1 in 2012.

Nicollin not only invested in football, but also in other sports. In rugby, the Nicollin Company was the main sponsor of the AS Béziers Hérault from 1999 to 2009. In 2009, through a holding in his name, Nicollin became a shareholder in Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club. In 2000, he bought Paris Basket Racing and in 2002 Paris Handball. He placed his associates, including Jean-Claude Lemoult, in charge of the teams. He is also president of the Fédération Française de Joute et Sauvetage Nautique (FFJSN), a regulatory group for water jousting.