GERAMA ARTIPOLE
GERAMA ARTIPOLE is a member cooperative of ORCAB, a French network of 41 purchasing cooperatives serving more than 9,600 building-trade artisan SMBs via shared pricing, logistics, showrooms and IT tools under the Artisans Artipôle brand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersVOIVRES LES LE MANS, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What GERAMA ARTIPOLE does
GERAMA ARTIPOLE operates as a member cooperative within ORCAB (Organisation des Coopératives d'achat des Artisans du Bâtiment), a national purchasing-cooperative network for French building-trade artisans founded in 1990 and headquartered in Rocheservière, France. ORCAB is the 5th-largest multi-specialist purchasing groupement in France, with 100 group-level employees, 41 regional cooperatives, more than 9,600 member artisan businesses, 41 ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE showrooms, 2 logistics platforms and 700+ referenced suppliers. GERAMA is one of those 41 regional cooperatives, led since 19 June by Président Fabrice Merceur, serving SMB artisans in the Sarthe/Maine area around Voivres-les-le-Mans.
The network's product offering rests on four pillars: (1) centralised purchasing platforms that aggregate volume to negotiate supplier pricing; (2) shared logistics across two physical platforms; (3) the consumer-facing Artisans Artipôle brand identity, communication tools and 41 showrooms; and (4) IT tooling for members, including the Eolas e-commerce platform with Algolia-powered search, ERP integrations, and the proprietary MASSI (Mutualisation d'Assistance au Système d'Information) cooperative onboarding and support system. Supporting services include training, cooperative-creation advisory, the Artimag magazine, social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube) and the biennial Salon des artisans en coopérative, whose 6th edition in March 2026 at Nantes attracted 11,000+ visitors and 500 supplier partners.
The cooperative operates as a Société Anonyme Coopérative Artisanale à capital variable, collectively owned by its member artisans under governance led by Director General Stéphane Windsor and President Joël Schoenher. Revenue is generated on a transaction-based take rate spread across building-materials sales through member showrooms, plus professional services fees for IT support, training and cooperative-creation advisory. Pricing is individually negotiated through cooperative membership agreements and is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is exclusively to professional artisan members via the 41 showrooms, the Eolas portal, and physical deliveries from the two logistics platforms, all within France.
GERAMA ARTIPOLE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GERAMA ARTIPOLE
- Legal name
- ORCAB - Société Anonyme Coopérative Artisanale à capital variable
- Website
- https://orcab.coop
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GERAMA ARTIPOLE is a member cooperative of ORCAB, a French network of 41 purchasing cooperatives serving more than 9,600 building-trade artisan SMBs via shared pricing, logistics, showrooms and IT tools under the Artisans Artipôle brand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GERAMA ARTIPOLE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Building Materials Distribution Cooperative
- akta.pro primary industry
- Procurement Platforms, Catalogs & Contract Purchasing (Co-ops, GPOs, eProcurement) (EDAEAIAO)
Keywords
Where GERAMA ARTIPOLE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- VOIVRES LES LE MANS
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
GERAMA ARTIPOLE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Building Materials Sales: ORCAB generates revenue through collective purchasing of building materials and distributing to member artisans through cooperative showrooms. The model is based on mass purchasing and price negotiation for volume discounts shared among members.
- Cooperative Services: Services including IT support (MASSI), training, and support for cooperative creation and development
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Cooperative membership pricing for building artisans |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
GERAMA ARTIPOLE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GERAMA ARTIPOLE is a member cooperative within the ORCAB network that provides building trade artisans with collective purchasing access to construction materials at negotiated prices. The cooperative distributes building materials exclusively to professional artisan members through 41 showrooms, the Eolas e-commerce platform, and two logistics platforms. Members benefit from the shared ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE brand identity, IT support via the MASSI system, and access to a network of 700+ suppliers.
