What Gruau does

Groupe Gruau, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Saint-Berthevin, France, is a European multi-specialist leader in bodywork (carrosserie) for utility vehicles. The company designs, produces, markets, and distributes customized and specialized vehicle conversions across six verticals: goods transport (last-mile delivery, large volume vans, heavy goods vehicles, refrigerated vehicles, company vehicles), passenger transport (reduced-mobility and collective shuttles), health-funeral (ambulances, VSAV emergency vehicles, medical-social vehicles, funeral vehicles), security-intervention (firefighter, police/gendarmerie/customs, and defense vehicles), BTP-environment (skip loaders, extended cabs, road maintenance, mobile workshops), and special vehicles (custom builds, personalized fleets, two-wheelers/quads).

The company operates 15 production sites in France and internationally, executing 40,000 vehicle transformations per year, and is the sole bodywork manufacturer referenced by 45 automotive brands. Its technology stack centers on industrial vehicle conversion expertise complemented by the G'innov Lab innovation methodology and the RSS2E (Responsabilité Sociale, Sociétale, Économique et Environnementale) sustainability framework, with the UTILY-TERRE PAR NATURE 2030 project guiding its sustainable mobility roadmap.

Gruau makes money primarily through one-time B2B sales of customized vehicle bodywork and transformation solutions, with additional revenue from spare parts and accessories sold via the MyGruau e-commerce platform, used vehicle resales via Gruau Occasions, and industrial subcontracting services. It reaches customers through a distribution network of 120 distributors and partners worldwide, direct enterprise sales from its headquarters, and dedicated e-commerce channels. With approximately 1,500 employees and a projected €280M revenue for 2026, the company serves 10,000 clients across Europe and internationally.

Name

Gruau

Legal name

Groupe Gruau

Website

https://gruau.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Groupe Gruau is a French-founded (1889) European leader in custom utility vehicle bodywork, executing 40,000 conversions yearly across transport, healthcare, security, and construction sectors via 15 production sites and 120 distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Vehicle Bodywork Manufacturing

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing (336211), Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Body & Upfit Manufacturing (Box/Dump/Service/Refuse) (IMACAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Vehicle Body Manufacturing (Emergency/Military/Mobile Clinics) (IMACAGAD), Bus Body & Coachbuilder / Bus Body Assembly (IMACADAH)

Keywords

• Commercial vehicle bodywork
• Utility vehicle conversion
• Specialized vehicle manufacturing
• Ambulance vehicle conversion
• Fleet customization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-berthevin

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Bodywork and Transformation: Core business of customizing and transforming utility vehicles with bodywork solutions across multiple sectors including transport, healthcare, security, and construction. The company performs 40,000 transformations per year.
2. Spare Parts and Accessories: Sales of replacement parts and accessories through MyGruau e-commerce platform
3. Used Vehicles with New Bodywork: Gruau Occasions platform offering new bodywork on used vehicles
4. Industrial Services: Subcontracting and partnership industrial services leveraging Gruau's manufacturing expertise

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Groupe Gruau designs, manufactures, markets and distributes standard and specialized bodywork for utility vehicles, producing 40,000 vehicle transformations per year across 15 production sites. Its portfolio spans six operational segments — goods transport, passenger transport, healthcare and funeral, security and intervention, construction and environment, and special vehicles — complemented by industrial subcontracting services and two digital platforms (MyGruau for spare parts, Gruau Occasions for used vehicles with new bodywork).

