The Largeot and Coltin workwear distributor opens a store in Angers – Le Journal des Entreprises – Maine-et-Loire

In Garennes-sur-Loire, south of Angers, Largeot et Coltin, a distributor of high-end workwear and traditional tools for construction professionals, and its sister company Kraft Workwear, which sells workwear online classical work for a wider clientele, continue to grow together. The three managers, Romain Loyeau and the brothers Jean and Vianney Copleutre, decided to open a 400 square meter store in Angers, boulevard Gaston-Birgé. “The idea is to create a living space to meet our customers. We want to offer craftsmen our traditional clothing, high-end tools and personal protective equipment”, explains Jean Copleutre.

80% of the 1,500 references manufactured in Europe

Currently, the two companies have a showroom in their 2,000 square meter building in Garennes-sur-Loire, where customers can come. But the bulk of sales are made through e-commerce. Largeot et Coltin, born in 2012, and Kraft Workwear, created in 2016, achieve a combined turnover of approximately 2.5 million euros. “We work with a lot of craftsmen and we have expanded our network of salespeople, specifies Vianney Copleutre. Some professionals go on the Internet and others need this direct relationship with the salesperson. We have customers all over France and we make 5 to 10% of our sales in Europe.” For this, Largeot et Coltin and Kraft Workwear rely on a team of around fifteen people.

80% of the approximately 1,500 references sold by the two entities are manufactured in Europe, with the aim of going further and further in transparency on the origin of the products. Investments have also been made to provide new services to customers. “We have acquired several machines to personalize embroidery garments or laser engrave tools and protect them against theft”, specifies Romain Loyeau. The three leaders also plan to invest in redeveloping and revamping part of the premises, in order to make them more functional and pleasant.

A factory in three or four years

Romain Loyeau and the Copleutre brothers took over, in 2019, the manufacturer of traditional workwear Le Laboureur (around 2.5 million euros in turnover) in Digoin, in Saône-et-Loire, with the key a 3,000 square meter clothing workshop of which they were previously the first customers and which they continue to develop (100,000 euros per year on average, 150,000 euros invested in 2023). “The workforce has gone from 17 people at the takeover to 30 employees today, rejoices Jean Copleutre. We continue to recruit because demand is strong.”

The objective of the trio of leaders is to go further, with the establishment of a second manufacturing site in Maine-et-Loire, to complete the activity of Digoin. “The idea is to eventually quadruple the production of Le Laboureur, specifies Vianney Copleutre, because we will also be innovating on the initial site. It is not a question of relocation but of a development of production. We want to produce more in France, without reaching too high costs.” As it stands, the investment would vary between 6 and 8 million euros for a site of 5,000 to 6,000 square meters, with 45 short-term jobs and then a ramp-up in a site that could be sized for 200 people. .

The leaders have determined an envelope, made contact with local authorities and measured the different eventualities between the acquisition of land or that of an existing building. “We are on the first feasibility studies, asks Jean Copleutre, who expects a start within three or four years. We do not have the industrial experience and it is not easily financed.”