Axima is Equans' historic brand for HVAC installations, cooling solutions and fire protection. Merged into Equans in July 2021, Axima combines its expertise with that of Fabricom and Cofely Services to improve the performance and efficiency of industries, buildings, transport infrastructures and distribution networks.
Companies with intertwined destinies
1971
The history of Axima begins with Fabricom setting up an independent HVAC division. A new company is formed in 1971 and named Fabricom Air Conditioning. Its first major contract is to install the air conditioning in the WTC 1 & 2 towers near Brussels North Station.
Between 1972 and 1975
Fabricom Air Conditioning benefits from the expansion of the Brussels real estate market.
Between 1975 and 1985
Fabricom Air Conditioning is growing steadily, notably thanks to contracts in the Middle East and in the Belgian nuclear industry.
1983
Fabricom Air Conditioning opens centres in Flanders and Wallonia.
1986-1999
Fabricom Air Conditioning acquires a series of companies, including Van Heffen, Rineau, Volker, Merckx and Biotim.
1987
Bahco Ventilation (the future ISB) joins the Fabricom Group.
2000
Fabricom Group acquires Grencobel. The company, specialised in refrigeration, takes the name Axima Refrigeration.
2001
Fabricom Air Conditioning is renamed Axima Contracting.
2003
Axima Contracting takes over the activities of GTI in Belgium.
2009
Following the merger of Suez and Gaz de France, the two groups' services divisions are combined in the entity GDF SUEZ Energy Services; Cofathec is integrated into Axima Contracting and Cofely Services. Thermoco and ISB remain separate companies under the umbrella of Axima Contracting.
2012
Axima (which now includes Axima Contracting, Axima Refrigeration, Thermoco and ISB) becomes Cofely Axima. The name change is intended to increase awareness of the Cofely brand and to bolster the visibility of the synergies that the companies in GDF SUEZ Energy Services' Benelux division can offer.
Alongside Cofely Fabricom and Cofely Services, Cofely Axima is then a provider of energy-related services and offers solutions in HVAC, refrigeration, air conditioning, piping and fire protection.
2015
With the acquisition of Vandewalle in Jabbeke, Cofely Axima moves to West Flanders.
2015
GDF SUEZ becomes ENGIE. This new name embodies the dynamics of change in the face of the challenges of the energy transition. At the same time, the Belgian entities of GDF SUEZ change their names again and become ENGIE Axima, ENGIE Fabricom and ENGIE Cofely (for the energy services division), as well as ENGIE Electrabel (for the electricity division).
Cofely Axima thus continues its activities under the brand ENGIE Axima. ISB Ventilation becomes ISB Building Technics.
2020
In order to better support their customers in their transition to carbon neutrality, ENGIE's service entities in Belgium (ENGIE Axima, ENGIE Fabricom, ENGIE Cofely) are brought together under ENGIE Solutions to distinguish them from their sister company ENGIE Electrabel, the Belgian market leader in energy sales and the largest producer of green electricity in Belgium.
July 2021
Creation of the Equans brand, leader in multi-technical services. Equans is now an autonomous entity within ENGIE, under the general management of Jérôme Stubler, and includes all ENGIE Group's service companies. In Belgium and Luxembourg, ENGIE Solutions, which brings together the ENGIE Axima, ENGIE Fabricom and ENGIE Cofely brands, becomes Equans.
November 2021
Bouygues signs a purchase agreement with ENGIE to acquire Equans.
October 2022
Bouygues completes the acquisition of Equans, a key milestone in its development. Thanks to this transaction, Bouygues becomes a world leader in the promising multi-technical services market which is at the heart of the environmental, industrial and digital transitions. More information.
April 2023
The legal entities Axima SA/NV and Axima Refrigeration SA/NV merge with Fabricom SA/NV. The objective is to simplify the legal structure of Equans BeLux and to optimise the efficiency of the organisation.
October 2023
Fabricom NV/SA becomes Equans NV/SA to provide more coherence between our brand name and the legal entities.