Petit Forestier
Petit Forestier is a family-owned French company and European leader in refrigerated vehicle, container, and cold room rental, serving food, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and event customers across 23+ countries with a fleet of 80,000+ vehicles and 350+ branches.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1907
- HeadquartersVillepinte, France
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Petit Forestier does
Petit Forestier is a family-owned French company, founded in 1907 and headquartered in Villepinte, that operates as the European leader in refrigerated vehicle and cold storage rental. The company rents temperature-controlled vehicles (light vans to semi-trailers), refrigerated containers, modular cold rooms, and refrigerated display units to professional customers in food service, food retail, pharmaceutical, healthcare, agriculture, retail, automotive, and event sectors across more than 23 countries. Its core technology stack centers on cold chain compliance (ATP and HACCP certified fleet) supplemented by Smart Connect telematics, which monitors temperature and location on over 16,000 vehicles in real time, with proprietary refrigerated bodywork manufactured in-house through its Lecapitaine and Igoocar brands.
The business model is asset-heavy and rental-based, with revenue generated primarily through recurring short-term (under 3 months), medium-term (3-12 months), and long-term (over 12 months / LLD) rental contracts. The Full Service bundle (24-7 roadside assistance, preventive maintenance, repairs, insurance administration, telematics, and vehicle customization) is positioned as the primary differentiator, converting fixed ownership costs into variable rental expense for customers. Distribution is fully direct through a network of 350+ branches and country-specific multilingual websites with quote request routing to local depots.
Revenue reached €1.2 billion in 2024 across the group, which operates a fleet of 80,000+ refrigerated vehicles, 51,000 display units, and 5,700 containers with 5,900+ employees. The Forestier family retains majority ownership following Wren House Infrastructure's 2024 acquisition of Sofina's minority stake. Strategic priorities include fleet electrification (40% by 2030, with 54% of rented vehicles already electric in 2024), international expansion led by the German market, and digitization through telematics and the Cool Lab R&D program.
Petit Forestier firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Petit Forestier
- Legal name
- Groupe Petit Forestier
- Website
- https://petitforestier.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1907
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Petit Forestier is a family-owned French company and European leader in refrigerated vehicle, container, and cold room rental, serving food, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and event customers across 23+ countries with a fleet of 80,000+ vehicles and 350+ branches.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Petit Forestier industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Refrigerated Vehicle & Cold Chain Rental
- NAICS
- Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage (493120), Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage (49312)
- SIC
- Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Refrigerated Truck (Reefer) Leasing & Rental (TLABABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Refrigerated Vehicles (Reefer Trucks/Vans) Leasing & Rental (TLABAEAA), Food & Beverage Cold Storage (Fresh/Chilled) (TLALABAA), Refrigerated Truck & Reefer Van Rentals (THADAJAD)
Keywords
Where Petit Forestier is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Villepinte
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Petit Forestier business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Refrigerated Vehicle Rental: Rental of refrigerated trucks, vans, and trailers for short, medium, and long durations. Revenue is driven by flexible rental contracts with durations spanning under 3 months (short-term), 3–12 months (medium-term), and over 12 months (long-term/LLD). The Full Service package adds maintenance, insurance, and telematics to the rental fee.
- Refrigerated Container Rental: Rental of refrigerated containers (10 m³ to 110 m³) for temporary or permanent cold storage. Containers are available for short-, medium-, and long-term rental. Revenue is recurring per rental period.
- Cold Room Rental: Rental of cold storage rooms (box cold storage, cold rooms, modular cold rooms) for storage of perishable goods. Customizable volumes from 10 m³ to 770 m³ with temperature control from -40°C to +40°C.
- Refrigerated Display Unit Rental: Rental of refrigerated display cases and units for commercial retail use. Includes beverage display cases, refrigerated cabinets, and display cases for food service and retail.
- Industrial Cold Chain Bodywork Manufacturing: Petit Forestier Group manufactures refrigerated vehicle bodies through Lecapitaine and Igoocar brands, supplying bodies for its own rental fleet and potentially for third parties. This represents upstream vertical integration.
- Vehicle Resale and Parts Recycling: Resale of rental vehicles at end of lease and recycling of spare parts. Petit Forestier Group sells vehicles and recycled components as a secondary revenue stream.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Short-term rental (under 3 months) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Medium-term rental (3 to 12 months) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Long-term rental (over 12 months / LLD) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Petit Forestier product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Petit Forestier rents refrigerated commercial vehicles (vans, trucks, semi-trailers and trailers under 3 m³ to 14 m³), refrigerated display units (vitrines, beverage cabinets and bins for retail), modular cold rooms (10–770 m³, -40°C to +40°C) and refrigerated containers (10–110 m³) on short-, medium- and long-term contracts. Its Full Service bundle wraps each rental with 24/7 roadside assistance, preventive maintenance, repairs, insurance administration, vehicle branding and Smart Connect telematics for temperature and location monitoring. The group operates a fleet of more than 80,000 refrigerated vehicles, 51,000 refrigerated display units and 5,700 refrigerated containers across more than 350 branches in over 23 countries.
