Chaplain, a major player in industrial maintenance in Western France for almost 90 years, opens up its capital to Sodero, a private equity firm based in Western France.
Carmine Capital has supported the Groupe Chaplain, a specialist in industrial maintenance and general mechanics, in its OBO (Owner Buy-Out) project with the entry of Sodero into its capital.
Founded nearly 90 years ago, Chaplain will have achieved sales of over €30 million by 2023, with 230 employees in 8 branches. The Group specializes in highly technical maintenance and repair services, working in particular on powertrains (engines and gearboxes) and industrial installations. Through its subsidiary Chaplain Energie, it also offers maintenance solutions for energy production systems, with a particular focus on renewable energies (biogas, energy storage, methanization).
In this way, the Chaplain Group positions itself as a natural player in the circular economy, providing its customers with reliable, practical solutions for extending product life and reducing resource consumption.
Becoming a key player in the ecological transition
The arrival of Sodero as a shareholder will enable the Chaplain Group to accelerate its development over the next few years, with the ambition of rapidly reaching sales of €50 million, thus becoming a key player in the ecological transition for its customers and industrial partners in the Greater West of France. This development may involve external growth operations, such as those already carried out by the Group in recent years, with the integration of Sofintec and Redien in 2019.
This transaction, in which Sodero is a minority investor, will be the 3rd investment of the Sodero Equilibre fund, launched in early 2024, with the aim of supporting ambitious transformation projects in industry. For Groupe Chaplain, this capital reorganization marks a new stage in its history, while enabling the Hunaut family to retain a majority shareholding.
Éric Hunaut, Chairman of the Chaplain Group, comments: “This merger between our structures reinforces the development of our corporate project. The pooling of our skills in the service of sustainable, local and responsible industry. With Sodero, we are taking a new step in supporting our partners in the ecological transition.”
Matthieu Simon, Investment Director at Sodero, comments: “We were convinced by the quality of the development project led by Chaplain’s management, and above all by its alignment with a strong, shared ambition for impact. This puts us at the heart of Sodero Equilibre’s investment strategy, supporting circular economy solutions for local manufacturers.”
A climate of trust throughout the operation
Éric Hunaut looks back on his experience of the deal: “The deal began with a wonderful human encounter: we immediately established a relationship of trust with the Carmine Capital team, with a dedicated advisor throughout. I would particularly like to emphasize their ability to listen, their professionalism and their capacity to take into account our corporate project, in order to respond in the best possible way. I felt very serene throughout the operation.”
“We are delighted to have contributed to the merger between the Chaplain Group and Sodero. This capital-transmission transaction will give Chaplain new impetus, enabling it to accelerate its development and reinforce its ambition to become a key player in the ecological transition,” shares Cécile Jonnard, Director at Carmine Capital.
By supporting the Chaplain Group in this OBO project, Carmine Capital confirms its presence in the Greater West of France and its ability to support companies in the region.
For more information, please contact: Cécile Jonnard, Pierre-Lucas Masarin, Clément Richard and Anne-Laure Saint-Marc Girardin.
