What CAB Cooperative does

CAB Cooperative (Coopérative des Artisans du Bois et de la Couverture) is a French member-owned purchasing cooperative founded in 1998 in Plescop, Morbihan, by Philippe Mérian and 36 founding artisans. It aggregates the procurement of approximately 500 artisan member enterprises across seven trades — agenceurs (fitters), charpentiers MOB (carpenters), couvreurs (roofers), cuisinistes (kitchen specialists), menuisiers (joiners), paysagistes (landscapers), and plaquistes (drywall specialists) — operating under one-artisan-one-vote governance. The cooperative employs 160 staff as of 2026 and generates €66.5M in revenue, making it the largest employer in Plescop and a mid-tier player within the ORCAB national network of 40 cooperatives (9,600 enterprises, €1.33B aggregate revenue).

Its operational backbone is a 51,000 m² storage footprint across three Morbihan sites (two in Plescop including a dedicated Coverage Building opened in January 2022, and a logistics platform in Grand-Champ opened in September 2023), anchored by a Transtockeur automated storage system, a K3 carpentry cutting workshop, a Z6 metal fabrication workshop, and a panel transformation facility equipped with five CNC machines. The cooperative complements bulk distribution with an in-house technical design office, 24/7 online configuration and quoting tools, and two physical showrooms (2,800 m² in Plescop and 1,200 m² in Caudan, opened November 2024 in joint venture with MCS).

Revenue is generated through annual membership subscriptions combined with the cooperative's unified tariff margin on aggregated purchases across six purchasing poles (Wood/Carpentry/Insulation, Interior Joinery, Exterior Joinery, Kitchen/Appliances, Hardware/Tools/PPE, and Roofing/Waterproofing), referencing more than 1,000 suppliers. The commercial model therefore combines recurring subscription revenue with trade-goods margin, both directly tied to member volume. Geographic scope remains limited to the Morbihan department of Brittany, though the Caudan showroom extends the served catchment toward Lorient, and ORCAB membership provides national procurement and brand reach under the "Artisans Artipôle" identity.

Name

CAB Cooperative

Legal name

CAB

Website

https://cab56.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CAB Cooperative is a member-owned French purchasing cooperative serving approximately 500 artisan construction-trade enterprises in Morbihan through pooled procurement across six categories, automated warehouse logistics, dedicated workshops, and showrooms, generating €66.5M in 2026 revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Materials Distribution

NAICS

Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers (4233), Lumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers (42331)

SIC

Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030), Wholesale-Lumber, Plywood, Millwork & Wood Panels (5031)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction, Hardware & MRO Supply Clubs (Trades/Contractors) (CRAEAEAG)

Keywords

• Building materials distribution
• Purchasing cooperative
• Artisan construction supply
• Wood and roofing materials
• Construction logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Plescop

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cotisations et achats mutualises: La cooperative fonctionne sur un modele cooperatif : les artisans adherents paient des cotisations et beneficient en retour de tarifs unifies sur les achats massifies. La cooperative massifie ses achats, stocke et livre des materiaux bruts et manufactures dans les domaines du Bois et de la Couverture. Elle reference plus de 1 000 fournisseurs. Le chiffre d'affaires 2026 est de 66,5 M€.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CAB Cooperative is a member-owned purchasing cooperative that massifies purchases, stocks and delivers raw and manufactured building materials for artisan trades in the Wood and Roofing sectors. It organizes its offering around six purchasing poles (Bois/Charpente/Isolation, Menuiseries intérieures/Agencement, Menuiseries extérieures/Fermetures, Cuisine/Électroménager, Quincaillerie/Outillage/EPI, Couverture/Étanchéité) and operates 51,000 m² of storage, Transtockeur automated storage, custom transformation workshops (K3 carpentry, Z6 metal, CNC panels), a wood treatment tank, and a daily delivery fleet to bring materials to member workshops and construction sites.

