LThe history of this family business is closely linked to Gironde. “We want to stay in this territory and we are attached to our Gironde soul,” says its general director, Romain Pestourie. Founded in 1936 in Bègles, Unikalo is today the French leader in the manufacture and distribution of paints for professionals, with 1,523 employees and 159 stores throughout France, and five industrial sites located in the department: Mérignac, Cestas, Sainte-Hélène and two sites in Canéjan.
Major work began this summer in Cestas, to expand the warehouse to 11,000 m² and create offices and service premises over 3,000 m². The building was designed by A40 Architectes and GSE.
An investment of 20 million euros was necessary to create larger storage space for paints and a more modern logistics system, automated with a stacker crane. This device allows pallets to be automatically stored and removed from a rack, on command.
“In 2021, we reached our production capacity limit in Mérignac. We had to buy this site from Cestas in 2022. And today, our logistics capacity is starting to be limited. We had to invest to maintain strong responsiveness to our customers,” explains Romain Pestourie. In 2023, Unikalo produced more than 45,000 tons of paint.
Target new markets
In recent years, Unikalo has benefited from a sharp increase in demand for paint after the Covid crisis. But since 2022, while the market has stabilized with the construction crisis, the Gironde company has regained market share from its main competitors in France: the American PPG Industries (Sigma) or the Dutch AkzoNobel (Dulux Valentine).
In 2023, Unikalo produced more than 45,000 tons of paint
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Unikalo is gaining momentum, targeting French companies in particular (SMEs, craftsmen, etc.). It still makes 20% of its sales from individuals. With a turnover of 155 million euros in 2023 and 301 million euros for its stores (Nuances Unikalo), the company hopes to continue its growth and maintain its place as number one in France among professionals.
The new 11,000 m² building will allow better logistics, with larger storage space.
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This will involve a regrouping of logistics activity in Cestas, with a departure from the Canéjan and Sainte-Hélène sites. Production activity will also continue in Mérignac. “With only two sites located nearby, we will strengthen our logistics while maintaining our service activity. But we are also thinking about developing markets in other European countries, while we currently achieve 4% exports,” assures the general director. Unikalo has also launched into recycled paint, after integrating the company Circouleur in December 2023.
The Cestas project, which began last August, is scheduled to last until January 2026, with the delivery of all the buildings. A first tranche will be delivered in July 2025, to the logistics warehouse part.
