Our history
We have always built to connect territories. The Colas story began in a laboratory nearly 100 years ago.
A landmark innovation
1922. In Shell's laboratories, two British engineers develop an innovation that transforms road construction: Cold Asphalt.
This cold bitumen emulsion, economical and easy to lay, marks the beginning of a new era for road infrastructure.
In 1929, Colas was founded to exploit this patent in France.
This was the start of a unique industrial and human adventure, driven by a strong conviction:to connect territories to support their development.
In nearly a century, Colas has never ceased to evolve and reinvent itself, transforming territories in a lasting way.
On the roads of the world
As the decades go by, Colas expands.
Expertise is structured: the first signalling activities in the 1950s, quarrying from the 1960s. Colas became a local company with a wealth of expertise.
The company's know-how spread to the French overseas territories, several African countries and Europe, as well as to Canada, the United States and as far afield as Asia.
The company's know-how spread to the French overseas territories, several African countries and Europe, as well as to Canada, the United States and as far afield as Asia.
Rethinking public space
From the 1980s onwards, Colas accelerated its transformation. Joining the Bouygues group gave it the means to achieve a new ambition.
Materials, rail activities, urban development... Colas assembles its trades, invests in industrial facilities and continues to deploy a global presence.
A unique integrated model is built, capable of meeting all regional development needs.
Colas is gradually establishing itself as a player in urban requalification.
Landscaping, green tramway platforms, pedestrian continuities, bicycle paths, sustainable pavements...
Projects no longer simply meet a technical need: they create more pleasant, shared and desirable environments.
Reinventing collective mobility
Since the 2000s, Colas has played a leading role in the development of exclusive right-of-way public transport.
Alongside local authorities, our teams design and build tramways, metro lines, BHNS and other low-carbon mobility solutions.
These projects are more than just infrastructure: they shape cities that are more fluid, more accessible, more sustainable.
Building the future... differently
Each year, around 45,000 worksites are carried out, with the same objective: to be territories' trusted partner.
Today, the challenge is no longer just to build fast, but to build better.
Colas is engaging in a dynamic of innovation in materials, services, digital and the circular economy.