Au Forum Du Batiment

What Au Forum Du Batiment does

Au Forum du Bâtiment (AFDB) is a French B2B distributor of building materials, hardware, and related equipment, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Paris. The company operates a hybrid physical-and-digital distribution model built on more than 100 retail agencies across France, supported by a B2B e-commerce platform (afdb.fr) offering Click & Collect 2H service and nationwide delivery. AFDB stocks over 50,000 product references drawn from more than 1,000 professional brands — including Milwaukee, Bosch, Dewalt, Grohe, Geberit, Legrand, Stihl, and Air Liquide — across tools, building hardware, plumbing, heating, electrical, and personal protective equipment categories.

The company's product portfolio is anchored by three private-label brands: HERACLES for locksmithing products, HANGER for electroportative tools, and GARIS for sanitary and plumbing fittings. Beyond product resale, AFDB generates service revenue through specialized offerings including key reproduction, steel cutting and processing, tool repair, custom window fabrication, armored-door installation, and authorized Air Liquide gas distribution at selected agency locations. Strategic partnerships with STIHL (Elite dealer), Ferco (authorized referent), and Planet Clés (online key reproduction) extend the in-house service capability without requiring AFDB to build adjacent competencies organically.

AFDB's go-to-market combines enterprise-style field sales for larger professional accounts with direct-to-consumer in-store and online channels for SMB artisans, tradespeople (locksmiths, plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians), and public-sector buyers. The company employs over 700 staff, has no disclosed parent or external majority owner, and trades as a private company. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. A single funding round with XAnge was recorded in 2011; no subsequent financing, M&A, or leadership-change events are present in the available data.

Name

Au Forum Du Batiment

Legal name

Au Forum du Bâtiment

Website

https://afdb.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Au Forum du Bâtiment is a French B2B distributor, founded in 1991, operating 100+ retail agencies and a B2B e-commerce platform serving building professionals — artisans, locksmiths, plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians — with 50,000+ product references across tools, hardware, plumbing, heating, and electrical categories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Retail & E-commerce): Revenue generated from direct sale of building materials, hardware, tools, plumbing, heating, electrical, and safety equipment through physical store network (100+ agencies) and B2B e-commerce platform. Products sold include 50,000+ SKUs from 1,000+ professional brands.
2. Professional Services: Revenue from specialized services including key reproduction, steel cutting and processing, tool repair, window customization, and Air Liquide gas distribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Au Forum Du Batiment (AFDB) is a French B2B distributor of professional building materials, hardware, tools, plumbing, heating, and electrical equipment, offering more than 50,000 product references from over 1,000 professional brands through a network of 100+ physical agencies and a B2B e-commerce platform. The company also provides specialized value-added services such as key reproduction, steel cutting, custom window fabrication, and tool repair, complemented by a Click & Collect 2H service for rapid product pickup.

Product overview

Au Forum Du Batiment (AFDB) is a B2B distributor specializing in building materials and hardware for professionals. The offering comprises over 50,000 product references across multiple categories: Tools & Industrial Supplies (power tools, pneumatic tools, hand tools, welding, material handling), Building Hardware (locks, door hardware, access control, automation), Electrical products (lighting, wiring, home automation), Sanitary & Plumbing (bathroom fixtures, faucets, drainage), and Heating (boilers, water heaters, radiators, renewable energy). AFDB operates its own HERACLES brand for locksmithing products and distributes major professional brands including BOSCH, MILWAUKEE, GROHE, DEWALT, and STIHL. The company also provides professional services such as key reproduction, armored door installation, metalwork, custom windows, and repair services through its network of approximately 100 stores nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HERACLES: Private label brand specializing in locksmithing products including cylinders, locks, door closers, and security hardware.
• HANGER
• GARIS

