Groupe Sofilec

What Groupe Sofilec does

Groupe Sofilec is a French family-owned group founded in 1997 that operates short-term rental and compliance services for the construction, professional vehicle, and event infrastructure sectors. The group is structured around four wholly-owned subsidiaries: LOC+ (rental of construction and outdoor maintenance equipment, the primary regional brand across the Mediterranean arc), APEX Location (rental of utility vehicles, professional vehicles, and automobiles), COVETECH (regulated VGP safety inspections for lifting equipment, wind turbines, and electrical installations, plus training, operating nationwide), and MODURENT (temporary modular solutions and mobile sanitary units, with a dedicated event-sanitation line). It employs approximately 260 people across 30+ agencies concentrated in the Occitanie and PACA regions of southern France, with COVETECH deploying field inspectors across mainland France.

The group's revenue model is transaction-based: equipment, vehicle, and modular rental fees are quoted per unit or per day, while COVETECH generates professional-services revenue from inspections and Qualiopi-certified training delivered through the in-house Académie Sofilec. Distribution is conducted entirely through owned physical branches and direct field sales, with no digital marketplace layer; the corporate website is built on a standard WordPress/Elementor stack with no proprietary technology, integrations, or AI capabilities. Customer acquisition relies on regional branch presence, local reputation, and earned media coverage in regional and national business press, rather than performance marketing.

The company is family-controlled with regional investment fund backing (€5M raised in September 2020), is profitable enough to fund continuous fleet renewal from operating cash, and reports approximately €50M in annual revenue. It differentiates via RSE commitments formalized through the Ecovadis Silver Medal (72/100, top 8% of rental sector) and SE+ label (186 requirements), and has pursued a measured roll-up strategy including the 2022 acquisition of Chaptal Location by APEX Location. Geographic expansion is concentrated exclusively in southern France, with no stated international ambitions.

Name

Groupe Sofilec

Legal name

SOFILEC

Website

https://groupesofilec.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Groupe Sofilec is a French family-owned group that rents construction equipment, professional vehicles, and modular infrastructure, and performs regulatory safety inspections, primarily across the Mediterranean arc of southern France through four subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equipment Rental Services

NAICS

Construction, Transportation, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53241), Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321)

SIC

Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)

akta.pro primary industry

Site Services & Temporary Infrastructure Rental/Leasing (Portable Toilets, Fencing, Storage Containers) (TLABAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Utility / Service Body Truck Leasing & Rental (Bucket, Field Service, Telecom/Power) (TLABABAJ)

Keywords

• Construction equipment rental
• Professional vehicle rental
• Modular sanitary solutions
• Safety inspection services
• VGP compliance verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-jean-de-védas

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Short-term equipment rental (LOC+): Short-term rental of construction equipment (petit et gros matériels BTP) and outdoor maintenance equipment through LOC+ subsidiary. Revenue is generated per rental transaction, driven by fleet utilization and rental duration.
2. Professional vehicle rental (APEX Location): Short-term rental of utility vehicles, professional vehicles, and automobiles through APEX Location subsidiary. Revenue is usage/duration-based per vehicle rental.
3. Safety inspection and training (COVETECH): VGP (Vérifications Générales Périodiques) control services, electrical installations inspection, lifting equipment safety checks, wind turbine inspections, and training services across mainland France.
4. Modular solutions rental (MODURENT): Rental and installation of temporary modular solutions, mobile sanitary units, and mobile base camps (MODURENT SERVICES), plus sanitary rental for sports and cultural events (MODURENT EVENT).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Groupe Sofilec operates short-term rental and professional services across four subsidiaries: LOC+ rents construction and outdoor maintenance equipment, APEX Location rents professional and utility vehicles, MODURENT provides temporary modular and sanitary solutions for construction sites and events, and COVETECH performs periodic safety inspections (VGP), lifting equipment and electrical installation checks, and training. The group serves business clients across the Mediterranean arc with a network of 30+ physical agency branches.

