Orllati

Orllati, formally Groupe Orllati SA, is a Swiss company headquartered in Bioley-Orjulaz in the canton of Vaud. Its activities span heavy construction, civil engineering, demolition, real estate, extraction and processing of sand and gravel, excavation-waste treatment, and environmental remediation. The group is particularly established in French-speaking Switzerland, where it developed from a small construction-equipment operation into an integrated industrial and real-estate business. The company was created in 1997 by the brothers Avni and Basri Orllati after they acquired a struggling business with construction machinery. The origins of the enterprise go back to the brothers' arrival in Switzerland in 1989 and to their first equipment-rental and concrete-breaking work in the mid-1990s. Their older brother Gjevgjet later joined the business. A decisive early expansion came in 2001, when Orllati acquired LMT SA and moved operations to a former cantonal gravel pit at Bioley-Orjulaz. The location gave the group additional machinery capacity and a base for handling uncontaminated excavation material. From 2005 onward, Avni Orllati pursued a more visible land-acquisition strategy and expanded the company into real estate while continuing to develop its civil-engineering and demolition activities. This combination became central to the group's business model. Rather than operating only as a contractor, Orllati sought to control multiple stages of projects and material flows, from land acquisition and demolition to sorting, recycling, aggregate production, waste treatment, construction, and property development. The group describes or is described as pursuing a vertically integrated approach, supported by systematic land purchases. Environmental services became an increasingly important part of the operation. In 2017, Orllati opened facilities at its Vaud site for treating contaminated soil, reportedly the first installation of its kind in French-speaking Switzerland. Local treatment reduced the need to transport contaminated material over long distances and complemented the group's demolition, excavation, and remediation businesses. The company also became a significant supplier of sand and gravel in Vaud; the referenced Wikipedia material states that it produced more than 30 percent of the canton’s sand and gravel, although the relevant period is not specified. The group has also attracted public and political scrutiny because its activities connect construction, land ownership, mineral extraction, and environmental management. In 2016, allegations concerning pollution at the Bioley-Orjulaz site led to a judicial investigation known as Operation Cracoucass. The accusations were ultimately treated by the courts as unfounded, and former journalist Fabien Dunand was convicted of slander and raising a false alarm. Separately, Orllati’s land purchases and proposed gravel-pit projects prompted criticism from political figures and environmental activists. These disputes illustrate the tensions surrounding aggregate extraction, forest conversion, agricultural land, and the region’s construction-driven development model. The available reference material describes Orllati as one of the major actors in French-speaking Switzerland, with more than 1,000 employees and annual turnover exceeding CHF 400 million. Because the cited material does not provide a clearly dated financial reporting period or a company financial statement, these figures should be treated as undated reference claims rather than current verified financial data. Orllati remains an active, privately held Swiss group whose identity is built around integrated construction, materials, real estate, demolition, and environmental operations.

Orllati’s roots lie in the migration of twin brothers Avni and Basri Orllati to Switzerland in 1989 through family reunification. In 1995, when they were teenagers, they rented a machine for breaking concrete. This early experience in equipment-intensive demolition and construction work became the foundation for a larger enterprise. On April 18, 1997, the brothers established Orllati SA after acquiring a struggling company that owned a fleet of construction equipment. Their older brother Gjevgjet later joined the business. The group initially concentrated on machinery, demolition, and construction-related operations. In 2001, it acquired LMT SA and moved to a former cantonal gravel pit in Bioley-Orjulaz, in the Gros-de-Vaud region. The site provided room for a larger machinery fleet and enabled Orllati to process uncontaminated excavation waste. A significant strategic shift occurred in 2005, when Avni Orllati began purchasing land and expanding into real estate alongside civil engineering. This move connected the company’s contracting activities with property development and gave it a broader role in the management of construction sites and land. The group subsequently developed a vertically integrated model covering land acquisition, demolition, material handling, aggregate production, waste processing, construction, and real estate. Environmental processing became a further area of specialization. In 2017, Orllati inaugurated facilities at its Vaud site for the treatment of contaminated soil. The installation was described as the first of its kind in French-speaking Switzerland and allowed contaminated material to be handled locally. This complemented the group’s involvement in excavation, demolition, remediation, and construction-material cycles. The company’s expansion also generated controversy. At the end of 2016, anonymous allegations accused Orllati of environmental pollution at Bioley-Orjulaz. A judicial investigation, referred to as Operation Cracoucass, examined the matter and concluded that the accusations were unfounded and connected to economic rivalries, including rivalry with a Vaud real-estate developer. In October 2021, former journalist Fabien Dunand was convicted of slander and raising a false alarm. The Cantonal Court rejected his appeal, and on August 23, 2023, the Federal Supreme Court confirmed the conviction. Other disputes concerned land use and extraction. In 2023, Valérie Dittli questioned authorization for an agricultural-land purchase made by Orllati Real Estate SA. Agricultural land is subject to restrictions and is generally reserved for farming uses, making the transaction politically sensitive. Activists also protested proposed gravel extraction and development projects. A forest in Vufflens was occupied in 2023, while Grondements de terre occupied the Ballens forest in 2024 after it had been purchased by an Orllati subsidiary. The available reference describes Orllati as one of the major companies in French-speaking Switzerland, with more than 1,000 employees and turnover above CHF 400 million. It also states that the group produces more than 30 percent of Vaud’s sand and gravel. No dates or primary financial disclosures are supplied for these figures. Orllati is presented as an active Swiss group whose current business combines heavy construction, demolition, real estate, aggregate materials, and environmental services.

