CANARD- SEFIC

What CANARD- SEFIC does

CANARD-SEFIC is a privately held, family-controlled French coffin manufacturer founded in 1962 by carpenter Guy CANARD in Molinet (Allier, France). The group is operated through the CANARD INDUSTRIES holding and comprises Ets CANARD SAS, the SEFIC coffin factory (inaugurated 1992), the SCIEMO sawmill (created 1980), the MIV LAGARDE coffin factory (acquired 2011, Le Puy-en-Velay), the BERLANDIER funeral distributor (acquired 2012, Saint-Andiol), and the Pompes Funèbres CANARD funeral homes in Digoin and Paray-le-Monial. The company produces more than 120,000 coffins per year for burial and cremation across multiple product lines named after French regions (Allier, Bourgogne, Pyrénées, Richelieu, Vivaux, Frioul, Amboise) and styles (Parisien, Tombeau, Demi-Tombeau), supplemented by capitons (Zénith, Céleste), ornaments (Boréale, Scandinave, Rustique, Provençale, Iris), and the exclusive Sérénité and Nature funeral stationery ranges.

The core technology is semi-industrial coffin manufacturing that combines traditional woodworking craftsmanship — manual assembly and finishing by skilled workers for quality control — with modern industrial machinery including CNC and automated production lines. The production process spans from log sawing (at the SCIEMO sawmill, which handles first transformation of APECF-certified hardwoods and operates drying kilns and a 6,000–7,000 cubic meter log yard) through to loading finished coffins into delivery vehicles. A digital sales aid called NOÉ was introduced in November 2024 at FUNEXPO Lyon to help funeral professionals with product selection.

The business model is B2B direct-to-trade: CANARD-SEFIC sells exclusively to French funeral professionals (pompes funèbres) through nine regional distribution platforms and a direct factory sales force, with local delivery within approximately a 200 km radius of manufacturing plants. Pricing is non-public, structured around direct sales relationships and multi-year commercial contracts. The customer base spans the French deathcare sector, with the group operating two of its own funeral homes downstream, and marketing activity centered on trade shows (FUNEXPO Lyon, Funéraire Paris), the company website, newsletter, and PR coverage in funeral-sector trade press, alongside the 'Funéraire Solidaire' charitable auction program.

Name

CANARD- SEFIC

Legal name

Ets CANARD SAS

Website

https://canard-sefic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CANARD-SEFIC is a family-owned French coffin manufacturer founded in 1962, producing 120,000+ coffins per year and selling exclusively to funeral professionals through nine regional platforms nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Molinet

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coffin and casket sales: Manufacture and sale of coffins for burial (inhumation) and cremation. The product range includes multiple wood species (oak, pine), finishes, and forms. The company produces over 120,000 coffins annually, primarily sold to funeral professionals (pompes funèbres).
2. Accessories and ornamentation: Sale of coffin accessories including capitons (upholstered linings), ornaments (handles, emblems, hardware), and screws/fasteners in various materials and finishes.
3. Funeral stationery: Sale of branded funeral stationery ranges (Sérénité and Nature), exclusively manufactured in France, including registers, flower cards, and document pouches for families.
4. Funeral home services: The group operates funeral homes (pompes funèbres CANARD) in Digoin (71) and Paray-le-Monial, offering end-to-end funeral services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CANARD-SEFIC manufactures wooden coffins for burial (inhumation) and cremation in France, producing over 120,000 coffins annually through a semi-industrial process combining traditional craftsmanship with modern machinery. The company also produces coffin accessories including capitons (interior linings), ornaments (handles, emblems, hardware), funeral stationery (Sérénité and Nature collections), and operates the NOÉ digital sales aid tool. All products are sold exclusively to funeral professionals (pompes funèbres).

