Lavatec

What Lavatec does

Lavatec is a privately-held French industrial laundry equipment manufacturer and systems integrator headquartered in the Lyon metropolitan area (Brindas), with a workforce of 11-50 employees. The company designs, integrates, and services complete turnkey laundry lines for healthcare facilities, industrial laundries, and textile rental companies, operating across the full processing chain from soiled linen sorting through washing, drying, ironing, folding, and material handling.

The product portfolio spans washing tunnels (3-20 compartments, 25-100 kg modules), centrifuges and pressure extractors (30-50 bar), industrial dryers (35-300 kg capacity), drying ironers (VEGAROLL series with 800-1600mm rollers), folding machines (Vegafold, Variofold, blanket and sponge folders), feeders (Cornerless, Selectfeed, offset), an automated 2.80m-amplitude sheet separator robot, garment finishing tunnels (150-2200 pieces/hour), aerial/belt/sling/pneumatic conveyor systems, dynamic storage, and a control software stack (Pilotage, Supervision, Production Management, UHF/barcode Identification). Notable proprietary technology includes the patented AirStream dryer technology delivering 20% production increases across MONO 800 through TRIO 1200 models. Manufacturing is partially outsourced to a long-standing partner (VEGA, Netherlands, 10+ years), with Lavatec retaining the in-house engineering bureau d'études for custom design.

The business operates on a direct enterprise sales motion with daily site visits, hardware sales of complete lines and refurbished equipment, a 12,000-SKU spare parts operation with same-day dispatch, technical service and maintenance contracts, and a retrofit service that extends equipment life by 10 years at 10-15% of new equipment cost. Customer financing is facilitated through a Siemens Financial Services partnership. Primary customers are French public hospitals and hospital groups (APHP Paris, GCS de Vienne, GCS de Cannes, Centre Hospitalier de Dax, Centre Hospitalier de Saumur, CHR d'Orléans, Jolimont Belgium), with industrial laundry/textile rental accounts including DEPAIRON SA in Belgium.

Name

Lavatec

Legal name

Lavatec

Website

https://lavatec.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lavatec is a privately-held French industrial laundry equipment manufacturer and integrator, headquartered near Lyon, serving hospitals, industrial laundries, and textile rental companies with complete turnkey solutions spanning washing, finishing, and material handling automation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Laundry Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Launderers (812332)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Workwear & PPE Laundry (HSAJAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical / Healthcare Laundry Pickup & Delivery (Clinics, Dental, Vet) (HSAJACAG), Uniform Laundry (Corporate/Facilities) (HSAJAEAE)

Keywords

• Industrial laundry equipment
• Industrial washing machines
• Garment finishing equipment
• Linen folding machines
• Laundry automation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Brindas

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Laundry Equipment Sales: Sale of complete industrial laundry lines including washing tunnels, presses, conveyors, folding machines, and finishing equipment. Equipment ranges from 25kg to 300kg capacity modules.
2. Spare Parts: 12,000 spare parts references maintained in inventory. Same-day dispatch available for constructor parts.
3. Technical Service & Maintenance: Technical hotline, automation assistance, and maintenance contracts. Technicians equipped with additional parts for interventions.
4. Retrofit Services: Mechanical optimization and functionality improvements for existing equipment, including replacement of obsolete automatisms. Cost is 10-15% of new equipment price, extending machine life by up to 10 years.
5. Used Equipment Sales: Sale of refurbished industrial machines from customer trade-ins including washing tunnels, folders, and pressing equipment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lavatec designs, manufactures, and integrates complete industrial laundry equipment lines for hospitals, hospital groups, industrial laundries, and textile rental companies. Its portfolio spans washing tunnels, centrifuges and pressure extractors, industrial dryers and drying ironers (VEGAROLL series), flat-linen folding machines and feeders, garment finishing tunnels, sheet separator robots, and aerial/belt/sling conveyor automation systems, complemented by spare parts, technical service, maintenance contracts, and retrofit upgrades. The company acts as a turnkey systems integrator combining proprietary equipment with components sourced from its long-running manufacturing partner VEGA (Netherlands).