• 2017

  Contaminated-soil treatment facilities opened

  [1]Orllatien.wikipedia.org

  Orllati inaugurated facilities in Vaud for local treatment of contaminated soil.

• 2005

  Expansion into real estate

  [1]Orllatien.wikipedia.org

  Avni Orllati began acquiring land and developing real-estate activities alongside civil engineering.

• 2001

  Acquisition of LMT SA and move to Bioley-Orjulaz

  [1]Orllatien.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition expanded the machinery base and brought operations to a former cantonal gravel pit suitable for excavation-waste processing.

• 1997

  Orllati SA was established

  [1]Orllatien.wikipedia.org

  Avni and Basri Orllati founded Orllati SA on April 18 after acquiring a struggling company with construction equipment.

• 1995

  First concrete-breaking work

  [1]Orllatien.wikipedia.org

  The brothers rented a machine for concrete breaking, marking the practical beginning of their equipment-based construction activities.

• 1989

  Avni and Basri Orllati arrived in Switzerland

  [1]Orllatien.wikipedia.org

  The twin brothers arrived in Switzerland through family reunification, preceding the formation of their construction business.

A vertically integrated Swiss construction and real-estate group combining heavy civil engineering, demolition, aggregate production, environmental treatment, and property development. Its principal regional identity is as a major operator in French-speaking Switzerland, especially Vaud.

• Construction services

  Heavy construction and civil engineering

  Orllati’s core contracting activities include heavy construction and civil engineering. These operations form the project-delivery side of the group and are linked to its machinery fleet, demolition capabilities, materials handling, and real-estate activities. The company’s integrated structure allows construction work to be connected with upstream land and site preparation and with downstream material recovery and waste treatment.

• Demolition services · 1995

  Demolition and deconstruction

  Demolition was among the activities from which the company developed, beginning with concrete-breaking work in the mid-1990s. Orllati’s demolition operations are part of a broader circuit that includes sorting, recovery, excavation, waste treatment, and reuse or processing of construction materials.

• Construction materials

  Sand and gravel

  The group extracts and processes sand and gravel in the canton of Vaud. Its Bioley-Orjulaz base was established at a former cantonal gravel pit, and the referenced material describes Orllati as producing more than 30 percent of Vaud’s sand and gravel. The exact date and methodology behind that market-share figure are not specified.

• Waste management · 2001

  Excavation-waste processing

  At Bioley-Orjulaz, Orllati processes uncontaminated excavation material generated by construction and civil-engineering projects. This capability supports the group’s vertically integrated approach by connecting site work and demolition with material treatment and disposal or reuse.

• Environmental services · 2017

  Contaminated-soil treatment

  In 2017, Orllati opened facilities for treating contaminated soil at its Vaud site. The installation enabled local processing in French-speaking Switzerland and expanded the group’s environmental-remediation offering alongside excavation, demolition, and construction services.

• Real estate · 2005

  Real-estate development

  Orllati expanded into real estate through land acquisition beginning in 2005. Its property activities are connected to the group’s construction and site-management capabilities, although the available reference does not provide a detailed list of projects, brands, or property portfolios.

• 2024

  Ballens forest occupation

  Grondements de terre occupied the Ballens forest in the Morges area after the forest had been acquired by an Orllati subsidiary.

  Source

• 2023

  Federal Supreme Court confirmation

  The Federal Supreme Court confirmed the conviction on August 23, 2023.

  Source

• 2023

  Agricultural-land purchase scrutiny

  Political scrutiny focused on authorization for an agricultural-land purchase by Orllati Real Estate SA and on the legal limitations applying to such land.

  Source

• 2023

  Forest occupation in Vufflens

  Activists occupied a forest in Vufflens to oppose Orllati’s proposed gravel-pit project and to protest the region’s construction and aggregate economy.

  Source

• 2021

  Conviction connected with false pollution allegations

  Former journalist Fabien Dunand was convicted of slander and raising a false alarm in connection with the allegations. The sentence was a 150-day fine suspended for four years, and a cantonal appeal was rejected.

  Source

• 2016

  Pollution allegations at Bioley-Orjulaz

  Anonymous accusations alleged environmental pollution at Orllati’s Bioley-Orjulaz site. Operation Cracoucass investigated the claims and concluded that they were unfounded and linked to economic rivalries.

  Source

Read more

• 2017

  Launch of contaminated-soil treatment facilitiesProduct launch

  Background

  Construction and excavation projects create material requiring specialized environmental handling.

  Action taken

  Orllati inaugurated facilities for treating contaminated soil at its Vaud site.

  Aftermath

  The group gained local treatment capacity and strengthened its environmental-services business in French-speaking Switzerland.

  Source

• 2005

  Land acquisition and real-estate expansionStrategy

  Background

  The company had established itself in construction and civil engineering and sought to broaden its role in land and development.

  Action taken

  Avni Orllati began systematically acquiring land and expanding into real estate.

  Aftermath

  Real estate became integrated with the group’s construction, demolition, and land-management activities, while later land purchases also became subjects of public scrutiny.

  Source

• 2001

  Acquisition of LMT SAM&A

  Background

  Orllati needed greater equipment capacity and an operational site for handling excavation material.

  Action taken

  The group acquired LMT SA and relocated to a former cantonal gravel pit in Bioley-Orjulaz.

  Aftermath

  The move provided a larger machinery base and enabled processing of uncontaminated excavation waste.

  Source

1. 1Orllatien.wikipedia.org