Atelier Katanga is a French textile marking and customization company founded in 1998 by Alain Pélissier and currently led by Thibault Lavielle, who acquired the business in 2016. Based in Cornebarrieu near Toulouse, the company has grown from a small struggling workshop into one of France’s largest textile marking facilities, operating from a state-of-the-art 3,000+ square meter production facility with over 50 employees.
The company specializes in textile and promotional product personalization, offering comprehensive marking techniques including screen printing (sérigraphie), embroidery, digital printing (DTG/DTF), heat transfer, and sewing. Katanga serves diverse market segments including major corporations, startups, fashion creators and influencers, educational institutions (business and engineering schools), sports clubs, and resellers such as communication agencies and print-on-demand platforms. The business operates with a 70% B2B and 30% B2C revenue split, generating approximately 8 million euros in annual revenue as of 2024.
Katanga maintains all marking techniques in-house with modern equipment capable of producing over 10,000 pieces per day. The company offers a catalog of over 80,000 product references including clothing from brands like Stanley/Stella, Bella+Canvas, L.A.T, and Gildan, as well as promotional items like tote bags, mugs, water bottles, and office accessories. They emphasize quality with Oeko-Tex certified textiles that are free from harmful substances, and deliver orders within 1-3 weeks while providing no minimum order quantities to accommodate businesses of all sizes.
The company demonstrates strong commitment to corporate social responsibility (RSE) and environmental sustainability, prioritizing eco-friendly materials and production methods. Their motto is “Let’s participate in a common goal: reinventing textiles for a responsible world.” Katanga is expanding through a franchise network model, having opened their first agency in Le Mans in 2023, with plans to open four additional agencies in 2025 in Annecy, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, and another location. The company is currently preparing a 2.5 million euro fundraising round to support growth, automation, and network expansion.