Groupe Atlantic
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGroupe Atlantic is a French heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and hot-water equipment group.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Groupe Atlantic is a French HVAC and building-comfort equipment group founded in 1968 in La Roche-sur-Yon, in the Vendée region of western France. The company was established by Paul Radat and Pierre Lamoure and developed initially through the consolidation of French manufacturers serving heating and domestic hot-water markets. Rather than operating as a single narrowly defined product label, Groupe Atlantic functions as a house of brands and industrial businesses covering heating, ventilation, air conditioning, boilers, water heating, and related building-energy systems. Its early expansion relied substantially on acquisitions. The group acquired Guillot, a Lyon-based boiler manufacturer, in 1973. Thermor and Sauter joined the group in 1986, followed by Pacific, a French manufacturer associated with storage water heaters. These transactions broadened the company's product range and strengthened its position in French residential and building-equipment markets. Groupe Atlantic began a more pronounced internationalization strategy in the 2000s. The purchase of Ygnis in Switzerland represented its first acquisition outside France. The group subsequently established or expanded industrial locations in Egypt, Ukraine, Turkey, and other markets, while also acquiring businesses in the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Notable international transactions included Franco-Belge in 2002, Magnum in 2006, Hamworthy in the United Kingdom in 2008, Lazzarini in Italy and Erensan in Turkey in 2011, Feinwerk in Germany and Austria Email in Austria in 2013, and ACV in Belgium in 2019. The group also acquired UK businesses including Ideal, Keston, and Gledhill in 2015 and later owned Ideal Heating in Hull. The company combines manufacturing, product development, brand management, and distribution. Its portfolio serves residential customers, commercial and industrial buildings, and professional installers. Product categories described for the group include boilers, water heaters, heating systems, ventilation equipment, and air-conditioning solutions. Its multi-brand structure allows it to address different national markets and technical applications while retaining a common industrial platform. By March 2017, Groupe Atlantic was described as having approximately 6,500 employees and 20 factories, including 10 outside France. Its international manufacturing and operating footprint included facilities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and other markets. Further sites were created during the 2000s and 2010s, including locations in Cairo, Odesa, İzmir, Fontaine, Rayong, Kutaisi, Dehradun, Billy-Berclau, and Trappes. In December 2025, the group announced an agreement to be acquired by the Japanese-American Paloma Rheem group for more than €3 billion. The transaction was reported as still requiring authorization from the French Ministry of the Economy and the regional economic authorities in Pays de la Loire as of December 23, 2025. Until completion of the required approvals, Groupe Atlantic remains described as an active French HVAC group rather than a completed subsidiary of the proposed buyer.
History
Groupe Atlantic was founded in 1968 in La Roche-sur-Yon, France, by Paul Radat and Pierre Lamoure. The company entered the heating and domestic-hot-water sector and built its early scale by combining organic development with acquisitions of established French manufacturers. This consolidation approach gave the group access to complementary technologies, brands, production capabilities, and distribution relationships. The first major transaction identified in the group's history was the acquisition of Guillot in 1973. Guillot was a Lyon-based boiler manufacturer, and its integration strengthened Groupe Atlantic's position in heating equipment. In 1986, the group acquired Thermor and Sauter, followed by Pacific, a French storage-water-heater company. These additions expanded the portfolio beyond boilers into electric and storage hot-water applications and helped establish a broader multi-brand model. International expansion became more significant during the 2000s. Groupe Atlantic acquired Ygnis in Switzerland, its first acquisition outside France. It then acquired Franco-Belge in 2002 and created a site in Cairo, Egypt, in 2004. Additional international capacity and market access followed through the creation of sites in Odesa, Ukraine, in 2006 and İzmir, Turkey, in 2007. The group also acquired Magnum in 2006 and Hamworthy in the United Kingdom in 2008. In France, it continued developing its industrial base, including the Fontaine plant created in 2008. During the 2010s, Groupe Atlantic pursued a combination of acquisitions and new-site development. Lazzarini in Italy and Erensan in Turkey were acquired in 2011. Feinwerk in Germany and Austria Email in Austria followed in 2013. The group expanded into Asia with the creation of a manufacturing site in Rayong, Thailand, in 2014. In 2015, it acquired Ideal, Keston, and Gledhill in the United Kingdom and created a site in Billy-Berclau, France. A Trappes site was created in 2016. The international network continued to grow in 2017, when the group acquired Thercon in Belgium and Orcon in the Netherlands. New sites were also created in Kutaisi, Georgia, and Dehradun, India. Another plant was established in İzmir in 2018. Groupe Atlantic acquired ACV in Belgium in 2019, adding another established heating and hot-water business to its portfolio. In 2021, it acquired 70% of ThermicEnergy in Germany. The resulting organization is a diversified HVAC and building-equipment group with multiple national brands and production locations. The company has been described as operating in 10 countries and owning or managing more than 20 factories, with approximately half of those factories outside France. A March 2017 description recorded approximately 6,500 employees, including roughly 2,900 outside France. Its businesses serve domestic, commercial, and industrial applications across heating, water heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and associated building-comfort systems. In December 2025, Groupe Atlantic announced an agreement to be acquired by Paloma Rheem, a Japanese-American group, for more than €3 billion. The reported transaction had not yet received all required French regulatory approvals as of December 23, 2025. Therefore, the proposed acquisition represents a late-stage ownership development rather than a confirmed completed change in the group's corporate status.
