SOKOA was formed in 1971 from a development project intended to help create jobs in the Basque Country by promoting a public savings plan “crowdfunding”. Among European leading manufacturer of office seating, SOKOA’s philosophy and differentiation is expressed through its founding values that are:

• Contribution to the economic development and job creation in the Basque Country.
• An even distribution of profits and strong willingness to have the company’s employees participate in the capital.
• Transparent management.

True to its core values, SOKOA is pursuing within the framework of its sustainable development policy an ongoing quality improvement process to maximize its customers and stakeholders’ satisfaction whilst stating its commitment to contribute to the professional fulfillment of its staff.

Design

Part of its strategy, design is a differentiating component of the SOKOA brand. SOKOA has always worked in close collaboration with renowned designers to offer products with a modern and friendly design, imbued with its Basque identity while offering a wide choice and a recognized value for money.

Upholstery know-how

Cutting, sewing and stitching, much of the added value of our seat manufacturing stems from the profession of upholsterer, a specialty for which many years of experience are necessary to acquire skills.

SOKOA teams are involved every day to produce inspiring, innovative and eco-designed products that embody the expression of a passion and a know-how.

Manufacturing

Located in Hendaye (64), the SOKOA factory covers 27,000 m² of production area. Each year, it manufactures approximately 435,000 seats, the equivalent of 1,900 units that are shipped each day.

Workstations for the most sophisticated products are tailor-made and optimized both ergonomically and methodologically to enable operational excellence in the manufacture of the most complex seats that can use up to 55 different components to be assembled.

Certified ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, SOKOA offers the guarantee of products and services that meet your requirements, with the “MADE IN FRANCE” label.

Marketing and sales

SOKOA markets its products through dealers, wholesalers and manufacturers nationally and internationally. Their development is followed by a field team of France and Export sales managers assisted by about twenty employees in back office.

Every day, our teams support all types of projects providing advices, specifications and technical files, making 2D and 3D lay outs, following-up of orders, delivering and installing with expertise, availability and reactivity.

SOKOA strives to provide tailored sales support tools, sales promotion operations and effective and engaging professional communication.

From its inception, SOKOA engaged in an active policy of financial participation mostly minority; it was to implement one of the core values ​​of the company, namely local economic development.

In 50 years, this has resulted in direct or indirect participation in more than 280 companies that have contributed to the creation or maintenance of more than 3,600 jobs in the Basque Country following 3 main principles:

Around Sokoa’s job :

• In the world
• In Europe
• At the local level outside of Sokoa’s profession (In the Bask Country)

In its territory, the Bask Country in connection with its founding values :

• Job creation
• Economic and cultural development
• CSR commitment

Starting in the 1990s, given its growth in the market, SOKOA embarked on an active external growth policy through acquisitions of companies in Europe around its business. The external development policy aims to strengthen the company in its know-how, in the extension of the range of products presented and especially in access to complementary markets.

Today SOKOA is parent company to a French manufacturing group that has been specialising in office and contract furniture and currently achieves consolidated turnover of over €110M and whose main brands are : EUROSIT, GENEXCO, SELLEX.

SOKOA’s SR policy is part and parcel of a proactive, practical engagement in Sustainable Development that is rooted in the company’s history and indeed its very DNA. Thus, since 2011, its SR policy, based on the founding guidelines of ISO 26000, has been underpinned by the company’s basic values and commitment to Sustainable Development.

SOKOA is regularly referred to as one of its region’s most virtuous and innovative companies, and at its last assessment, in June 2021, certification agency AFNOR awarded it level 4,‘EXEMPLARY’.

SOKOA’s overall policy is built upon the 4 pillars of sustainable development-economic, social, environmental and societal – and it is in this last category that the company particularly stands out. In addition to the SR issues addressed by lSO 26000, the expectations of the company’s stakeholders are at the heart of its strategy and guide decision-making on a daily basis.

Sustainable development is possible only if the company itself is sustainable. To withstand overtime, profitability is an absolute must. In order to reach this goal SOKOA relies on :

• A solid financial structure
• A large autonomy in its decisions
• Its economic Powerhouse rule in a longstanding network of 100 partners and 500 customers
• A mature quality System certified ISO 9001 since 2003
• A long-time experience in terms of innovation, design and R&D

SOKOA’s environmental commitments were established long ago and are a key component of the company’s future. The company’s environmental policy structured according to the stages of its product lifecycle.

R&d and design : Lifecycle analyses, separable products, use of bio-materials
Purchasing & supply chain : Purchasing of separable recycled components, Packaging optimization, Environmental rating of suppliers, preference given to local supplier
Production : ISO 14001 Management System, Audit and reducing energy consumption, Waste sorting, Collection and recycling
Products : NF Environment certified ranges, Sustainability components provided 8 years after purchase date, Recycled materials, Active standby on environmental labelling products
End of life : Products easily removable, plastic parts identification, founding member of Valdelia Better Carbon Footprint