Product overview

CAB Cooperative is a purchasing and distribution cooperative for artisanal trades in the Morbihan region. The organization operates as a unified platform combining bulk purchasing services, logistics and delivery infrastructure, and physical showrooms. The product portfolio is organized around six purchasing poles: (1) Bois/Charpente/Isolation for wood, framing and insulation; (2) Menuiseries intérieures/Agencement for interior joinery and fitting; (3) Menuiseries extérieures/Fermetures for exterior joinery and closures; (4) Cuisine/Électroménager for kitchens and appliances; (5) Quincaillerie/Outillage/EPI for hardware and tools; and (6) Couverture/Étanchéité for roofing and waterproofing. These are complemented by value-added services including design offices, CNC transformation workshops, carpentry cutting workshops, metal fabrication facilities, a Transtockeur automated storage system, online configuration tools, and two showrooms (Plescop and Caudan) totaling over 3,000 m². The cooperative serves seven main trades: Agenceurs (fitters), Charpentiers (carpenters), Couvreurs (roofers), Cuisinistes (kitchen specialists), Menuisiers (joiners), Paysagistes (landscapers), and Plaquistes (drywall specialists), totaling approximately 500 member artisan businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Artipôle: National brand signature representing member artisans, focusing on values like proximity, craftsmanship, mutual aid, and transparency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Leader dans la distribution de produits Bois et derives sur le Morbihan
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MCS (Morbihan Chauffage Sanitaire)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2024Collaboration entre les deux cooperatives morbihannaises pour la salle d'exposition commune Artisans Artipole a Caudan (685 rue Jacques Ange Gabriel). MCS apporte l'univers Plomberie, Chauffage et Sanitaire, CAB apporte le Bois et la Couverture. Salle de 1000 m² ouverte en novembre 2024, innauguree officiellement le 17 avril 2025.
• ORCAB (Organisation Cooperative Artisanale du Bois)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroupement national reunissant 40 cooperatives d'artisans (41 selon d'autres pages) sur le territoire francais. ORCAB met a disposition 2 plateformes logistiques (La Rocheserviere-85 et Fixin-21) pour le stockage massif de materiaux. Chiffres ORCAB 2026 : 9600 entreprises artisanales, 1330 M€ de CA.
• ES Plescop/Grand-Champ Tennis de TableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartenaire officiel de l'ES Plescop/Grand-Champ Tennis de Table depuis plusieurs annees. Presence lors d'evenements (galette des rois, remise de maillots).
• Rugby Club de VannesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartenaire officiel du Rugby Club de Vannes.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gedimat: Cooperative network of independent building-materials retailers across France, structurally similar to CAB's cooperative distribution model for trades and self-builders.
• Point.P: Saint-Gobain's flagship B2B distribution network for building materials serving trades and contractors across France. Closely comparable to CAB in targeting professional buyers with broad product ranges and trade-specific services.
• BigMat: Network of independent building-materials traders serving construction professionals in France and Europe. Mirrors CAB's trader/membership-based model focused on the trade customer rather than DIY.
• Chausson Matériaux: Independent French distributor of building materials serving trades and public works. Competes with CAB in lumber, roofing and construction supplies for professional buyers.
• Tout Faire Matériaux: Traders' network distributing building materials to construction professionals. Comparable to CAB in its focus on independent trade customers and broad materials portfolio.
• Cedeo: Saint-Gobain distribution brand focused on plumbing, heating and sanitary for trade professionals. Comparable business model and professional customer focus, complementing CAB's wood/roofing specialty.

Others

• ORCAB: National federation of 40 wood-artisan cooperatives including CAB itself. CAB's parent grouping that provides shared logistics platforms and the 'Artisans Artipôle' brand; directly relevant for benchmarking CAB against peer cooperatives.

Broad incumbents

• Mr.Bricolage: French franchise network of independent home-improvement stores. Overlaps with CAB in building materials but more retail-oriented and less focused on professional trades.
• Brico Dépôt: Kingfisher-owned discount building-materials retailer in France competing partly for trade and self-builder customers adjacent to CAB's artisan base.
• Leroy Merlin: Largest French DIY and home-improvement retailer (Adeo). Overlaps with CAB across product categories but serves a much broader retail and DIY customer base, including some trade customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cab.cooperative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cooperative-des-artisans-du-bois-56
• Instagraminstagram.com/artisans_artipole_morbihan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 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 CAB Cooperative