What Groupe Climater does

Groupe Climater is a French privately-held group of companies specializing in building mechanical engineering (génie climatique), headquartered in Toulouse, France. The group operates as a holding structure aggregating 42 specialized subsidiaries across France (~30), Canada (11), and Switzerland (2), serving industrial, healthcare, residential, commercial, and public-sector clients with HVAC, fire protection, plumbing, industrial piping, air treatment, automation, smoke extraction, off-site fabrication, and energy renovation services. The corporate legal entity CLIMATER was registered in 2022 (RCS Toulouse), but the group aggregates subsidiaries with deep operating histories — notably Kolostat (Canada, 1927), Thermex (Switzerland, 1973), LS (Canada, 1977), Spiro Métal (1978), and VGR (1979) — many of which retain legacy brands and operate semi-autonomously under group oversight led by founder/chairman Stéphane Gilet.

The group's technology stack centers on BIM-based off-site prefabrication, where mechanical installations are modeled in Building Information Modeling software, manufactured in controlled workshop environments (Spiro Métal and Fabmétal for ductwork; CMFT Industrie and ETS Industrie for industrial fabrication), then assembled on site. Additional technical differentiators include natural cascade refrigeration systems using ammonia/CO2 refrigerants for industrial cooling (demonstrated at 2,000 TR capacity in food processing), Building Management Systems (BMS/GTC) for energy optimization, and specialized industrial piping for special fluids including steam, compressed air, and industrial refrigerants. The group holds certifications across NFPA, FM Global, ASHRAE, MASE, ECOVADIS Silver, Minergie, LEED, CMMTQ, RBQ, TSSA, and Suissetec, enabling it to bid on regulated institutional and industrial tenders.

Groupe Climater generates revenue through three primary streams: engineering and installation projects (design-build, lump-sum, and cost-plus contracts for new construction and renovation), multi-technical maintenance services (managed services for HVAC, electrical, and fire protection systems), and off-site fabrication of ductwork, piping modules, and mechanical components. Pricing is enterprise project-based with custom quotations; disclosed contract values range from €455K (student residence prefabrication) to €13M (Canadian hospital air treatment) and €11.2M (exhibition center heating/cooling substations). The group employs more than 2,500 people including 500 employee-shareholders, generates revenue exceeding €600 million, and pursues large-scale enterprise projects through direct sales teams within each subsidiary and via public procurement processes for government and institutional clients.

Name

Groupe Climater

Legal name

CLIMATER

Website

https://groupe-climater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Groupe Climater is a French private group of 42 building mechanical engineering subsidiaries across France, Canada, and Switzerland, generating over €600M in revenue from HVAC, fire protection, plumbing, industrial piping, and energy renovation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Mechanical Engineering / HVAC Services

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (23822), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822), Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro primary industry

Chillers, Boilers & Central Plant Operations (BPABACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chillers & Cooling Plant Equipment (IMAHAKAE)

Keywords

• HVAC engineering services
• Building mechanical systems
• Fire protection installation
• Industrial piping services
• Building decarbonization

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Engineering & Installation: Design, installation, and commissioning of HVAC systems, fire protection, industrial piping, and building automation for new construction and renovation projects. Revenue generated through lump-sum design-build contracts and cost-plus construction contracts.
2. Maintenance Services: Multi-technical maintenance and operation services for building mechanical systems. Includes preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, and performance monitoring for HVAC, electrical, and fire protection systems.
3. Off-Site Fabrication: Prefabrication of ductwork, piping modules, and mechanical components in controlled workshop environments. Products manufactured to specification and delivered for on-site assembly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Groupe Climater is a building mechanical engineering (génie climatique) group that designs, installs, commissions, and maintains HVAC systems, fire protection (sprinklers and smoke extraction), plumbing and water treatment, industrial piping, air treatment, and building automation/BMS systems. It serves industrial, healthcare, residential, commercial, hospitality, and public sector clients across France, Canada, and Switzerland through a network of 42 specialized subsidiaries offering design-build, EPC, and multi-technical maintenance contracts.

