Colas

A global player

Colas operates in over 50 countries across five continents through a network of 1,000 profit centres and 3,000 construction materials (aggregates, asphalt mixes, binders, bitumen, etc.) production and recycling units. Colas’ almost 65,000 employees work in their local communities to bring people closer together and facilitate exchange for the world of today and tomorrow. 

They share a common culture and the values of caring, sharing and daring. Colas completes over 50,000 projects every year, often small in size but also far bigger or technically more complex ones such as PPPs (public-private partnerships), concessions and long-term contracts that take account of its CSR objectives. Colas’ 2023 sales came to €16.0 billion, 60% of which was generated outside France.

65,000

EMPLOYEES
HEADCOUNT AT 31 DECEMBER 2023

Strategic priorities

Make optimum use of its industrial activities, especially quarries and bitumen

The control of infrastructure-building materials, such as aggregates and bitumen, is crucial at a time of growing resource scarcity. Over the years, Colas has therefore taken a strong position on this front by investing in new quarries, while also purchasing significantly more bitumen and massively expanding its storage and distribution capacity. The aim is to better control the quality and availability of its supply of materials, improve safety, help to preserve the environment and improve its competitiveness by optimising the use of its assets, particularly through third-party sales.

Develop and implement low-carbon solutions

In response to the urgent need for climate action, Colas has launched an ambitious strategy to decarbonise its activities and offerings, focusing on:

its production methods – solutions for saving energy, recycling, and lower-emission plant and industrial processes, etc.
the products and services it develops for its customers and users – contract-based solutions (long-term contracts, asset management, etc.), technology solutions from our R&D centre (cooler or cold asphalt mixes, bio-based binders, cold in-place recycling of used pavement, etc.), hydrogen, and digital solutions (new digital technology-enabled and data-enabled services).

Pursue targeted expansion abroad

Colas’ strategy is to establish leading positions on local markets where it already operates. It has a proven track record of successfully integrating companies of all shapes and sizes into every part of its business, and in many parts of the world. Colas, which generates 60% of its sales outside France, is also aiming to expand its international footprint in selected, high-potential geographies.

Step up its digital transformation

Colas is radically transforming its methods, tools, industries, products and services, among other elements, by mobilising Big Data and artificial intelligence to boost its financial performance, contribute to social and environmental causes, and help its customers develop and grow. For Colas, this digital transformation serves as a perfect opportunity to step up progress to reach its three objectives.

Operational priorities

Continue to develop and launch Colas operations outside of France in strategically chosen regions.
Pursue ongoing transformation initiatives and operational excellence programmes for its industrial activities.

Continue the roll-out of the Act and Commit Together (ACT) project, which embodies Colas’ eight CSR pledges, with a particular focus on the SBTi-endorsed targets set out in the low-carbon roadmap: a 46.5% reduction in both its direct greenhouse gas emissions (scopes 1 and 2) and its upstream indirect emissions (scope 3a).

Three main activities:

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ROADS:

Road-building is Colas’ core activity: it builds and maintains roads and motorways, airport runways, port and logistics hubs, external works and amenities, reserved-lane public transport (Bus Rapid Transit routes and tram lines) as well as recreational facilities and environmental projects. This activity also includes road safety and signalling, as well as construction and civil engineering.

Construction materials:

Colas has a significant presence in the production, distribution, sale and recycling of aggregates, emulsions, asphalt mixes, ready-mix concrete and bitumen.

The rail activity:

This activity comprises the design and engineering of complex, large-scale rail projects and the construction, renewal and maintenance of rail networks (conventional and high-speed lines, trams and metro systems).

Colas also conducts water and energy transport operations.

Innovation focused on responsible mobility:

Colas draws on its innovative-thinking and R&D to design and build infrastructure that is both useful and environmentally friendly, with the aim of crafting infrastructure and solutions that can be optimised and integrated into shared and secure public spaces, that are smart and connected as well as reversible and multi-modal, and are capable of addressing the challenges of climate change.

Colas develops and markets innovative solutions, such as:

a solution to optimise road network maintenance that taps into innovative techniques to monitor works and includes a new tool that uses “computer vision” called Infracare®;
the Flowell solution, for better sharing of public spaces and improved user safety;
the Wattway Pack off-grid standalone energy supply solution, and Wattway photovoltaic road surfacing;
Mobility by Colas solutions, which allow local authorities to plan and regulate supply flows around urban worksites (Qievo).