Aurea

Who owns Aurea?

Aurea is currently owned by Crédit Mutuel Equity through Crédit Mutuel Equity (1992 vintage), since 2006.

Hand-verified · updated 2026-04-21

About Aurea

Aurea is a France-based industrial group and self-described pure player in the circular economy, listed on Euronext Paris under the ticker AURE. It operates as a holding that consolidates specialized small and mid-sized companies across four divisions: metals and alloys (aluminium recycling through Regeal Affimet, non-ferrous powders through Poudmet, and Swan Alloy), petroleum-derived products (used motor oil regeneration through Eco Huile, hydrocarbon waste recovery, and rigid PVC recycling through Rulo), rubber and development (waste-tyre recycling into solid wheel tyres through Roll-Gom, and mercury decontamination through META Regeneration), and chemistry and pharmaceuticals (zinc, cadmium and lead salt recycling through Flaurea Chemicals). The group positions itself as a European leader in the regeneration of black motor oils, the manufacture of wheels from waste tyres, and the recycling of rigid PVC. Per figures published by its backer, Aurea has generated around EUR 185 million in revenue with roughly 555 employees and annual output of about 70,000 tonnes of aluminium alloys.

Ownership journey

Aurea traces its listing to the 19th century, originally operating as AUER manufacturing gas lamps and cast-iron goods before becoming a holding company in 1988 and passing through several unrelated reorientations. The modern circular-economy group took shape when entrepreneur Joel Picard, who had acquired the Eco Huile used-oil regeneration business out of insolvency proceedings in 1993, used his vehicle Financiere 97 to launch a takeover bid for Aurea on 22 July 2003, with the aim of assembling a group of companies specialized in sustainable development. From 2006 Credit Mutuel Equity backed the group as a shareholder, supporting the buildout of its recycling platform. Credit Mutuel Equity is still listed as an active holder and no exit or secondary transaction has been recorded. Joel Picard has served as chairman and chief executive of Aurea, remaining the reference figure behind the strategy.

Under PE ownership

Under the long-duration backing that began in 2006, Aurea expanded from a used-oil regeneration base into a diversified circular-economy operator spanning metals, petroleum-derived products, rubber and specialty chemicals. It assembled its four divisions through a series of subsidiaries, including Regeal Affimet and Poudmet in aluminium and non-ferrous powders, Roll-Gom in tyre-to-wheel manufacturing, and Flaurea Chemicals in non-ferrous metal salts, building recognized European leadership positions in black motor oil regeneration and rigid PVC recycling. The group scaled to roughly EUR 185 million in revenue and around 555 employees, with aluminium-alloy production of about 70,000 tonnes a year. Its portfolio structure aligns the business with regulatory and industrial demand for waste treatment, hazardous-material decontamination and secondary raw materials across Europe.