Take a journey through the dynamic timeline of Groupe Roland Maurel, where every milestone tells a story of innovation and growth.
Since its inception in 1964 with Mauvilac paints, the group’s evolution has spanned a vast array of industries, from paper trade and chemicals to ethanol production and beyond. Over the past 60 years, Groupe Roland Maurel has consistently set new benchmarks, including launching Mauritius’ first hypermarket, Continent. Dive into our timeline to explore how we’ve evolved, innovated, and continue shaping the future with exciting new opportunities.
1964
Mauvilac & Co Ltd
Established as the second paint factory in the country, Mauvilac rapidly became known as an industry leader in Mauritius, with its high-quality oil and emulsion paints. Over the years, the company diversified its product range to include adhesives, putties, bitumen emulsions, resins, varnishes, inks and automotive paints, thereby solidifying its prominence and growth within the industry.
1970’s
Marine & Tar Products Ltd & Mauvilac Réunion
Roland Maurel expanded his company into marine paints and bitumen products, extending reach to Réunion Island.
1980’s
Printing Inks & Products Ltd, Autolac Ltd, King Paints (Kenya), Artillin SA (France), Chemrite Pty Ltd (RSA), Triple G (USA), Penlac (Seychelles), Synresins Ltd and V.A Polymers Ltd
1986
Order of the British Empire
Roland Maurel was honoured with the Order of the British Empire (OBE), a prestigious recognition awarded by the British monarch for outstanding services and achievements. This distinction honoured Roland Maurel’s significant contributions to the business community and his dedicated efforts in advancing industrialisation and economic development in Mauritius.
1988
Groupe Roland Maurel Ltée
Groupe Roland Maurel Ltée (GRM) was incorporated in 1988 to be the Holding of all independent entities operating in various fields such as paints, inks, adhesives and glues, synthetic resins, paper, paper converting, ethanol, properties, ecotourism, hypermarkets and Casino.
1989
MWT Paper Processing Ltd
MWT Paper Processing Ltd, a joint venture between Mauvilac and Wiggins Teape UK–a renowned manufacturer of 3M tapes–became a dominant force in the import, processing, and distribution of paper. The company emerged as the market leader in paper merchandising in Mauritius and the French department of Reunion, offering an extensive range of over 300 varieties of paper in various sizes, weights, colours, and textures.
1990
Photocells Ltd
Photocells Ltd was the first company in the South African Region including the Indian Ocean Islands, to manufacture photovoltaic cells to supply to Africa.
1991
Mauvilac Industries Ltd
Mauvilac Industries Ltd was created following an agreement between Harel Mallac and Mauvilac for the distribution of paints and allied products.
1991
Domaine Les Pailles Ltée
Groupe Roland Maurel introduced Domaine Les Pailles Ltée, a visionary eco- tourism venture in Mauritius that transformed a forgotten, unknown valley into a vibrant destination just ten minutes from the capital city, Port Louis. This estate, nestled on a former sugarcane, rice and cotton plantation, carefully revived old traditions and offered a new space for various activities: from restaurants to horse-riding, tramway trips, discovery of an old sugar mill, alembic, raw sugar and rum.
1993
Le Grand Casino du Domaine Ltée
The group expanded its offerings with the opening of Le Grand Casino du Domaine Ltée at Domaine Les Pailles providing visitors with a sophisticated and entertaining venue to enjoy a variety of casino games within the charm of the estate’s historical setting.
1994
Compagnie Mauricienne d'Hypermarchés Ltée
Groupe Roland Maurel, in partnership with Groupe Bernard Hayot, opened Continent, the first hypermarket in Mauritius within the Centre Commercial de Phoenix. Spanning 22,000 square metres, the space included a hypermarket, a food court, and a shopping mall, setting a new benchmark in the retail sector of Mauritius and enhancing consumer convenience in Mauritius. The success of this venture led to the construction of a second hypermarket in Riche Terre, north of Port Louis, further expanding the group’s footprint in Mauritius.
1996
Honorary Consul of the Sultanate of Oman
Roland Maurel was appointed as the Honorary Consul of the Sultanate of Oman, a distinguished role that recognised his diplomatic service and contributions to fostering bilateral relations between Mauritius and the Sultanate of Oman, acting as a representative of the Sultanate of Oman in Mauritius. This ongoing appointment underscores Roland Maurel’s reputation and influence in both business and international diplomacy, as well as cultural exchange.
2001
Excel Coatings Ltd – Sultanate of Oman
Established and built from the ground up in the industrial zone of Rusayl, Excel Coatings Ltd specialised in manufacturing sophisticated paints based on epoxies, polyurethane and acrylics with a focus on anti-insect paints that effectively eliminated insects, from the smallest to the largest crawling or flying insects.
