Elis SA is a French industrial textile service provider headquartered in Saint-Cloud, Hauts-de-Seine, founded in 1883. The company operates as Europe's and Latin America's leading B2B textile rental, laundering, and maintenance specialist, serving over 400,000 commercial clients across 29 countries with a workforce of approximately 56,000 employees.
Core Business
Elis operates a distinctive circular service model centered on rental, laundering, and maintenance of textiles rather than outright sales. The company designs, procures, washes, repairs, and recycles workwear and linens for professional clients. Its hotel linen division provides bed sheets, towels, and related hospitality textiles, while its functional protective apparel segment delivers body protection garments and technical fabrics engineered for arc flash resistance, chemical splash protection, and high-temperature environments. The corporate workwear division serves industrial, food service, and retail sectors with uniforms including polo shirts, work pants, and high-visibility vests. In the healthcare sector, Elis supplies scrubs, nursing attire, and specialized garments such as laboratory coats and cleanroom coveralls. This comprehensive lifecycle management approach defines Elis not as a traditional apparel brand but as a full-service textile solutions provider.
Global Presence
Elis maintains a footprint spanning 29 countries across Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, with operations concentrated in France (approximately 75% of revenue), Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. The company operates 445 industrial washing and distribution centers globally and deploys a proprietary fleet of over 6,000 logistics vehicles for door-to-door collection and delivery. Annual textile processing capacity exceeds 1.5 billion items laundered or rented, supported by textile raw material procurement exceeding €600 million per year. The company employs approximately 56,000 personnel worldwide.
Key Strengths
Elis distinguishes itself through vertical integration, operating its own manufacturing, laundering facilities, and logistics network rather than outsourcing critical functions. The company's RFID chip embedding technology now enables real-time tracking of over 90% of rental garments, dramatically reducing loss rates. Elis received a CDP A- rating in 2025, recognizing its leadership in textile recycling and water reuse within the circular economy framework. Strategic acquisitions in Brazil and Germany have further solidified its dominance in the medical textile segment.
