Background & Opportunity
Background and opportunity: Amexbois is a French company founded on December 10, 2007. It specializes in sawing and planing timber, as well as designing, manufacturing and selling wooden outdoor facilities. Its customers mainly include businesses, local authorities and public-project clients. The company does not simply sell finished products: it also provides research and design, customized manufacturing, timber processing, transport and on-site installation. Project-delivery capability is therefore as important as material supply. In 2023, the company had between 20 and 49 employees, with revenue coming from product sales, research and design, installation and transport. This model supports urban furniture and outdoor-space projects, but requires simultaneous management of raw materials, processing capacity, design responsiveness, transport coordination and site work. The first pressure came from growth. Statutory accounts show revenue rising from 2952160 euros in 2021 to 4734989 euros in 2022 and 4808993 euros in 2023. The business expanded substantially over two years, increasing the need for stronger production and supply chain control. At the same time, its earlier product strategy included tropical timber, creating pressure related to deforestation, transport distance and environmental responsibility. Public information does not disclose the former share of tropical timber revenue, or changes in orders, purchasing costs, gross margin or carbon emissions after sales stopped. Later results therefore cannot be attributed simply to one environmental measure. The opportunity was to turn material origin from a purchasing issue into part of the project’s value. For local authorities and public-sector customers, timber origin, traceability, certification and the ability to complete design, manufacturing and installation may all influence procurement decisions. Management had expressed the ambition to become France’s first company able to provide local authorities with outdoor urban furniture made from trees from the city’s own forest. This connected local resources, public projects and customization, but remained a strategic intention rather than a verified financial result. On November 21, 2023, Amexbois signed the project to absorb Scierie Forey. The merged sawmill is located in Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux. This created an opportunity to connect logs, sawing, downstream processing and project delivery more directly, rather than acting only as a downstream facilities manufacturer purchasing materials. Industry reporting also mentioned investment in production equipment at that site and plans to expand the Oraison headquarters, although investment amounts and additional capacity were not disclosed. Supply chain integration therefore became a lever for capacity expansion, material control and differentiation. The second major change began in January 2024. Amexbois stated that it had stopped selling tropical timber and switched to local timber from forests within 150 kilometers of its production sites. It reinforced this positioning through Bois de France, PEFC and Fabriqué en France certifications. The sourcing radius, certifications and manufacturing location together form a value proposition that can be explained to customers. They may support clearer product-origin communication and participation in projects emphasizing local purchasing, environmental responsibility or public value. The factual boundary remains important. Public data confirms the merger, sourcing strategy and changes in business scale, but does not prove that localization improved profit. The company website currently reports 72 employees, 8 timber types, 4 sites and approximately 800万 euros in revenue, but the reporting period and measurement basis are unspecified, so these figures cannot be compared strictly with statutory fiscal-year data. Net profit was approximately 15.5万 euros in 2024, below approximately 46.5万 euros in 2023. This suggests that supply chain transformation may require investment, integration and commercial validation. The real opportunity is not simply to claim that the company is greener, but to organize traceable timber, sawing capability, customized design, certification, transport and installation into a delivery system that public customers can procure, business customers can understand, and future orders and profits can validate.
Original Problem / Model
Original problem and model: The company relied on combined revenue from timber products, design, installation and transport. It also faced pressure to expand capacity, strengthen supply chain control and address the environmental responsibility associated with tropical timber. Public information does not disclose the former share of tropical timber revenue or any order losses after sales stopped.
Turning Point
Key turning point: At the end of 2023, Amexbois began absorbing Scierie Forey. From January 2024, it stopped selling tropical timber and switched to local timber sourced from forests within 150 kilometers of its production sites.
Core Decision
Core decision: Bring the sawmill into the business chain and strengthen market positioning through local timber, Bois de France, PEFC and Fabriqué en France certifications.
Execution / Model / Acquisition Changes
Execution, business model and customer acquisition: Amexbois continued serving businesses, local authorities and public projects. It integrated logs, sawing, design, processing, transport and installation, while investing in production equipment and planning headquarters expansion to pursue customized urban furniture and outdoor facilities projects.
Measurable Results
Quantified result: Revenue rose from 295.2万 euros in 2021 to 480.9万 euros in 2023. Net profit was approximately 15.5万 euros in 2024, below approximately 46.5万 euros in 2023. The website separately reports 72 employees, 4 sites and approximately 800万 euros in revenue, but the reporting basis is unclear.
Lessons
Lesson and implication: Supply chain integration can strengthen traceability and customized delivery, but whether environmental positioning improves profit still requires validation through order volume, costs, gross margin and subsequent financial data.