Product overview

Groupe Sofilec operates as a unified platform of four complementary subsidiaries offering short-term rental services and related professional solutions. The core portfolio consists of LOC+ (heavy equipment and small tool rental for construction and outdoor maintenance), APEX Location (professional vehicle and utility rental), COVETECH (safety inspections, VGP compliance verification, and training services), and MODURENT (temporary modular solutions and event sanitation). The group's Académie provides internal training programs to support workforce development across all subsidiaries. Together, these offerings enable construction and professional service clients to access equipment, vehicles, safety compliance, and temporary infrastructure from a single regional network covering the Mediterranean arc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LOC+: First regional equipment rental brand for BTP and outdoor space maintenance, covering the Mediterranean arc from Fréjus to Perpignan.
• APEX Location
• COVETECH
• MODURENT

Products and services

• LOC+ Equipment Rental Short-term rental of small and large construction equipment (BTP — bâtiment et travaux publics) and outdoor space maintenance equipment for construction companies and civil engineering firms. Operates a network of agencies covering the Mediterranean arc from Fréjus to Perpignan, including Montpellier and Toulouse.
• APEX Location Vehicle Rental Short-term rental of utility vehicles, professional vehicles, special vehicles, and automobiles for businesses in Occitanie and PACA regions. Offers a modern, regularly renewed fleet across all categories with a reputation for responsiveness.
• COVETECH Safety Inspection and Training Periodic safety inspections (VGP — Vérifications Générales Périodiques), lifting equipment safety checks, wind turbine inspections, and electrical installation safety audits performed across mainland France. Also provides professional training services to companies requiring safety compliance.
• MODURENT Modular and Sanitary Solutions Rental and installation of temporary modular solutions, mobile sanitary facilities, and mobile base camps (MODURENT SERVICES) for construction sites, plus sanitary solutions for sporting and cultural public events (MODURENT EVENT).

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 8% in the rental sector according to Ecovadis, with a score of 72/100 (silver medal)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Petit Forestier: France-based vehicle and refrigerated truck rental group with national coverage and a multi-decade operating history. Comparable to APEX Location on professional fleet rental model and B2B vehicle leasing activity in France.
• Locagri: French regional equipment rental company specializing in construction and agricultural machinery with multi-branch operations. Comparable to Sofilec on rental fleet model and small/medium BTP customer base, though at a smaller regional scale.
• Algeco: European modular space and portable building rental leader with significant French operations serving construction sites and events. Directly comparable to MODURENT SERVICES and MODURENT EVENT on temporary modular and sanitary infrastructure rental.
• Kiloutou: Major French equipment rental group with national coverage of construction, public works, and event equipment. Competes head-to-head with LOC+ in the BTP rental segment and matches Sofilec's short-term, branch-based distribution model.
• LOXAM: France's largest equipment rental company with a national branch network offering construction, aerial, and material handling equipment. Directly comparable to LOC+ on core rental activity, customer base (BTP contractors), and short-term rental transaction model.
• Fraikin: Leading French commercial vehicle rental and leasing company offering utility trucks, commercial vehicles, and fleet management services. Directly comparable to APEX Location on utility/professional vehicle rental to B2B customers.

Broad incumbents

• Mateco: European aerial work platform and material handling equipment rental group operating across multiple countries. Comparable to LOC+ on construction and material handling equipment rental, though focused on aerial platforms and operating at broader geographic scale.
• Boels Rental: Largest European equipment rental company with multi-country operations across construction, industrial, and event segments. Comparable to Sofilec as a broad incumbent in equipment rental, though at significantly larger scale and pan-European footprint.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with significant French operations covering equipment safety inspections, regulatory compliance, and training. Comparable to COVETECH on VGP, electrical, and lifting equipment safety inspection services, though at vastly larger international scale.
• Apave: French technical inspection, safety certification, and training group with national coverage of equipment and installation compliance. Directly comparable to COVETECH on periodic safety inspections (VGP), lifting and electrical checks, and professional training services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groupesofilec

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Groupe Sofilec