Yvelines-based Ecoclean Services has acquired the Barataud group, comprising CVS, Bonnot, Lassere, and Pronet, adding €8 million in turnover and 650 employees to its workforce. The experts from AURIS Finance, a consultancy specialising in mergers and acquisitions, take a closer look at this latest move in the cleaning sector.
The move represents both strategic and geographical expansion. This is how Laurent Petit, Managing Director of Ecoclean Services, describes the takeover of the Barataud group. With this acquisition, the specialist in cleaning, post-construction services, maintenance of green spaces, and assistance to general services is expanding its geographical footprint. Originally active in the Yvelines region through 14 structures, the group is now establishing a foothold in the Centre region with sites in Tours, Orléans, Vierzon, and Clamecy. From a strategic point of view, the group is strengthening its position in the cleaning sector with specialist providers: Lassere propreté for tertiary sector cleaning, CVS for cleaning and maintenance of green spaces, and Pronet for disaster recovery.
Previously managed from the Paris region, the group will now be able to serve its clients in the Centre region locally, via a catchment area stretching from Brest to Clermont-Ferrand. With this acquisition, Ecoclean Services now has 2,600 employees and generates a turnover of €55 million.
Some fifteen acquisitions to date
Since its creation in 2016, Ecoclean Services has grown rapidly, making around fifteen acquisitions in eight years. Revenues have jumped from €10 million to €55 million, while the number of employees has climbed from 350 to almost 2,500. Ecoclean Services is now targeting €120 million in turnover by 2026, relying on both organic growth (4% to 6% annually) and inorganic growth through targeted acquisitions. Notable takeovers include EURO CRISTAL in 2020, Serviclean and Serviclean Atlantique in 2021. In 2022, the group took over Proxy Services, a company specialising in the cleaning of prestigious sites (grandes écoles and institutions), before acquiring three other companies in the Paris region the same year.
The employee retention and agility of an SME
Despite this rapid growth, Ecoclean Services is committed to maintaining a flexible organisation. To achieve this, the group is organised into fourteen structures, each with a local presence in a specific area and each specialising in a particular field. Manulav’ Propreté & Services specialises in services for condominiums and property managers, while Maximal focuses its cleaning services on data centres and the industrial sector in the Paris region.
To retain its staff, the group keeps its entities on a human scale, separating them based on activity and geography. It is also working to strengthen the sense of belonging and internal cohesion, through training and the introduction of a shareholding system involving top management and the heads of the acquired entities.
Our experts at your side
Any external acquisition strategy must be accompanied by an internal strategic review to ensure that it does not unbalance an organisation’s operations. In the case of extremely rapid growth, support remains key. Within the AURIS Finance group, our experts in cleaning companies are at your side. Experienced in the specific problems of this business sector, they are able to assist you throughout your sale and buyout transactions.
