Laporte Corporate

What Laporte Corporate does

Laporte Corporate is a French family-owned manufacturer founded in 1927 by Emile Laporte and now in its third generation of family leadership under Jean-Michel Laporte and his sons Frédéric and Thomas. The company designs and builds clay pigeon launchers and biodegradable clay targets for Olympic shooting disciplines (trap, skeet, sporting, DTL, American trap), simulated hunting systems, and government hunting license examination infrastructure. Its technology stack is mechanical and electro-mechanical — including patented ATRDI instant trigger, three-point target retention, anti-vibration launching arms, and variable-speed projection systems — protected by a portfolio of more than 90 registered patents. Operations span six manufacturing and distribution sites across France (Biot headquarters, Formerie target factory, Sermaize logistics), the United Kingdom (Bottesford), the United States (Pounding Mill, Virginia), and Italy (Gualdo Tadino), serving customers in more than 80 countries.

The business operates through a multi-channel go-to-market combining direct enterprise field sales via regional subsidiary offices, an e-commerce storefront for spare parts, sportswear, and accessories, and event-driven demand from Olympic Games, ISSF World Cups, and national federation competitions. Revenue is generated from one-time launcher sales (priced on quote basis, with public skeet SKUs between €5,829 and €7,699), high-volume recurring consumable revenue from clay targets (€92.50 per case for standard competition eco), spare parts, sportswear, and complete simulated game/hunting exam installations. The company has been the official supplier of targets and launchers for ten Olympic Games since Rome 1960, most recently Paris 2024, and holds long-standing partnerships with ISSF, FITASC, CPSA, NSSA/NSCA, FFBT, and FFTir. Production capacity reaches 600 million targets per year at the Formerie automated facility and 3,000 launcher machines annually across the group, supported by 89 employees.

The customer base spans Olympic and international competition organizers, shooting clubs and ranges worldwide, individual hunters seeking off-season training, and government wildlife authorities requiring standardized hunting license exam systems. The Winchester brand distribution agreement, secured by Jean-Michel Laporte in 1990, expanded North American market reach and remains an important channel. The company is privately held with no external investment, no public listing, and no parent entity, with continuity anchored in three generations of Laporte family ownership and institutional knowledge passed to long-tenured technicians.

Name

Laporte Corporate

Legal name

Laporte

Website

https://laporte.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Laporte Corporate is a French family-owned manufacturer founded in 1927 that designs clay pigeon launchers, biodegradable targets, and simulated hunting systems for Olympic shooting sports, shooting clubs, and government hunting license programs across 80+ countries, producing 600 million targets and 3,000 launchers annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clay Target Shooting Equipment

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (339920)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Shooting Sports Equipment Retail (Targets, Clay, Range Gear, Hearing/Eye Protection) (CRAMAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hunt, Fish & Shooting Sports Distribution (CRAOAJAC)

Keywords

• Clay pigeon launchers
• Clay shooting targets
• Trap and skeet machines
• Sporting clays equipment
• Shooting range supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Biot

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Launcher Sales: Sale of clay pigeon launcher machines across multiple product lines (Olympic trap, Skeet, Sporting/Compak, DTL, American Trap, Training, Gravity Range). Revenue is one-time with product delivery, though after-sales service and spare parts provide ongoing revenue from installed base.
2. Target/Clay Pigeon Sales: Sale of clay targets in various types (Standard Competition, Grand Prix, Flash, Mini/Midi, Rabbit, Battue) and resin formulations (RP, ECO/ECOBIRD, NATURAL). High-volume consumable product generating recurring revenue.
3. Spare Parts and Accessories: Online sales of spare parts including springs, arms, control boards, connectors, barrels, anti-return mechanisms, motors, launch plates, and electrical components. Direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel.
4. Sportswear and Apparel: Branded sportswear line including t-shirts, polos, caps, jackets, technical clothing, shooting vests, and accessories. E-commerce sales to individual consumers and clubs.
5. Simulated Game Systems: Complete hunting simulation systems including running boar tracks, trailers, launcher configurations, and target silhouettes for hunting license testing and off-season training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Laporte Corporate manufactures and globally distributes clay pigeon launchers, clay targets, simulated game-bird systems and shooting sportswear, accessories and spare parts from its French headquarters. The family-owned firm supplies shooting clubs, national federations, Olympic committees and individual shooters across more than 80 countries, with annual capacity of roughly 600 million clay targets and up to 3,000 launching machines.