Product overview

Lavatec provides comprehensive industrial laundry solutions organized around five main sectors: dirty linen sorting, washing chains, flat linen finishing, shaped garment finishing, and material handling/automation. The core product portfolio includes industrial washing tunnels (3-20 compartments, 25-100kg modules), centrifuges and pressure extractors, industrial dryers (35-300kg capacity, front-loading and automatic), and drying ironers (VEGAROLL series with roller diameters 800-1600mm). For flat linen finishing, Lavatec offers compact ironing trains, folding machines (Vegafold for multi-format items, blanket folders, sponge folders), feeders (Cornerless, Selectfeed, offset feeding), and sheet separators. The shaped garment finishing line includes clothing folders (Variofold family), finishing tunnels (150-2200 garments/hour), and ergonomic loaders/conveyors. Material handling and automation products encompass aerial conveyors, belt/sling/pneumatic transfer systems, dynamic storage, cart returners, and linen sorting systems. Supervision and control add-ons include Pilotage (machine control), Supervision (production line overview), Production Management, Production Statistics, and Identification Systems (UHF/barcode). The retrofit service extends existing equipment life by 10 years at 10-15% of new equipment cost.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Washing Tunnels (Tunnels de lavage) Industrial washing tunnels with 3 to 20 compartments and 25 to 100 kg capacity per module, available in stationary bath or counter-current washing configurations, designed for high-volume industrial linen processing.
• Centrifuges (Essoreuses Centrifuge) Gentle centrifugation systems with 2 to 5 minute cycle times and G-factor of 500 to 800, processing up to 1500 kg/hour for moisture extraction in industrial laundries.
• Pressure Extractors (Essoreuses Pression) High-pressure extractors applying 30, 40, or 50 bars for optimal dewatering with a minimum cycle time of 75 seconds, used in industrial linen pressing operations.
• Industrial Dryers (Séchoirs) Industrial dryers with 35 to 150 kg capacity featuring latest productivity and low-energy-consumption evolutions for industrial laundry operations.
• Front-Loading Dryers (Séchoirs Frontaux) Steam or gas-powered front-loading dryers with 20 to 75 kg capacity and the best evaporation rates, achieving drying times under 20 minutes.
• 100% Automatic Tilt Dryers (Séchoirs 100% automatiques) Tilting dryers with 100, 200 and 300 kg capacity offering automatic charging and discharging, complementing tilting washers for fully automated laundry workflows.
• Front-Loading / Aseptic Washers (Laveuses Frontales / Aseptiques) Pullman-type washers with 30 to 300 kg capacity and 1 to 4 compartments, available in front-loading or aseptic configurations for hygiene-critical applications.
• 100% Automatic Washers (Laveuses 100% automatiques) Tilting washers with 120, 200 and 300 kg capacity enabling automatic loading and unloading, dedicated to garments and dust control mats.
• VEGAROLL Drying Ironers (VEGAROLL SL - GL and S ET G Ø1600) Industrial drying ironers with Ø800 or Ø1200 mm rollers (3,000-4,000 mm working width) and high-capacity Ø1600 mm roller variants (1 or 2 rollers, 3,000-4,200 mm working width), with flexible bowls heated by steam or gas and integrated AirStream patented dryer technology.
• Compact Ironing Trains (Trains de repassage compacts) 100% industrial compact ironing trains with flexible bowl systems using thermal fluid or steam circulation and fixed rollers, designed for high-throughput flat linen finishing.
• Blanket Folders (Plieuse couvertures) Specialized blanket folding machines with 1 or 2 operator feeding stations performing 2 longitudinal and 2 transverse folds with automatic stacking.
• Sponge Folders (Plieuses éponges) Folding machines for thin or thick sponges up to 2.20 meters, with 700 to 1,000 pieces/hour capacity using knife folds or air jets.
• Vegafold Multi-Format Folder (Grand Plat / Petit Plat) Multi-purpose folder for large and small flat items with 3,300 to 4,000 mm working width, configurable with 1-2 large flat lanes and 3-6 small flat lanes.
• Mixed Feeder Selectfeed (Engageuse mixte) Dual-purpose feeder for large flat items with 2 manual operators and small flat items on multiple lanes, working width 3,300 to 4,000 mm.
• Cornerless Feeder (Engageuse frontale Cornerless) Ultra-ergonomic feeder operating without corner searching for sheets, with 2 or 3 frontal stations and 600 pieces/hour mechanical capacity per station.
• Offset Feeding System (Engagement déporté) High-productivity offset feeding system with or without corner searching, achieving 100% automatic operation when combined with aerial storage.
• Sheet Separator Robot (Séparateur de draps) Automated sheet separator robot extracting wet sheets one by one using a 2.80 meter movement amplitude, the only robot separator of its kind on the market, improving ergonomics and productivity.
• Floor-Level Sorting Stations (Stations de tri au sol) Totally modular floor-level sorting stations adaptable to all building constraints, with sorting bins placeable face-to-face, side-by-side, or stacked.
• Vertical Sorting Stations (Stations de tri verticales) Space-saving vertical sorting solution for elevated floors, pits, or platforms with many stations available to operators.
• Direct Sorting Stations (Stations de tri directes) Simple, efficient, economical and ergonomic sorting system where sorting is performed directly in slings that arrive and depart automatically.
• Aerial Conveyors (Convoyeurs aériens) Ergonomic aerial conveyor system with effortless hanging, automatic transfer to aerial storage, multi-distribution and continuous traceability.
• Belt Transfers (Transferts par tapis) Conveyor systems for bulk dirty linen, clean linen, and linen cakes, providing automated load displacement using fixed, mobile, pivoting, telescopic, or aerial belts.
