La Buvette

What La Buvette does

La Buvette is a French manufacturer specializing in livestock watering equipment, founded in 1906 and headquartered in Tournes near Charleville-Mézières in the Ardennes region. The company operates as a core subsidiary of the SOFILAB industrial group and serves a fragmented base of farmers, equestrian facilities, and livestock operations across cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, and dogs in France and international markets. Its product portfolio centers on abreuvoirs (waterers) and related equipment, including isothermal THERMOLAC units, electric anti-freeze waterers, solar-powered autonomous SOLAR-FLOW systems, mechanical AQUAMAT pasture pumps, constant-level LAKCHO and LAC waterers, ISOBAR and PREBAC pasture troughs, OVICAP collective waterers, and CLEAN-FLOW self-cleaning models, plus calf equipment (LOGISTAR hutches, CALF BUDDY teats) and farm accessories.

The company's underlying technology combines rotomolded polyethylene construction (leveraging sister company ROTOPLUS), polyurethane foam double-wall insulation, cast iron, stainless steel, electrical heating elements, and solar pumping systems. Notable proprietary technologies include the THERMOLAC double-wall isothermal design that prevents freezing without electricity, the LAKCHO 2 patented fixation system mounted on insulated bushing, and the AQUAMAT mechanical pasture pump that draws water from natural sources using animal action. Manufacturing is conducted in France, with products shipping worldwide.

Revenue is generated through one-time equipment sales (hardware) and recurring replacement-parts sales, distributed primarily via an authorized dealer network and supplemented by direct e-commerce for select products and parts. Pricing spans from small replacement parts (around €13.86 TTC for items like COQUE 5 BOUCHONS LAC5) to premium isothermal units such as ISOBAR 250 (€1,341.12 TTC). Go-to-market is channel-led through agricultural equipment resellers, with multilingual customer support and localized country websites in French, German, English, Spanish, Dutch, and Russian.

Name

La Buvette

Legal name

LA BUVETTE

Website

https://labuvette.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

La Buvette is a 119-year-old French manufacturer of livestock watering equipment, serving cattle, horse, sheep, goat, and pig farmers through isothermal, electric, solar, and mechanical waterers, plus spare parts, distributed via dealers and direct e-commerce in Europe and worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Livestock Watering Equipment

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (1152), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561)

akta.pro primary industry

Watering Systems (Troughs, Waterers, Monitoring) (AFAAAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beef Cattle Production Support Services (Fencing, Water Systems, Range Improvement) (AFAEABAM), Water Storage & Conveyance Structures (Tanks, Reservoirs, Canals, Ponds) (AFAAACAH), Animal Handling & Housing Equipment (Stalls, Headlocks, Chutes, Gates) (AFAAAIAK)

Keywords

• Livestock watering equipment
• Animal waterers
• Agricultural watering solutions
• Livestock farming equipment
• Pasture water troughs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tournes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: La Buvette generates revenue primarily through the sale of watering equipment and accessories for livestock. Products range from simple waterers to complete automated watering systems, sold as one-time purchases to farms and livestock operations.
2. Replacement Parts: The company sells individual replacement parts for its waterers including valves, floats, seals, heating elements, and hardware, providing ongoing revenue from the installed customer base.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Buvette manufactures and sells livestock watering equipment (waterers, troughs, pumps, and anti-freeze solutions) for cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and pigs. The product range covers both indoor barn watering and outdoor pasture watering, including isothermal, electric, mechanical, and solar-powered systems, along with complementary farm equipment such as calf hutches, footbaths, and wheelbarrows.

Product overview

La Buvette is a specialized manufacturer of livestock watering equipment operating within the SOFILAB industrial group. Their product portfolio centers on abreuvoirs (waterers/drinkers) and related equipment for cattle, horses, sheep/goats, pigs, and other animals. The offering includes both indoor (en bâtiment) and outdoor/pasture (au pâturage) solutions. Key product lines include THERMOLAC thermostatic waterers for freeze protection, AQUAMAT pasture pumps, SOLAR-FLOW solar-powered autonomous watering, PREBAC and ISOBAR pasture troughs, and LAC/LAKCHO/BIGCHO constant-level and anti-freeze waterers. The range extends to collective waterers (OVICAP, CLEAN-FLOW self-cleaning models), calf equipment (LOGISTAR hutches, CALF BUDDY teats), farm equipment (wheelbarrows, tools), and spare parts. Products are available in various materials including cast iron, stainless steel, polyethylene, and galvanized steel. The company also provides anti-freeze solutions (electric and non-electric), plumbing accessories, and electrical components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DAIRYNOX 250

Quantifiable outcome

• Products ship worldwide with customer support in multiple languages

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SOFILAB (Parent Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLA BUVETTE is a company of the SOFILAB industrial group, a French group of international dimension with complementary expertise focused on innovation and quality for livestock farming success and animal welfare. The group includes multiple companies with complementary capabilities in tubular products, agricultural equipment, trailers, and rotomolding.
• CK INDUSTRIESminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor player in tubular products, recognized for its cattle housing equipment including cubicles, scraping systems, and other evacuation systems. Located in Marcoux, France (42130).
• SATENEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWith over 30 years of experience and field exchanges, SATENE provides innovative, practical, and durable solutions for cattle, goat, and sheep farmers. Located in La Châtre, France (36400).
• MAZERONminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural equipment manufacturer since 1978, offering a wide range of livestock trailers and fodder trailers, as well as farming equipment for cattle and sheep. Located in Magny, France (89200).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JFC Manufacturing: Irish-headquartered manufacturer of livestock watering equipment (drinkers, troughs, pasture pumps) sold across Europe; competes head-to-head with La Buvette in the same product category, customer base (cattle, equine) and dealer channel.
• Ritchie (Otterbine): UK-based livestock water trough specialist with a long heritage, offering heated, isothermal and pasture waterers; directly comparable to La Buvette's THERMOLAC and big-trough ranges for cattle and equine.
• Suevia Haighem: German manufacturer of livestock drinkers and watering technology, including isothermal and electric anti-freeze solutions; closest continental European direct peer to La Buvette, with overlapping customer base and product architecture.
• Patura: German supplier of livestock equipment including pasture and barn watering solutions, fencing and feeding technology; comparable mid-sized European peer serving the same cattle, equine and small-ruminant farmer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Big Dutchman: Global livestock equipment incumbent covering housing, feeding, ventilation and watering; competes with La Buvette on watering SKUs within a much broader portfolio and global dealer network.
• GEA Farm Technologies: Diversified dairy and livestock equipment major (milking parlours, hygiene, cooling); overlaps with La Buvette at the dairy farm interface and is a credible incumbent alternative for barn-level water and cooling infrastructure.
• DeLaval: Global dairy-focused equipment and solutions provider; while its core is milking, its farm infrastructure footprint overlaps with La Buvette's dairy barn watering proposition and represents an incumbent benchmark.
• BouMatic: International dairy equipment supplier active in milking, cooling and barn systems; a broad incumbent peer competing for the same dairy farmer wallet share as La Buvette's barn and pre-cooler products.

Others

• ROTOPLUS: Fellow SOFILAB group company and rotomolding specialist producing tanks, hutches and cisterns for agriculture; not a competitor but an internal supplier and ecosystem peer that anchors La Buvette's manufacturing vertical integration.
• CK Industries: Fellow SOFILAB group company manufacturing cattle cubicles, scraping and housing equipment; an internal ecosystem peer that bundles with La Buvette watering solutions and competes jointly in dealer pitches.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/la_buvette
• Facebookfacebook.com/labuvette.bovin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-buvette-sas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Buvette