- 2025
Proposed acquisition by Paloma Rheem
[1]Groupe Atlantic announces an agreement to be acquired by Paloma Rheem for more than €3 billion, subject to French regulatory authorization.
- 2021
ThermicEnergy investment
[1]The group acquires a 70% stake in ThermicEnergy in Germany.
- 2019
ACV acquisition
[1]Groupe Atlantic acquires ACV in Belgium.
- 2017
Benelux and Asian expansion
[1]The group acquires Thercon and Orcon and creates sites in Kutaisi, Georgia, and Dehradun, India.
- 2015
Expansion of the UK portfolio
[1]Ideal, Keston, and Gledhill in the United Kingdom are acquired, while a site is created in Billy-Berclau, France.
- 2013
Expansion into Germany and Austria
[1]The group acquires Feinwerk in Germany and Austria Email in Austria.
- 2008
Hamworthy acquisition and French expansion
[1]Groupe Atlantic takes over Hamworthy in the United Kingdom and creates the Fontaine site in France.
- 2002
Acquisition of Franco-Belge
[1]The group acquires Franco-Belge as part of its wider European expansion.
- 1986
Thermor and Sauter join the group
[1]Groupe Atlantic acquires Thermor and Sauter, expanding its French heating and domestic-comfort portfolio.
- 1973
Acquisition of Guillot
[1]The group acquires Guillot, a French boiler manufacturer based in Lyon.
Products and positioning
A privately held, multi-brand European building-comfort and HVAC manufacturer combining French industrial roots with international acquisitions and production. The group serves residential, commercial, and industrial customers through heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and hot-water equipment.
Heating
Heating systems
Groupe Atlantic's heating activities include residential, commercial, and industrial systems, supported by brands and businesses acquired across France and Europe. The portfolio includes boiler-related products and other equipment intended to provide space heating and building comfort.
Domestic and commercial hot water
Water heaters
The group manufactures and markets domestic and commercial hot-water equipment. Its development in this category was supported by the acquisition of Pacific and by later additions such as Gledhill, Austria Email, and ACV, giving the group capabilities across storage, hot-water generation, and associated building applications.
Heating equipment
Boilers
Boilers are a core part of Groupe Atlantic's product portfolio. The group's position in this field was strengthened by the 1973 acquisition of Guillot and later by businesses including Hamworthy, Ideal, Keston, Ygnis, and ACV, which serve different national and professional markets.
Ventilation · 2017
Ventilation equipment
Through its multi-brand structure, Groupe Atlantic supplies ventilation products for building applications. The acquisition of Orcon in the Netherlands added to the group's presence in this area and contributed to its broader building-comfort offering.
Air conditioning
Air-conditioning systems
Air-conditioning is part of Groupe Atlantic's wider HVAC scope. The group positions these systems alongside heating, ventilation, and hot-water equipment to serve complete or partial building-comfort requirements.
Brand decisions
2025
Agreement to sell Groupe Atlantic to Paloma RheemM&ABackground
After decades of expansion through acquisitions and international manufacturing development, Groupe Atlantic announced an agreement with Paloma Rheem in December 2025.
Action taken
The parties agreed a transaction valued at more than €3 billion, subject to authorization by the French Ministry of the Economy and the Pays de la Loire regional economic authorities.
Aftermath
As of December 23, 2025, the transaction was pending regulatory approval and had not been identified as completed.
Proposed transaction value. More than €3 billion (December 2025)
Sources1 sources
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