GO ! Formations establishes a presence in the Hauts-de-France region with the acquisition of Artois Formation

GO ! Formations announces the acquisition of Artois Formation, a professional training provider founded in 2009 by Jean-François Poiteaux and based in Vendin-Lès-Béthune, in Pas-de-Calais.

With this acquisition, the group enters the Hauts-de-France region for the first time and establishes a foothold there through a centre equipped with large-scale practical training infrastructure, dedicated to machinery operation, electrical authorisation and risk prevention.

With nearly 4,000 sq m of training tracks and a fleet of more than 40 machines, Artois Formation trains over 2,000 trainees each year in real-life conditions. These facilities, rare at this scale, were precisely what drew the group’s attention: they provide a learning environment that few players can offer and an immediate operational platform to serve companies, public-sector stakeholders and private individuals in the region. The eighth add-on acquisition carried out by GO ! Formations in just over two years, the transaction extends the territorial coverage strategy pursued alongside Activa.

Beyond opening up a new regional market, the transaction brings the group a loyal client portfolio — industrial companies, temporary employment agencies, public-sector organisations and local authorities — as well as recognised expertise in CACES® certifications, Artois Formation’s historic core business. It strengthens GO ! Formations’ offering in its most sought-after regulatory segments and opens up new regional growth opportunities.

Jean-François Poiteaux remains in charge of the centre’s operations and reinvests, alongside the management team, in GO ! Formations’ share capital — a commitment that ensures continuity of operations for both Artois Formation’s teams and its clients.

Thierry Mangin, Sébastien Picard, Julien Matter and Mathieu Piquard, partners of GO ! Formations, stated:

“What convinced us at Artois Formation was the quality of its hands-on training platform: training tracks, machines and trainers that place real-life practical scenarios at the heart of learning. It is precisely this educational hallmark that we want to grow. Vendin-Lès-Béthune becomes our first base in Hauts-de- France, and we intend to develop it with the existing team, as close as possible to its clients.”

Jean-François Poiteaux, founder and CEO of Artois Formation, added: “By joining GO ! Formations, I was looking for a partner that speaks the same language as our trainers and knows how to preserve what makes us strong locally. The group brings us additional resources without taking anything away from our close ties with the companies, local authorities and learners in the area. For me, this is the best way to continue moving the Vendin-Lès-Béthune centre forward.”

Alexandre Masson and Christophe Parier, Managing Partners at Activa, commented: “Artois Formation illustrates the build-up strategy we are pursuing with GO ! Formations: solid regional players, brought together one by one, that broaden the network without diluting its standards. This transaction combines a difficult-to-replicate industrial asset with a founder-manager who is reinvesting alongside us; we will mobilise the necessary resources to accelerate its growth in northern France.”