Locau

What Locau does

Locau is a French manufacturer of cutlery and scissors headquartered in La Monnerie le Montel, in the Thiers cutlery basin, operating as a SAS founded in 1975. The company designs and produces table knives, pocket knives, kitchen knives, scissors, secateurs, and shearing tools, marketed under a portfolio of proprietary and registered brands including LE THIERS®, CISOCHOC®, LADY COUTURE®, EUROCISO®, SOFTBLUE®, Secaflor, and CRT®. Manufacturing is anchored in an 8,000 m² industrial site (6,000 m² production plus 2,000 m² logistics) and uses CAD/3D digital design, laser cutting, and traditional hand-finishing consistent with the Thiers cutlery tradition; the firm also offers contract manufacturing services via the L'Atelier CRT workshop acquired in 2019.

The company's revenue model is a B2B branded-goods model, selling through approximately 500 French resellers into at least eight end-verticals: hospitality (Maîtres Cuisiniers de France partnership since 2023), fashion and textiles, floristry and horticulture, industrial cutting, beauty, leather goods, plastics, and electronics. The product portfolio spans 300+ pocket-knife references plus table, kitchen, and professional scissor lines, with multi-tier pricing from the premium LE THIERS® umbrella through mid-tier and entry-level brands.

Growth has been driven by a programmatic M&A strategy spanning three decades (BARRAUD-BROSSON 1988, RIMBERT CHEVALERIAS 2007, ROCHER et Fils 2016, L'Atelier CRT 2019) to verticalize the supply chain and add new product categories, complemented by new product launches under the LE THIERS® mark (scissors 2006, knives 2009) and selective international trade-fair presence (IWA Nuremberg, H+H Cologne). The company is privately held, mid-sized (11–50 employees), with no disclosed financials or external funding events.

Name

Locau

Legal name

SAS LOCAU

Website

https://locau.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Locau is a French cutlery and scissors manufacturer founded in 1975 and based in the Thiers cutlery basin. It produces branded table, kitchen, and pocket knives, plus professional scissors, secateurs, and shearing tools, distributed via ~500 French resellers across hospitality, floristry, textile, and industrial verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cutlery and Knife Manufacturing

NAICS

Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (3322), Metal Kitchen Cookware, Utensil, Cutlery, and Flatware (except Precious) Manufacturing (332215)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Tools & Tool Accessories Retail (Hand, Power, Pneumatic) (CRAIADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Crafting Tools & Equipment Retail (Cutting, Adhesives, Heat Tools) (CRALACAC)

Keywords

• French cutlery manufacturing
• Professional kitchen knives
• Pocket knives
• Tailor scissors shears
• Custom metalworking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Montel

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Product Sales to Resellers: LOCAU manufactures and commercializes high-end knives (table, pocket, kitchen) and scissors/secateurs, selling primarily to a network of approximately 500 French resellers including restaurants, hotels, cutleries, armorers, tableware shops, and creative arts retailers. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. CRT Workshop - Subcontracting & Custom Manufacturing: The CRT® workshop (specialized for 15 years in metalworking and cutlery) offers custom manufacturing of finished products or semi-finished parts for clients. Services include product design, machining, laser cutting, manual polishing, digital modeling, surface engraving, and sharpening under the client's brand.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Locau designs, manufactures, and markets high-end French-made table knives, pocket knives, and kitchen knives, alongside professional scissors and secateurs, primarily under the LE THIERS® guild-certified brand. The company operates from a 6,000 m² production site in La Monnerie le Montel (Thiers region) and offers more than 300 LE THIERS® pocket knife references in 13 models using premium materials including Damascus steel, ebony, mammoth molar, coral, and lava stone from Puy de Dôme. The CRT workshop additionally provides custom metalworking and subcontracting services for finished or semi-finished products under client brands.

Product overview

LOCAU is a French cutlery manufacturer based in Thiers, producing knives, scissors, and secateurs across three main product families: Scissors & Shears, Pocket & Outdoor Knives, and Table & Kitchen Knives. The company operates the LE THIERS® branded premium line which adheres to strict Jurande guild quality standards and is 100% French-made. Supporting the core products, LOCAU offers the CRT Workshop subcontracting service for metalworking and cutlery manufacturing. The company holds several historic brands and products including the innovative CISOCHOC® (world's first metal-free scissors) and the LADY COUTURE® sewing scissors line. LOCAU works primarily with professional distributors (approximately 500) across France, serving industries including food service, floristry, leatherwork, electronics, and plasturgy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LE THIERS®: Premium knife and scissors brand following strict Jurande guild quality criteria, representing 100% French manufacture from Thiers
• CRT®
• LADY COUTURE®
• CISOCHOC®