Product overview
ORCAB – ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE operates as a unified cooperative network for building artisans, organized around a national purchasing group (ORCAB, founded 1990) that connects over 40 regional purchasing cooperatives to more than 9,400 member artisan businesses. Its core service offering comprises four integrated pillars: (1) Les Plateformes – centralized purchasing platforms enabling negotiated, competitive pricing through volume aggregation; (2) Le Soutien Logistique – two dedicated logistics platforms serving member cooperatives; (3) La Signature ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE – a shared public-facing brand identity with standardized communication tools and 41 showrooms (salles d'exposition); and (4) Les Outils Informatiques – a suite of professional IT solutions including the Eolas e-commerce/m-commerce site, the Algolia search engine, ERP integration, and MASSI (Mutualisation d'Assistance au Système d'Information) for cooperative IT onboarding and support. Member artisans also benefit from referral supplier networks, training programs, bending/structural/agencement workshops, and access to the biennial Salon des Artisans en Coopérative. GERAMA is one of the member cooperatives within this network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE: The commercial signature that brings together cooperatives and their member artisans around a common identity, shared territory of communication, with shared values: respect for humans and the strength of the collective.
Products and services
- Centralized Purchasing Platforms (Les Plateformes) Centralized purchasing platforms that aggregate demand across 9,400+ artisan members to negotiate competitive pricing with 700+ referenced suppliers. Enables collective bargaining power for building trade artisans purchasing construction materials.
- Logistics Platform Services (Le Soutien Logistique) Two dedicated logistics platforms providing delivery and distribution services for building materials to member cooperatives and their artisan members across France.
- ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE Showroom Network 41 physical showroom locations (salles d'exposition) across France where member artisans can view, select, and purchase building materials. The showrooms operate under the shared ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE brand identity.
- Eolas E-commerce Platform Online ordering platform (e-commerce/m-commerce) allowing cooperative member artisans to browse and purchase building materials with Algolia-powered search functionality.
- MASSI IT Support Service (Mutualisation d'Assistance au Système d'Information) Mutualized IT support service providing data management, ERP setup, e-commerce deployment, and system security for cooperative members and member cooperatives.
- ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE Brand Communication Toolkit Shared public-facing brand identity and standardized communication tools allowing cooperatives and member artisans to market themselves to end consumers under the unified ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE signature.
- Salon des Artisans en Coopérative (Biennial Trade Show) Biennial private trade show at Parc des expositions de la Beaujoire, Nantes, connecting member artisans with 500+ nationally referenced supplier partners for networking, product showcases, and business development.
Companies that use GERAMA ARTIPOLE
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
GERAMA ARTIPOLE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
GERAMA ARTIPOLE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered gold, silver and core.
- FIMA Carlo FrattinigoldOR partner for the Salon 2026 - international manufacturer of bathroom fixtures
- FLO FermeturesgoldOR partner for the Salon 2026 - door and closure manufacturer
- Atlantic ThermorgoldOR partner for the Salon 2026 - heating and hot water solutions
- K-LINEgoldOR partner for the Salon 2026 - aluminum windows and doors
- SPPFgoldOR partner for the Salon 2026
- SOTHOFERMgoldOR partner for the Salon 2026 - door manufacturer
- GROHEsilverSilver partner for the Salon 2026 - bathroom fixtures
- GEBERITsilverSilver partner for the Salon 2026 - sanitary systems
- VELUXsilverSilver partner for the Salon 2026 - roof windows
- SOMFYsilverSilver partner for the Salon 2026 - home automation
- La ToulousainesilverSilver partner for the Salon 2026 - closures and shutters
- EcomaisoncoreEco-organization for building waste management; ORCAB adheres to Ecomaison for AGEC law compliance (waste sector)
- UFCACcorePartner organization in the cooperative network, referenced on the ORCAB partners page
- Chambres de Métiers et de l'Artisanat (CMA)coreFrench Chambers of Trades and Crafts - strategic partner for artisan development
- COOP FR (Entreprises Coopératives)coreFrench cooperative federation supporting the cooperative business model
- WE COOPcoreFédération des coopératives d'artisans et entrepreneurs - federation supporting artisan cooperatives
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GERAMA ARTIPOLE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tout Faire Matériaux: Tout Faire Matériaux is a French cooperative network of independent building materials distributors, offering centralized purchasing and shared branding to members — directly comparable to ORCAB's groupement model.
