Colas Group

Colas Group

Company type	Private
Industry	Civil engineering, Construction
Founded	1924
Headquarters	France
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Road construction, Railway construction, Road signage installation, Pipeline laying, Rail infrastructure maintenance
Parent	Bouygues (principal shareholder)

Colas Group stands as a prominent French civil engineering company, with a focus on constructing roads and railway tracks through its subsidiary, Colas Rail. Since the 1990s, the group has integrated the road construction companies Screg and Sacer into its operations.

The group dedicates approximately 80% of its business to road construction, supplemented by activities such as road signage installation, pipeline laying, and the building and upkeep of rail infrastructure.

In the United Kingdom, operations are managed by its subsidiary Colas Ltd.

Colas

The name Colas was coined in 1924 by merging the words 'cold' and 'asphalt'.

Originally catering to local markets, SGE expanded its production capabilities within France during the 1920s and began exporting to regions such as French North Africa, Poland, and Romania. By the end of that decade, growing demand prompted a collaboration with Shell, resulting in the creation of Société Routière Colas, where Shell subsidiaries held a two-thirds ownership stake. Despite the economic challenges of the Great Depression, the company pioneered bitumen emulsion technologies and broadened its range of road construction services.

During World War II, due to majority Dutch ownership, the company was classified as enemy property. After the war, it reclaimed its leading position in France and expanded its subsidiaries into Algeria and Morocco by 1950. In 1958, Société Parisienne Raveau-Cartier purchased most of Shell's shares.

The post-war period saw growth fueled by government partnerships, expansion into former colonies, establishment of European subsidiaries, and acquisitions including Compagnie Lyonnaise des Goudrons de Bitumes, France-Route, Routes Modernes, Maison Devaux, and Compagnie Métropolitaine de Asphaltes. The group also entered the U.S. market with operations in Vermont.

Throughout the 1980s, Colas retained leadership positions in France and North Africa, acquiring Grands Travaux de l’Est to extend its presence around the Indian Ocean while diversifying into civil engineering. During this decade, Bouygues became the principal shareholder. Together with Shell, Colas co-owned Société d'Investissement de Travaux Publics (SITP), which included competitors Screg and Sacer. By the 1990s, Colas reacquired international subsidiaries from Shell; it incorporated Sacer in 1993 and Screg in 1997 as subsidiaries. The acquisition of Seco Rail occurred in 2000, followed by AMEC Spie Rail in 2007, establishing what is now known as the Colas Rail division.

Sacer

The origins of Sacer date back to the 19th century with Anciens Etablissements Brun, founded by Gaëtan Brun. Initially focused on agricultural transport using steam tractors that were adapted for road construction starting in 1874. In 1911, they introduced Bitulithe, an asphalt-like material produced directly on site.

In 1920, these operations were separated into a new entity named Société Anonyme pour la Construction et l'Entretien des Routes (SACER). Over the following twenty years, the firm expanded throughout France as well as into Algeria and Morocco.

Control shifted to the Raveau-Cartier investment group in 1969; subsequently, Sacer became part of Colas in 1992. The holding company merged fully with Colas in 2002, resulting in three regional branches: Sacer Atlantique, Sacer Paris-Nord-Est, and Sacer Sud-Est.

Screg

Originating in 1910 near Bordeaux under the name JF Humarau & Cie., the company initially focused on tar distillation within the chemical sector. By 1917, it had transformed into Société Chimique de La Gironde (SCG). Throughout the late 1920s, SCG operated more than ten facilities producing bitumen emulsions.

The company ventured into road construction during the 1930s and adopted the name Société Chimique & Routière de la Gironde (SCRG) in 1936. By the mid-20th century, it expanded its activities to include civil engineering and was renamed Société Chimique Routière & d’Entreprise Générale (Screg) in 1964. In 1979, Screg Routes et Travaux Publics was separated as an independent entity. During the 1980s, Screg became part of the same holding group as Sacer and Colas. The establishment of Screg Belgium took place in 1989.

Throughout the 1990s, Screg operated as a subsidiary under Colas, with its road construction division functioning as a separate Screg subsidiary. In 2006, Screg Belgium underwent rebranding to become Colas Belgium.

Destia

In 2021, Colas expanded its presence in the Nordic infrastructure sector by acquiring Destia, a Finnish infrastructure construction firm. Prior to this transaction, Destia had been owned by investment company Ahlström Capital since 2014, following its transition from state ownership.