Product overview

Laporte Corporate is the world's leading manufacturer of clay pigeon traps (launchers) and targets, established in 1927 with a portfolio spanning 90+ patents. The product architecture consists of two core divisions: Olympic & Competition Launchers (Fosse Olympique, Skeet Precision, DTL, American Trap, Twinlap, and Individual Training models with barrel capacities from 6C to 18C columns) and Clay Targets (Grand Prix 24g, Competition Standard, FLASH, and Special targets including Mini/Midi/Rabbit/Battue in RP, ECO/ECOBIRD, and NATURAL resin variants). Supporting products include Simulated Game systems (Running Boar, configurable trailers, hunting exam installations), accessories, spare parts, and sportswear. Manufacturing capacity reaches 600 million targets annually across French and British facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Laporte Industries: Manufacturing division responsible for producing clay pigeon targets at the Formerie factory in France.
• Laporte CPC (Clay Pigeon Company)

Products and services

• Clay Pigeon Launchers Mechanical clay target launching machines for Olympic trap, skeet, sporting, DTL and American trap disciplines, sold to shooting clubs, federations, ranges and event organizers worldwide.
• Clay Targets Standard and biodegradable clay targets in multiple specifications, colors and sizes for use across competitive and recreational shooting disciplines.
• Simulated Game Systems Game-simulation equipment that emulates the flight patterns of game birds, intended for shooting clubs, training ranges and hunters seeking realistic practice scenarios.
• Shooting Sportswear and Apparel Branded shooting clothing and apparel sold via the company's online retail channel to individual shooters and shooting sports enthusiasts.
• Shooting Accessories and Spare Parts Accessories, consumables and spare parts for Laporte launchers and shooting ranges, supplied to existing customers and individual shooters.

Quantifiable outcome

• <1% no-bird rate; 0.027% at 2018 NSSA World Skeet Championship
• +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

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Gamekeepers' Welfare Trust (GWT)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 April 2025UK charitable organization supporting gamekeepers. Laporte supports GWT as part of community engagement and shooting sport advocacy.
• WinchestercoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 1990Exclusive contract obtained by Jean-Michel Laporte with the American Winchester brand during the 1990s, expanding distribution through Winchester's established channels.
• CPSA (Clay Pigeon Shooting Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK governing body for clay pigeon shooting. Laporte DTL launchers are designed to conform to CPSA rules. Active partnership in UK competition infrastructure.
• NSSA/NSCA (National Skeet Shooting Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association. Laporte Skeet launchers achieved 0.027% no-bird rate at 2018 NSSA World Championship.
• FFBT (Fédération Française de Ball Trap)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Ball Trap Federation. Primary national governing body partnership for French market competitions.
• FFTir (Fédération Française de Tir)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Shooting Federation. Laporte was official supplier for CNTS Châteauroux national shooting center inauguration.
• ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational governing body. Official equipment supplier for Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cups. All Laporte equipment meets ISSF competition specifications.
• FITASC (Fédération Internationale de Tir Ambulant et Sportif de Chasse)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational sporting clay and compak federation. Laporte is official supplier for European Championships, World Championships, and Grand Prix events in FITASC disciplines.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Garbi Sport: Spanish manufacturer of clay target launchers for sporting, Olympic trap, and skeet disciplines. Regional competitor in the Iberian and Latin American markets with comparable product range.
• Sportarm S.r.l. Italian manufacturer of clay target machines and related shooting sport equipment, primarily serving the Italian and southern European markets. Comparable in launcher technology with a smaller regional footprint.
• Eurotarget S.r.l. Italian manufacturer of clay targets, competing with Laporte in the European target market, particularly in FITASC sporting and Compak disciplines.

Direct peers

• Champion Traps & Targets: US-based manufacturer of clay target throwers and targets, owned by Vista Outdoor. Direct competitor in the personal and club-grade launcher segment, with strong US retail distribution.
• Promatic International: UK-based direct competitor manufacturing clay pigeon launchers and traps for Olympic and competitive shooting. Comparable product portfolio across Olympic trap, skeet, and sporting disciplines, with similar focus on regulated competition specifications.
• White Flyer: Largest US manufacturer of clay targets, competing with Laporte in the target consumables segment. Operates large-scale automated production facilities similar to Laporte Industries, with overlap in sporting clays and trap competition markets.
• Do All Outdoors: US-based manufacturer of clay target traps and automatic launchers serving the American Trap and sporting clays markets. Direct competitor in the trap/launcher category with overlapping customer base of shooting clubs and ranges.

Others

• Winchester (Olin Corporation): Historic Laporte licensing partner since 1990 for distribution in the US. Comparable in the broader shooting sports ecosystem; not a direct competitor in launchers but adjacent in ammunition and shooting accessories.

Emerging players

• Canfield Targets (formerly Black Lightning): US-based clay target manufacturer focused on premium targets including the biodegradable Eco-Flyer line. Direct competitor in the eco-friendly target segment with documented Olympic credentials.

Broad incumbents

• Beretta Holding: Italian broad incumbent in shooting sports owning firearms, accessories, and clay target launcher brands (e.g., Beretta, Benelli). Overlapping customer base in Olympic/clay shooting with broader portfolio reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laporte-ball-trap

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 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 Laporte Corporate