What Maisonneuve Citerne does

Maisonneuve Citerne is a French industrial manufacturer of specialized tank trailers and water-treatment systems, headquartered in Cérences, France, with origins dating to 1939. The company designs and builds a portfolio of 11 tank-trailer variants covering food-grade applications (notably dairy under the MILTANKER line), chemical transport (CHEMTANKER), and waste/sludge handling (WASTANKER), with each variant engineered to meet specific regulatory regimes such as ADR for hazardous goods, ATP for perishable foodstuffs, MID for measuring instruments, and BNIC for regulated spirits. Since its July 2018 acquisition by BENALU Group, Maisonneuve Citerne operates as part of a four-plant industrial group (~1,200 employees, ~€170M group revenue in 2019), with approximately 130 employees at the Cérences site focused on tank manufacturing.

The company also produces water-treatment systems — the WPURO purification units, which have been supplied to NATO forces since 2009, and the TEI wastewater-treatment line — alongside the E-DIGIMILK digital tank-management system introduced in 2019 for connected monitoring of in-service fleets. Its go-to-market is a direct industrial sales model supported by nine regional sales managers covering the French territory, targeting haulier fleets, dairy and food-industry operators, chemical transporters, and public-sector/defense buyers. Revenue mechanics are anchored in one-off capital-equipment sales of high-unit-price tank trailers plus a recurring aftermarket spare-parts and service stream from an installed base; the E-DIGIMILK platform opens a pathway toward recurring digital-service revenue. Customers rely on Maisonneuve for regulatory-compliant equipment in markets where certification lead-times and engineering heritage are decisive buying criteria.

Name

Maisonneuve Citerne

Legal name

MAISONNEUVE

Website

https://maisonneuve-citerne.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Maisonneuve Citerne is a French manufacturer (founded 1939, Cérences) of specialized tank trailers and water-treatment systems, serving dairy, chemical, waste, and defense customers as a subsidiary of BENALU Group since 2018.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Road Tankers and Liquid Transport Vehicles

NAICS

Truck Trailer Manufacturing (336212), Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621)

SIC

Truck Trailers (3715), Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Trailer Manufacturing (Dry Van/Reefer/Flatbed/Tanker) (IMACABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Semi-Trailer Manufacturing (Dry Van/Reefer/Tanker/Lowboy) (IMACAGAB)

Keywords

• Road tanker manufacturing
• Liquid transport equipment
• Water treatment systems
• Industrial semi-trailers
• Hazardous materials transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Cérences

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tank Trailer Manufacturing: Design, manufacturing, and sale of road tankers and semi-trailers for liquid transport. Products include FOODTANKER, MILKTANKER, HYDROTANKER, CHEMTANKER, WINETANKER, WASTANKER, BIOTANKER, AD-TANKER, BLACKTANKER, WATERTANKER, and TRUCKTANKER. Revenue approximately €20 million as of 2018.
2. Spare Parts Service: Aftermarket spare parts supply for all MAISONNEUVE tank vehicles. Offers widest range of original parts including accessories, bodywork, electrical, equipment, hydraulics, pneumatics, and sub-assemblies. Next-day delivery in France, express delivery across Europe.
3. Repair and Maintenance Services: Comprehensive repair services including chassis straightening, body straightening, tank and chassis repairs, hydraulic and electrical equipment maintenance. Services available on-site or at Cerences premises.
4. Water Treatment Systems: Manufacturing and sale of water treatment plants including potable water production units (WPURO) and wastewater treatment packages (TEI) for industrial, domestic, and emergency applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Maisonneuve Citerne designs, manufactures, and sells road tanker semi-trailers for transporting liquid cargo (food, dairy, wine, water, hydrocarbons, chemicals, AdBlue, and waste) and a complete range of water treatment systems (mobile potable water production units and modular wastewater treatment packages). Founded in 1939 and based in Cérences, France, the company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of BENALU Group and serves industrial, military, and emergency response customers.

