Last checked Oct 4, 2026
Tricots Saint-James (SAINT JAMES knitwear/apparel brand, France)saint-james.comTricots Saint-James (SAINT JAMES knitwear/apparel brand, France) is not currently listed as private-equity-owned.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Tricots Saint-James (SAINT JAMES) appears to be controlled by its management (not a private equity sponsor), with Luc Lesénécal and Patrice Guinebault reported as majority owners.
Notes
- A 2025 profile states Luc Lesénécal (president) and Patrice Guinebault (director general) are majority owners following LBOs in 2012 and 2020, with employees also shareholders (~10%), which indicates management control rather than control by a PE sponsor.
- The company’s official history page describes an employee buyout in 1990 (RES), supporting long-standing employee/management ownership rather than a PE sponsor platform.
Sources
- Saint James : notre histoire
SAINT JAMES (official site) - Founding/history and the 1990 employee buyout (RES); leadership timeline.
- Saint James (entreprise) — Wikipédia
Wikipedia (French) - Founding year (1889), founder (Léon Legallais), location (Saint-James, Manche, Normandy), and official website.
- Grand prix 2025… Saint James, le succès de la maille normande
Le Journal des Entreprises - Current control described as majority ownership by Luc Lesénécal and Patrice Guinebault; mentions LBOs (2012 and 2020) and employee shareholding (~10%), with no PE sponsor identified.
- File:Logo Saint James.jpg
Wikimedia Commons - Logo asset source for current brand logo.
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_James_%28entreprise%29
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://legalclarity.org/who-owns-polene-the-mothay-family-and-l-catterton/
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://www.lejournaldesentreprises.com/article/saint-james-reprise-par-un-lbo-86536
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://gtaic.ai/files/reports/France_5203_c808b81c-d58e-484d-b563-19ef16a8ef27.pdf
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Martiniquaise
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://eu.saint-james.com/cs/pages/our-history
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://scj.fr/en/saint-james-case-study/
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
- https://event.businessfrance.fr/art-de-vivre-a-la-francaise/wp-content/uploads/sites/1367/2024/10/BRAND-BOOK-SJ-2019-ENG-HD-site.pdf
Web search - Consulted by the research agent
Ownership FAQ
Is Tricots Saint-James (SAINT JAMES knitwear/apparel brand, France) owned by private equity?
No. Tricots Saint-James (SAINT JAMES knitwear/apparel brand, France) does not currently appear to be private-equity-owned.
Who owns Tricots Saint-James (SAINT JAMES knitwear/apparel brand, France)?
Management-led ownership (Luc Lesénécal and Patrice Guinebault reported as majority owners) with employees also holding a minority stake
When was Tricots Saint-James (SAINT JAMES knitwear/apparel brand, France) last checked?
This page was last checked on Oct 4, 2026.