Product overview
Petit Forestier is a family-owned European leader in sustainable refrigeration rental, offering a multi-product cold chain solutions portfolio. The core offering consists of three main product lines: (1) Refrigerated vehicles (Location de véhicules frigorifiques) — a fleet of over 80,000 vehicles ranging from light vans (<3 m³) to semi-trailers and trucks, including electric, CNG, and hydrogen options; (2) Refrigerated display units (Meubles réfrigérés) — refrigerated showcases, beverage display cases, bins, and cabinets for retail and catering, totalling over 51,000 units; and (3) Cold storage solutions (Chambres froides et containers frigorifiques) — modular cold rooms and refrigerated containers ranging from 10 m³ to 770 m³, with over 5,700 containers and a fleet of cold rooms. These products are supported by the Full Service package (24/7 assistance, maintenance, telematics via Smart Connect, and vehicle branding) and targeted at professionals across food, pharmaceutical, healthcare, retail, automotive, and event sectors. The group operates in over 21 countries through more than 300 branches and also manufactures refrigerated bodies through its Lecapitaine brand.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lecapitaine: Industrial refrigerated body manufacturer, leading brand and part of Petit Forestier Group offering sustainable cold products and services.
- Igoocar
- Cool Lab
- Cool for Good
- Smart Connect
- Smart Protect
Products and services
- Refrigerated Vehicle Rental Rental of refrigerated commercial vehicles (vans, trucks, semi-trailers and trailers, with electric, CNG and hydrogen options) for short-, medium- and long-term durations, targeting food, pharmaceutical, healthcare, retail, events and industrial customers across 23+ countries.
- Refrigerated Display Unit Rental Rental of refrigerated showcases, beverage display cases, refrigerated bins and cabinets for retail and catering businesses to display and store chilled products. Fleet totals over 51,000 units across customer sites.
- Cold Room Rental Rental of cold storage rooms for conservation of perishable goods, raw materials and seasonal peaks, with positive and negative temperature ranges from -40°C to +40°C and volumes from 10 m³ to 125 m³, suited to food, pharmaceutical, hospital, retail and automotive sectors.
- Modular Cold Room Modular assemblable cold rooms ranging from 10 m³ to 770 m³ (4 to 304 euro pallets), combinable into custom configurations with temperature control from -40°C to +40°C and no building permit required for installation.
- Refrigerated Container Rental Rental of refrigerated containers (10 m³ to 110 m³, -35°C to +25°C) for temporary or permanent cold storage, with options for access ramps, side doors, movable partitions, temperature alarms and LED lighting.
- Full Service Comprehensive service package covering 24/7 roadside assistance, preventive maintenance, repairs, insurance administration, vehicle branding/customization and Smart Connect telematics, designed to let customers focus on core business while Petit Forestier manages the cold chain fleet.
- Events & Exhibition Rental Solutions Specialized rental packages for events and exhibitions, providing refrigerated vehicles, refrigerated display units and cold rooms for temporary use during trade shows, weddings, corporate events and catering operations.
- Cold Storage Box (Box frigorifique) Compact refrigerated storage unit for small-scale cold storage needs, part of the broader cold storage portfolio alongside cold rooms and refrigerated containers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40% fleet electrification by 2030, 70% of new vehicles electric, 25% CO2 reduction target
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Petit Forestier
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Petit Forestier technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
Petit Forestier partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- LecapitainecoreLecapitaine is a manufacturer of refrigerated vehicle bodies and a brand of Petit Forestier Group. It develops innovative bodywork including the URBAN cold body designed specifically for city deliveries. Lecapitaine's research feeds the Cool Lab innovation program, contributing proprietary refrigerated body technology to Petit Forestier's fleet.
- IgoocarcoreIgoocar is a bodywork manufacturer and brand of Petit Forestier Group, producing refrigerated bodies for the rental fleet. Together with Lecapitaine, Igoocar provides vertical integration for the group's cold chain vehicle manufacturing needs.
- Renault TrucksstrategicRenault Trucks supplies vehicle chassis for Petit Forestier's refrigerated trucks. The partnership enables Petit Forestier to offer vehicles equipped with leading chassis technology alongside Lecapitaine's refrigerated bodywork.
- IvecostrategicIveco provides chassis for Petit Forestier's refrigerated commercial vehicles, including the Iveco Daily range used in the fleet. The partnership complements Lecapitaine's bodywork to produce complete refrigerated vehicles.
- Carrier TransicoldstrategicCarrier Transicold supplies refrigeration units installed in Petit Forestier's refrigerated vehicles, providing the cooling technology that maintains temperature-controlled environments during transport.
