Carlier Plastiques

What Carlier Plastiques does

Carlier Plastiques is a French privately-held manufacturer (CARLIER PLASTIQUES & COMPOSITES SAS, founded 1957, headquartered in Calonne-Ricouart, Hauts-de-France) specializing in composite sandwich panels for industrial vehicle bodywork. The company produces panels across four core technology families—plywood (PANOLIT), recycled PET foam (PERLIT), polyurethane foam (ISOLIT, including hybrid PU/PET variants), and polypropylene honeycomb (NIDALIT)—alongside specialty lines including FLOORLIT anti-slip flooring, GREEN PANEL (sustainable, EUDR-compliant), WARM PANEL (integrated heating), LAMILIT polyester sheets, and custom-made panels. Its manufacturing footprint centers on a 14,210 m² workshop on a 3.6-hectare site featuring Europe's first continuous sandwich panel production line (commissioned 1989), a discontinuous press, two smaller presses, and a CNC-equipped finishing workshop. The company is ISO 9001 certified (since 2005), complies with NF T 57-950-1, and was awarded an EcoVadis Bronze Medal in February 2025.

The company's commercial model is direct B2B sales with quote-based, custom-specification pricing to industrial vehicle bodybuilders, fleet operators, and specialized vehicle manufacturers across Europe. Distribution combines a regional sales representative network (France, UK, Germany, Southern Europe, Ireland) with channel partners (Amari Ireland; ICP in Canada from October 2025), supported by multilingual digital presence (French, English, German, Spanish) and active participation in major industry trade shows. Primary end-applications include van bodies, rigid trucks, semi-trailers, refrigerated/insulated vehicles, vehicle flooring, and a secondary set of building and industrial uses (swimming pools, walkways, concrete formwork).

Carlier Plastiques is a stable, founder-family-controlled industrial SME with no disclosed external investors, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity. Recent strategic activity has focused on geographic expansion (first North American distributor in October 2025), new specialty product lines targeting sustainable and electrified vehicle applications, and CSR positioning through the EcoVadis assessment. The Director General is Damien Martel; current headcount is 51-100 employees; registered share capital is €7,500,000.

Name

Carlier Plastiques

Legal name

CARLIER PLASTIQUES & COMPOSITES SAS

Website

https://carlier-plastiques.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Carlier Plastiques is a French privately-held manufacturer, founded in 1957, producing composite sandwich panels (plywood, PET foam, polyurethane, polypropylene honeycomb cores) for industrial vehicle bodybuilders, fleet operators, and specialized vehicle manufacturers across Europe and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Composite Sandwich Panels for Industrial Vehicle Bodywork

NAICS

Laminated Plastics Plate, Sheet (except Packaging), and Shape Manufacturing (32613), Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing (3212)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro primary industry

Sandwich Panels & Core Materials (Foam, Balsa, Honeycomb) (IMAJAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

FRP/GRP & Composite Materials (Resins, Fibers, Core Materials) (IMAJAKAC)

Keywords

• Composite sandwich panels
• Industrial vehicle bodywork
• Fiberglass reinforced panels
• Refrigerated truck panels
• Anti-slip flooring panels

Headquarters

HQ city

Calonne-ricouart

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Composite Sandwich Panel Sales: Sale of standard and custom composite sandwich panels for industrial vehicle bodywork, building applications, and specialty uses. Revenue generated through direct sales to vehicle bodybuilders, fleet operators, and industrial customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carlier Plastiques manufactures and sells composite sandwich panels (PANOLIT, PERLIT, NIDALIT, ISOLIT, LAMILIT, FLOORLIT) plus specialty variants (GREEN PANEL, WARM PANEL, STONE FLOOR, RICE FLOOR) for industrial vehicle bodywork, refrigerated transport, anti-slip flooring, and building applications. Products are custom-engineered with multiple core technologies (plywood, recycled PET foam, polyurethane foam, polypropylene honeycomb) faced with fiberglass-reinforced polyester resin, and are sold B2B to bodybuilders, fleet operators, and specialty vehicle converters via direct sales and distributors across Europe and Canada.