Product overview

CANARD-SEFIC is a family-owned French company specializing in coffin and casket manufacturing since 1962, producing over 120,000 coffins annually through semi-artisanal methods combining traditional craftsmanship with industrial innovation. The product portfolio centers on wooden coffins (cercueils) for burial and cremation, supplemented by interior linings (capitons), hardware ornaments (ornements), and funeral stationery (papeterie funéraire). The company also offers a digital sales tool called NOÉ for funeral professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sérénité: Funeral stationery collection with gray and silver tones featuring an exclusive botanical print, manufactured in France. Exclusive to CANARD-SEFIC.
• Nature

Products and services

• Coffins for burial (Cercueils inhumation)

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000+ coffins produced per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SOS Villages d'EnfantsminorOthers · 1 January 2022Charitable beneficiary of the 'Funéraire Solidaire' program. The program auctions unique coffins at trade shows, with 100% of proceeds donated to French charitable associations.
• France AlzheimerminorOthers · 1 January 2022Charitable beneficiary of the 'Funéraire Solidaire' program. One of three associations receiving 100% of auction proceeds from unique coffin sales at FUNEXPO trade show.
• Perce NeigeminorOthers · 1 January 2022Charitable beneficiary of the 'Funéraire Solidaire' program. One of three associations receiving 100% of auction proceeds from unique coffin sales at FUNEXPO trade show.
• BERLANDIER Distributeur FunérairecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2012Acquired in 2012, BERLANDIER is a funeral distributor based in Saint-Andiol (13). It now operates as a regional platform within the CANARD distribution network.
• MIV LAGARDEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011MIV LAGARDE is a coffin factory acquired by the CANARD group in 2011, located at Le Puy-en-Velay (43). It expands the group's manufacturing footprint and adds production capacity.
• SCIEMO (Société Civile d'Exploitation de la Main d'Œuvre)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1980SCIEMO is a wholly-owned sawmill subsidiary created by Guy CANARD in 1980 to ensure direct supply of APECF-labeled hardwoods for coffin manufacturing. It operates as a first-transformation facility (sawmill and kiln drying) for the group's coffin factories, employing 7 people.
• ONF (Office National des Forêts)minorOthersSCIEMO holds a supply contract with the French National Forestry Office (ONF), covering approximately 40% of the Allier's annual wood needs. The partnership also includes forest maintenance, with SCIEMO assisting ONF in removing diseased or decaying wood from state forests.
• APECF (Association des Pépiniéristes et Exploitants Forestiers Certifiés)minorOthersCANARD INDUSTRIES sources APECF-certified (labelled) hardwoods for coffin manufacturing, ensuring traceability and quality of wood origin.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Matthews International: US-listed provider of funeral products including caskets, cremation equipment, and memorial products through its Industrial Technologies segment. Comparable at category level (casket manufacturing and death care products) but operates as part of a broader industrial portfolio rather than specialized in the French coffin market.

Direct peers

• Batesville (Hillenbrand): Largest casket manufacturer in North America (a Hillenbrand operating company). Highly comparable as a high-volume, industrial-scale casket/coffin producer with broad product range and a multi-decade reputation in death care manufacturing.
• OGF (Omnium de Gestion et de Financement): France's largest funeral services group, operating funeral homes (including the PFG brand) and supplying coffins to its network. Most directly comparable to Canard-SEFIC at scale as a vertically integrated French coffin supplier and B2B partner to pompes funèbres.
• Barker & Sons: Long-established UK coffin manufacturer combining traditional craftsmanship with industrial production. Comparable to Canard-SEFIC in semi-artisanal casket manufacturing, wood sourcing, and national B2B distribution model.
• Roc-Eclerc: National French funeral services cooperative with a broad regional network and own coffin supply. Serves the same pompes funèbres customer base as Canard-SEFIC, making it a parallel B2B coffin distributor competitor.
• Service Catholique de Funérailles (SCF): French Catholic-affiliated funeral services network operating pompes funèbres across France and supplying coffins. Directly comparable as a B2B coffin seller with national reach to the same funeral professional customers.
• Funécap: Second-largest French funeral services group (owns Sogal and Crematorium de France). Operates multiple funeral home brands and competes with Canard in coffin manufacturing and B2B coffin supply across France.

Regional players

• Ville de Paris Funéraire: Paris municipal funeral services provider. Operates a regional network of pompes funèbres and competes with Canard in coffin supply, though geographically concentrated in the Paris region rather than national France.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/share?url=https://canard-sefic.com/fr/nos-produits/ornements/ornement-iris.html&text=Ornement%20Iris
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://canard-sefic.com/fr/nos-produits/ornements/ornement-iris.html
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ets-canard-sefic

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 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 CANARD- SEFIC