BILLAUD

What BILLAUD does

BILLAUD (legal name: Carrosserie Industrielle Billaud, dba CIB BILLAUD) is a privately held, family-owned French industrial manufacturer specializing in custom-built forestry transport equipment. Founded in 1954 by Maurice BILLAUD in Ébreuil and relocated to Gannat (Allier) in 1964, the company has operated continuously for over 60 years, transitioning from general automobile bodywork to specialized heavy vehicle construction in the 1970s and then to full specialization in forestry equipment by 1980. It currently employs approximately 45 qualified professionals, serves 420 clients across France, and reports 2,000+ completed projects since inception. The company remains under family ownership with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or external funding rounds, and operates exclusively in the domestic French market.

The company's product portfolio centers on custom-manufactured timber transport vehicles — including grumiers (log trucks), extensible semi-trailers, directional semi-trailers, tractor cranes, and porteur berce/plateau carriers — produced entirely in-house at the Gannat facility. Core technical differentiators include a proprietary fully-hydraulic directional rear-train steering system introduced in 1988, in-house chassis design and manufacturing capability since 1985, complete hydraulic system installation, and custom stabilizer leg/special parts fabrication. From 2024, BILLAUD has also begun auxiliary crane assembly for HIAB and EFFER brands, extending its scope into handling cranes, and commissioned a first welding robot alongside construction of a new 1,200 m² workshop dedicated to new equipment manufacturing.

BILLAUD generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) one-time sales of custom new equipment built to client specifications at quote-based pricing on multi-year contracts, (2) brand-agnostic repair, maintenance, and full restoration services (with 2-3 month restoration cycles) covering mechanical, bodywork, hydraulic, suspension, and electronic systems, and (3) used equipment sales plus hydraulic system installation services. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct: customers initiate contact via phone, email, or website inquiry for quotes, with no disclosed distributor or dealer network. Marketing is limited to a corporate website and organic social channels (LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook), reflecting a relationship-driven, regional sales motion focused exclusively on French forestry and timber transport operators.

Name

BILLAUD

Legal name

Carrosserie Industrielle Billaud

Website

https://cib-billaud.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BILLAUD is a privately held French manufacturer of custom-built forestry transport equipment, including log trucks, extensible and directional semi-trailers, and handling cranes. The family-owned firm serves French timber transport operators from its Gannat facility with new equipment, brand-agnostic repair and restoration services, and hydraulic system installations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Transport Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Forestry and Logging (113), Logging (1133)

SIC

Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537)

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural & Forestry Vehicles (Harvesters, Forwarders, Skidders) (IMAHAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Logging Vehicle Manufacturing (Harvesters/Forwarders/Skidders) (IMACAFAH), Forestry & Logging Equipment (IMAHACAK)

Keywords

• Forestry transport equipment
• Custom semi-trailer manufacturing
• Hydraulic forestry cranes
• Heavy vehicle bodywork
• Log transport vehicles

Headquarters

HQ city

Gannat

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

Revenue model

1. New equipment construction: Design, manufacturing and sale of custom forest equipment including grumiers, semi-extensible trailers, tractor cranes, porteur berce, and plateau carriers. Equipment is manufactured entirely in-house at Gannat facility.
2. Repair and maintenance services: Full-service repair shop handling mechanical, bodywork, hydraulic, suspension and electronic repairs for semi-trailers, trailers, and forest cranes of all brands. Also offers complete restoration services taking 2-3 months.
3. Used equipment sales: Sale of pre-owned forest equipment and handling cranes in addition to new equipment
4. Hydraulic system installation: Installation of complete hydraulic systems on customer trucks for powering forest cranes and handling equipment, including special kits for additional equipment types

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BILLAUD designs, manufactures, and sells custom forestry transport equipment at its Gannat, France facility, producing Grumier log trucks, Semi Extensible trailers (including a proprietary directional hydraulic-steering variant), Tracteur Grue units, and Porteur Berce/Plateau carriers. In addition to new equipment construction, the company provides repair, maintenance, and restoration services across all equipment brands, along with hydraulic system installation, custom special-parts manufacturing, and auxiliary crane assembly for HIAB and EFFER brands. Used equipment sales round out the offering.

