What GLA Agricultural Electronics does

GLA Agricultural Electronics, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer of digital animal health thermometers, founded in 1969 in California and operating from its assembly facility at 3563 Sueldo Street, Suite D in San Luis Obispo since 1988. The company focuses exclusively on a single product category — fast-response temperature sensing probes (M207 series) paired with digital readout units (M900 and M950 series) — and has iterated through seven generations of thermometers and four generations of probes over 55+ years. Core technical features include accuracy to 0.1°F/C, 8–15 second readings, anodized aluminum weather-resistant housings with EPDM gasket sealing, protected 18650 lithium-ion battery systems, and multi-language LCD displays (English, Spanish, Chinese); the premium M950 adds USB/RS232 communication, terminal emulation-based data logging (~590 lines), and RFID reader compatibility for research applications. All products are hand-built in small batches in San Luis Obispo using components sourced from small American vendors across multiple states.

GLA generates revenue exclusively through one-time hardware sales of thermometer packages ($459–$630), replacement probes (~$119.95), and accessories (battery packs, chargers, leather cases), plus a $69 base-charge repair and calibration service. Distribution combines a direct-to-consumer Square-powered e-commerce storefront with a 50+ US distributor network across 22+ states and country-specific international partners in 27 countries including Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, the UK, and Ukraine. End customers span beef and dairy operations, veterinary practices, zoos, universities, and pharmaceutical research institutions; no named enterprise accounts are disclosed. Marketing is conducted primarily through the company website, email, and phone support staffed by technicians who have built and serviced most historical product generations. The company is wholly family-owned across three generations with no institutional funding, no disclosed headcount, and no public revenue figures.

Name

GLA Agricultural Electronics

Legal name

GLA Agricultural Electronics, Inc

Website

https://gla-ag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GLA Agricultural Electronics is a family-owned manufacturer of digital animal health thermometers, founded in 1969 in San Luis Obispo, California. It sells M900 and M950 series thermometers with M207 probes through 50+ US distributors and country-specific partners across 27 countries, serving ranchers, dairies, veterinarians, zoos, and research institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Health Thermometers

NAICS

Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuous Temperature & Fever Monitoring (Wearable Thermometry) (HLAHACAK)

Keywords

• Animal health thermometers
• Veterinary diagnostic devices
• Livestock temperature monitoring
• Agricultural electronics
• Digital thermometer manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Luis Obispo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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. Thermometer and Probe Hardware Sales: GLA Agricultural Electronics generates revenue primarily through the sale of animal health thermometer hardware. Product lines include the M900 and M950 thermometer series, M207 probes (right angle and straight), and accessories such as battery packs, USB wall chargers, and leather carry cases. Thermometer packages range from $459 to $630, probes are priced at approximately $119.95, and accessories such as battery packs ($28.95), USB wall plugs ($29.95), and leather cases ($34.95). All sales are one-time hardware purchases with no recurring revenue component.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GLA Agricultural Electronics designs, manufactures, and sells precision digital animal health thermometers and probes used by ranchers, feedlot operators, dairy operations, veterinarians, universities, pharmaceutical researchers, and zoos. The company's flagship M900 and M950 thermometer series are hand-assembled in small batches in San Luis Obispo, California using components sourced from small American vendors, and are complemented by M207 probes (right-angle and straight variants), chargers, battery packs, leather cases, and lifetime repair and calibration services for all generations of its thermometers.

Product overview

GLA Agricultural Electronics is a family-owned manufacturer specializing in a single product line: animal health thermometers. The company has developed seven generations of thermometers and four generations of probes since 1969. The current product portfolio centers on the M900 and M950 thermometer series (launched 2017), which are bundled with M207 probes (straight and right-angle variants in multiple lengths) and supported by accessories including chargers (C725, C965), battery packs (B601), and leather cases (H909). The M900 is the standard model with LCD display and 8-15 second readings, while the M950 adds USB communication, terminal emulation compatibility, and RFID reader connectivity for data logging applications. Both are backed by a 2-year warranty. The company also continues to service older model families (M216, M500, M525, M700, M750) with compatible accessories and repair services. All products are hand-built in San Luis Obispo, California using components from American vendors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M900 Thermometer Digital animal health thermometer with 8-15 second temperature reading, accuracy to 0.1°F/C, LCD backlit display, anodized aluminum weather-resistant case, peak hold and continuous temperature modes, storage of up to 8 saved temperatures, and multi-language support (English/Spanish/Chinese); for ranchers, feedlot operators, dairies, veterinarians, zoos, and university programs. Backed by a two-year warranty.
• M950 Thermometer Premium digital animal health thermometer with USB communication, terminal emulation program compatibility, data logging (approximately 590 lines), built-in RS232 port for RFID reader connectivity, and ASCII storage of temperature, IDs, and timestamps; targeted at universities, pharmaceutical research, and any operation requiring traceability. Backed by a two-year warranty.
• M900H Thermometer Package M900 thermometer bundled with M207R right angle probe, C965 charger, and H909 leather carry case; priced at $479.00.
• M950H Thermometer Package M950 thermometer bundled with M207R right angle probe, C965 charger, serial cable, and H909 leather carry case; priced at $630.00.
• M207R Right Angle Probe Right-angle replacement thermometer probe available in 2.0", 3.0", and 4.0" lengths, compatible with M900 and M950 thermometer series; one-year warranty.
• M207S Straight Probe Straight replacement thermometer probe available in 2.0", 3.0", and 4.0" lengths, compatible with M900 and M950 thermometer series; one-year warranty.
• C965 USB Wall Plug Charger

