What Sodimas does

Sodimas is the leading independent French manufacturer of complete elevators, escalators, and moving walkways, established in 1975 by Serge Arnoult in Pont-de-l'Isère, Drôme, and led since 2007 by his son Patrice Arnoult. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes a four-model elevator portfolio (VSpace machine-room-less with shaft-optimization, Medium for residential and mid-rise commercial, VM/VMBe for prestige and high-capacity buildings, Eesy with traditional machine room) alongside ENS 800 escalators and ENA 900 moving walks. Its technology stack rests on proprietary components including the patented Speed variable-speed drive, gearless synchronous permanent magnet motors, QItouch intelligent control cabinets, and the Solimax safety position sensor, supported by 36 patents and an R&D budget of approximately €3 million annually.

The business is split across complete elevator sales (new build and modernization, with 3,000 to 4,000 renovation projects performed each year), cabin manufacturing executed through wholly-owned subsidiary SOMETAS, a multi-brand components catalogue exceeding 20,000 Sodimas plus 11,000 third-party references, and a dedicated training arm recognized as a Datadocké organization since 2019. Sodimas serves installers, building owners, and end-users across six vertical markets — existing buildings, public buildings, hotels, tertiary/offices, healthcare, and residential — through a hybrid go-to-market combining a network of installer partners with direct sales agencies in France, Belgium (Benelux HQ), Portugal, Qatar, and Tunisia. Logistics capability includes next-day-before-noon delivery anywhere in Europe for orders placed before 3pm and over 11,000 m² of component warehousing.

Export activity accounts for roughly 26% of business volume across more than 30 countries, including long-tenured positions in Russia, the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Turkey, Pakistan, Latin America, Oceania, and French overseas territories. Notable reference projects include the supply of approximately 200 elevator units to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Village and the selection to equip the Multan Metro in Pakistan. The company is privately held and family-owned, with no disclosed external investors, and operates without publicly available revenue figures.

Name

Sodimas

Legal name

SODIMAS

Website

https://sodimas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sodimas is the leading independent French manufacturer of elevators, escalators, and moving walkways, founded in 1975 and family-owned under second-generation leadership. The company designs, produces, and modernizes complete elevator systems — supported by 36 patents and approximately €3 million in annual R&D — serving installer partners, building owners, and end-users across more than 30 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Elevator Manufacturing

NAICS

Elevator and Moving Stairway Manufacturing (333921)

SIC

Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Elevator, Escalator & Vertical Transportation Installation/Service (IMAFALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Elevator Modernization & Retrofit (Controllers, Drives, Door Systems) (BPABAIAE), Elevator, Escalator & Lift Maintenance (IMAIABAF)

Keywords

• Elevator manufacturing
• Escalator production
• Elevator modernization
• Vertical transportation
• Elevator components

Headquarters

HQ city

Pont-de-l'isere

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Complete Elevator Sales: Design, manufacture, and distribution of complete elevators for new buildings and modernization. Product range includes VSpace, Medium, VM/VmBe, Eesy models plus escalators and travelators.
2. Multi-brand Components: Sale of 20,000 SODIMAS references plus over 11,000 multi-brand references. Components department enriched yearly with new parts and brands. Over 11,000 m² of storage with fast shipping.
3. Modernization Services: Complete and partial modernization including full replacement, electrical renovation (EOL transformation), modular renovation, structural, aesthetic, door modernization. Performs 3,000 to 4,000 renovations annually.
4. Cabin Manufacturing: Cabins manufactured by exclusive partner SOMETAS, subsidiary of the group. Wide range including Univers Wood, Bicolore, Impression, Lineha, Lacobel, Béton ciré, Square, Série 40, Série Métal, Vitrées, and aluminum options.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sodimas designs, manufactures, and distributes complete elevators (VSpace, Medium, VM/VMBe, Eesy), escalators (ENS 800), moving walks (ENA 900), and elevator cabins, primarily for new buildings and modernization of existing buildings. The company also sells a catalog of 20,000+ multi-brand elevator components and provides modernization, installation, and maintenance services across 30+ countries through a network of installer partners and direct agencies.

Product overview

Sodimas is France's leading independent elevator manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of elevator products, escalators, modernization solutions, and components. The product lineup includes four main elevator models: VSpace (machine room-less space optimization), Medium (residential/light commercial), VM/VMBe (premium/high-capacity for prestige buildings), and Eesy (traditional machine room design). The company also produces ENS 800 escalators and ENA 900 moving walks. Supporting technologies include Speed (variable speed energy-saving technology), Sensy (ergonomic command system), and QItouch (intelligent control cabinet). Digital tools MyPAL and MyCAB provide graphical configuration for landings and cabins respectively. The modernization division offers complete replacement, EOL hydraulic-to-electric transformation, modular renovation, and Grand Siècle heritage preservation solutions. Cabin collections (Square, Univers, Linéha, Série 40, Série Métal, Vitrées) are manufactured by subsidiary SOMETAS. A multi-brand components department stocks over 20,000 references for all elevator brands. The private elevator brand SweetLift serves the residential market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SweetLiFT: Private residential elevator brand.
• MyPAL
• MyCAB
• My Sodimas
• Sensy
• Speed

