Defontaine Group

What Defontaine Group does

Defontaine Group is a privately held French industrial company headquartered in La Bruffière, operating two complementary brands: Defontaine, with more than 70 years of experience in high-precision mechanical components (flanges, housings, automotive starter rings, inertia rings, flywheels, complex mechanical parts); and Rollix, a specialist in slewing rings ("couronnes d'orientation") since 1969, covering ball-bearing, crossed-roller and precision configurations with diameters from 150mm to 6,200mm. The group serves demanding industrial applications across aerospace and helicopters, automotive, trucks and buses, wind energy, machine tools, robotics, marine, medical, transport, packaging, and forestry and agriculture. Manufacturing relies on proprietary processes including roll-welding by sparking, precision machining and grinding, press hardening and induction heat treatment. Approximately 1,300 employees serve more than 1,300 customers across 65+ countries, with Rollix exporting 95% of production and Defontaine exporting 85%. Legal form is SAS Defontaine with capital social of approximately €4.6M; Mathieu Laumonier is identified as the legal representative.

The business model is predominantly B2B industrial components sold via direct enterprise sales for custom and large-volume applications, complemented by a distributor network for geographic coverage and a newly launched B2B e-commerce platform (Rollix E-Shop) for standard SKU orders delivered in under one week. Engineering and design services, "Fast Make" rapid prototyping, logistics, laboratory testing, and aftermarket spares and on-site inspection (videoscopy, seal replacement, lubricant analysis, retrofit) sit alongside the hardware revenue, supporting customer lifecycle value rather than transactional sales only. Pricing is quote-based for custom work, with catalog pricing available on the e-shop. Recent strategic emphasis is on wind-assisted propulsion (WAPS) modules for maritime decarbonization and a "Factory of the Future" initiative to instrument parts and embed predictive lifecycle capability, signaling intent to evolve from pure component supplier toward a service-and-data-augmented industrial platform.

Customers include Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, Acciona, Iberdrola, EDF, RWE, Safran, Rolls Royce, Daimler, Hyundai, Valeo, Alstom, ABB, Kuka, DMG Mori, GE Healthcare, Kongsberg, Komatsu, MAN, Ponsse and Radius. The flagship commercial milestone is the October 2023 contract with Siemens Gamesa to supply slewing rings for the EMYN offshore wind farm in Vendée, France. The group also reports industry recognition including the We Care Awards 2025 (3rd prize, safety/health) and a 2024 Regional Best Apprentice Gold Medal in industrial maintenance.

Name

Defontaine Group

Legal name

SAS Defontaine

Website

https://defontaine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Defontaine Group is a privately held French industrial company that designs and manufactures high-precision mechanical components and slewing rings (Rollix brand) for aerospace, automotive, wind energy, marine, machine tools and medical customers across 65+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

La Bruffière

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Slewing Rings and Bearings (Rollix): Sale of standard and custom slewing rings, bearings, and precision components for wind, marine, machine tools, and industrial applications. Rollix exports 95% of production to 65+ countries.
2. High Precision Mechanical Components (Defontaine): Sale of precision mechanical components including flanges, housings, automotive components, and complex mechanical parts for aerospace, automotive, trucks, and helicopters. 85% of products exported internationally.
3. Engineering and Design Services: Design, sizing, and engineering support services for custom slewing ring and mechanical component applications.
4. Logistics and Spare Parts: Logistics services and spare parts/replacement components for wind and industrial customers, including on-site maintenance and support.
5. Wind-Assisted Propulsion Modules: Complete slewing modules for maritime wind propulsion systems including motorization, automation, wiring and accessories, assembly, testing and shipping.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Defontaine Group designs and manufactures precision mechanical components, with a core focus on rolled and flash butt welded rings, slewing rings, combined bearings, flanges, housings, and complex sub-assemblies for industrial OEMs. It supplies Tier-1 customers in aerospace, automotive, wind energy, marine, machine tools, medical, and automation, and complements manufacturing with engineering, rapid prototyping, aftermarket, laboratory, and logistics services.