Product overview

Carlier Plastiques is a manufacturer of composite sandwich panels for industrial vehicle bodywork and various applications. The product portfolio is organized into core product families: PANOLIT (plywood core panels for secure transport), PERLIT/NIDALIT (lightweight panels using recycled PET foam or polypropylene honeycomb cores), ISOLIT (insulated/thermo panels for refrigerated transport including standard, reinforced, and hybrid PU/PET variants), LAMILIT (polyester laminate sheets), and specialized FLOORLIT flooring panels. Additional specialized offerings include GREEN PANEL (eco-friendly natural fiber panels), heated WARM PANEL, STONE FLOOR and RICE FLOOR anti-slip flooring solutions, custom panels, color panels, and doors with integrated tubing. All panels comply with NF T 57-950-1 standard specifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PANOLIT: Sandwich panel with plywood core, coated with glass fiber-reinforced polyester resin. Used for van bodywork, semi-trailers, dry containers.
• PERLIT
• NIDALIT
• ISOLIT
• LAMILIT
• FLOORLIT
• GREEN PANEL
• STONE FLOOR (Grip Panel)
• RICE FLOOR
• WARM PANEL

Products and services

• PANOLIT Sandwich panel with plywood core (pine or birch), faced with glass fiber-reinforced polyester resin. Used for van bodies, semi-trailers, dry containers, and general cargo applications by industrial vehicle bodybuilders.
• PERLIT Lightweight sandwich panel with 100% recycled PET foam core, faced with glass fiber-reinforced polyester resin. Designed for light commercial vehicles and billboards.
• NIDALIT Lightweight sandwich panel with polypropylene honeycomb core, faced with glass fiber-reinforced polyester resin. Offers excellent moisture resistance for light commercial vehicles and pools.
• ISOLIT Standard Isothermal sandwich panel with polyurethane foam core, faced with glass fiber-reinforced polyester resin. Used for refrigerated and insulated truck bodies.
• ISOLIT Renforcé Reinforced isothermal sandwich panel with polyurethane foam core between two 4mm plywood layers, faced with glass fiber-reinforced polyester resin. Offers increased rigidity and impact resistance for refrigerated vehicles.
• ISOLIT Hybrid PU/PET Hybrid panel combining polyurethane foam (35 kg/m³) or PET foam (50/70/100 kg/m³) with one or two high-density PET reinforcements (200 kg/m³). Provides lightness, mechanical strength, thermal/acoustic insulation, and recyclability with screw-fixable connections.
• LAMILIT Glass fiber-reinforced polyester laminate sheet with gelcoat on both sides. Used for panels, partitions, cladding, and roofs.
• FLOORLIT High-resistance anti-slip floor panel available with plywood core, PET foam core, or polypropylene honeycomb core. Faces coated with glass fiber-reinforced polyester resin and anti-slip structure. Tested to 100,000 cycles with a 1-tonne pallet without residual deformation.
• GREEN PANEL Eco-friendly panel with plywood core coated with natural fiber-reinforced polyester resin. Features 100% biosourced reinforcement and 15–50% recycled resin content, EUDR-compliant against deforestation.
• STONE FLOOR (Grip Panel) Anti-slip floor panel with corundum (mineral compound) coating on glass fiber-reinforced polyester. Available in Basic Grip (medium anti-slip) and Extra Grip (very anti-slip) variants, suitable for demanding environments.
• RICE FLOOR Anti-slip floor panel with rice-grain texture coating. Offers excellent grip, supports heavy traffic, and is resistant to wear, impacts, and corrosion. Suitable for industrial vehicles, food trucks, warehouses, and buildings.
• WARM PANEL Heated floor panel with 100% recycled PET foam core and integrated heating fabric (350 w/m²). Invisible heating solution for adapted vehicles (medical, X-ray, blood donation), refrigerated trucks, and temperature-controlled transport.
• Custom Panels (Sur-Mesure) Custom-made sandwich panels manufactured to customer specifications. Options include colored gelcoat, machining services (cutting, drilling, milling, rails), and custom reinforcements.
• Color Panels Sandwich panels with colored gelcoat on the exterior face. Available in any RAL color reference or matched to customer-provided samples.
• Doors (Porte à tube) Sandwich panel doors with one or two aluminum tubes (16.4×18 mm diameter) positioned according to customer specifications. Available with plywood or PET foam cores.
• PANOLIT CPRV (with reinforcements) Plywood sandwich panel with molded reinforcements for lashing systems, featuring polyurethane foam and aluminum reinforcements (24 mm thickness) for secure lashing in moving/furniture vehicles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Floor panels tested to 100,000 cycles with 1-tonne pallet without residual deformation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ICP (Innovative Composite Products)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2025ICP has joined Carlier Plastiques' distribution network as the new exclusive distributor in Canada. This partnership marks the beginning of the company's presence on the North American continent. Carlier believes ICP has all the qualities to support their products and satisfy future Canadian customers, thanks particularly to very high-level technical knowledge. Damien Martel expressed confidence that this partnership will be crowned with success.
• Amari Ireland LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmari Ireland Ltd serves as the company's Irish supplier and distributor. Located at Unit 17 Amari House, Fonthill Industrial Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, Ireland. Contact: +353 (0) 1629/8613.
• Compétences & DiversitéminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRSE consulting firm engaged in April 2024 to support the company's corporate social responsibility strategy. Dino Chakoub from the firm conducted an audit of current practices, explored new strategies, and identified improvement opportunities as part of a continuous improvement approach.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Plascore: US-based manufacturer of composite sandwich panels using PP honeycomb, foam, and end-grain balsa cores with FRP skins. Closely matches Carlier's product architecture and core-technology breadth across transportation and industrial applications.
• Diab Group: Global supplier of sandwich core materials (PET foam, PVC foam, balsa) used in composite panels for transportation, marine, wind, and industrial markets. Comparable as a core-materials specialist feeding panel manufacturers like Carlier.
• Stadur Produktions GmbH: German manufacturer of sandwich panels with PU, PET, and other cores for vehicle bodies, building applications, and specialty uses. Direct competitor in the European commercial vehicle sandwich panel segment.
• Corex Honeycomb: Manufacturer of thermoplastic honeycomb cores (polypropylene and polycarbonate) used in sandwich panels for transportation, marine, and industrial applications. Directly overlaps with Carlier's NIDALIT polypropylene honeycomb product line.
• Saertex: German producer of multiaxial non-crimp fabrics and glass/carbon fiber reinforcements for composite sandwich panels. Comparable to Carlier as a supplier into the European transportation composite panel value chain, particularly in FRP-skinned sandwich constructions.

