Business transfer: Hugo Valastro focuses on artisanal know-how

Taking over small businesses as a response to retirements

In the carpentry sector, the renewal of leadership is a major challenge. Many small businesses are currently looking for successors capable of preserving their operations, jobs, and expertise.

It is in this context that Hugo Valastro's career path takes place. After several company takeovers, he joined Alu'Space , a Profils Systèmes Certified Joiner in Sabran (Gard), at the end of 2025, then Tendance Alu , a Profils Systèmes Certified Manufacturer in Lunel (Hérault), which he took over on June 1, 2026. These operations illustrate a development strategy based on the continuity of companies rather than on their merger.

An entrepreneurial journey built on the ground

Originally from Ardèche, Hugo Valastro discovered the trade through his stepfather, a carpenter. At 16, he began a vocational training certificate (CAP) apprenticeship before creating the company Willy Menuiserie with him two years later.

The division of roles was quickly defined: his stepfather would manage the manufacturing while Hugo Valastro would take charge of business development, management, communication and the company's strategy.

Following the health crisis, the company experienced strong growth, increasing from two employees to nearly twenty. This growth was accompanied by investments in production equipment and the development of a metalwork activity.

"My good fortune was being surrounded by people who trusted me very early on. My stepfather let me find my place naturally, and we have always complemented each other very well."

A model that combines craftsmanship, training and proximity

In 2022, Hugo Valastro opened a shop in Aubenas dedicated to decorative objects made by the company's apprentices.

Designed as an educational tool, this space allows young people to work in conditions close to real-world economic situations. They learn to operate machinery, meet production deadlines, and understand the constraints involved in marketing their products.

Located in the city centre, this shop also serves as a showcase for the company's expertise and a point of contact with individuals.

"Our goal is to give meaning to learning. Young people must learn a trade, understand the concept of profitability, and be proud of what they produce."

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The WM Group is developing a network of complementary companies

In 2024, Hugo Valastro created the WM Group with the ambition of taking over artisanal businesses facing the retirement of their leaders.

Its model is based on a simple principle: each company retains its identity, its teams, its clientele and its know-how, while benefiting from a shared organization and synergies between the different structures.

After an initial takeover in Ardèche, the group continues its development with the acquisition of Menuiserie Éric Burin in Haute-Savoie in April 2025, followed by those of Alu'Space and Tendance Alu.

Today, the WM Group comprises five companies spread across nine sites located in Ardèche, Haute-Savoie, Gard and Hérault. The group employs nearly 50 people and has a turnover of 7 million euros.

"My strategy is to acquire small, artisanal companies with genuine expertise and create a collective strength while preserving the unique character of each one. We don't want to become a large, impersonal corporation. Each company must continue to be recognized locally."

Profils Systèmes supports companies in their development

The acquisitions of Alu'Space and Tendance Alu also allow Hugo Valastro to become more widely involved in the Certified Joiner and Certified Manufacturer networks of Profils Systèmes.

His participation in the 19th Profils Systèmes Convention, organized in Montenegro in May 2026, offered him the opportunity to exchange ideas with other leaders facing the challenges of recruitment, development, transfer and market evolution.

For member companies, these networks offer support that combines training, product innovation, marketing tools, shared communication and the sharing of experiences between professionals.

"What's interesting about Profils Systèmes is that you never feel alone. We exchange ideas with other leaders who face the same challenges, we share solutions, and we build the future of our companies together."

"When taking over a company, it is essential to be able to rely on a solid network. Profils Systèmes provides this proximity, this expertise, and this long-term vision."

Investments to modernize the workshops

The development of the WM Group is accompanied by investments aimed at strengthening the production capacities of the various companies.

The workshops, which total nearly 5,800 m² of production space, are now equipped with, among other things, a CNC plasma cutter, a four-axis machining center, an angular center, a spindle moulder, an edgebander and a CNC milling machine.

This modernization aims to support the maintenance of artisanal know-how while meeting the technical requirements of the manufacture of aluminium joinery.

An illustration of the challenges of knowledge transfer in the carpentry sector

In a context marked by the aging of leaders in small businesses, Hugo Valastro's career highlights an approach to business succession based on the continuity of activities rather than their disappearance. By preserving teams, local skills, and the identity of the acquired companies, while leveraging the Profils Systèmes network, this approach illustrates a development path that addresses the current challenges of the joinery sector and, more broadly, the construction industry.