Coteba

Coteba was founded in 1961 and grew within the Générale des Eaux group (which later became Vivendi and then Veolia). Before adding engineering to its activities through external and organic growth, Coteba began by promoting the development of a new activity in France: that of project management applied to construction.

In September 2003, by which time it had become a subsidiary of Nexity, Coteba gained its independence through a first LMBO (Leverage Management Buy Out). The group’s management now held most of its capital, in association with two financial institutions. This independence allowed the company to diversify its client base, develop new types of original contract (multi-site and multi-country projects) for major international clients. These multi-site contracts enabled the group to deploy its activities progressively in most European countries and then in a few flagship countries outside Europe.

In 2006, Coteba acquired the construction engineering activities of the Thalès group. Coteba thus became a strong player in transport and infrastructure engineering and boosted its skills in the area of complex industrial buildings.
 

In October 2007, following a second LMBO, the company’s entire capital came into the hands of its managers and employees. Its international expansion continued in Latin America, South Africa and Canada in particular. Coteba began providing turnkey contract services and also began making inroads into the PPP market in the building construction sector.

Sogreah
Sogreah was created in 1955 when a limited company was formed from the group of design and testing laboratories that turbine manufacturer Neyrpic had operated in Grenoble since the early 20th century. When it was founded, Sogreah already had nearly a half-century’s experience in the design of hydraulic development schemes, hydropower facilities in particular.

Over the next forty years, Sogreah became part of the Alsthom and then Alcatel-Alsthom groups, expanding its experience and know-how by designing and managing the construction of thousands of projects in over 200 countries in the water, energy, environmental, maritime, industrial and urban development sectors. A sustained research and innovation policy and the strengthening of its original dual role as both consulting engineer and European hydraulics institute also helped to forge the company’s image.