• Sling Transfers (Transferts en slings) Automatic sling-based conveyor system moving linen loads from washing sector to each delivery point, eliminating carts and creating buffer storage.
• Pneumatic Transfers (Transferts pneumatiques) Aspiration-based pneumatic transfer system compatible with all premises and distances, used for loading dryers, returning rewashes, or transporting bulk linen.
• Dynamic Storage (Stockages dynamiques) Automatic or manual loading/unloading dynamic storage system creating buffer storage between finishing equipment and wardrobes.
• Cart Returners (Retourneurs de chariots) Custom-made container returners compatible with various containers, providing ergonomic and productivity benefits when combined with bag emptying stations.
• Linen Sorting System (Tri du linge) Automatic sorting system using UHF chips or barcodes with SODILEC software for sorting by client, size, service, or carrier in industrial laundry operations.
• Variofold Clothing Folders (Plieuses vêtements) Clothing folder family with up to 900 pieces/hour capacity, available with manual or 100% automatic depositing, handling thick garments with articulated folding blades.
• Finishing Tunnels (Tunnels de finition) Garment finishing tunnel range from 150 to 2,200 garments/hour powered by gas, steam, or electricity with optimal performance and low consumption.
• Loaders and Conveyors (Chargeurs et Convoyeurs) Ergonomic hanger loaders with variable height and suspended positioning for garment production lines, with optional barcode or RFID identification.
• Linen Pile Collection (Collectes des piles de linge) Automated collection, conveyor, and gathering of folded linen piles to the shipping area while maintaining client/article identification for traceability.
• Plieuses à volets PTO1 (Folding machines with ALGITECH partnership) New folding machines (Plieuses à volets) developed in partnership with ALGITECH for folding small flat items such as table napkins, pillowcases, and kitchen towels.
• Used/Refurbished Industrial Equipment (Seconde vie des machines LAVATEC) Sale of refurbished industrial machines from customer trade-ins including washing tunnels, folders, and pressing equipment; launched in 2025 to give used LAVATEC equipment a second life at reduced cost.
• Retrofit Service (Rétrofit mécanique et automatisme) Mechanical optimization and functionality improvement service for existing LAVATEC equipment, including replacement of obsolete automation systems, extending machine life by up to 10 years at 10-15% of new equipment cost.
• Technical Service, Maintenance & Spare Parts Technical hotline, automation/control assistance, and maintenance contracts delivered by field technicians equipped with additional parts, supported by a 12,000-reference spare parts inventory with same-day dispatch for constructor parts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% production increase with AirStream technology
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• VEGAcoreTechnology or IntegrationVEGA is LAVATEC's manufacturing partner based in the Netherlands. LAVATEC has partnered with VEGA for over 10 years. VEGA hosts open house events that LAVATEC France attends, showcasing manufacturing capabilities and new innovations. Partnership provides access to VEGA's industrial manufacturing capabilities for Lavatec-branded equipment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jensen-Group: Belgium-headquartered global manufacturer of industrial laundry equipment including washing, drying, ironing, and material handling systems. Closest direct peer to Lavatec with overlapping product portfolio across the entire industrial laundry process chain.
• Herbert Kannegiesser: German family-owned industrial laundry equipment manufacturer offering washing systems, finishing equipment, and automation. Competes head-to-head with Lavatec across the European hospital and industrial laundry segments.
• Girbau: Spain-based manufacturer of industrial and commercial laundry equipment with global distribution. Directly comparable product lines (washers, dryers, ironers, folders) serving similar hospital and textile-rental end customers.
• Pellerin Milnor: US-based manufacturer of industrial washing and material handling equipment for laundries. Comparable in core equipment categories (industrial washers, dryers, material handling) serving large-scale institutional and commercial laundry operations.
• VEGA: Netherlands-based industrial laundry equipment manufacturer and Lavatec's 10+ year manufacturing partner. Comparable product lines (folders, ironers, conveyors) and serves overlapping European hospital and industrial laundry customers.
• Colussi Erminio: Italy-based manufacturer of industrial laundry equipment including washing, finishing, and material handling systems. Directly comparable product portfolio serving European hospital and industrial laundry end markets.
• SIDI Group: Italy-based manufacturer specializing in industrial laundry equipment for garments, flat linen, and shaped items. Comparable product lines (folders, ironers, sorting systems) serving European textile-rental and industrial laundry customers.

Broad incumbents

• Electrolux Professional: Sweden-listed global manufacturer of professional laundry and food service equipment. Broader portfolio spanning both commercial and industrial laundry; competes with Lavatec in larger hospital and industrial installations across Europe.
• Miele Professional: German premium manufacturer of commercial and industrial laundry equipment. Overlaps with Lavatec's washing, drying, and ironing categories but operates a much broader portfolio and serves higher-end commercial segments in addition to industrial.
• Alliance Laundry Systems: US-based global manufacturer of commercial and industrial laundry equipment (UniMac, Huebsch, IPSO brands). Comparable equipment categories but significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Lavatec.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lavatec-france

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Lavatec