- BIGMAT: BIGMAT is a European network of independent building materials distributors operating under a shared brand and central purchasing structure — directly comparable to ORCAB's cooperative-affiliate model for serving independent building trade professionals.
- Gedimat: Gedimat is a French cooperative-style network of independent building materials merchants, sharing central purchasing and brand identity — a close structural analog to ORCAB's ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE cooperative model.
Regional players
- VM Matériaux (Vendée Matériaux): VM Matériaux is a regional French building materials distributor concentrated in western France (overlapping ORCAB's western French footprint), serving building trades with similar product and service offerings.
- Doras: Doras is a French building materials distributor operating across multiple regions — comparable business model and customer base but operating in distinct geographic territories rather than a cooperative network.
Broad incumbents
- SAMSE Group: SAMSE is a publicly listed French regional building materials distributor serving professionals and individuals across multiple specialties — a broader, capital-market-backed incumbent comparable to ORCAB at greater scale.
- Chausson Matériaux: Chausson Matériaux is a major independent French building materials distributor serving professional and DIY customers — a broad incumbent with overlapping trade-artisan customer base and product categories.
- Saint-Gobain Distribution France: Saint-Gobain Distribution operates major French building materials brands (Point.P, CEDEO, Dispano, PUM, SFIC) — a much larger, capital-backed incumbent offering overlapping procurement, logistics and brand services to building trades.
Emerging players
- CEDEO (Saint-Gobain): CEDEO is a Saint-Gobain Distribution specialist in plumbing, heating and sanitary solutions for building professionals — overlapping with portions of ORCAB's product breadth (e.g., Atlantic Thermor, bathroom fixtures) but as a narrower vertical specialist.
- Dispano (Saint-Gobain): Dispano is a Saint-Gobain Distribution brand specializing in wood, panels and interior joinery products for professional craftsmen — a more focused, vertical-specific competitor to ORCAB's broader building materials coverage.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
GERAMA ARTIPOLE social profiles
Digital presenceGERAMA ARTIPOLE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GERAMA ARTIPOLE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
GERAMA ARTIPOLE subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
GERAMA ARTIPOLE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GERAMA ARTIPOLE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GERAMA ARTIPOLE
What does GERAMA ARTIPOLE do?
GERAMA ARTIPOLE is a member cooperative within the ORCAB network that provides building trade artisans with collective purchasing access to construction materials at negotiated prices. The cooperative distributes building materials exclusively to professional artisan members through 41 showrooms, the Eolas e-commerce platform, and two logistics platforms. Members benefit from the shared ARTISANS ARTIPÔLE brand identity, IT support via the MASSI system, and access to a network of 700+ suppliers.
Is GERAMA ARTIPOLE a public or private company?
GERAMA ARTIPOLE is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was GERAMA ARTIPOLE founded?
GERAMA ARTIPOLE was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GERAMA ARTIPOLE based?
GERAMA ARTIPOLE is headquartered in VOIVRES LES LE MANS, France, in the Europe region.
How does GERAMA ARTIPOLE make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Building Materials Sales are the primary driver. The others are cooperative Services.
Who are GERAMA ARTIPOLE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tout Faire Matériaux, BIGMAT and Gedimat. Regional players are VM Matériaux (Vendée Matériaux) and Doras. Broad incumbents are SAMSE Group, Chausson Matériaux and Saint-Gobain Distribution France. Emerging players are CEDEO (Saint-Gobain) and Dispano (Saint-Gobain).
Does GERAMA ARTIPOLE have an API?
No public API is recorded for GERAMA ARTIPOLE.
What industry is GERAMA ARTIPOLE in?
GERAMA ARTIPOLE's product category is Building Materials Distribution Cooperative. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAIAO, Procurement Platforms, Catalogs & Contract Purchasing (Co-ops, GPOs, eProcurement).