The Vacher Group, Europe?s second-largest die manufacturer, is acquiring Innodec, a French manufacturer of flat cutting dies. Led by Philippe Sansonnet, Innodec was in court-ordered liquidation and had 49 employees. Renamed Innodec Formes, it is now part of the group, which is retaining 34 employees and keeping the production sites in Limoges (Haute-Vienne) and Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme), while the site in Templemars (Nord) is closing.
Based in Saint-Étienne in the Loire region, the Vacher Group, which specializes in die-cutting dies and embossing and foil-stamping tools for packaging, employs 152 people and reported revenue of 20 million euros in 2025.
Established as an offshoot of Vacher Marcel, which was founded in 1966, the group has grown through a series of acquisitions. Today, the group includes six manufacturers in France and Poland, to which we must now add Innodec Formes (Vacher Marcel, near Saint-Étienne, specializing in flat and rotary plates; AFDI, near Lyon, and ABC Formes, near Paris, specializing in flat plates; Formule 1, also near Paris, for rotary dies; SGM, near Besançon, for foil stamping and embossing; and Dievison Poland, in Poland, for flat and rotary dies).
Innodec, a century-old manufacturer that has stood the test of time
With over a century of experience in the die-cutting market, Innodec reported revenue of 5.2 million euros, but according to figures from Papers, it posted a net income of 19,000 euros in 2024 and a loss of 1.83 million in 2023.
"Although the company has faced a challenging economic environment in recent years, it still possesses major strengths: recognized skills, strong technical expertise, and a highly valuable workforce." the Vacher Group points out.
For Vacher, this acquisition also addresses an industry-wide challenge. By integrating Innodec, the company aims to keep one more French manufacturer in a market marked by restructuring. The transaction also allows the company to expand its product offering with industrial die-cutting tools equipped with high-cut blades.
The various entities will also serve as mutual backup capabilities to ensure continuity of production in the event of industrial disruptions.
The integration will be carried out gradually in order to maintain relationships with customers and partners.
Frédéric Vacher, president of the Vacher Group, emphasizes the importance of retaining technical expertise: "Our priority is to retain the women and men who are Innodec?s greatest asset, as well as their expertise, which has become particularly rare in our industry. There is no school where one can learn the trade of a mold maker; these skills are developed through experience and passed down on a daily basis. By integrating Innodec into the Vacher Group, we are choosing to preserve this expertise, maintain the 34 jobs, and ensure the continuity of a key player in the French market."
