CAL
Groupe CAL is a French agricultural cooperative founded in 1933 serving farmer-members across the Lorraine region through four divisions: crop inputs, livestock services, agricultural machinery dealerships (John Deere, JCB, HORSCH), and grain marketing via the Cultur'CAL digital platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1933
- HeadquartersLaxou, France
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CAL does
Groupe CAL (Coopérative Agricole Lorraine) is a French agricultural cooperative founded in 1933 and headquartered in Laxou, France, serving farmer-members across the Lorraine region (departments 54, 55, 57, 67, 70, and 88). The cooperative operates four business divisions: Pôle Végétal (crop production supplies including seeds, fertilizers, and phytosanitary products), Pôle Élevage (livestock nutrition, health, and breeding services), Pôle Agroéquipement (agricultural machinery sales and service through subsidiaries Mecavista, ManutOne, and Établissements Hennequin, representing John Deere, JCB, and HORSCH brands), and Pôle Support (shared IT, HR, accounting, and communications functions). The organization also operates the Point Vert retail brand for garden supplies and Union Térialis for fertilizer storage and distribution, alongside the CLOE union of cooperatives for shared services including livestock transport.
The cooperative monetizes through transactional revenue across its product and service streams, with pricing quoted to members based on volume and requirements rather than via published price lists. Distribution occurs through an extensive physical network of depots, collection sites, and machinery bases spanning multiple departments, complemented by the Cultur'CAL digital extranet enabling members to execute grain sales via the Bourse aux Céréales platform from computer, tablet, or smartphone. Technology assets include precision agriculture capabilities combining drone/satellite imagery with variable-rate application technology, the Damier Vert agronomic trial platform at Bouvron for demonstrating new crop techniques, and exclusive dealership agreements with major equipment manufacturers.
The business model is structured as a member-owned cooperative rather than a traditional investor-owned enterprise, with Pierre-Yves Simonin serving as President (since December 2021) and Éric Chrétien as Director General (since January 2016). The organization employs 251-500 staff and maintains partnerships spanning agricultural waste recycling (ADIVALOR), academic research (ENSAIA), environmental initiatives (Shifters Nancy-Lorraine), and regional cooperative alliances (EMC2, LORCA).
CAL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CAL
- Legal name
- Coopérative Agricole Lorraine
- Website
- https://cal-lorraine.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1933
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Groupe CAL is a French agricultural cooperative founded in 1933 serving farmer-members across the Lorraine region through four divisions: crop inputs, livestock services, agricultural machinery dealerships (John Deere, JCB, HORSCH), and grain marketing via the Cultur'CAL digital platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CAL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Cooperative Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Support Activities for Animal Production (11521)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Agronomy Advisory & Field Services (Retailer-Affiliated) (AFABAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Forage Processing & Conditioning (Kernel Processors, Cut-Length Systems, Blowers) (AFAAAEAH), Forage-Based Ruminant Feeds (Hay Cubes, Alfalfa Pellets, Silage Add-on Products) (AFADAAAJ)
Keywords
Where CAL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Laxou
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
CAL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Crop Production Supplies: Distribution of seeds, fertilizers, phytosanitary products, and crop inputs to member farmers
- Agricultural Machinery Sales and Service: Sale and maintenance of agricultural equipment through subsidiaries including Mecavista and Manut-One; represents John Deere, JCB, and HORSCH brands
- Livestock Products and Services: Animal nutrition, health products, and breeding services for livestock farmers
- Grain Marketing: Cereal collection and marketing services for members with access to commodity markets
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Agricultural products and services are priced based on member volume and specific requirements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
CAL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Groupe CAL is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative supplying crop production inputs (seeds, fertilizers, phytosanitary products), livestock nutrition and breeding services, and agricultural machinery (through Mecavista and ManutOne subsidiaries representing John Deere, JCB, and HORSCH). It also operates a grain collection and marketing service for member farmers via the Cultur'CAL digital exchange and Point Vert retail garden centers across the Lorraine and Grand Est regions of France.
Product overview
CAL (Coopérative Agricole Lorraine) operates as a multi-divisional agricultural cooperative serving farmer members across Lorraine and neighboring regions. The organization is structured around four main operational poles: the Crop Division (Pôle Végétal) supplying seeds, fertilizers, and crop protection products with agronomic advisory services; the Livestock Division (Pôle Élevage) supporting cattle farmers with animal husbandry and feeding programs; the Ag Equipment Division (Pôle Agroéquipement) distributing machinery through subsidiaries Mecavista (used equipment) and ManutOne (material handling); and a Support Division providing IT, HR, accounting, and communication services. Digital member services are delivered through Cultur'CAL, a private extranet portal enabling grain price monitoring and Bourse aux Céréales transactions. Retail operations include Point Vert stores for garden equipment and supplies. The cooperative also operates specialized subsidiaries including Union Terialis (fertilizers), Cloye (shared services including live animal transport), and manages the Damier Vert agronomic trial platform at Bouvron for technology demonstration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mecavista: Agricultural machinery dealership offering new and used equipment
- ManutOne
- Point Vert
- Point Vert Le Jardin
- Damier Vert
- Cultur'Sol
- Cultur'Gaz
Products and services
- Pôle Végétal (Crop Division)
Quantifiable outcome
- Damier Vert agronomic platform enables demonstration of new techniques over 20+ hectares
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use CAL
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CAL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature3 records
CAL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Shifters Nancy-LorraineminorEnvironmental initiative partnership focused on low-carbon agriculture. Pierre Yves Simonin participated in conference on carbon-neutral agriculture for 2050 organized by Shifters Nancy-Lorraine and Shift Project.