Quantifiable outcome

• Temperature accuracy within 0.1°F or 0.1°C
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Small American Vendors (domestic supply chain)coreOthersGLA uses small American vendors across the country in the design and manufacturing of its thermometers. Vendors include a local electronics engineer in San Luis Obispo, a wire/cable company in Wyoming, an enclosure company in Wisconsin, a label company in California, gaskets from Georgia, circuit boards from Minnesota, cords from Massachusetts, and batteries from Iowa. Products are hand built in small batches using these domestic components.
• SquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationGLA Agricultural Electronics uses Square to process payments on its e-commerce storefront. Square automatically collects order information but may only use this information in the aggregate.
• Carrie Sundra (Independent Contractor)minorOthersCarrie Sundra is listed as a local contact/vendor on the GLA vendors page, potentially providing consulting or advisory services related to GLA's operations.
• Forrest Doud (Forrest Doud Photography)minorOthersForrest Doud provides photography services to GLA Agricultural Electronics. Listed as a local vendor on the vendors page.
• Cal-Poly Dairy Science Department (California Polytechnic State University)minorOthersCal-Poly Dairy Science Department is listed as a local vendor on the GLA vendors page, likely providing research collaboration, testing, or advisory services related to dairy herd health monitoring.
• Elco MachineminorOthersElco Machine is listed as a local vendor on the GLA vendors page, providing machine shop services such as precision machining or metal fabrication for thermometer components.
• Curry's LeatherminorOthersCurry's Leather supplies leather materials used in GLA's H909 leather carry cases for the M900 and M950 thermometer packages.
• GavittminorOthersGavitt is listed as a national vendor, supplying wire or cable products used in GLA thermometer manufacturing.
• Top Gater IndustriesminorOthersTop Gater Industries is listed as a national vendor, potentially supplying enclosure, gaskets, or weatherproofing components for GLA thermometer housings.
• Digital Planet CreativeminorOthersDigital Planet Creative is listed as the website design and creative agency for GLA Agricultural Electronics, responsible for the company's website design and creative services.
• Li-Ion WholesaleminorOthersLi-Ion Wholesale is listed as a national vendor, supplying lithium-ion batteries or battery-related products for GLA thermometer packages.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• CowManager: CowManager provides ear-tag-based continuous health and fertility monitoring for dairy cows, capturing temperature and behavior data. While GLA sells handheld thermometers and CowManager sells automated in-ear sensors, both target the same end user (dairy/feedlot operators monitoring cattle health), making it the closest adjacent emerging alternative to GLA's manual workflow.
• Datamars: Datamars provides livestock identification, traceability, and sensing solutions across multiple species. Comparable to GLA in addressing livestock management needs through identification and monitoring tags, but with a technology-platform approach rather than handheld instrumentation.
• smaXtec: smaXtec produces in-rumen bolus sensors that continuously monitor dairy cow core body temperature, rumination, and activity. It competes with GLA in the same cattle-health monitoring use case but via a fundamentally different (continuous-automated) delivery model, representing the principal disruptive alternative to handheld thermometry.
• AfiMilk / AfiAct: AfiMilk (AfiAct tag) provides dairy herd management systems including leg- and neck-mounted pedometers/sensors that track cow activity and temperature. Comparable to GLA in addressing dairy cattle health monitoring, with a focus on automated detection of illness and heat, versus GLA's manual approach.
• ENGS Systems: ENGS Systems is an Israeli company offering livestock identification, weighing, and traceability equipment. Comparable to GLA in providing specialized agricultural instrumentation to livestock producers, though ENGS focuses on weighing and identification rather than thermometry specifically.

Broad incumbents

• IDEXX Laboratories: IDEXX is a global leader in veterinary diagnostics, serving companion animal and livestock practices. While GLA focuses on handheld livestock thermometers and IDEXX on laboratory diagnostics, both sell into veterinary clinics and serve animal health decision-making workflows, making IDEXX a broad incumbent in GLA's downstream customer base.
• Allflex (MSD Animal Health): Allflex, now part of MSD Animal Health, is the dominant livestock identification and monitoring company, offering visual and electronic ear tags plus sensing solutions. Comparable to GLA in serving livestock producers, but at vastly greater scale and with technology platforms (e.g., SCR heat-time tags) that compete with manual temperature measurement.
• BouMatic: BouMatic is a global dairy equipment manufacturer offering milking systems, cooling, and herd management solutions. Comparable to GLA in selling to commercial dairies, with BouMatic offering a broader equipment portfolio that could incorporate or substitute for standalone temperature monitoring.
• Zoetis: Zoetis is the largest dedicated animal health company globally, offering diagnostics, vaccines, parasiticides, and increasingly livestock monitoring technologies. While GLA is a single-product thermometer manufacturer, Zoetis represents the broad incumbent whose expansion into cattle health monitoring could pressure GLA's niche.
• DeLaval: DeLaval is a global dairy equipment incumbent offering milking systems, herd management software, and cow comfort monitoring. While GLA is a niche thermometer specialist, both companies sell into commercial dairy operations; DeLaval's broader portfolio gives it leverage to bundle or substitute temperature monitoring away from standalone handheld devices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gla-agricultural-electronics

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 GLA Agricultural Electronics