Product overview

Gruau is a European multi-specialist leader in bodywork (carrosserie) for utility vehicles, operating since 1889. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into six main categories: Transport de marchandises (goods transport including last-mile delivery, large volume vans, heavy goods vehicles, refrigerated vehicles, and company vehicles), Transport de personnes (passenger transport including individual mobility-reduced transport and collective transport/shuttles), Santé-Funéraire (health and funeral vehicles including ambulances, VSAV emergency vehicles, medical-social vehicles, and funeral vehicles), Sécurité-Intervention (security and intervention vehicles for firefighters, police/gendarmerie, and military/defense), BTP-Environnement (construction and environment vehicles including skip loaders, extended cabs, road maintenance, workshop vehicles, and mobile living bases), and Véhicules spécifiques (special vehicles including custom builds, personalized fleets, and two-wheelers/quads). The portfolio is complemented by supporting services including industrial subcontracting, a global distribution network of 120 distributors, MyGruau e-commerce for spare parts, and Gruau Occasions for used vehicles with new bodywork. Gruau is the only bodywork manufacturer certified with 45 automotive brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Last-mile delivery vehicles (Livraisons dernier kilomètre) Vehicles designed for urban and suburban last-mile distribution logistics, customized for parcel and courier operators.
• Large volume vans - 3.5t (Fourgons Grand Volume) Large volume vans with 3.5t capacity for transporting goods and cargo for logistics operators.
• Heavy goods vehicles - 6t+ (Fourgons Poids Lourds) Heavy goods vehicles with 6t+ capacity for transporting large volumes of cargo.
• Refrigerated vehicles (Véhicules frigorifiques) Refrigerated vehicles for temperature-controlled transport of perishable goods.
• Company vehicles and passenger-car derivatives (Véhicules société – Dérivés VP) Company vehicles and passenger-car derivatives for business fleet use.
• Individual reduced-mobility transport (TPMR) Individual transport vehicles for people with reduced mobility, including wheelchair-accessible conversions.
• Collective transport, mini cars and shuttles Collective transport solutions including mini buses and shuttle vehicles for group transportation.
• Ambulances – VLM (Light Medical Vehicles) Ambulances and Light Medical Vehicles (VLM) for patient transport and emergency medical services.
• VSAV emergency response vehicles Véhicules de Secours et d'Assistance aux Victimes (VSAV) emergency response vehicles for firefighter medical intervention.
• Medical-social vehicles (Véhicules médico-sociaux) Medical-social vehicles equipped for mobile healthcare services, including mobile dental units and similar specialized clinics.
• Funeral vehicles (Véhicules funéraires) Funeral vehicles for transportation of deceased persons.
• Firefighter intervention vehicles (Véhicules d'intervention pompiers) Firefighter intervention vehicles for emergency response operations.
• Police – gendarmerie – customs vehicles Law enforcement vehicles for police, gendarmerie and customs authorities.
• Army and defense vehicles (Armée – Défense) Army and defense vehicles, including armored rescue vehicles (VAB) for military operations.
• Skip loaders, sorting skips and flatbed vehicles (Bennes – Tri bennes – Plateaux) Skip loaders, sorting skips and flatbed vehicles for construction and waste management.
• Extended cabs (Cabines approfondies) Extended cabs for commercial vehicles providing additional interior space.
• Road and highway maintenance vehicles (Entretien des routes et autoroutes) Road and highway maintenance vehicles for infrastructure upkeep and repair.
• Workshop vehicles (Véhicules ateliers) Workshop vehicles equipped as mobile workshops for field service and repairs.
• Canteen and living-base vehicles (Véhicules de cantonnement – Bases vie) Canteen and mobile living-base vehicles for remote work sites and construction areas.
• Custom-built vehicles (Véhicules sur-mesure) Custom-built vehicles designed to specification for unique operational requirements.
• Personalized fleets (Flottes personnalisées) Personalized fleet solutions for organizations requiring coordinated vehicle fleets.
• Two-wheelers, quads, SSV and LLV Two-wheelers, quads, SSV (Side-by-Side Vehicles) and LLV (Light Utility Vehicles) for versatile transport.
• MyGruau e-commerce platform for spare parts E-commerce platform for spare parts and accessories, enabling customers to order replacement components online.
• Gruau Occasions used-vehicles platform Pre-owned vehicle specialist offering new bodywork on used vehicle chassis.
• Industrial services (Prestations industrielles) Industrial services including subcontracting and partnership for manufacturing projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000 vehicle transformations per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Chery Commercial VehiclescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Strategic cooperation for the transformation of the new DELIVAN electric utility vehicle. Chery Commercial Vehicles launched its utility vehicle brand and partnered with Gruau for bodywork and transformation expertise.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bott GmbH & Co. KG: European specialist in vehicle conversions and in-vehicle equipment/racking for commercial fleets; comparable to Gruau's custom fleet conversion and upfit work across logistics and service vehicles.
• Kässbohrer Fahrzeugwerke: European manufacturer of semi-trailers and commercial vehicle bodies with a multi-segment portfolio across cargo, tipper, and special vehicles; closely comparable to Gruau's truck body and trailer body manufacturing footprint.
• Sortimo International GmbH: European leader in commercial vehicle racking, interior fit-outs, and mobile workshop conversions; overlaps directly with Gruau's bespoke vehicle outfitting and service bodywork for professional fleets.
• Lawrence David Ltd: UK commercial vehicle bodybuilder producing box vans, curtainsiders, and specialist vehicle bodies; mirrors Gruau's core truck body manufacturing and freight transport conversion offering.
• WALTER Fahrzeugbau: German commercial vehicle bodybuilder specializing in truck bodies, tippers, and special-purpose vehicle superstructures; directly comparable to Gruau's truck body and upfit operations serving logistics and construction fleets across Europe.
• Marshall Motor Group Conversions: UK-based vehicle conversion specialist focused on bespoke fleet solutions and utility vehicle transformations; comparable in customer profile and project-based bodywork model to Gruau.

Regional players

• Wielton S.A. Polish-based trailer and commercial vehicle body manufacturer with pan-European reach; comparable product portfolio but primarily competing in Central/Eastern European markets rather than Gruau's home French base.

Emerging players

• AUSA Center, S.L.U. Spanish manufacturer of compact utility vehicles, dumpers, and specialized light vehicles; adjacent niche overlap with Gruau's compact utility, two-wheeler, quad, and special vehicle categories.

Broad incumbents

• Schmitz Cargobull AG: Europe's largest trailer manufacturer with broad product portfolio across refrigerated, dry freight, and special trailers; broader incumbent than Gruau but operating in the same commercial vehicle body/trailer category.
• Kögel Trailer GmbH: Major European trailer and semi-trailer manufacturer with diversified product range; overlaps with Gruau's truck body and trailer-related activities but is a larger, broader incumbent rather than a niche specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/groupgruau
• Facebookfacebook.com/GroupeGruau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gruau
• Instagraminstagram.com/groupe_gruau_officiel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gruau