2002
Alcodis Ltd
Alcodis Ltd specialised in the production and distribution of ethanol, with a plant capacity of 80 million litres capable of converting the entire annual output of molasses on the island into 96.3 degrees ethanol. As the sole large-scale distillery operator in the Indian Ocean islands region, Alcodis has been exporting ‘green fuel’ to the European Union duty-free since 2004, using dedicated tankers. The company was equipped with storage and loading facilities in the Port area of Mauritius, ensuring rigorous high-quality control throughout production and distribution. In early 2006, Alcodis embarked on an ambitious project to develop a local biofuel in partnership with French petroleum company Total, with the approval of the government of Mauritius, further cementing its commitment to sustainable energy solutions.
2008
Domaine de Saint Louis Ltée
Groupe Roland Maurel diversified its portfolio by establishing Domaine de Saint Louis Ltée, a real estate development of apartments and villas set within the estate of Royal Saint Louis in Pailles. This expansion was accompanied by the company receiving a Smart City Scheme Certificate in 2019.
2008
Flemingo Duty Free Mauritius Ltd
The Group launched its first duty-free retail operations in Mauritius, laying the foundation for its expansion in luxury and travel retail to key locations and e-commerce platform.
2008
Flemingo MSCL Duty Free Ltd
In partnership with Mauritius Shipping Corporation, the Group introduced the first seaport duty-free store in Mauritius at Port Louis Harbor Cruise Terminal, catering to international cruise passengers.
2010
Générale Distribution Océan Indien Ltée
With the vision to shape Mauritius Freeport as a duty-free hub for the region, GDOI was established as a key duty-free distributor, supplying global brands of liquor, tobacco, confectionary and perfumes to airports, airlines, ship chandlers, and diplomatic stores across the Indian Ocean and East Africa.
2010
Flemingo Distribution Ltd
The Group entered the domestic distribution market, focusing on tobacco. From zero to market leadership, Flemingo Distribution has become Mauritius’ top cigar and cigarillo distributor and one of the leading cigarette suppliers in the country. With an extensive market presence and coverage, the company is actively growing its product portfolio to new fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) categories.
2022
Flemingo Distribution Reunion EURL
Established to support Philip Morris and British American Tobacco in Reunion Island, providing warehousing, order fulfillment, track-and-trace scanning, island-wide distribution, and payment collection. Today, it is the leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider for the tobacco industry in Reunion and is actively expanding its operations to include new FMCG distribution.
2023
TFG-GRM Ltd
The company was incorporated in June 2023 following a partnership agreement between Groupe Roland Maurel and TFG Marine, a subsidiary of Trafigura Group PTE, to supply high-quality marine fuels to ships passing through the regional waters of Mauritius.
2024
60 years of excellence
1964
Mauvilac & Co Ltd
Established as the second paint factory in the country, Mauvilac rapidly became known as an industry leader in Mauritius, with its high-quality oil and emulsion paints. Over the years, the company diversified its product range to include adhesives, putties, bitumen emulsions, resins, varnishes, inks and automotive paints, thereby solidifying its prominence and growth within the industry.
1970’s
Marine & Tar Products Ltd & Mauvilac Réunion
Roland Maurel expanded his company into marine paints and bitumen products, extending reach to Réunion Island.
1980’s
Printing Inks & Products Ltd, Autolac Ltd, King Paints (Kenya), Artillin SA (France), Chemrite Pty Ltd (RSA), Triple G (USA), Penlac (Seychelles), Synresins Ltd and V.A Polymers Ltd
1986
Order of the British Empire
Roland Maurel was honoured with the Order of the British Empire (OBE), a prestigious recognition awarded by the British monarch for outstanding services and achievements. This distinction honoured Roland Maurel’s significant contributions to the business community and his dedicated efforts in advancing industrialisation and economic development in Mauritius.
1988
Groupe Roland Maurel Ltée
Groupe Roland Maurel Ltée (GRM) was incorporated in 1988 to be the Holding of all independent entities operating in various fields such as paints, inks, adhesives and glues, synthetic resins, paper, paper converting, ethanol, properties, ecotourism, hypermarkets and Casino.
1989
MWT Paper Processing Ltd
MWT Paper Processing Ltd, a joint venture between Mauvilac and Wiggins Teape UK–a renowned manufacturer of 3M tapes–became a dominant force in the import, processing, and distribution of paper. The company emerged as the market leader in paper merchandising in Mauritius and the French department of Reunion, offering an extensive range of over 300 varieties of paper in various sizes, weights, colours, and textures.
1990
Photocells Ltd
Photocells Ltd was the first company in the South African Region including the Indian Ocean Islands, to manufacture photovoltaic cells to supply to Africa.
1991
Mauvilac Industries Ltd
Mauvilac Industries Ltd was created following an agreement between Harel Mallac and Mauvilac for the distribution of paints and allied products.