- ADIVALORcorePartnership for collection and recycling of agricultural waste including phytosanitary containers, plastic films, fertilizer bags, and twine. ADIVALOR organizes twice-yearly collection drives with CAL hosting collection sites across its network.
- John DeerecoreExclusive agricultural machinery brand representation through Mecavista subsidiary. John Deere equipment including combine harvesters (Series S), tractors, and precision farming technology sold and serviced by CAL Group.
- JCBcoreAgricultural and construction equipment brand distributed through Mecavista network across the Lorraine region.
- HORSCHcoreSpecialized agricultural machinery including seed drills and tillage equipment represented through CAL machinery subsidiaries.
- ENSAIA (École Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et des Industries Alimentaires)minorAcademic partnership for innovation events and knowledge exchange. Jointly organized Biocontrol symposium in 2016 with BASF and ENSAIA students.
- Ets HennequincoreWholly-owned subsidiary in Moselle specializing in agricultural machinery sales and service. Represented John Deere, JCB and HORSCH brands. Located at Thal-Drulingen in Alsace.
- EMC2, LORCA, CAL 54 CooperativesminorRegional cooperative alliance for joint events and initiatives including the Damier Vert platform demonstrations during Semaine de la Cooperation Agricole.
- CLOE (Union of Cooperatives)minorUnion of cooperatives for shared services including live animal transport. CAL posts job openings on behalf of CLOE for transport services in Alsace/Lorraine sector.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CAL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Axereal: French agricultural cooperative with grain collection/marketing, malting, and crop-input distribution, plus specialty animal nutrition. Same cooperative model with direct overlap on grain marketing and crop inputs to farmer-members.
- Agrial: French multi-divisional agricultural cooperative serving farmer-members with crop inputs, livestock, machinery, retail (Point Vert), and food processing. Closely comparable to CAL's diversified cooperative model across similar operating activities.
- Eureden: Breton cooperative group formed from Triskalia/Cecab merger, providing crop inputs, animal nutrition, retail, and agricultural services to farmer-members. Comparable cooperative model with similar multi-division service offering.
- Euralis: French agricultural cooperative serving farmers in southwestern France with crop, livestock, and agri-food divisions. Same diversified, member-owned cooperative blueprint with similar operating activities.
- Terrena: French agricultural cooperative in western France serving farmer-members with crop inputs, livestock, retail (La Maison Point Vert), and equipment services. Highly comparable multi-division cooperative template mirroring CAL's structure.
- Vivescia: French grain and malting-barley cooperative operating across Grand Est and northern France with crop-input distribution, grain collection, and farmer services. Directly comparable to CAL on geography, crop-input business, and cooperative structure.
- EMC2: Lorraine-area French agricultural cooperative named as a CAL alliance partner (alongside LORCA and CAL 54 for Damier Vert). Directly competes in the same Grand Est footprint with overlapping crop-input and advisory services.
Broad incumbents
- InVivo: Union of French agricultural cooperatives operating grain trading, retail (TERACT/Gamm Vert, Frais d'Ici), and agricultural services at national scale. Broader scope than CAL but overlapping activities including retail and crop inputs.
Emerging players
- Sodiaal: French dairy-focused cooperative (Candia, Yoplait, Entremont) that intersects with CAL's livestock services division serving cattle farmers. Partial overlap concentrated in animal production support rather than full direct competition.
Regional players
- BayWa: German agricultural cooperative operating crop inputs, agricultural equipment, and produce trading across Central Europe. Cross-border cooperative analog sharing the same farmer-owned model and ag-input/equipment activities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CAL social profiles
Digital presenceCAL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CAL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
CAL subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
CAL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CAL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CAL
What does CAL do?
Groupe CAL is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative supplying crop production inputs (seeds, fertilizers, phytosanitary products), livestock nutrition and breeding services, and agricultural machinery (through Mecavista and ManutOne subsidiaries representing John Deere, JCB, and HORSCH). It also operates a grain collection and marketing service for member farmers via the Cultur'CAL digital exchange and Point Vert retail garden centers across the Lorraine and Grand Est regions of France.
Is CAL a public or private company?
CAL is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was CAL founded?
CAL was founded in 1933. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is CAL based?
CAL is headquartered in Laxou, France, in the Europe region.
How does CAL make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Crop Production Supplies are the primary driver. The others are agricultural Machinery Sales and Service, livestock Products and Services and grain Marketing.
Who are CAL's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Axereal, Agrial, Eureden, Euralis, Terrena, Vivescia and EMC2. InVivo is listed as a broad incumbent. Sodiaal is listed as an emerging player. BayWa is listed as a regional player.
Does CAL have an API?
No public API is recorded for CAL.
What industry is CAL in?
CAL's product category is Agricultural Cooperative Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAJAH, Agronomy Advisory & Field Services (Retailer-Affiliated), with a secondary code of AFAAAEAH, Forage Processing & Conditioning (Kernel Processors, Cut-Length Systems, Blowers). Its NAICS code is 11511 and its SIC code is 700.