"The idea is to be the little Nespresso of paint": the Seyne-based company LVbâtiment has launched its paint brand

At the start of summer, the terrace of the LVbâtiment company in La Seyne makes you want to linger.

With its sleek silhouette overlooking the road, the site of the SME specializing in painting and facade renovation as well as exterior insulation also serves as a totem for the brand launched a year ago, Terre de Pigments, which is now preparing to open the doors of decoration stores.

With its color chart of 60 timeless shades, the newcomer to the world of building paint intends to make a place for itself alongside big names.

"We will never go into mass distribution, the idea is to be the little Nespresso of paint," emphasizes Philippe Li Vigni, the manager and founder of LVgroup, which oversees the painting, renovation and insulation activities, but also the distribution of paints through Terre d'Influences.

Which sells Terre de Pigments, alongside other brands, in the store on the ground floor of the Seynes headquarters.

The son of a painter himself, the Varois, who was destined for a career as a police officer, finally created his company in 2009, before bringing in two executives to share the capital.

"This is what allowed the company to survive when I was absent for eight months following an accident," says the entrepreneur, who still works with his associates and who even structured the company with an operational director and a research manager, for 29 employees, compared to 4 at the start.

Because LVbâtiment is active on all fronts. Its turnover of nearly €5 million is generated 30% by demand from property managers, 30% by public tenders, which the company launched a year and a half ago, 20% by private individuals, and the same amount by tertiary sector demand.

"For two years, it was mainly work for individuals that was in front, but with the end of MaPrimeRénov', that will be reversed. We are receiving a huge number of urgent quote requests before the July 1 deadline," the manager emphasizes.

Budget

The idea to create a paint brand came from the observation, during the pandemic, that people were taking up DIY and also looking to reduce the cost of acquiring a home by carrying out the painting work themselves.

With the help of a marketing agency and an architect, the LVbâtiment teams developed the ideal paint in their eyes, "both covering and easy to apply" , by testing it with employees who are all specialist painters.

Until finding the right formula, thanks also to the network of manufacturing plants with which the teams were in contact.

"Companies must be flexible and know how to enter several markets. I remember when my father had to deal with the collapse of new programs during the Gulf War," the manager explains.

To embody this change in strategy, LVbâtiment focused on visibility by acquiring new premises in 2020 which also serve as a showroom and customer reception area.

"We face competition from large groups. We stand out by providing advice and expertise."

Because the core business remains painting and facade renovation, even if the distribution of paints already generates 650,000 euros, managed by Tristan, the third generation of Li Vigni.