Bouton

What Bouton does

Bouton is a Belgian, multi-generational family business (legal entity: Transagro Bouton bv) headquartered in Vlamertinge, operating since circa 1900 and serving as an industrial producer and distributor of heat-treated flakes for the animal feed industry. Its core technology is grain flaking: single raw materials (maize, barley, wheat, spelt, oats, lupine, peas, horse beans, soy beans, beet pulp) are processed through a controlled production line with heat treatment that increases digestibility versus untreated raw materials. The output portfolio includes grain, legume, and beet-pulp flakes, custom flake mixtures, and the proprietary Boutex® co-product (flour and pellets). The company holds FCA, HACCP, VLOG (non-GMO), and QS certifications, maintains complete raw-material-to-finished-product traceability, and operates its own transport fleet supplemented by FCA-certified carriers for B2B delivery into Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Germany.

The business operates two go-to-market motions. The primary B2B motion sells flakes and co-products directly to animal feed manufacturers who use them as ingredients in compound feed for ruminants, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, and pets; pricing is quote-based and negotiated, with products available in bulk, big bags, or bags. A secondary Agro division serves Flemish farmers and livestock breeders through three pickup points (Vlamertinge, Alveringem, Poperinge), distributing fertilizers, maize and seed grains, cover crops, agricultural film, and grain drying/storage services, while also purchasing grains at market-conform prices. Marketing is light: a corporate website (bouton.be), a Facebook page (Transagro Bouton), downloadable PDF brochures, and direct named sales contacts per product line.

The company is wholly founder/family-owned with no institutional investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no public financials. Leadership rests with co-owners Alexander Vermeersch (Directeur) and Katrien Bouton (Zaakvoerder), who took full control in 2000 and drove the 2010 launch of the grain-flaking mill that became the basis for the current industrial business. Headcount is approximately 20–30 employees across three Belgian locations, with active hiring for plant management, warehouse, and HR roles consistent with continued capacity expansion.

Name

Bouton

Legal name

Transagro Bouton bv

Website

https://bouton.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bouton is a Belgian family-owned industrial producer of heat-treated grain, legume, and beet-pulp flakes for animal feed manufacturers across Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Germany, with a secondary Agro division serving Flemish farmers through three pickup locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Feed Ingredients

NAICS

Grain and Oilseed Milling (3112), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)

SIC

Grain Mill Products (2040), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Grain Processing for Feed (Cracking, Rolling, Grinding) (AFADAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

All-Stock & General-Purpose Complete Feeds (Multi-Species) (AFADAIAB)

Keywords

• Animal feed flakes
• Heat-treated feed ingredients
• Grain flaking production
• Agricultural input supply
• Non-GMO feed manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Vlamertinge

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Animal Feed Flakes Sales: Bouton produces and sells high-quality flakes (maize, barley, wheat, spelt, oat, lupine, pea, horse bean, soy bean, beet pulp) and co-products (Boutex flour, Boutex, broken maize) to animal feed manufacturers. The company also produces custom flake mixtures. Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales to feed manufacturers, with own fleet and certified transporters handling delivery.
2. Agricultural Inputs and Services: Through the Agro division, Bouton sells fertilizers, seeds (maize seed, cover crops, sowing grains), agricultural by-products, agricultural film/plastic, and offers grain drying and storage services. Also purchases grains from farmers at market-conform prices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bouton produces and sells high-quality, heat-treated flakes for the animal feed industry, processing grains (maize, barley, wheat, spelt, oats), legumes (lupine, peas, horse beans, soy beans), and beet pulp into flakes sold in bulk, big bags, and bags to compound feed manufacturers. Through its Agro division, the company also supplies farmers and livestock breeders with fertilizers, maize seed, cover crops, seed grains, agricultural film, byproducts, and grain drying, storage, and grain purchasing services from three Belgian pickup locations. Proprietary branded byproducts (Boutex flour and Boutex pellets) and broken maize are sold as feed ingredients alongside the flake range.