1991
Domaine Les Pailles Ltée
Groupe Roland Maurel introduced Domaine Les Pailles Ltée, a visionary eco- tourism venture in Mauritius that transformed a forgotten, unknown valley into a vibrant destination just ten minutes from the capital city, Port Louis. This estate, nestled on a former sugarcane, rice and cotton plantation, carefully revived old traditions and offered a new space for various activities: from restaurants to horse-riding, tramway trips, discovery of an old sugar mill, alembic, raw sugar and rum.
1993
Le Grand Casino du Domaine Ltée
The group expanded its offerings with the opening of Le Grand Casino du Domaine Ltée at Domaine Les Pailles providing visitors with a sophisticated and entertaining venue to enjoy a variety of casino games within the charm of the estate’s historical setting.
1994
Compagnie Mauricienne d'Hypermarchés Ltée
Groupe Roland Maurel, in partnership with Groupe Bernard Hayot, opened Continent, the first hypermarket in Mauritius within the Centre Commercial de Phoenix. Spanning 22,000 square metres, the space included a hypermarket, a food court, and a shopping mall, setting a new benchmark in the retail sector of Mauritius and enhancing consumer convenience in Mauritius. The success of this venture led to the construction of a second hypermarket in Riche Terre, north of Port Louis, further expanding the group’s footprint in Mauritius.
1996
Honorary Consul of the Sultanate of Oman
Roland Maurel was appointed as the Honorary Consul of the Sultanate of Oman, a distinguished role that recognised his diplomatic service and contributions to fostering bilateral relations between Mauritius and the Sultanate of Oman, acting as a representative of the Sultanate of Oman in Mauritius. This ongoing appointment underscores Roland Maurel’s reputation and influence in both business and international diplomacy, as well as cultural exchange.
2001
Excel Coatings Ltd – Sultanate of Oman
Established and built from the ground up in the industrial zone of Rusayl, Excel Coatings Ltd specialised in manufacturing sophisticated paints based on epoxies, polyurethane and acrylics with a focus on anti-insect paints that effectively eliminated insects, from the smallest to the largest crawling or flying insects.
2002
Alcodis Ltd
Alcodis Ltd specialised in the production and distribution of ethanol, with a plant capacity of 80 million litres capable of converting the entire annual output of molasses on the island into 96.3 degrees ethanol. As the sole large-scale distillery operator in the Indian Ocean islands region, Alcodis has been exporting ‘green fuel’ to the European Union duty-free since 2004, using dedicated tankers. The company was equipped with storage and loading facilities in the Port area of Mauritius, ensuring rigorous high-quality control throughout production and distribution. In early 2006, Alcodis embarked on an ambitious project to develop a local biofuel in partnership with French petroleum company Total, with the approval of the government of Mauritius, further cementing its commitment to sustainable energy solutions.
2008
Domaine de Saint Louis Ltée
Groupe Roland Maurel diversified its portfolio by establishing Domaine de Saint Louis Ltée, a real estate development of apartments and villas set within the estate of Royal Saint Louis in Pailles. This expansion was accompanied by the company receiving a Smart City Scheme Certificate in 2019.
2008
Flemingo Duty Free Mauritius Ltd
The Group launched its first duty-free retail operations in Mauritius, laying the foundation for its expansion in luxury and travel retail to key locations and e-commerce platform.
2008
Flemingo MSCL Duty Free Ltd
In partnership with Mauritius Shipping Corporation, the Group introduced the first seaport duty-free store in Mauritius at Port Louis Harbor Cruise Terminal, catering to international cruise passengers.
2010
Générale Distribution Océan Indien Ltée
With the vision to shape Mauritius Freeport as a duty-free hub for the region, GDOI was established as a key duty-free distributor, supplying global brands of liquor, tobacco, confectionary and perfumes to airports, airlines, ship chandlers, and diplomatic stores across the Indian Ocean and East Africa.
2010
Flemingo Distribution Ltd
The Group entered the domestic distribution market, focusing on tobacco. From zero to market leadership, Flemingo Distribution has become Mauritius’ top cigar and cigarillo distributor and one of the leading cigarette suppliers in the country. With an extensive market presence and coverage, the company is actively growing its product portfolio to new fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) categories.
2022
Flemingo Distribution Reunion EURL
Established to support Philip Morris and British American Tobacco in Reunion Island, providing warehousing, order fulfillment, track-and-trace scanning, island-wide distribution, and payment collection. Today, it is the leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider for the tobacco industry in Reunion and is actively expanding its operations to include new FMCG distribution.
2023
TFG-GRM Ltd
The company was incorporated in June 2023 following a partnership agreement between Groupe Roland Maurel and TFG Marine, a subsidiary of Trafigura Group PTE, to supply high-quality marine fuels to ships passing through the regional waters of Mauritius.
2024
60 years of excellence
