Callens Group establishes a foothold in France with majority stake in Cometi
The Callens Group is welcoming the French company Cometi— a national leader in industrial thermal engineering—into its international growth story, through a majority stake. With this move, we are anchoring ourselves locally in France to further drive the energy transition, building on proven expertise.
International growth strategy gains momentum
The participation in the company fits perfectly within the long-term strategy the Callens Group mapped out at the end of 2024 and communicated to employees in early 2025, with a clear focus on international growth in the Netherlands and France.
“In Belgium, we hold a market share of over 50%. That puts us in a strong position,” state Callens Group CEOs Annick Callens and Windy Moerman. “But we are ambitious, and actively seized opportunities to continue building on our history.”
In October 2025, the Callens Group acquired the Dutch company Jonker. The process of bringing Cometi into the group too ran almost in parallel, bringing the growth strategy to a peak in a short period of time.
French energy transition ready to accelerate
France is facing major investments to make industrial decarbonization a reality. The government aims to make this a priority, supported by subsidies, among other measures. Cometi has already taken important steps to guide customers toward lower CO₂ emissions, but there is still significant potential to expand its technology portfolio.
“To truly get the French energy transition on full speed, we are committed to bringing years of accumulated knowledge and execution power to Cometi,” Annick and Windy explain. “This will allow us to expand their electrification techniques with, for example, high-voltage technologies, such as electrode boilers.”
The Callens Group’s headquarters in Waregem is home to the Department of Technology, which remains the innovation hub of the group. New technologies are researched there before being rolled out across the group’s international locations, including Cometi.
Strong local presence from north to south
The French company Cometi operates from four locations. Its headquarters are based in Angers, supported by regional offices in Douai, Rennes, and Lyon. From these sites, Cometi guarantees customer proximity—just as Callens does with its four Belgian locations and Jonker with its three Dutch locations.
Cometi will continue to operate independently within its region. The current managing directors remain at the operational helm, supported by the group to enable sustainable and healthy growth.
Shared ambitions and aligned values
For Annick Callens and Windy Moerman, one condition was essential before bringing Cometi under the group’s wing: shared ambitions and personal values.
“Business opportunities are one side of the story, but values matter just as much. We don’t settle for less,” the CEOs add. “With Cometi, the alignment was immediately clear. They share our commitment to taking the full burden off our customers’ shoulders and to creating a warm, people-focused working environment for their teams.”
Callens Group grows toward €120 million in revenue
The due diligence process has now been completed. Both parties will finalize the agreements over the coming month.
With the majority participation in Cometi, Callens Group is growing toward a consolidated revenue of €120 million. The group will then employ 430 people across 12 locations.
“There will certainly be challenges ahead,” Annick Callens and Windy Moerman conclude. “But above all, there are many opportunities to write the next chapter of our success story—one in which both our companies and our people continue to grow and bring out the best in themselves.