The Airvance Group: one family’s success story
Corporate History & Culture

The Airvance Group: one family’s success story

12 October 2021

Airvance Group: A beautiful family story

Discover the unique story of the Airvance Group, the result of the merger of two major players in the European ventilation and air quality market.

Union

Union

The unique merger of two market players

Founded in February 2020 following an acquisition between the France Air Group and the HVAC branch of the SIG Group, the Airvance Group is an expert in indoor air handling and air quality in buildings. Its CEO, Laurent Dolbeau, represents the 4th generation of this entirely family‐run group.

Digital creation and investments during lockdown

Now ranking in the Top 5 of European leaders in the ventilation sector, the Airvance Group was established remotely during lockdown. This digital creation was a challenge that was successfully met thanks to the collaboration of men and women from each company. “We got to know each other and we developed the strategy of the Group and its four brands (France Air, Cairox, Sufix and Saftair) via video‐conference. The construction of the Group is now 80% finalised and the Group has reached its cruising speed,” stated Laurent Dolbeau.

2020 was still a year full of investments despite the pandemic. The Airvance Group allocated over 5 million Euros to extend its plants in France and Germany, to create a new duct production unit in Saint‐Laurent‐du‐Pape (07), to build a new warehouse and a test laboratory in Beynost (01). This laboratory is dedicated to testing air diffusion and air quality solutions. It is available to all Group subsidiaries.

A very promising start to 2021

The Airvance Group has posted excellent results for the 1st half of 2021, up almost 30% on 2020 and 5 to 10% on 2019. Laurent Dolbeau estimates that the 2021 turnover achieved should reach 500 million Euros, (55% in France and 45% abroad).

The CEO also stated that the Airvance Group’s debt reduction programme has reduced its debt by over 30% in 18 months.

Airvance Group key figures

– Staff: 1650 employees
– 20 companies in 13 countries
– 9 production plant, 8 in France
– 94 points of sale in Europe
– 4 brands: France Air, Cairox, Sufix, Saftair
– 75,000 customers
– 5000 design offices in Europe
– 240,000 product

In Europe, the Airvance Group has subsidiaries in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and the UK. The Airvance Group also has one subsidiary in Africa, in Angola, where it has had a long‐standing presence. Last but not least, the Airvance Group
operates in many other countries thanks to its local distributors.

The Airvance Group sells France Air, Cairox, Saftair and Sufix brands, and offers air quality and air handling solutions for the comfort and safety of building occupants. Product ranges cover all air handling and fire safety requirements, from ventilation, energy recovery, air handling units, air distribution and diffusion through to fire protection, filtration, heating, air conditioning and air pollution control solutions. The company also offers a range of thermal insulation and lagging, along with equipment and consumables dedicated to personal protection and decontamination. The company mainly operates in the tertiary building, professional kitchen, hospital, industrial (clean rooms in particular) and residential markets, on both an individual and collective basis.

Through its brands, products and services, the Airvance Group works to ensure the well‐being and safety of people in living spaces, in every country in which the Group operates.