Product overview

Bouton is a family business that operates as both a manufacturer of high-quality animal feed flakes and an agricultural supplier. The core product portfolio consists of flakes processed from various grains (maize, barley, wheat, spelt, oats), legumes (lupine, peas, horse beans, soy beans), and other crops (beet pulp), with heat treatment providing enhanced digestibility. The company also produces branded byproducts including Boutex meel and Boutex. Beyond flakes, Bouton serves the agricultural sector with fertilizers, maize seeds, cover crops, seed grains, storage services, and grain trading. All flakes are available in bulk, big bags, or bags with customizable labeling per customer requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maize flakes (Maïsvlokken) High-quality heat-treated flakes processed from maize, providing nutritious, high-digestibility feed ingredients for ruminants, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, and pets; sold in bulk, big bags, and bags with customizable labeling for animal feed manufacturers.
• Barley flakes (Gerstvlokken) High-quality heat-treated flakes processed from barley, providing nutritious, high-digestibility feed ingredients for various farm animals and pets.
• Wheat flakes (Tarwevlokken) High-quality heat-treated flakes processed from wheat, providing nutritious, high-digestibility feed ingredients for animal feed formulations.
• Spelt flakes (Speltvlokken) High-quality heat-treated flakes processed from spelt, offering nutritious feed ingredients with enhanced digestibility for various animals.
• White oat flakes (Havervlokken) White oat flakes heat-treated for use in animal feed, providing high digestibility and nutritional value for livestock and pets.
• Flake mixture (Vlokken mengsel) Pre-mixed blend of various flakes offering balanced, high-digestibility nutrition tailored to animal feed formulations; produced as a custom flake mixture offering by Bouton.
• Lupine flakes (Lupinevlokken)

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual growth achieved through customer orientation, flexibility, and consistent quality
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OVOCOMcoreOthersOVOCOM is a Belgian certification organization for the feed sector. Bouton is a partner/member displaying the OVOCOM logo on its quality certifications page, indicating alignment with OVOCOM's feed safety certification standards.
• QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbHcoreOthersQS is a German quality assurance system for feed and food. Bouton holds QS certification as proof of compliance with quality and safety standards for the feed sector.
• BEMefacoreOthersBEMefa is the Belgian feed industry association. Bouton is listed as a partner on its quality page, indicating membership and alignment with sector standards.
• FegraminorOthersFegra is a Belgian sector association. Bouton is listed as a partner on its quality certifications page.
• VLOG (Ohne Gentechnik Verband)coreOthersVLOG is the German 'Without Genetic Engineering' association that certifies NON-GMO production. Bouton holds VLOG certification for its flakes, verified through raw material controls and GMO analyses on finished products.
• SYNAGRAcoreOthersSYNAGRA is a Belgian feed sector organization. Bouton participates in SYNAGRA sampling plans as part of its quality control process, submitting products for sampling and analysis through this sector program.
• BFA (Belgian Feed Association)coreOthersBFA is the Belgian Feed Association. Bouton participates in BFA sampling plans as part of its quality control system for feed safety and compliance.
• Accredited Independent LaboratoriescoreOthersBouton works with independent accredited laboratories for analyses of microbiological and chemical hazards, GMO testing, and other quality verification. These partnerships support the company's quality assurance claims and FCA, VLOG, and QS certifications.
• FCA-Certified TransporterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBouton works with a network of professional, FCA-certified transporters for the delivery of animal feed products. This complements Bouton's own transport fleet to ensure reliable and compliant logistics for B2B delivery to feed manufacturers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ForFarmers: Large European compound feed manufacturer serving livestock farmers in Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, UK, and Poland. Comparable as a major Western European buyer/supplier in the same animal feed value chain.
• Agrifirm: Dutch agricultural cooperative producing compound animal feed and crop solutions across Northwestern Europe. Comparable for cross-border feed/co-product supply into Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany.
• ADM Animal Nutrition: Global feed ingredient and complete feed supplier with extensive European presence, sourcing grains and oilseeds into animal nutrition. Comparable as a large-scale counterpart competing for the same industrial feed buyer relationships.
• Cargill Animal Nutrition: Global animal nutrition business of Cargill offering compound feeds, premixes, and specialty ingredients worldwide. Comparable as a multinational incumbent operating in the same feed-ingredient procurement and supply landscape.
• Royal De Heus: Dutch family-owned compound feed manufacturer with operations across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Comparable as a family-controlled European feed company competing for industrial feed manufacturer relationships in the Benelux region.
• Arvesta: Belgian agricultural and feed solutions group (formerly AVEVE) with animal nutrition, crop solutions, and retail operations. Comparable as a Belgian-headquartered animal feed and agro inputs operator at larger scale.
• Aveve (Group Aveve): Belgian agricultural cooperative supplying animal feed, seeds, fertilizers, and crop inputs to farmers across Belgium. Comparable for the Agro division overlap (seeds, fertilizers, farm advisory) and Belgian regional footprint.

Direct peers

• Hamlet Protein: Danish specialty manufacturer of high-quality protein ingredients for young animal feed (piglets, calves, pets). Closest direct comparable: niche B2B feed ingredient producer in Western Europe with heat-treated/proprietary processing and premium positioning.
• Duynie Group: Dutch supplier of co-product feed ingredients and wet feed products derived from food industry byproducts. Comparable as a European feed ingredient specialist converting processing streams into formulated feed inputs for industrial buyers.
• Vandeputte Huisman: Belgian distributor of agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, crop protection) serving Belgian and Northern French farmers. Comparable as a Belgian agricultural inputs distributor with multi-site regional pickup model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/transagrobouton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/transagro-bouton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Bouton