What Cidex does

Cidex Sarl is a French industrial subcontractor specializing in boilermaking (chaudronnerie métallique) and mechanical welding (mécano-soudure), headquartered in Saint-Évarzec, Brittany. The company operates a 3,200 m² workshop equipped for fabrication in steel and stainless steel up to 20mm thickness, with four integrated core capabilities: metal boiler-making (cutting, bending, rolling, press braking up to 220t, shearing), automated robotic MAG welding using two YASKAWA robots with Fronius generators and 5m x 1m positioners, industrial liquid painting (AIRMIX process in an 11m x 5m x 5m ventilated booth, epoxy or polyurethane coatings up to 200+ microns), and chemical pickling/passivation of stainless steel (10m x 10m x 3m spray area plus a 2m x 1m x 0.8m immersion bath with wastewater treatment).

The business model is custom job-shop subcontracting under a B2B direct-sales motion: business account managers (chargés d'affaires) respond to calls for tender and process custom orders against customer-provided plans, typically in SolidWorks format, producing one-off pieces through medium series. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and there is no standardized tiering or recurring subscription. Cidex sells into six horizontally diversified end-markets — special machines, naval/marine, agri-food, energy, bulk storage/silos, and livestock — providing sector-level risk diversification but no single anchor customer or segment is named in the source material. Distribution is domestic and direct, with no intermediaries.

Cidex is a SARL (SIRET 508 744 992 00027) operating under family ownership as part of the Christien Défi Group, a diversified Breton industrial conglomerate founded in 1954 (originally as Rapidex) and today comprising six entities (Cidex Composite, Tuffigo Rapidex, Plastigraf, Stibel CST, Sabel Tunisie) across composites, plastics, boilermaking, electronics, and livestock solutions. Alain Christien, son of the founder, leads the group as principal shareholder since 1992. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification (AFNOR certificate n° 2019/82157.2) and reports no external institutional or private equity investment.

Name

Cidex

Legal name

Cidex Sarl

Website

https://cidex-sarl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cidex is a French B2B industrial subcontractor in Saint-Évarzec providing custom metal fabrication, robotic MAG welding, industrial painting, and chemical pickling for special machines, naval, agri-food, energy, bulk storage, and livestock sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Metal Fabrication Services

NAICS

Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing (3324)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Sheet Metal Machinery (Laser/Plasma/Waterjet Cutting, Punching) (IMAHADAD)

Keywords

• Industrial metal fabrication
• Boilermaking services
• Robotic welding
• Metal subcontracting
• Industrial painting

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-évarzec

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Fabrication / Job Work: B2B industrial subcontracting for custom metal fabrication - responding to calls for tenders and varied orders, manufacturing welded assemblies from unit pieces to medium series in steel and stainless steel. Pricing based on specific project requirements and customer plans.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cidex is an industrial subcontractor providing custom metal fabrication services from a 3,200 m² workshop in Saint-Évarzec, France. Its four core offerings are boilermaking (chaudronnerie métallique), robotic MAG welding, industrial liquid painting, and chemical pickling of stainless steel. Production ranges from unit pieces to medium series in steel and stainless steel, executed from customer-supplied SolidWorks plans, targeting equipment manufacturers and industrial clients across special machines, naval, agri-food, energy, bulk storage, and livestock sectors.

