Today, the Korian group, European leader in senior care and support services, announces the acquisition of Petits-Fils, a French network of home help services for dependent elderly people. Founded in 2007, Petits-fils is now reputed for the quality of the services it provides for seniors, which include support to help them to remain independent, assistance with meals, home help, and assistance with administrative procedures, and for its userfriendly,easy to use online platform.
The company operates through its own agencies which cover Paris and the Hauts-de-Seine region and account for 25% of their business. Petits-fils also introduced a franchise network in 2011, which now counts 58 agencies across France and is growing at a rate of 15 new franchises every year. In 2018, Petitsfils will have provided an average of 200,000 hours of services every month, generating a turnover of almost €40 million for the year - an increase of 76% compared to 2017. Petits-fils is also one of the companies that creates the most jobs, with 700 new staff recruited this year.
Damien Tixier and Pierre Gauthey, the co-founders and current directors of Petits-Fils, will continue to grow their business within the Korian group which expects large growth opportunities in this sector. There are 1.4 million dependent elderly people in France, and this number is set to double by 2040. Around half of all elderly people live at home and use home help and support services. In light of market dynamics and the synergies anticipated with the Group’s other lines of business, Korian has already identified potential growth opportunities to reach 200 Petits-fils agencies in place by 2023 all over France. Just like the acquisition of a majority stake in Ages & Vie (senior shared housing) in January 2018, this acquisition fits into the Group’s strategy to enhance and diversify its service offering as part of the Korian 2020 plan.
“With Petits-Fils, we are moving into the home-based market with a key name in personal services. We both have the same service-driven culture which combines professionalism with benevolence. Being present in the home services sector means we will be able to provide seniors and their carers with a wide range of suitablyadapted solutions in the stages before and after the care provided at our specialist clinics and long-term care nursing homes” says Sophie Boissard, CEO of the Korian Group.
“This partnership with Korian is part of a long-term endeavour which will benefit everybody: our clients, employees, franchisors and stakeholders. It will give us access to the resources we need to accelerate the expansion of Petits-fils to cover the whole of France rapidly and to innovate, while maintaining the high standards of quality that has been our key strength and the basis of our reputation for the last 12 years” emphasize Damien Tixier and Pierre Gauthey, the directors of Petits-fils.
To accelerate its expansion into the sector of home care and support services in France, Korian Domicile is creating a new arm of its business, Korian Domicile, which will incorporate Petits-fils. This one will be run by Olivier Lebouché, the former head of Air Liquide’s home-based health business in Europe. He will also oversee Korian Solutions, the Group’s digital arm.
