The Schippers Group

What The Schippers Group does

The Schippers Group is a privately held, family-owned Dutch livestock hygiene and animal health company founded in 1966 in Hapert, Netherlands, with 251-500 employees and operations across Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. The group operates a multi-brand portfolio built around HyCare, a proprietary five-pillar hygiene management methodology (germ-free living environment, optimal care, clean drinking water, pore-free surfaces, pest-free stables) that claims to reduce antibiotic use on livestock farms by up to 99%. Supporting brands include MS Schippers (a B2B e-commerce webshop operating in nine countries plus a global catalogue), MS Gold (premium hygiene products distributed via international dealers), MS Eartags (animal identification tags with in-house manufacturing capacity of up to 5 million units per day from a 2023 facility), APC (organic pest control), Total Water Care (drinking water quality systems), and Mesa Coatings (synthetic floor and wall coatings for livestock facilities).

The company monetizes through a mix of transaction-based product sales via webshops and dealer networks, recurring HyCare program subscriptions with annual billing, and bespoke enterprise contracts with large-scale livestock integrations. Go-to-market combines direct field sales advisors for HyCare enterprise coaching, an international dealer/distributor channel for MS Gold, webshop-driven SMB self-service, and trade show presence at major European agricultural events. The MS Academy provides structured Bronze/Silver/Gold/Specialist certification for HyCare coaches and field advisors, supporting service quality across markets.

Customer segments span SMB livestock farmers (dairy, pig, poultry) worldwide, large-scale enterprise pig farming integrations, and public administrations procuring compliant MS Eartags in 50+ countries. Distribution operates through nine country-specific webshops, a global catalogue webshop, and direct field sales teams in countries including Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark, USA, and Canada. The company maintains full vertical control from proprietary product manufacturing (SLS Lommel for MS Gold, Hapert for MS Eartags) through to last-mile farm delivery and HyCare coaching, positioning it as an integrated hygiene solutions provider rather than a pure product reseller.

Name

The Schippers Group

Legal name

Schippers Europe B.V.

Website

https://theschippersgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Schippers Group is a family-owned Dutch livestock hygiene company operating HyCare (a five-pillar hygiene methodology), MS Schippers (nine-country B2B webshop), MS Gold premium products, and MS Eartags (5M tags/day capacity) for dairy, pig, and poultry farmers and public administrations across 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Livestock Hygiene and Animal Identification Products

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (115210), Support Activities for Animal Production (1152)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Livestock Health & Welfare Support Services (Vaccination Clinics, Biosecurity Implementation) (AFACAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Livestock Identification, Traceability & Recordkeeping Services (Tagging, RFID) (AFAEALAF), Equipment & Facility Hygienic Design Assessment (Harborage Identification, Remediation Verification) (AFALAEAM), Livestock Weighing, Sorting & Handling Facility Services (AFAEALAG)

Keywords

• Livestock hygiene solutions
• Animal identification eartags
• Farm biosecurity products
• Dairy cattle supplies
• Agricultural pest control

Headquarters

HQ city

Hapert

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MS Schippers Webshop - Product Sales: MS Schippers operates webshops in nine countries offering all products livestock farmers need, including hygiene products, animal care, stall equipment, and farm supplies. A global catalogue webshop serves worldwide delivery. Revenue comes from product transactions, repeat purchasing, and loyalty programs (AGROW Loyalty Program).
2. MS Gold Premium Hygiene Products: Premium hygiene products distributed internationally via a network of dealers and distributors. Products developed with large-scale livestock farms and integrations in mind, targeting improved hygiene conditions, animal health, and profitability.
3. HyCare Program & Coaching: HyCare is a structured hygiene management method providing tools, products, and expert coaching to farmers. The program includes structured practices, performance measurement, and five pillars of hygiene. Farms achieve health and efficiency improvements, reducing dependence on antibiotics.
4. MS Eartags: Production and sale of MS Eartags for animal identification, supplied in normal and RFID formats in multiple colors and options. The company produces up to 5 million eartags per day. Both public administrations and private farmers are supplied according to their requirements.
5. Specialized Services (Pest Control, Water Systems, Coatings): APC (pest control), Total Water Care (drinking water quality systems), and Mesa Coatings (floor and wall coatings) provide specialized services and products to livestock farms as part of the HyCare ecosystem.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Schippers Group supplies livestock farms with hygiene products, animal identification eartags, hoof-cleaning equipment, coatings, water-quality systems, and pest-control services via B2B webshops in nine countries and international dealer networks. Its flagship HyCare methodology combines structured five-pillar hygiene coaching, proprietary products, and the HyCare Digital app to reduce antibiotic use by up to 99% on participating farms. The group also manufactures MS Eartags in-house at scale (up to 5 million per day from the Hapert facility) for livestock traceability and government identification programs.