Product overview

Cidex is an industrial subcontractor specializing in metalworking and welded assembly services with four core capabilities: chaudronnerie métallique (metal boiler-making), soudure robotisée (robotic MAG welding), peinture industrielle (industrial liquid painting via AIRMIX), and décapage chimique (chemical pickling and passivation of stainless steel). The company operates a 3,200 m² workshop and serves multiple industry sectors including special machines, marine, agri-food, energy, bulk storage, and livestock. Services range from unit production to medium series in steel and stainless steel, with thicknesses up to 20mm. The company is part of the Christien Défi industrial group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chaudronnerie métallique (Metal Boiler-Making) Industrial metal boiler-making and welded assembly services for B2B clients, producing unit pieces to medium series in steel and stainless steel with thicknesses up to 20mm. Includes cutting, drilling, bending, rolling, punching, and mandrel operations executed from customer-supplied SolidWorks plans.
• Soudure robotisée (Robotic Welding) Automated MAG (process 135) robotic welding service for B2B industrial clients, using two YASKAWA robots with Fronius generators on 5m x 1m positioners. Delivers consistent weld beads and repeatable production for large-length components and series runs.
• Peinture industrielle (Industrial Painting) Industrial liquid painting service using the AIRMIX process for B2B clients in a large ventilated and heated booth (11m x 5m x 5m). Applies epoxy or polyurethane coatings on steel, stainless steel, and aluminum substrates in RAL colors, achieving thicknesses up to 200+ microns for C1 to C4 corrosion environments.
• Décapage chimique (Chemical Pickling) Chemical pickling and passivation service for stainless steel parts, using a 10m x 10m x 3m spray area or a 2m x 1m x 0.8m immersion bath. Includes wastewater treatment and provides an aesthetic finish with optimal corrosion resistance for B2B industrial clients.
• Machines Spéciales (Special Machines Fabrication) Custom welded assemblies for special-machines builders, including welded frames, protective enclosures, platforms, and guardrails, manufactured from customer-supplied plans to engineering specifications.
• Naval (Marine Fabrication) Welded structural elements for naval and maritime clients, including nautical storage boxes, guardrails, gangways, and cable supports, produced for marine-grade durability and corrosion resistance.
• Industrie Agroalimentaire (Agri-Food Industry Fabrication) Stainless steel equipment for the agri-food sector, including hoppers, tanks, and big bag emptying stations, supporting hygiene compliance and food-grade stainless steel fabrication.
• Energie (Energy Sector Fabrication) Stainless steel piping and air inlet/outlet tubulations for energy sector installations, addressing specialized fabrication requirements for energy applications.
• Sous-traitance (Industrial Subcontracting) Comprehensive metal fabrication subcontracting for B2B clients, including cutting, bending, rolling, MIG/MAG (manual and robotic) and TIG welding, chemical pickling, and industrial liquid painting via AIRMIX for steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.
• Silo – Stockage en vrac (Bulk Storage Fabrication) Sheet metal silos and big bag support structures for bulk storage of industrial materials, addressing large-scale storage requirements.
• Elevage (Livestock Equipment Fabrication) Livestock equipment including misting ramps and feeding/ventilation systems for animal housing buildings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Metal thickness up to 20mm
• +4 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Christien Défi GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Cidex Chaudronnerie is part of the Christien Défi Group, an industrial group founded in 1954 and now comprising six companies: Cidex Composite, Tuffigo Rapidex, Plastigraf, Stibel CST, and Sabel (Tunisie). The group operates in complementary fields including composite materials, plastics, boilermaking, electronics, and livestock solutions, serving customers in France and internationally.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SPIE: Major European industrial services company with mechanical, electrical, and metal fabrication services. Comparable as a French-rooted industrial services provider serving similar B2B industrial customers, though operating at much larger scale with broader capabilities than Cidex.
• Fives Group: French industrial engineering group producing equipment and turnkey solutions for metals, glass, and process industries. Comparable as a French industrial manufacturer with deep metalworking capabilities, though at significantly larger scale and broader scope than Cidex's subcontracting focus.
• SNEF: Major French industrial services group with electrical, mechanical, and metalworking capabilities across multiple sectors. Comparable as a French-rooted industrial subcontracting platform with metalwork services, though operating at much larger scale and broader scope than Cidex.
• Sulzer: Swiss-headquartered process equipment manufacturer producing pumps, agitators, and metal process equipment for industrial customers. Comparable in custom metal fabrication of process equipment for similar end markets, though much larger and globally diversified versus Cidex's regional focus.
• Dürr AG: German industrial engineering group specializing in painting and finishing systems, environmental technology, and assembly. Comparable in industrial painting capabilities and finishing-systems integration (overlapping with Cidex's AIRMIX painting booth), though operating at much larger scale as an equipment manufacturer rather than subcontractor.

Direct peers

• Manoir Industries: French boilermaker producing metal components for nuclear, oil & gas, and industrial sectors. Directly comparable as a French custom metal fabricator offering welding, machining, and surface treatment for B2B industrial customers - same business model and customer type as Cidex, though at larger scale.
• De Dietrich Process Solutions: French manufacturer of process equipment including reactors, tanks, columns, and heat exchangers. Comparable as a French fabricator producing custom metal vessels and process equipment for chemical, pharmaceutical, and industrial customers - directly overlapping with Cidex's tank, hopper, and silo work.
• PCM Group: French-based process equipment manufacturer specializing in pumps and metal process components. Comparable as a French industrial fabricator producing custom metal equipment for food processing, energy, and industrial customers - overlapping with Cidex's agri-food and energy sector work.
• Baudin Chateauneuf: French metal construction and boilermaking company with custom fabrication capabilities. Comparable as a French metalworking subcontractor serving infrastructure, energy, and industrial customers with custom welding and structural metalwork - overlapping closely with Cidex's chaudronnerie activity.

Emerging players

• Mecachrome Group: French industrial subcontractor specializing in precision mechanical components for aerospace, automotive, and industrial customers. Comparable as a French industrial subcontractor with similar heritage and customer type, though focused on precision machining rather than Cidex's structural metalwork and welding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cidex
• Facebookfacebook.com/cidexsas

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Cidex