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ELIS S.A./ADR
ELIS S.A. is a French industrial services firm led by Nicolas Burtscher, operating over 1,000 accounts and 80 plants across Europe with 50,000 employees.
ELIS S.A./ADR
ELIS S.A. was founded in 1995 as a spin-off from the French conglomerate Generale de Service, originally focusing on linen and workwear rental. Nicolas Burtscher has served as CEO since 2019, succeeding Xavier Martiré who is now Chairman. The company went public on Euronext Paris in 2015 (Paris: ELIS) and also trades as an American Depositary Receipt in the US. The firm's core business involves laundering, renting, and maintaining textiles and hygiene equipment — flat linen for hospitals, towels for hotels, workwear for factories, and cleanroom garments for pharmaceuticals. ELIS also offers entrance mats, industrial wiping cloths, and water treatment services. Key clients include AccorHotels, InterContinental Hotels Group, and several large European hospital groups. Geographically, ELIS operates in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, and Poland, with additional presence in Eastern Europe and Brazil. ELIS employs roughly 50,000 people as of 2025 and reported annual revenue of approximately €4.5 billion in 2024 (per public filings). The company maintains a decentralized operating model with country-level management teams responsible for local production and service delivery. Its free float is held by institutional investors including BlackRock and Fidelity, along with individual retail shareholders. A structural differentiator is ELIS's integrated manufacturing-service model: unlike pure distributors, the company owns its production plants and fleet of vehicles, controlling the full chain from textile washing to delivery and collection. This vertical integration gives ELIS cost advantages and service reliability that smaller regional players cannot match.
General information
Firm type
Other
Year founded
1995
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
France
City
Saint-Cloud
Corporate office
Saint-Cloud, France
Principals
Xavier Martiré
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Nicolas Burtscher
Chief Executive Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at ELIS?
Nicolas Burtscher is the CEO of ELIS S.A., responsible for overall strategy and major capital allocation. The company's Board of Directors, chaired by Xavier Martiré, approves significant investments and acquisitions. Operational decisions are decentralized to country-level managers.
How does ELIS source proprietary deal flow?
ELIS sources deals primarily through its existing network of industrial customers and suppliers. The firm also actively pursues bolt-on acquisitions in European markets where it sees opportunity for consolidation, often targeting family-owned textile rental businesses in Germany, the UK, and France.
Is ELIS structured as a family office or a public company?
ELIS is a publicly traded company on Euronext Paris (ELIS) with an American Depositary Receipt program. It is not a family office. The firm is a multinational industrial services corporation with professional management and institutional ownership.
Does ELIS participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
ELIS invests exclusively in direct operational acquisitions and organic capital expenditures. The firm does not commit to external funds or participate in venture capital. All investments are in line with its core rental services business.
What investment stages does ELIS typically target?
ELIS targets mature, cash-flow-positive businesses in the textile rental and hygiene services sectors. The firm typically acquires controlling stakes in private companies, often family-owned, with revenues between €10 million and €200 million. It also invests in greenfield plant expansions.
Which sectors does ELIS explicitly avoid?
ELIS does not participate in technology startups, financial services, real estate development, or energy extraction. The firm focuses strictly on industrial services related to textile rental, cleaning, and hygiene.
Does ELIS maintain philanthropic structures?
ELIS does not have a publicly disclosed philanthropic foundation or charitable arm. The firm's corporate social responsibility reporting focuses on environmental sustainability and workforce safety, not foundation giving.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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