Products and services

• VSpace Machine room-less elevator solution that maximizes cabin space within existing shaft dimensions, designed for elevator replacement or creation in existing buildings.
• Medium Machine room-less elevator ideal for residential, medium-height office buildings, and retail, with max speed of 1 m/s, max travel of 28 m, and capacity of 8 persons.
• VM/VMBe Premium elevator range for prestige buildings, hotels, and shopping centers, offering speeds up to 1.6 m/s, travel up to 46 m, capacity up to 26 persons, and loads up to 2500 kg.
• Eesy Traditional elevator with machine room, designed for replacement or creation in existing environments, with flexible products that adapt to modernization of equipment or complete replacement.
• ENS 800 Escalator Mechanical escalator featuring integrated aluminum treads, robust design, and human-centered design aesthetics with safety and environmental protection.
• ENA 900 Moving Walks Travelators and moving walks with robust, reliable construction and elegant design, featuring ECO mode technology saving 30-70% energy.
• SweetLift Private residential elevator designed for individual home installation, branded under sweetlift.fr.
• EOL Transformation Modernization service converting hydraulic elevators to electric traction, featuring a single flat polyurethane belt replacing cables, gearless permanent magnet synchronous motor, and space recovery in the machine room.
• Complete Replacement Modernization Full elevator replacement service for complete modernization, performing 3,000 to 4,000 renovations annually.
• Modular Renovation Partial modernization including machinery/motorization upgrade, command system and control organ modernization, aesthetic and capacity modernization, structural modernization, and door modernization.
• Grand Siècle Modernization Modernization solution preserving early 20th century metallic structures while bringing them into compliance with current standards, honoring historic architectural heritage.
• Contemporain Modernization Complete modernization solution that integrates perfectly with building architecture while bringing the latest technologies, adding value to the building.
• Multi-brand Components Catalog Component department offering over 20,000 SODIMAS references and over 11,000 multi-brand references across more than 11,000 m² of storage, available through online catalog and MySodimas account access.
• Cabin Collections (Square, Univers, Linéha, Série 40, Série Métal, Vitrées) Elevator cabin collections manufactured by subsidiary SOMETAS, including Square, Univers (Wood, Bicolore, Impression), Linéha (Lacobel, Béton ciré), Série 40, Série Métal, Vitrées, Aluminium Vspace, Switch, and Visio.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% energy savings with Speed technology
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SOMETAScoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSOMETAS is the exclusive partner subsidiary that manufactures all elevator cabins for Sodimas. As a group subsidiary, SOMETAS produces cabin lines including Univers, Lineha, Square, Série 40, Série Métal, Vitrées, and aluminum options for VSpace elevators.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schindler Group: Swiss-headquartered global #2 elevator/escalator player with strong European presence. Competes head-to-head with Sodimas in France and across modernization, service, and premium new-installation segments.
• Fujitec: Japanese elevator company with global footprint and particular strength in Asia. Direct overlap with Sodimas in medium-rise and modernization product tiers and component supply.
• Hyundai Elevator: Korean elevator manufacturer expanding internationally. Comparable in mid-rise and modernization offerings to Sodimas, with overlapping presence in Asian and Middle Eastern markets served by Sodimas's Qatar agency.
• Kone: Finnish global #3 with deep European service network. Direct competitor across new installation, modernization, and maintenance, with overlapping energy-efficient technology positioning that rivals Sodimas's Speed offering.
• TK Elevator: Germany-headquartered elevator/escalator manufacturer spun out of ThyssenKrupp. Competes with Sodimas across the full DACH and broader European elevator market, including service and modernization contracts.
• Hitachi (Building Systems): Japanese multinational with a global elevator and escalator business. Direct competitor in large-scale infrastructure (analogous to Sodimas's Multan Metro and Sochi Olympic Village wins) and premium commercial segments.
• Mitsubishi Electric (Elevator/Escalator): Japanese elevator manufacturer with global reach. Competes with Sodimas in premium/high-rise (VM/VMBe tier) and public-infrastructure tenders internationally.
• Otis Worldwide: Global #1 elevator and escalator manufacturer, headquartered in the U.S. Direct competitor across full elevator portfolio and modernization services, including for European hospitality, public, and residential segments Sodimas addresses.

Regional players

• Stannah Group: UK family-owned staircase lift, home lift, and commercial elevator manufacturer. Comparable mid-sized family-owned model with focus on residential/accessibility segments partially overlapping with Sodimas's SweetLift and residential elevator lines, but primarily UK-focused.

Emerging players

• Cibes Lift Group: Swedish manufacturer specializing in platform lifts, accessibility elevators, and low-rise residential solutions. Comparable to Sodimas's SweetLift residential sub-brand and growing segment of accessibility/modernization demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Sodimas-110738704147708
• Xx.com/mysodimas

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Sodimas