What Paredes does

Paredes (legal entity: PAREDES DISTRIBUTION FRANCE, SAS) is a French B2B manufacturer and distributor of professional hygiene and cleaning products, founded in 1942 in Villeurbanne and headquartered in Genas. Operating as the self-described first "Industributeur®" on the French market, the company combines industrial production (cellulose wadding transformation, soap production, ozone/trioxygen system assembly across 4 manufacturing sites labeled French Fab) with a national distribution network of 9 regional agencies, 110,000 m² of storage, and approximately 2,000 daily deliveries. Its 8,000+ SKU catalog spans 15 product categories including wiping, toilet paper, PPE, body hygiene, maintenance, kitchen hygiene, linen hygiene, waste collection, and deodorization, distributed both under its own sub-brands (Paredis Style, Paredis Elite, Paredes Access, Paredes Expert) and through 180+ third-party brand partnerships (Tork, 3M, Kärcher, Ansell, Vikan, Filmop, Decitex).

The company serves four primary verticals — healthcare (Santé), industry (Industrie), cleaning service companies (Entreprises de Propreté), and public institutions (Collectivités) — through a sales-led B2B model with a dedicated e-commerce platform (paredes.fr). Revenue is generated through (a) unit-priced consumables sales, (b) multi-year equipment rental ("mise à disposition") contracts with a 5-year minimum and exclusive consumable supply clauses, (c) one-time equipment sales, and (d) professional services including installation, maintenance, and the subscription-based Paredes Blue Lab Laundry ozone disinfection service. Reported 2023 revenue was €217M with approximately 650 employees and 25,000 active clients across France and Italy.

In 2024 Paredes acquired Orapi to form GPO (Groupe Paredes Orapi), ranking as the 11th mid-sized enterprise (ETI) out of 700 in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The company is led by Directeur Général François-Xavier Thuilleur, with Murielle Bressanutti serving as Directrice Juridique & Compliance. Paredes holds three consecutive EcoVadis Platinum medals (through 2025) and AFNOR RSE certification, and offers digital solutions including e-commerce, quick ordering, and customer self-service portals for professional accounts.

Name

Paredes

Legal name

PAREDES DISTRIBUTION FRANCE

Website

https://paredes.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Paredes is a French B2B manufacturer and distributor of professional hygiene, cleaning, and protective products, serving healthcare, industry, cleaning companies, and public institutions across France and Italy through 8,000+ SKUs, 9 regional agencies, and the "Industributeur®" integrated model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Hygiene Products

NAICS

Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing (322291), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Papers & Allied Products (2600), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Away-from-Home (AFH) Tissue & Wipers (Commercial/Institutional) (IMAMAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hygiene Packaging & Dispensing Systems (Dispenser Systems, Packs) (IMAMAGAJ), Professional Laundry & Hygiene Paper Systems (Rolls, Refills, Managed Programs) (IMAMAGAL), Paper, Tissue, Wipers & Dispensers Distribution (CRAOAGAC), Napkins, Tableware & Foodservice Disposables (Plates, Cups, Cutlery) (CRADALAD)

Keywords

• Professional hygiene products
• Cleaning supplies
• Industrial distribution
• Hygiene consumables
• Protective equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Genas

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Consumables): Sale of hygiene and cleaning consumables including paper products, cleaning chemicals, waste collection, personal protective equipment, and specialized products. Core recurring revenue from consumables used in dispensers.
2. Equipment Rental (Mise à Disposition): Dispenser equipment provided to clients on a minimum 5-year contractual basis. Clients commit to exclusive use of Paredes products in the equipment. Revenue generated through ongoing consumable purchases rather than equipment sale.
3. Equipment Sales: Sale of equipment including dispensers, ozone generators, dosing equipment. Installation, maintenance, and related services billed separately.
4. Professional Services: Installation, maintenance, technical support, training, and consultation services. Includes preventive maintenance, repairs, and performance monitoring for hygiene solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Paredes is both a manufacturer and distributor of professional hygiene and cleaning products in France, operating as the first "Industributeur®" combining manufacturing and distribution under one roof. The company offers 8,000+ products across 15 categories including wiping paper, toilet paper, personal protective equipment, body hygiene, cleaning chemicals, kitchen hygiene, linen hygiene, waste collection, and deodorization. Paredes also provides specialized services such as Paredes Blue Lab Laundry (ozone-based linen disinfection) and Paredes Renew (dispenser recycling), with manufacturing of cellulose wadding and chemical products across 3 factories in France.

Product overview

Paredes is both a manufacturer and distributor of professional hygiene and cleaning products in France, operating as the first 'Industributeur®' on the French market. The company offers a comprehensive B2B e-commerce platform with over 8,000 professional hygiene products organized across 15 product categories: Wiping (Essuyage), Toilet Paper, Personal Protective Equipment, Body Hygiene, Maintenance Products, Kitchen Hygiene, Linen Hygiene, Table Art, Food Films and Containers, Waste Collection, Cleaning Equipment and Accessories, Deodorization, Examination Drapes/Bedding, Incontinence, and Floor Mats. The portfolio includes proprietary sub-brands (Paredis Style, Paredis Elite, Paredes Access, Paredes Expert) and innovations such as Paredes Blue Lab Laundry (trioxygen water technology for linen disinfection), Paredes Renew (dispenser recycling and reconditioning), and Paredes Clean Index (environmental impact rating). The company also operates Paredes Fab, its manufacturing facility producing wadding and soap products with a capacity of 27,000 rolls and 4,000 soap cartridges per day. Services include logistics with 9 regional agencies, customer service by profession, and maintenance services for dispensed equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Paredes Renew: Dedicated activity launched in 2023 for recycling and reconditioning of hand towel and soap dispensers, integrating the company into circular economy practices.
• Paredes Blue Lab
• Paredis Style
• Paredis Elite
• Paredes Access
• Paredes Expert
• Paredes Blue Lab Laundry