Products and services

• Tools and Industrial Supplies (Outillage & Fourniture industrielle) Comprehensive range of industrial tools and supplies for building professionals, including power tools, pneumatic tools, cutting and abrasive tools, hand tools, welding equipment, material handling equipment, assembly and fastening products, maintenance consumables, and personal protective equipment.
• Building Hardware (Quincaillerie de bâtiment) Building hardware product category including cylinders and keys, building locksmithing, door closers, door fittings, Ferco building hardware, general building hardware, furniture and fitting hardware, access control systems, automation for doors and shutters, and fire safety equipment.
• Electrical Products (Electricité) Electrical products for professional installation, including lighting, connections and protections, electrical equipment, accessories and connections, communication and networks, home automation, ventilation, conduits, and wires and cables.
• Sanitary and Plumbing (Sanitaire Plomberie) Sanitary and plumbing products for professional installers, including baths, showers, toilets, washbasins and sinks, bathroom furniture and accessories, kitchen and bathroom faucets, plumbing fittings, sanitary drainage, tubes and coils, water treatment, and roofing gutters in zinc, PVC, and copper.
• Heating (Chauffage) Heating products for professional installers, including renewable energies, boilers, electric and gas water heaters, radiators and towel warmers, heating connections and accessories, chimneys, spare parts, and thermodynamic water heaters.
• Personal Protective Equipment (EPI) Personal protective equipment for building tradespeople, including work clothing, high visibility gear, head and fall protection, eye protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, hand protection, and safety footwear.
• Professional Services (Services professionnels) Specialized value-added services for building professionals, including armored doors, after-sales service and repair, online key duplication, Ferco referral expertise, steel processing and cutting, key reproduction, authorized STIHL dealership, professional metalwork, custom window fabrication, smoke extraction, Air Liquide gas depot, AFDB professional card, and the Fidz loyalty program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ product references in stock available for immediate availability
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Planet Clés (Planet-Clefs)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for online key reproduction service. AFDB customers can order key duplication online through the Planet Clés platform, leveraging their network for key copying services complementing AFDB's in-store key reproduction offering.
• Air LiquideminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAFDB operates as an authorized Air Liquide gas depot reseller at certain specialized agency locations, distributing industrial and welding gases alongside its building materials product range.
• FercominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAFDB serves as a Ferco authorized referent ('Référents Ferco') for Ferco building hardware products, providing specialized expertise and product availability for Ferco's range of door and window hardware.
• STIHLminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAFDB operates as an authorized STIHL Elite dealer for outdoor power equipment (motoculture, chainsaws, and related tools) at certain specialized agency locations, providing sales and service for STIHL products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chausson Matériaux: Independent French network of building materials agencies serving construction professionals. Similar multi-agency model targeting builders and tradespeople with comparable product breadth.
• Rexel: French-listed B2B distributor of electrical, lighting, and energy solutions for professional installers. Directly comparable to AFDB's Electricité category with overlapping artisan customer base.
• Point.P / La Plateforme du Bâtiment (Saint-Gobain Distribution): Saint-Gobain's French professional building materials distribution network with nationwide coverage; the largest direct competitor to AFDB's pro-oriented agency model across construction, plumbing, and hardware categories.
• Cedeo (Saint-Gobain Distribution): Saint-Gobain's dedicated French plumbing, heating, and sanitary distributor serving professional installers. Directly competes with AFDB's Sanitaire Plomberie and Chauffage categories for the same artisan customer base.
• Brossette (Saint-Gobain Distribution): French distributor of plumbing, heating, and sanitary equipment for trade professionals. Overlaps heavily with AFDB's plumber and HVAC technician segments with a comparable agency-style and e-commerce model.
• Frans Bonhomme: French distributor specializing in PVC, pipework, and sanitation products for construction and infrastructure professionals. Comparable pro distribution model and partial category overlap with AFDB's plumbing range.
• BigMat France: European network of independent building materials distributors with French members serving trade professionals. Competes in similar product categories to AFDB via shared local agencies with comparable supply positioning.
• Würth France: French subsidiary of the global B2B distribution group supplying fasteners, tools, and consumables to trade and industrial professionals. Overlaps with AFDB's outillage, fixations, and consumables categories for the same artisan customer segment.

Broad incumbents

• Manutan: French-listed B2B distributor of equipment, supplies, and consumables to businesses and communities. Broader catalog, but a comparable professional distribution model serving trade and institutional buyers in France with overlapping tools/PPE categories.
• Leroy Merlin France: Adeo-owned French home improvement retailer with nationwide store coverage. While primarily DIY-oriented, Leroy Merlin increasingly addresses professional customers with the same product breadth as AFDB and represents a major indirect competitor for trade spend.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYMHnz3G9l3W1ElfrvbNB-A
• Facebookfacebook.com/Au.Forum.Du.Batiment
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/au-forum-du-b%C3%A2timent
• Instagraminstagram.com/auforumdubatiment
• TikToktiktok.com/@auforumdubatiment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Au Forum Du Batiment