International growth propels Kiloutou to €1.2bn in revenue

Growth in international markets helped Kiloutou increase its revenues by 18% to €1.2 billion in 2023.

Sales in France were up 8% to €759 million – representing more than 63% of the group total – but revenues outside France increased by 42% to €448 million.

A third of Kiloutou’s fleet investment in 2023 was allocated to low-carbon equipment.

The increase reflected organic growth of 6% plus the impact of acquisitions in France (Bernard Location), Germany (Uka-Hauke) and Spain (Valser).

Kiloutou said it had seen grown in all seven of its European markets - France, Poland, Spain, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Portugal.

The growth in international revenues has been dramatic, with business outside of France now generating 37% of its revenues compared to just 18% in 2021.

The company said its investment in digital technology, including the relaunch of its main website in France, had led to a 54% increase in revenue generated by digital channels in France.

It is the first time the group has exceeded €1 billion in revenues and Kiloutou said that in the context of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, the result demonstrated the “relevance, solidity and agility of its business model.”

Rental fleet decarbonisation
Kiloutou said it was pursuing a “voluntary transition programme” in relation to decarbonisation. A third of its fleet investment in 2023 was earmarked for low-emission equipment. In France, it has a dedicated iMPAKT low emission product range and said it “aims to gradually roll out a low-emission range in its various markets from 2024.”

The company is also decarbonising its own fleets for service, breakdown and delivery. It added a 32 tonne electric heavy truck to its delivery fleet in the summer of 2023 and expects that 27% of its vehicle renewals in 2024 will be decarbonised.

In terms of digital developments, it launched its Youse and Konnect services and relaunched the kiloutou.fr website. Kiloutou said; “The fluidity sought between the digital experience and the in-branch experience is bearing fruit: turnover generated on digital channels in France has risen by 54% in one year.”

Kiloutou said 2024 would be “rich in opportunities, but also in challenges. The economic environment is still marked by inflation and the emergence of sectoral and geopolitical crises likely to disrupt the construction and civil engineering companies.

“Faced with these challenges, equipment rental is proving to be a real solution for construction companies: first, by enabling them to optimise their cost structures and, second, by offering them low-carbon equipment that is still more expensive to buy.”

Olivier Colleau, CEO of Kiloutou Group. (Photo: Kiloutou)

Olivier Colleau, Kiloutou’s CEO, said 2023 had been both turbulent and remarkable for the company; “This performance confirms the solidity of our business model and the relevance of the strategy we have adopted.

“In 2024, we are maintaining our ambitions to grow in all our markets, but also to decarbonise our business, with the agility and pragmatism that is in our character and which enables us to grasp the right opportunities.

“I would like to congratulate all the Group’s 7,000 team members who have worked and continue to work towards this success.”