Product overview

The Schippers Group operates a multi-brand portfolio focused on livestock hygiene and animal health solutions. The core offering combines MS Schippers (B2B e-commerce webshop platform operating in nine countries), HyCare (hygiene management methodology reducing antibiotic use by up to 99%), and MS Gold (premium hygiene products). Supporting brands include APC (organic pest control), Mesa Coatings (floor/wall coatings), Total Water Care (drinking water quality), and MS Eartags (animal identification tags with 5 million/day production capacity). The brands work together to provide comprehensive farm hygiene and biosecurity solutions with the goal of combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HyCare: A hygiene management method designed with and for livestock farmers that optimizes animal health, strengthens biosecurity, and improves farm efficiency. Farms using HyCare can reduce antibiotic use by up to 99%.
• MS Schippers
• MS Gold
• APC (Agro Pest Control)
• Total Water Care
• Mesa Coatings

Products and services

• HyCare (hygiene management methodology) A structured five-pillar hygiene management service for professional livestock farmers that combines expert coaching, proprietary products, and performance measurement to reduce antibiotic use by up to 99%, lower animal mortality, and improve farm profitability. Delivered through field advisors and HyCare coaches to pig, dairy, and poultry operations.
• MS Schippers (B2B e-commerce webshop platform) B2B e-commerce platform giving livestock farmers a one-stop webshop for farm supplies, hygiene consumables, stall equipment, and animal care products, with account-based pricing, a digital dashboard for order tracking, a mobile app for reordering, and the AGROW loyalty program. Designed to support both single-farm SMBs and large multi-location integrations.
• MS Gold premium hygiene products Premium tier of hygiene and care products developed for large-scale livestock farms and integrations, distributed internationally through a network of dealers and distributors to optimize on-farm hygiene conditions and improve animal health and profitability.
• MS Eartags In-house manufactured plastic and RFID animal identification eartags in multiple colors, printing options, and packaging configurations, with a globally unique roll-format output. Marketed as having the lowest failure rate in the market, and supplied to both public administrations and private farmers in 50+ countries.
• MS AutoHoofClean (automated hoof cleaning device) Innovative automated hoof cleaning system for dairy cattle designed to prevent hoof problems such as Mortellaro, sold as a hardware solution with service-coaching support; rolled out internationally via direct sales, dealers, and the HyCare network.
• MS TagMatic semi-automatic eartag labeling system Semi-automatic labeling hardware that works with roll-formatted MS Eartags to efficiently identify animals across pig, cattle, and other livestock operations.
• APC (Agro Pest Control) services Professional pest control services for the agricultural sector using fully organic and biological methods, supporting stable pest-free environments as a pillar of the HyCare methodology.
• Mesa Coatings (synthetic floor and wall systems) Internationally operating specialist in synthetic floor and wall coating systems for the livestock industry, supporting the Pore-Free Surfaces pillar of HyCare by sealing surfaces to enable high-quality, hygienic finishes at scale.
• Total Water Care (drinking water quality solutions) Specialized solutions and services to ensure optimal drinking water quality for livestock from source to uptake, supporting the Clean Drinking Water pillar of HyCare and overall animal health.

Quantifiable outcome

• Antibiotic use reduction of up to 99% with HyCare
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 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

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Caisley International: Germany-based livestock eartag manufacturer with comparable animal identification offerings and OEM ear-tag programmes for governments and farmers. Directly comparable product category, target customer (livestock farmers and public administrations), and geographic reach.
• Datamars: Swiss-headquartered provider of RFID and visual livestock identification tags, plus companion-animal and textile identification. Comparable in animal-ID product portfolio, technology (RFID eartags), and global distribution model.
• Kersia: Global food safety and biosecurity specialist with a dedicated livestock/farm hygiene division. Directly competes with HyCare and MS Gold in on-farm hygiene, disinfection, and biosecurity programmes for pig, poultry, and dairy producers.
• CID Lines (LANXESS): Belgium-headquartered livestock hygiene and biosecurity specialist, now part of LANXESS. Overlaps with MS Gold and HyCare across disinfection, udder health, and drinking water products for professional livestock farms.
• Z Tags: US-based livestock identification tag manufacturer competing with MS Eartags in visual and management tags for cattle producers. Comparable product category and target customer, primarily North American market overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Allflex Livestock Intelligence (MSD Animal Health): Global leader in livestock identification (visual and RFID eartags) and now part of MSD Animal Health, offering a broader animal-health portfolio. Closest direct competitor in MS Eartags' core category with materially larger R&D and global sales footprint.
• GEA Farm Technologies: Large dairy and livestock equipment supplier offering milking, hygiene, and farm management solutions. Comparable end customer (commercial dairy/livestock operators) with broader capital-equipment portfolio and deeper global service network.
• DeLaval: Global dairy equipment and farm supply company serving commercial dairy farms with milking, hygiene, and animal welfare solutions. Comparable customer segment (commercial dairy) and overlapping hygiene product categories.
• Ecolab Animal Health: Global water, hygiene, and infection-prevention major with an animal-health division serving livestock producers. Competes with MS Gold, Total Water Care, and Mesa Coatings across large livestock integrations with broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Hauptner: German livestock supplies and identification equipment manufacturer focused on European markets. Comparable in livestock identification and farm-supply product mix, though smaller in scale and more regionally concentrated than Schippers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Schippers Group