Product overview

Groupe Climater is a building mechanical engineering (génie climatique) group operating as a unified platform of integrated competencies, combining engineering, installation, and maintenance services through 42 subsidiaries across France, Canada, and Switzerland. The portfolio comprises nine core service lines—Heating/Air Conditioning/Industrial Cooling, Air Treatment, Plumbing/Water Treatment/Roofing, Renovation & Energy Performance/Decarbonization, Fire Protection, Automation/BMS Supervision, Smoke Extraction/Ventilation, Off-site Fabrication, and Industrial Piping & Special Fluids—supported by specialized subsidiaries including LS (refrigeration/ventilation in Quebec), Kolostat (mechanical systems in Canada), KROME (building decarbonization), MSB Mechanical (piping/ventilation in Toronto), VGR (ventilation), Spiro Métal (ductwork manufacturing), SBGR (HVAC maintenance), HVAC (building mechanics), Plomberie Richard Jubinville (plumbing), ATSI/ATSI Suisse (fire protection), and Thermex (HVAC in Switzerland). The group serves diverse sectors including industry, healthcare, residential, commercial, hospitality, and public institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heating, Air Conditioning and Industrial Cooling Production Design, installation, and maintenance of heating, air conditioning, and industrial cooling systems for residential, commercial, industrial, healthcare, and institutional sectors.
• Air Treatment Design and installation of air treatment systems for controlled environments in healthcare, pharmaceutical, aerospace, and food processing industries, including clean rooms and sterile environments.
• Plumbing, Water Treatment and Roofing Comprehensive plumbing, sanitary systems, water treatment, and roofing services for all building types and sectors, including medical gas systems for healthcare facilities.
• Renovation, Energy Performance and Decarbonization Energy-efficient renovation solutions and building decarbonization services targeting institutional investors, social landlords, and multi-unit housing operators, including renewable energy integration.
• Fire Protection Design, installation, and maintenance of fire detection, suppression (sprinklers), and smoke extraction systems for industrial, commercial, and hospitality environments, conforming to NFPA, FM Global, and AEAI standards.
• Automation, Controls, Electrical Systems and BMS Supervision Building Management System (BMS / GTC) automation, regulation, electrical installation, and centralized supervision services for optimized energy performance across building types.
• Smoke Extraction and Ventilation Customized smoke extraction and ventilation systems for residential, tertiary, healthcare, and hospitality buildings to ensure fire safety and indoor air quality.
• Off-Site Fabrication Prefabrication of ductwork, piping modules, and sheet metal components using BIM modeling, assembled in controlled workshops before on-site installation to improve quality and reduce environmental impact.
• Industrial Piping and Special Fluids Custom industrial piping solutions for fluid transport and specialized fluids handling, including underground, above-ground, and overhead network installations for steam, compressed air, industrial fluids, and natural refrigerant systems (ammonia/CO2 cascade).
• Multi-Technical Maintenance and Operation Services Preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, and performance monitoring for HVAC, electrical, fire protection, and plumbing systems delivered through dedicated Climater Maintenance subsidiaries across regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 240,000 tonnes of CO2 avoided through energy efficiency projects over 13 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Involvement Volunteers InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Humanitarian partnership supporting engineering student Adrien Lorelle from subsidiary ADITEC in volunteer mission to Cambodia. ADITEC provides plumbing and ventilation equipment for community projects.
• ZITRONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ZITRON (fan manufacturer) for maintenance of ventilation and smoke extraction systems in Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan tunnels. Joint delivery of technical services for tunnel infrastructure projects.
• UNIQUE DESIGNminorOthersWebsite development and technical management partner for corporate digital presence.
• CEE (Collectivité Européenne d'Alsace)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CEE for installation of heat recovery systems on cooling towers, recognized with Grand Prix de l'Environnement 2023 award.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eiffage Énergie Systèmes: Subsidiary of Eiffage providing electrical, HVAC, and multi-technical services for industrial, tertiary, and infrastructure clients across France. Directly comparable as a French MEP contractor serving similar enterprise and public-sector clients with design-build and maintenance offerings.
• Black & McDonald: Canadian multi-trade contractor providing mechanical, electrical, and building services across Ontario, Quebec, and beyond. Directly comparable to Climater's Canadian mechanical-services subsidiaries (Kolostat, MSB Mechanical, LS, VGR) given similar service lines, client base, and multi-province reach.
• Spie SA: Spie is the leading French multi-technical building services contractor (HVAC, electrical, FM) operating across France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland. Directly comparable to Groupe Climater given similar core services (génie climatique / MEP), enterprise contracting model, and overlapping geographic footprint in France and Switzerland.

Regional players

• Plan Group: Canadian mechanical and electrical services provider with strong Ontario/Quebec presence. Comparable to Climater's Canadian mechanical-services subsidiaries in scope of MEP contracting and target markets (institutional, healthcare, commercial).
• Ainsworth Inc. Canadian mechanical and electrical contractor specializing in HVAC, refrigeration, and building automation. Comparable to Climater's Canadian subsidiaries (LS Réfrigération, HVAC, Kolostat) given overlap in commercial/industrial refrigeration and mechanical services, primarily in North America.
• Burkhalter Group: Swiss-listed electrical and HVAC building services group with strong presence in Suisse romande, where Climater's Thermex subsidiary operates. Comparable multi-technical contracting model and geographic overlap in Switzerland.

Broad incumbents

• VINCI Energies: VINCI Group's electrical and HVAC systems business operating across Europe with significant French footprint (Cegelec, etc.). A larger, broader incumbent operating in adjacent building mechanical and electrical services; competes for the same multi-technical contracts as Climater.
• ENGIE Solutions: ENGIE's services arm combining HVAC (Axima, Ineo), facility management, and energy efficiency offerings across France and Europe. Comparable as a broad incumbent in HVAC contracting and decarbonation services, but with the deeper balance sheet of a major utility.
• Equans: Multi-technical services and energy solutions provider (Bouygues spin-off), covering HVAC, electrical, FM, and energy efficiency across Europe. Broader incumbent than Climater, with global geographic scope and capital base, but overlapping in MEP contracting and energy performance services.
• Thomas & Betts / HellermannTyton distribution adjacency: Trane Technologies is a global HVAC equipment manufacturer; comparable as a broad incumbent in the HVAC value chain where Climater delivers installation and services, providing reference for equipment-side economics and supply dynamics relevant to a major MEP contractor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groupe-climater

Compliance26 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries43 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Groupe Climater