Valeo: the French supplier that began with Ferodo friction linings

History

Valeo was founded in 1923 by Eugène Buisson as the Société Anonyme Française du Ferodo (SAFF), a small workshop near Paris whose original mission was to produce the first friction materials made in France — that is, linings for brakes and clutches. In May 1980 the company took the name Valeo, Latin for 'I am well'. From that point the group steadily expanded beyond its original specialty into a wider range of automotive systems.

Today Valeo is headquartered in Paris and operates 186 production plants, 66 research and development centres, and 15 distribution platforms across 29 countries. In 2023 the group reported revenue of €22.04 billion and employed 113,600 people worldwide, making it one of the largest independent automotive suppliers globally, serving both vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket.

What Valeo makes

Valeo's portfolio today reaches far beyond friction linings, though clutches remain part of it. The company supplies lighting systems (headlamps and lamps), wiper systems, alternators and starters, climate-control and thermal-management systems, and sensors and cameras used in driver-assistance systems. That range reflects the company's evolution from a narrowly specialised friction-material maker into a supplier of complete electrical and comfort systems.

Buying Valeo parts

Valeo is one of those suppliers that designs and builds a given component — a headlamp, a clutch, an alternator — for a specific car model, and then sells the same or a near-identical product on the aftermarket. Buying Valeo-branded lighting, clutches or electrical components generally means getting a part built to a specification close to the factory-fit original, without paying the price charged for the part under the car manufacturer's own badge.