24 new manufacturers and distributors are committed alongside craft building companies to preserve the level of activity in the construction industry

This context, which plunges craft building companies into a situation of unprecedented unpredictability, threatens the growth of the sector as a whole. To preserve the level of activity in the sector, the CAPEB had launched, last April, a call for economic solidarity to the actors of the sector. At the time, 8 manufacturers and distributors [1] had responded. Today, 24 partners [2] have joined them to work alongside craft building companies and face this unprecedented crisis together.

For Jean-Christophe Repon, President of CAPEB: “The market will not be able to continue to suffer from rising raw material costs as we are experiencing today and forecasts indicate that the situation will not improve in 2023. We absolutely must act collectively to limit the impact of rising material costs. We welcome today the decision of the actors to engage in an approach of economic solidarity within the sector. It is essential for us if we want to succeed in maintaining activity and accelerating the sector's contribution to the energy transition. »

For several months, CAPEB has been constantly expressing its concern about the continuous rise in the price of materials and its significant impact on the activity of small construction companies. For this 3rd quarter of 2022, the consequences of these increases are accentuated. The growth of their activity is slowing down, from 3% to 2% in volume while the price environment for materials remains very deteriorated, and the energy crisis weighs more and more heavily on craft businesses which are reporting cash flow needs. significant (15% of companies declare cash needs, for an average amount of €22.000) and a deterioration of their margins (balance of opinion at -39 points, with 42% of companies reporting a drop in their margins) . The difficulties encountered by craft businesses in the building sector necessarily have harmful repercussions for the whole of the building sector, because, it should be remembered, they represent 95% of the businesses in the branch.

Thus, Frans Bonhomme, Knauf Insulation, Wurth, Wienerberger, join the ranks of the signatories of the joint declaration, initiated last April.

CAPEB also notes with satisfaction the renewed commitment of Saint Gobain Distribution Bâtiment France and its associated companies (POINT.P, Cedeo et Brossette, La Plateforme du Bâtiment, PUM Plastiques, Asturienne, SFIC, Dispano, Décocéram, CDL Elec), as well as the confirmation of the commitment of the Herige Group and its three companies (VM, Atlantem, Edycem), of Weber, of Isover, of Placo, of Pladur, of ORCAB, on the commitments above below:

• inform their client in advance of price increases
• issue quotes valid for at least one month (excluding short-order products)
• increase their price only on the 1st of each month

For Jean-Christophe Repon, President of CAPEB: "So many commitments, made within the framework of an unprecedented inter-sector approach, which are very encouraging so that the sector as a whole and the craft building companies that I represent manage to emerge from the top of the crisis that we let's cross. We will continue to carry this voice in other hemicycles, such as the National Assembly. »