Knipping

What Knipping does

Knipping is a French family-owned industrial manufacturer (KNIPPING SA) founded in 1984 and headquartered in Venelles, near Aix-en-Provence in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. The company specializes in custom-made metal accessories for roof waterproofing and rainwater drainage, serving three primary B2B segments: waterproofing professionals (étancheurs), roofers (couvreurs), and specialized building material traders (négoces spécialisés). Its product catalog spans rainwater drainage systems (évacuation des eaux pluviales), overflow outlets (trop-pleins), pipe brackets (crosses), gravel guards (pare-graviers), sheet-metal bending services (pliage), profiled products including CSTB-certified aluminium edge profiles, and bespoke special parts (pièces spéciales), manufactured across six metal families (lead, aluminium, galvanized steel, zinc, colaminé steel, stainless steel, and copper) in thicknesses ranging from 5/10 to 30/10 mm.

The technical backbone is conventional metal-fabrication craft augmented by selective industrial automation: double-sided lead welding without tin for drainage products, and robotic welding on aluminium platines and moignons. Production is made-to-order with engineering specifications taken from each customer's project dimensions, and the company operates a daily-shipment model with a 48-hour delivery commitment throughout France. SKUs are deliberately dimension-rich and material-rich, allowing Knipping to serve project-specific requirements rather than commodity catalog demand.

Commercially, Knipping runs a sales-led B2B model on a quote-based pricing structure (no public price list). Distribution is entirely domestic (France) and direct to professionals and traders, supported by a website catalog and modest social media presence on Facebook, X, and Instagram. The company is independently held as a Société Anonyme, has no external investors, no parent or subsidiary structure, and no disclosed management team beyond the legal entity. It is a small operation (11–50 employees) and earns revenue predominantly through one-time product sales rather than subscriptions or recurring contracts.

Name

Knipping

Legal name

KNIPPING SA

Website

https://knippingsa.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knipping is a French family-owned manufacturer of custom metal accessories for roof waterproofing and rainwater drainage, serving étancheurs, couvreurs, and specialized building-material traders across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Waterproofing Accessories

NAICS

Fabricated Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing (332996)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Flashing, Edge Metal & Roof Accessories (IMADAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sheet Metal & Ductwork Contracting (IMAFALAH)

Keywords

• Custom metal fabrication
• Rainwater drainage systems
• Waterproofing accessories
• Metal bending services
• Roofing components

Headquarters

HQ city

Venelles

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal waterproofing accessories sales: One-time product sales of custom-manufactured metal accessories for waterproofing and roofing. Products include rainwater drainage systems (évacuation des eaux pluviales), overflow outlets (trop-pleins), pipe bends (crosses), gravel guards (pare-graviers), special pieces, profiles, and metal bending services. Manufacturing is done to order with daily shipments throughout France.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Knipping manufactures custom metal accessories for building waterproofing and roofing, including rainwater drainage systems (in lead, aluminium, galvanized steel, zinc, stainless steel, and PVC-coated aluminium), overflow outlets, pipe brackets (crosses), gravel guards, profiled flashings, and custom metal bending services. Products are made to order in multiple materials and thicknesses (5/10 to 30/10 mm), produced at its facility in Venelles, France, and shipped daily throughout France within a 48-hour delivery window to waterproofing professionals, roofers, and specialized building material traders.