Broad incumbents

• 3A Composites (now part of 3A Composites Holdings): Large global producer of composite panels (foam PVC, aluminum, and sandwich panels) for transportation, construction, marine, and industrial markets. Overlaps with Carlier in sandwich panels and FRP laminate sheets, but operates at much broader scale.
• Hexcel Corporation: Global advanced composites company supplying honeycomb cores, prepregs, and laminates primarily to aerospace, wind, and industrial markets. Compares to Carlier in honeycomb core and FRP laminate production, though at much larger scale and different end-markets.
• Gurit Holding AG: Swiss composites specialist supplying core materials (PET/PVC foam, balsa), prepregs, and engineered composite solutions for wind, marine, and transportation. Comparable to Carlier in sandwich core technology and transportation end-markets, with broader geographic reach.
• Kingspan Group: Large global building envelope group producing insulated metal and sandwich panels primarily for construction, with adjacent capabilities in insulated panel technology. Comparable to Carlier in insulated sandwich panel manufacturing and continuous-line production know-how, though focused on building rather than vehicle bodywork.

Emerging players

• Armacell: Global manufacturer of engineered foams including PET-based foams marketed as structural cores for composite sandwich panels. Comparable to Carlier through shared PET foam core technology used in lightweight panel construction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Carlier Plastiques