Product overview

Defontaine Group operates two main brands: Rollix (specializing in slewing rings since 1969) and Defontaine (high-precision equipment manufacturer). Rollix products include slewing rings in various configurations—ball bearings (single/double row, light series), crossed roller bearings (standard, precision, compact series), and custom-specific designs—serving wind energy, marine propulsion, machine tools, forestry, packaging, transport, and medical markets. Defontaine brand focuses on flanges, housings, automotive components (starter rings, inertia rings, flywheels), and complex mechanical components for aerospace, helicopter, automotive, and truck/bus applications. Both brands are supported by comprehensive services including engineering & design, rapid prototyping (Fast Make), logistics, aftermarket support, and laboratory testing. The product portfolio covers slewing ring diameters from 150mm to 6,200mm, with 95% of Rollix production exported to over 65 countries. The group also offers wind-assisted propulsion (WAPS) solutions for maritime decarbonation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rollix: Leader in slewing ring bearings, designing and manufacturing slewing rings since 1969. Exports 95% of production to 65+ countries.
• Defontaine

Products and services

• Rollix Slewing Rings (Couronnes d'orientation) Rolled and machined slewing rings available in multiple configurations (ball bearings, crossed rollers, precision, light series, and specific/custom versions) for rotary applications across wind energy, machine tools, robotics, medical, marine, and material handling industries.
• Rollix RT Combined Bearings (Roulements combinés)

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-30% fuel reduction with WAPS technology
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SIEMENS GAMESAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2023Rollix secured a contract to supply slewing rings for the wind turbine blades of the EMYN offshore wind farm (Eoliennes en Mer des îles d'Yeu et Noirmoutier) in Vendée, France. The contract was signed at the Vendée departmental council on October 10, 2023. This is a major offshore wind project with 120 Defontaine Group employees becoming godparents of the slewing rings for the project.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• thyssenkrupp rothe erde: One of the world's largest slewing ring manufacturers, serving wind turbines, construction equipment, and aerospace. Direct competitor in large-diameter rings and one of the global benchmarks for the category Rollix competes in.
• Anhui Fangyuan Slewing Ring: Chinese slewing ring and turntable bearing manufacturer serving construction, wind, and heavy equipment markets globally. Direct competitor in the standard slewing ring category where Rollix competes on price and lead time.
• Kaydon Bearings: Specialist in slewing ring and thin-section bearings (part of SKF). Direct competitor to Rollix in slewing rings for heavy equipment, wind, and industrial applications.
• Igus: German polymer bearing and slewing ring manufacturer with a strong e-commerce channel. Direct peer in slewing rings for wind, machine tools, and industrial automation, with overlapping B2B self-serve distribution model.
• IMO Group (IMO Holding GmbH): German-based manufacturer of large-diameter slewing rings and special bearings, directly competing with Rollix in the wind energy, marine, and industrial machinery markets. The most direct comparable in slewing ring product and customer overlap.

Broad incumbents

• NSK: Japanese global bearing manufacturer with slewing ring and precision bearing products. Comparable to Defontaine in machine tool, automotive, and wind applications, but at significantly larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Schaeffler: Major German bearing and automotive supplier offering slewing rings alongside broad industrial and automotive product lines. Overlaps with Defontaine in automotive drivetrain components and industrial slewing rings.
• SKF: Global bearing and rotational equipment leader with a broad slewing ring product line and dominant presence in wind, industrial, and aerospace. Competes with Defontaine across most served verticals but is a diversified multi-billion-dollar incumbent rather than a slewing ring specialist.
• Timken: US-based engineered bearings and power transmission specialist. Comparable to Defontaine in industrial and aerospace precision bearings, with overlapping customers in heavy equipment and energy.
• NTN: Global bearing manufacturer with strong presence in Europe via NTN-SNR. Competes with Defontaine in automotive, aerospace, and industrial slewing ring and precision bearing categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRR-6f1-KwWa3lys7jK47qw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/defontaine-rollix
• Instagraminstagram.com/defontainerollix

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 Defontaine Group