Products and services

• Paredes Blue Lab Laundry A turnkey laundry hygiene service using trioxygen (ozone) water technology for low-temperature disinfection, targeting healthcare establishments. Includes a trioxygen water generator (Eauzonnet O3BEST12 at 1,990€ HT unit), liquid detergent (20kg drum at 156.53€ HT), booster (22kg drum at 93.71€ HT), diagnostic, installation, training, and ongoing performance monitoring.
• Paredes Renew A dedicated activity for recycling and reconditioning of hand towel and soap dispensers, integrating Paredes into the circular economy through equipment reuse.
• Paredis Style Collection A complete range of dispensers and collectors for sanitary cubicles, designed in France with sleek design ensuring reliability, comfort, and hygiene. Features a durable system with composite blade, silent mechanism, visualization windows, and ecological molded cellulose rolls.
• Paredis Elite Collection Premium dispenser range synonymous with luxury and performance, designed with modern and refined aesthetics in Champagne color to integrate harmoniously in professional and public environments.
• Paredes Access Entry-level brand offering good quality/price ratio with simple but effective hygiene solutions at optimized cost, ideal for tight budgets.
• Paredes Expert Professional-grade product line within the Paredes portfolio targeting expert hygiene and cleaning needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% energy reduction, 20-50% water reduction, 30% program time reduction, 50% chemical usage reduction for Blue Lab laundry customers
• +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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 3McoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor international brand partnership for professional hygiene and protection products distributed through Paredes network in France
• TorkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium professional hygiene brand distributed alongside Paredes own products, featured prominently on homepage and product catalog
• KärchercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessional cleaning equipment brand partner for industrial and commercial cleaning solutions
• AnsellcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal leader in protective equipment distributed through Paredes professional network
• VikancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessional cleaning tools and hygiene equipment brand partner
• FilmopminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessional cleaning equipment brand distributed through Paredes catalog
• DecitexminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessional textile and hygiene products brand partner
• Coq Vert (Bpifrance)minorOthersBpifrance-supported network of companies committed to ecological transition. GPO joined the community to accelerate environmental sustainability initiatives.
• PROPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical signature brand of Paredes. Being progressively replaced by Paredes brand identity. Over 700 products under unified branding at completion.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Essity (Tork): Swedish hygiene and health company owning the Tork brand, which Paredes distributes. Comparable as a manufacturer of professional AFH tissue and dispensing systems, but operates at vastly greater scale and across multiple geographies.
• Rentokil Initial: Global hygiene services group with washroom, floorcare, and managed hygiene offerings including rental dispensers and consumables. Comparable recurring revenue model and focus on B2B hygiene end-markets but at significantly larger scale.
• Ecolab: Global leader in water, hygiene, and infection-prevention solutions serving food service, healthcare, and industrial customers with chemicals, equipment, and dispensing systems. Operates at much greater scale than Paredes but targets the same B2B hygiene customer base with manufacturing-plus-service economics.

Regional players

• Lyreco: European distributor of workplace and hygiene supplies to B2B customers, headquartered in France-adjacent geographies. Comparable distribution-led go-to-market and catalog breadth serving professional end-customers.

Direct peers

• Diversey: Global B2B provider of hygiene, cleaning, and infection-prevention solutions with a manufacturing-plus-distribution model and dispensing systems serving healthcare, hospitality, and food service customers. Highly comparable to Paredes across product breadth, vertical strategy, and integrated manufacturer-distributor approach.
• Kimberly-Clark Professional: AFH division of Kimberly-Clark supplying tissue, wipers, skin care, and dispensing systems to workplaces, healthcare, and food service. Direct comparable in core tissue-and-dispenser category, parent of key competitor brand partner (Kleenex, Scott, WypAll).
• CWS (Haniel Group): European provider of washroom, hygiene, and workplace solutions with a rental-plus-consumables model (mat, towel, dispenser) closely analogous to Paredes' mise à disposition approach. Direct comparable across product mix, recurring service revenue, and sustainability positioning.
• Bunzl: International B2B distribution and outsourcing company specializing in cleaning, hygiene, and workplace consumables. Highly comparable distribution-led model with multi-category catalog and partner-brand sourcing for AFH customers across Europe.

Emerging players

• Gojo Industries: Specialist manufacturer of hand hygiene and skin care products (Purell) with dispensing systems for healthcare, food service, and industrial settings. Comparable dispenser-plus-consumable go-to-market in select categories Paredes covers.

Others

• Orapi: French hygiene, cleaning, and maintenance product manufacturer now part of GPO following the 2024 acquisition by Paredes. Operates in directly adjacent hygiene and chemical categories with shared end-customers, serving as a recent comparable within the same consolidated group.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PAREDES_hygiene

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Paredes