Celebrating 40 Years of Success: The Story of Vie & Véranda

Organized by Lyon Décideurs and Société Générale, the Family Business Trophies brought together numerous business leaders, and highlighted the authentic family businesses which constitute the strength of the economic fabric of the greater Lyon metropolitan area.
On this occasion, the jury, made up of journalists from the Lyon Décideurs editorial team and partners of the event, chose to reward Vie & Véranda, a Lyon company manufacturing high-end verandas, extensions and pergolas of French design, of the “Coup de coeur” Trophy.

“It is with happiness and great pride that we receive this trophy! It rewards the work accomplished in recent years by all employees within the company where strong proximity, friendliness and kindness are present on a daily basis. For almost 40 years, the family mindset has created a reassuring environment that encourages everyone’s expression and initiatives, without fear of failure! A real DNA of the company which also explains why the teams are so involved in the development of this company – their company, which I have the honor of chairing since 2010, following my uncle Mario and from my father Guy. », underlines Lucas PINONCÉLY, President of Vie & Véranda.

Vie & Véranda, a company with 40 years of history

It was in 1984 that Mr. and Mrs. Cognier founded Kit Véranda, a family carpentry workshop specializing in the manufacture of custom-made verandas. The sale is then made directly between the workshop and individuals. At the time, the couple offered aluminum verandas, the big trend of the time, but also wooden verandas, which already had the advantage of offering a more durable and efficient solution for roof protection. From the end of the 1980s, sales opened up to distributors and a network of points of sale took shape in the Rhône-Alpes region. The years pass, the company continues to expand, but the founding couple is aging and looking for buyers.

They found them in 1996: they were two cousins, Guy Pinoncély and Mario Normand, who, after a successful career in the agri-food industry and consulting, decided to take over Kit Véranda. Certainly, they know nothing about the profession, but they share a taste for entrepreneurial adventure, knowledge of the working methods of mid-sized companies and large groups, and above all, they are very complementary: Guy has the financial and long-term vision, Mario excels in business and management. Under their leadership, Kit Véranda became Vie & Véranda. Both are working to industrialize production and support the development of the network, to perpetuate the company.

The 2000s saw a real paradigm shift for the company. Significant investments are being made to enable the industrial development of Vie & Véranda. Several expansions are taking place around the historic site of Feyzin, to accommodate the new machines which make it possible to industrialize production. The company continues to grow.

In 2010, almost 15 years after the takeover, the results were encouraging: the company now reached the symbolic figure of 20 million euros in turnover. But the two cousins ​​are, in turn, thinking about retirement.

They have a perfect successor: it will be Lucas, Guy’s son, who will take over the reins of the company after an early career in publishing and above all, after having cut his teeth by working on the development of the subsidiaries and the Vie network. & Veranda from 2002.

The transmission therefore occurs naturally, and at a pivotal moment: the company needs to continue to structure itself to continue the development of the network.

Vie & Véranda today: a dynamic company, driven by innovation and a solid market

Under the presidency of Lucas Pinoncély, the company continues to expand, innovate and offer new ranges of products, in order to establish its positioning in a highly competitive sector and on a growing market. . The lights are green: a dynamic and committed SME, Vie & Véranda achieved €45 million in turnover in 2022. Nearly 2,000 verandas are designed, manufactured and installed each year.

Vie & Véranda today has more than 300 employees spread across France, with a network currently made up of 45 agencies (owned stores and franchises), and covering 50 departments. A network which continues to expand, with 5 new points of sale per year, and with the objective of reaching 60 points of sale in 2025 and 90 in 2030.

A healthy company with controlled growth, Vie & Véranda, with its 40 years of history, nonetheless remains resolutely focused on the future and full of projects. In particular, it aims to continue adapting its industrial facilities to the company’s planned growth, thereby strengthening its investments. Vie & Véranda therefore plans to eventually move to a new production site, still in the Lyon region. It also wishes to step up its innovation efforts and pursue diversification strategies on the market or in related markets, in order to consolidate its status as a leading player in verandas and extensions.