- Thermo KingstrategicThermo King provides refrigeration units for Petit Forestier's vehicle fleet, alongside Carrier Transicold. Both suppliers represent the industry's leading cooling technology for transport refrigeration.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Petit Forestier competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Krone Trailer Group: Krone is a major European commercial vehicle and trailer manufacturer that operates a refrigerated trailer rental business, providing overlapping cold chain rental capacity to logistics operators across Europe.
- Loxam: Loxam is Europe's largest equipment rental company with a broad portfolio that includes refrigerated vehicles and containers; while not specialized solely in cold chain, it competes with Petit Forestier in France and several European markets on refrigerated vehicle rental.
- Schmitz Cargobull: Schmitz Cargobull is a leading European refrigerated trailer and truck body manufacturer that has expanded into trailer rental and leasing through its Cargobull service network, competing at the intersection of body manufacturing and rental where Petit Forestier also operates via Lecapitaine.
Direct peers
- Fraikin: Fraikin is one of Europe's largest commercial vehicle rental and leasing companies, with a dedicated refrigerated truck division operating across France, the UK, Germany, Spain, and Benelux, in direct competition with Petit Forestier's core refrigerated vehicle rental business.
- TIP Trailer Services: TIP is a major European trailer and truck rental and leasing company offering refrigerated trailer rental and full-service fleet management, serving logistics operators across Europe with overlapping customer base to Petit Forestier.
- Hireco: Hireco is a UK-based commercial vehicle and refrigerated trailer rental specialist operating one of the largest refrigerated rental fleets in Britain, directly comparable to Petit Forestier's refrigerated vehicle and trailer rental business.
- Petit Forestier Meuble / Meuble Frigorifique (no direct rival match): Cold Box is a European refrigerated container and cold room specialist offering rental solutions for events, retail, and food logistics, comparable to Petit Forestier's container and modular cold room rental lines.
Others
- Carrier Transicold (Trane Technologies): Carrier Transicold is a leading supplier of transport refrigeration units that powers much of Petit Forestier's fleet; relevant as an upstream partner and broader cold chain industry incumbent rather than a direct rental competitor.
- Thermo King (Trane Technologies): Thermo King is a transport refrigeration unit supplier that equips refrigerated commercial vehicles globally and supplies Petit Forestier; comparable as a cold chain ecosystem incumbent rather than a rental peer.
Emerging players
- CSafe: CSafe is a global provider of active and passive temperature-controlled container solutions for the pharmaceutical cold chain, overlapping with Petit Forestier's pharmaceutical and healthcare container rental segment but focused on a different customer vertical.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Petit Forestier social profiles
Digital presencePetit Forestier financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Petit Forestier leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Petit Forestier subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Petit Forestier funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Petit Forestier M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Petit Forestier
What does Petit Forestier do?
Petit Forestier rents refrigerated commercial vehicles (vans, trucks, semi-trailers and trailers under 3 m³ to 14 m³), refrigerated display units (vitrines, beverage cabinets and bins for retail), modular cold rooms (10–770 m³, -40°C to +40°C) and refrigerated containers (10–110 m³) on short-, medium- and long-term contracts. Its Full Service bundle wraps each rental with 24/7 roadside assistance, preventive maintenance, repairs, insurance administration, vehicle branding and Smart Connect telematics for temperature and location monitoring. The group operates a fleet of more than 80,000 refrigerated vehicles, 51,000 refrigerated display units and 5,700 refrigerated containers across more than 350 branches in over 23 countries.
Is Petit Forestier a public or private company?
Petit Forestier is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Petit Forestier founded?
Petit Forestier was founded in 1907. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Petit Forestier based?
Petit Forestier is headquartered in Villepinte, France, in the Europe region.
How does Petit Forestier make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Refrigerated Vehicle Rental is the primary driver. The others are refrigerated Container Rental, cold Room Rental, refrigerated Display Unit Rental, industrial Cold Chain Bodywork Manufacturing and vehicle Resale and Parts Recycling.
Who are Petit Forestier's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Krone Trailer Group, Loxam and Schmitz Cargobull. Direct peers are Fraikin, TIP Trailer Services, Hireco and Petit Forestier Meuble / Meuble Frigorifique (no direct rival match). Others are Carrier Transicold (Trane Technologies) and Thermo King (Trane Technologies). CSafe is listed as an emerging player.
Does Petit Forestier have an API?
No public API is recorded for Petit Forestier.
What industry is Petit Forestier in?
Petit Forestier's product category is Refrigerated Vehicle & Cold Chain Rental. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABABAD, Refrigerated Truck (Reefer) Leasing & Rental, with a secondary code of TLABAEAA, Refrigerated Vehicles (Reefer Trucks/Vans) Leasing & Rental. Its NAICS code is 493120 and its SIC code is 7510.