Products and services

• LE THIERS® knives (table and pocket) Premium French-made table and pocket knives bearing the Thiers city name, manufactured following strict Jurande guild quality criteria. Made from stainless steel (X46CR13/X20CR13, minimum 52 HRC) and available with various handle materials including wood, horn, and noble materials.
• LE THIERS® scissors Premium cold-forged scissors bearing the Thiers city name, following the same quality standards as LE THIERS® knives. Made from XC50 carbon steel (52-56 HRC).
• Professional Scissors & Shears (Ciseaux) Professional scissors for sewing, tailoring, embroidery, gardening, floristry, and beauty/manicure applications. Includes specialized lines such as LADY COUTURE®, EUROCISO®, SOFTBLUE®, Burocoup, Loncoup, and DAF branded products. Made from XC50 carbon steel (52-56 HRC hardness).
• Pocket & Outdoor Knives (Couteaux de Poche) Over 300 references of LE THIERS® pocket knives across 13 different models (Starlet, Pote, Polisson, Fiston, Elégant, Smarty, Milord, Elite, Excellent, Mini Smart, Smart, Sologne, Sommelier). Available with Damascus blades, horn, wood, and noble materials. Made from 12C27 stainless steel (minimum 52 HRC).
• Table & Kitchen Knives (Couteaux de Table & Cuisine) Professional kitchen and table knives including chef's knives, carving forks, boning knives, poultry cutters, and kitchen scissors. Made from X46CR13/X20CR13 stainless steel (minimum 52 HRC).
• Secateurs & Pruning Shears (Sécateurs) Garden secateurs and pruning shears for horticulture and floristry. Made from XC46 C13 6 carbon steel (50-56 HRC hardness). Includes forged, ergonomic, and specialty models, including the Secaflor brand line.
• CISOCHOC® scissors World's first pair of scissors without a gram of metal, an innovative proprietary product created by Locau in 1989.
• CRT Workshop - Custom Metalworking and Subcontracting Services Metalworking and cutlery subcontracting services including product design, machining, laser cutting, manual polishing, surface engraving, digital modeling, and sharpening. Specializes in finished products and semi-finished parts for partners under client brands. Specialized for 15 years in metalworking and cutlery.

Quantifiable outcome

• LOCAU scissors enable artisans and workers to 'make the tool part of their body,' providing precision and comfort during extended use
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maîtres Cuisiniers De France (MCF)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 March 2023LOCAU became an official partner of the Maîtres Cuisiniers De France association in March 2023. The partnership includes LOCAU's presence in the MCF 2023 Guide and ongoing collaboration between professional chefs and LOCAU's product development team to design and refine culinary cutting tools.
• Le Petit GourmetminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2022LOCAU was featured in the April 2022 edition of Le Petit Gourmet magazine, a French culinary publication. The feature provided editorial coverage of LOCAU's products for professional and amateur chefs.
• Coupe Ile de France des FleuristesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2015LOCAU was a partner of the Coupe Ile de France des Fleuristes (Paris region florist competition) in April 2015. As a partner, LOCAU supplies cutting tools to competition participants and gains visibility among professional florists.
• Made in AuvergneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2015LOCAU is a partner of the 'Made in Auvergne' initiative, which promotes products manufactured in the Auvergne region of France. This partnership supports LOCAU's brand positioning as a regional artisan manufacturer.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Zwilling J.A. Henckels: German kitchen cutlery giant offering premium chef's knives, shears and grooming tools. Overlaps with LOCAU's table/kitchen knife catalog and beauty/hairdressing scissors line.
• Fiskars: Global scissors, shears and hand-tool giant. Directly comparable on the professional scissor and secateur categories where LOCAU's EUROCISO®, LADY COUTURE® and Secaflor brands compete.
• Victorinox: Swiss global leader in pocket knives, kitchen knives and professional tools including scissors. Broad incumbent offering overlap with LOCAU's kitchen, pocket and professional scissor categories at scale.
• Wüsthof: German premium kitchen cutlery manufacturer with broad global retail presence. Comparable to LOCAU on forged kitchen knives and professional chef channels served via distributors.

Direct peers

• Opinel: French pocket knife manufacturer with a globally recognized folding-knife line. Direct competitor to LOCAU's 300+ LE THIERS® pocket knife references in the consumer and outdoor channel.
• Forge de Laguiole: Premium Laguiole knife manufacturer with strong Made-in-France positioning. Competes with LOCAU in French specialty cutlery retail and collector/gift channels.
• Sabatier: Iconic French kitchen and table knife brand, historically rooted in Thiers. Competes head-to-head with LOCAU's LE THIERS® table and kitchen knives across French hospitality and consumer channels.
• Coutellerie Goyon-Chazeau: Thiers-based artisanal cutlery maker producing premium Laguiole and table knives under traditional French craftsmanship. Closely comparable on heritage, geography, and product range to LOCAU's premium knife line.

Regional players

• Laguiole en Aubrac: Independent Laguiole-style knife maker focused on the French regional cutlery market. Comparable product categories and Made-in-France positioning, but anchored to a different geographic cutlery tradition than Thiers.

Emerging players

• Kai Cutlery (Kai Group): Japanese manufacturer of premium kitchen knives and professional hairdressing shears. Overlaps LOCAU on the LE THIERS® kitchen line and the hairdresser/beauty channel scissors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/locau_sas
• Facebookfacebook.com/LOCAU.SAS
• Instagraminstagram.com/coutel_and_co
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/locau-sas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Locau