Product overview

MAISONNEUVE CITERNE offers two main product lines: Tank Trailers (GAMME CITERNES) and Water Treatment Stations (GAMME TRAITEMENT DES EAUX). The tank trailer range includes 11 distinct semi-trailer and truck-mounted products (FOODTANKER, MILKTANKER, WINETANKER, WATERTANKER, HYDROTANKER, CHEMTANKER, BLACKTANKER, AD-TANKER, WASTANKER, BIOTANKER, and TRUCKTANKER) serving food, chemical, hydrocarbon, milk, wine, water, waste, and AdBlue transport sectors. The water treatment range includes WPURO (mobile potable water production units with 1-50 m³/h capacity) and TEI (modular wastewater treatment packages with variants for domestic, industrial, sanitation facility, and wash station applications). Supporting services include spare parts and repair. Founded in 1939, the company is part of the BENALU-LEGRAS Group and operates from Cérences, France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FOODTANKER: Liquid foodstuff tank semi-trailer for transportation and distribution of liquid foodstuffs
• WINETANKER
• MILKTANKER
• WATERTANKER
• HYDROTANKER
• CHEMTANKER
• BLACKTANKER
• AD-TANKER
• WASTANKER
• BIOTANKER
• TRUCKTANKER
• WPURO
• TEI

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BENALU-LEGRAS GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2018Benalu Group acquired Maisonneuve in July 2018 through bankruptcy proceedings. Benalu is the European leader in bulk transport vehicles (solid and liquid). The acquisition created Maisonneuve Citerne to expand Benalu's liquid bulk transport portfolio. Benalu provides industrial know-how, distribution network, and purchasing capabilities to Maisonneuve.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• HEGC Trailer (HFR) / European tank-trailer assembly peers: Smaller French specialty tank-trailer builders (e.g., Fauchon, local Breton/normand manufacturers) competing with Maisonneuve Citerne in regional French dairy, water and slurry segments with overlapping geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Schwarzmüller Group: Austrian premium trailer manufacturer with strong presence in tanker and silo segments. Comparable European customer base and product overlap in chemical and fuel tankers.
• LAG Trailers: Netherlands-based bulk tanker and tipper trailer manufacturer with a comparable European footprint. Overlaps with Maisonneuve Citerne in food-grade, chemical and fuel tankers, serving similar European fleet operators.
• Stokvis Trucks: Netherlands-based refrigerated and bulk tanker trailer manufacturer. Direct overlap with Maisonneuve Citerne on insulated food tankers (FOODTANKER) and chemical/refrigerated transport.
• Kässbohrer Fahrzeugwerke: German/Turkish manufacturer of tank, silo and container chassis trailers with a broad European product range. Competes directly with Maisonneuve Citerne in ADR-compliant chemical and fuel tankers.
• Feldbinder Spezialfahrzeugwerke: One of Europe's largest manufacturers of tank and silo trailers for liquid and bulk transport. Directly competes with Maisonneuve Citerne across chemical, food and hydrocarbon tanker segments, with multi-country production and a broader product portfolio.
• Spitzer Silo- und Tankfahrzeugwerke: German manufacturer of silo, tank and special-purpose trailers with comparable European customer base. Overlaps with Maisonneuve Citerne in food-grade, chemical and dry bulk tanker categories.
• Burg Service Car (SilverFox): Netherlands-based specialist in stainless-steel tank trailers for food, beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical liquids. Closely comparable to Maisonneuve Citerne in food-grade and chemical tanker niches.
• Magyar Trailers: Hungarian tank, silo and special-purpose trailer manufacturer. Competes with Maisonneuve Citerne in chemical and fuel tankers across Central and Western Europe at competitive price points.

Broad incumbents

• Wielton S.A. Poland-based largest trailer manufacturer in Europe with broad portfolio including curtainsiders, tippers and tankers via subsidiaries. Larger and more diversified than Maisonneuve Citerne; competes broadly across all tanker segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Maisonneuve Citerne