Product overview

BILLAUD is a manufacturer of forestry transport equipment based in Gannat, France, operating since 1960. The company produces a range of specialized vehicles including Grumier (log trucks), Semi Extensible trailers (both standard and directional variants), Tracteur Grue (tractor cranes), and Porteur carriers (Berce and Plateau models). These products form a comprehensive portfolio for the forestry transport sector. Beyond new equipment manufacturing, BILLAUD offers restoration services (Remise en État), maintenance (Entretien), hydraulic installations, and auxiliary crane mounting for HIAB and EFFER brands. The company also sells used equipment. All products are manufactured at the Gannat facility, with recent investments in automation including a welding robot commissioned in 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grumier Forestry truck (log transport vehicle) designed and manufactured in-house for timber handling and transportation, targeted at French forestry and timber transport companies.
• Semi Extensible Extensible semi-trailer for forestry transport, manufactured in-house at Gannat with adjustable length for varying load configurations, sold to forestry and timber transport operators.
• Semi Extensible Directionnelle Directional extensible semi-trailer with BILLAUD's proprietary fully hydraulic steering rear-train system for enhanced maneuverability in forestry operations, designed for forestry and timber transport companies.
• Tracteur Grue Tractor crane unit designed for forestry and material handling applications, manufactured in-house at the Gannat facility for forestry transport operators.
• Porteur Berce Flatbed carrier vehicle manufactured by BILLAUD for transporting logs and forestry equipment, targeted at forestry and timber transport operators.
• Porteur Plateau Platform carrier with flatbed configuration manufactured by BILLAUD for forestry transport operations.
• Used Equipment Sales Sale of pre-owned BILLAUD forestry equipment and handling cranes, including various models with auxiliary motors and crane configurations, offered alongside new equipment sales.
• Remise en État (Restoration Service) Complete equipment restoration service covering mechanics, suspensions, electricity, EBS system, bodywork, painting, and lighting, with a 2-3 month turnaround, available for all equipment brands.
• Entretien (Maintenance Service) Repair and maintenance services ranging from quick fixes to multi-day repairs, with on-site spare parts inventory for most needs, available across all equipment brands.
• Hydraulic Installation Service Complete hydraulic system installation for forestry and handling cranes, including special kits for bins and moving floors, performed on customer trucks and equipment.
• Special Parts Manufacturing Custom design and manufacturing of special parts including proprietary stabilizer legs based on client specifications, leveraging in-house fabrication capabilities.
• Crane Assembly (HIAB and EFFER) Auxiliary crane mounting service for HIAB and EFFER brand cranes, complementing BILLAUD's forestry equipment expertise with third-party handling crane assembly capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60+ years of continuous operation in forest equipment industry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HIABcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Beginning in 2024, BILLAUD started auxiliary crane assembly activities for HIAB brand, complementing their existing forest equipment expertise with additional handling crane capabilities.
• EFFERcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Since 2024, BILLAUD has expanded to auxiliary crane assembly for EFFER brand, adding to their portfolio of handling crane expertise alongside their proprietary equipment offerings.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Schwarzmüller: Austrian manufacturer of specialized trailers and semi-trailers, including forestry and timber transport vehicles. Directly comparable to BILLAUD as a European custom builder of forest-logistics trailers serving a similar customer base.
• HIAB (Cargotec): Global manufacturer of loader cranes and forestry cranes, and BILLAUD's 2024 strategic partner for auxiliary crane assembly. Comparable because BILLAUD now mounts HIAB cranes on forestry vehicles, making them a partner/competitor in the same integrated forest-crane offering.
• Komatsu Forest: Specialized division of Komatsu building forwarders, harvesters, and complete forestry logistics solutions. Comparable to BILLAUD as a focused forestry equipment manufacturer serving timber transport operators, though BILLAUD is custom-build and France-focused.
• Ponsse: Finnish manufacturer of harvesters, forwarders, and forestry logistics machinery. Comparable to BILLAUD as a specialized forestry equipment OEM serving the same European timber transport customer base, though with a different product focus.

Regional players

• Chereau: French manufacturer of specialized trailers and semi-trailers including refrigerated and specialty bodies. Comparable to BILLAUD as a French family/privately-held trailer manufacturer with custom build focus, though BILLAUD is more forestry-specialized.

Broad incumbents

• Palfinger: Austrian global leader in loader cranes, forestry cranes, and lifting equipment with strong European presence. Comparable to BILLAUD's crane-handling offering and a peer for the auxiliary crane mounting activity that BILLAUD has entered through EFFER/HIAB.
• Wielton: Polish-based large-scale trailer and semi-trailer manufacturer with forestry and specialty vehicle lines. Comparable to BILLAUD in the European forestry trailer segment, though at much greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Kögel Trailer: German manufacturer of trailers including forestry and timber transport variants. Comparable to BILLAUD as a European semi-trailer and forestry trailer manufacturer with custom build capabilities.
• Krone: German family-owned manufacturer of trailers and semi-trailers, including timber and agricultural transport segments. Comparable to BILLAUD as a European custom-build trailer manufacturer, though at a much larger scale.
• Renault Trucks: French heavy truck OEM whose chassis underpin many forestry and timber transport builds in France. A broad incumbent that competes with BILLAUD's integrated truck-plus-trailer offering at the chassis level and on service support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@billaudcarrosserieindustri1888
• Facebookfacebook.com/cibillaud
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carrosserie-industrielle-billaud
• Instagraminstagram.com/carrosserie_billaud/?hl=fr

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 BILLAUD