Marline is a French brand founded in 1954, originally known for its pre-mixed fuels tailored to small two-stroke engines like those of the VéloSoleX. Over the decades, it has evolved into a specialist in cleaner, innovative energy solutions, notably with its alkylate fuels and renewable HVO diesel. Today, as part of the Swedish Aspen group, Marline continues to support professionals with high-performance, low-impact fuels aligned with environmental and regulatory demands.
What does “entrepreneurship” mean to you?
Entrepreneurship is an adventure—first individual, then collective—that allows ideas brought forward by a personality to be given form. In other words, it's the ability of an individual to formalize a project and then convince market players that this project is a source of development for the global economy. If it only aims at personal success, individual ambition, entrepreneurship loses its virtue, because business is a collective adventure.
What is the biggest experience or lesson gained on your growth journey so far?
You can't achieve anything alone. The strength of an entrepreneur lies in their intelligence, their vision, their willpower. But these virtues are lost if they aren't supported by colleagues. They become key players in success when they share the enthusiasm and conviction of the person who "drives" their work force. It's up to me to always be on the lookout, to think about opportunities and avenues for development. When colleagues are working on their tasks, I anticipate and innovate.
How is your company acting as a game changer in the landscape?
We all face the challenges posed by climate change.Through our business, we are at the very heart of this issue. However, we are economically pragmatic and have the courage to believe that technology can significantly improve the environmental and health performance of fossil fuels. Our goal is to make this approach objectively acceptable and useful in the current context. The number of innovations we have brought to market since 2020 is considerable: the development of biofuels, recyclable and recycled containers, distribution via mobile pumps... We cover every aspect of environmental and climate issues.
What Should Your Life Motto Be?
“Memento mori”: “remember that you are dying.” It may seem surprising, but this Latin quote is tied to the idea of the famous “tempus fugit,” “time flies.” Entrepreneurial adventure is first and foremost about action. Never put off a phone call, avoid procrastinating on a decision forever. Later is too late, and in economics, as in biology, time is running out. It’s up to us to know how to use it wisely.
The European network of private SMEs which accelerates the process to access private and public capital markets. Why it can be the game changing opportunity companies should consider?
The promises attached to our fuel offering have convinced almost all of our professional customers (public works, construction, green space maintenance, vintage and competition vehicles, nautical sports) and the general public (maintenance and gardening). What matters for our development is to multiply positive experiences in order to reach a tipping point. This point is the moment when we become obvious to all market players, because the virtues of our products are demonstrated both by regulatory requirements – the Ministry of Health recommends the alkylate solution as an alternative to the electric solution – and by user experience. Sustained development in the commercial field will help us become an obvious answer, and not just a possibility.