Product overview

Knipping is a specialist in manufacturing metal accessories for waterproofing and roofing, operating as a family-owned independent company founded in 1984 in Venelles near Aix-en-Provence, France. The company produces a comprehensive range of physical metal products for waterproofing applications, including rainwater drainage systems (évaluation des eaux pluviales), overflow systems (trop-pleins), pipe brackets (crosses), gravel guards (pare-graviers), custom bending services (pliage), profiled products (profilées), and special/custom parts (pièces spéciales), along with various accessories. All products are manufactured to order (sur mesure) in France using materials including lead, aluminum, galvanized steel, zinc, stainless steel, and copper. The product portfolio is organized by material type (plomb, aluminium, galva/zinc, galva/colaminé, alu plasté PVC, inox) and product category, with offerings available in various thicknesses and dimensions. Daily shipments are made throughout France with 48-hour delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rainwater drainage systems (Évacuation des eaux pluviales) Custom-manufactured rainwater drainage outlets (right, conical, and elbowed designs) in lead, aluminium, galvanized steel, zinc, stainless steel, and PVC-coated aluminium, available in multiple thicknesses and collar heights. Intended for waterproofing professionals and roofers installing building roof drainage.
• Overflow outlets (Trop-pleins) Custom metal overflow outlets in lead/copper, aluminium, galvanized steel, zinc, colaminated steel, PVC-coated aluminium, and stainless steel for managing overflow water on flat roofs. Designed for waterproofing professionals and roofers, with or without DTU plate and configurable dimensions.
• Pipe brackets / crosses (Crosses) Custom metal pipe brackets (crosses) made in lead, copper, aluminium, zinc, and galvanized steel to support rainwater pipes penetrating roof waterproofing. Made-to-order with multiple diameter and DTU plate options for waterproofing contractors.
• Gravel guards (Pare-graviers) Metal gravel guards in galvanized steel and zinc, available in simple, double, triple square, angle, half-round, and conical shapes. Used by waterproofing professionals to protect roof drainage outlets and waterproofing membranes from gravel and debris.
• Metal bending service (Pliage) Custom metal bending (pliage) service for galvanized steel, aluminium, zinc, pre-laid steel, colaminated steel, stainless steel 304L, and copper in various thicknesses. Provides made-to-order bent components for waterproofing and roofing professionals and specialized traders.
• Profiled products (Profilées) Profiled metal products including NF-compliant flashings (Solin) in aluminium, zinc, galvanized, and pre-laid steel, edge bands with hem, and extruded aluminium profiles (Trial and Eco ranges) with Avis Technique CSTB technical certification. Supplied to waterproofing contractors and roofers for roof edge finishing.
• Custom special parts (Pièces spéciales) Custom special metal parts for waterproofing and roofing projects, including galvanized overflow boxes (12/10, Zinc 14, post-lacquered), welded costals (15/10 and 20/10), and adjustable and sliding frames (chevêtres). Built to project-specific dimensions for waterproofing professionals.
• Metal accessories (Accessoires) Metal accessories for waterproofing and roofing, including permanent water retention drains in galvanized steel 8/10, Chinese-style caps (chapeaux chinois) in galvanized steel, and expandable grates (crapaudines) for straight and conical rainwater drainage bowls. Supplied as add-ons to the core product range.

Segments3 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

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Onduline: International manufacturer of bituminous roofing sheets and waterproofing systems. Overlaps with Knipping in serving waterproofing professionals (étancheurs) and roofers, though addressing a different primary product category.
• Edilians: Leading French clay and concrete roof tile producer with a roofing accessories range. Comparable trade customers (couvreurs, étancheurs, négoces) but at much greater scale and broader product breadth than Knipping.
• BMI Group: Large European roofing and waterproofing systems manufacturer (formerly Braas Monier / Icopal). Offers complete roof systems including drainage accessories, competing indirectly with Knipping's waterproofing accessory portfolio from a much broader product suite.
• Wienerberger: Global leader in clay building materials (bricks, roof tiles) with a growing portfolio of roofing systems and accessories. Competes for the same trade customer wallet but as a broad building materials incumbent.
• Terreal: Major French manufacturer of clay roof tiles and roofing accessories, including metal complementary products. Overlaps with Knipping on roof accessories sold through négoces spécialisés but operates at significantly larger scale with a broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• VM Zinc: French zinc roofing and façade product manufacturer (part of Union Zinc / building products group). Comparable as a French manufacturer of metal roofing accessories and drainage components for the waterproofing/roofing trade.
• Rheinzink: Manufacturer of titanium zinc products for roofing, façade, and gutter/drainage applications. Comparable as a custom metal accessory producer with overlapping product categories (drainage, edging, roofing accessories) and similar B2B trade customer base.
• Prefa France: French subsidiary of Austrian Prefa GmbH, manufacturing aluminum roofing and façade systems including custom accessories. Directly comparable as a custom metal roofing/waterproofing accessories manufacturer serving the same French trade customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100067862563189
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knipping-sa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Knipping