Christophe PINOT, founder of OCELLIS, answers SURESNES MAG questions

The City of Suresnes loves businesses. This month in Suresnes Mag, OCELLIS is in the spotlight.

Founded just over twenty years ago, the Ocellis group has specialized in office renovation. Meeting with its founder Christophe Pinot.

TEXT: FLORENCE RAJON

Son of a building craftsman, Christophe initially had a career in IT before founding Ocellis in 1999. « I always wanted to work in construction but my father didn’t! » jokes the entrepreneur. He succeeded in creating a company to ease his father’s workload, who was nearing retirement. « After a year, I got hooked and quit everything to embark on the entrepreneurial adventure. Initially, we were an electrical and TCE (all trades) company for individuals. Chance encounters led me quickly into office renovation and I discovered a niche with few players. »

Twenty years later, Ocellis has grown significantly and employs around 80 staff. In 2019, its founder created a new company, Ocellis Energies, specializing in air conditioning and ventilation. « I was fortunate to be well surrounded by people who joined the company fifteen years ago and are still here. »

As both a general contractor and a main contractor, the Ocellis group carries out approximately 200 projects per year.

We have two main poles

« We have two main poles, landlord-owner: for whom we renovate offices; and on the user side, we support large accounts and SMEs in their space planning. From all the work, up to the delivery of office furniture. We have the pragmatic technical label of a general company, while maintaining an architectural approach. Today, the combination of both sets us apart in the market. »

In Suresnes, Ocellis recently renovated the common areas of a building owned by its long-standing client Monceau Assurances. Within the same building, Ocellis also carried out the layout of Talend’s headquarters.

Although the health crisis affected all sectors, Ocellis did not pause its activities. « Our different poles were able to continue working, remotely or physically. », explains Christophe Pinot. « We even experienced a peak in activity in October. Many companies approached us to think about the way of working tomorrow: some telecommuting – not completely because without physical communication, companies lose their soul – and flexible office. This helps reduce the necessary surface area for activity by 20-30%. We expect a new peak this summer, when the crisis, I hope, will be somewhat behind us. »
The group, based in Suresnes for 15 years, established the Ocellis Energies headquarters at 33 Benoit Malon Street, to stay connected with this “friendly, pleasant city close to La Défense’s clients.”