SOMAREF

What SOMAREF does

SOMAREF is a French family-owned manufacturer of specialized agricultural machinery, founded in 1959 and headquartered in Pomport, Dordogne. The company designs and builds equipment for fruit harvesting (plums, apples, nuts, and multi-fruit crops), viticulture (straddle tractors such as the Frison), and tobacco harvesting (including the M20 model with onboard vision cameras). Under the Lacoste family ownership since 1993, it has expanded its scope from orchard machinery into the viticulture and winemaking (Viti-Vini) sectors, acquired complementary businesses (MV TEC, CEPPARO), and invested in-house manufacturing capability (including an OMAX 80X water jet cutter in 2017).

The company's technology stack combines mechanical engineering with PLC automation and machine vision, exemplified by its patented RPJ03 design and the ECLAIRFEL innovation co-developed with CTIFL. It also distributes the Facma brand in selected markets. Customers include French and European fruit growers, viticulture operators, tobacco producers, and at least one large French multinational served through a custom apple harvester program.

SOMAREF earns revenue through the sale and likely aftermarket servicing of high-value specialty capital equipment, with go-to-market anchored in direct sales, distributor partnerships (including Facma), and project-based contracts with larger agricultural enterprises. The business model is consistent with that of a niche European industrial OEM: long product lifecycles, recurring parts and service demand, and a relatively concentrated customer base across multiple crop verticals.

Name

SOMAREF

Legal name

SOMAREF

Website

https://somaref.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SOMAREF is a French family-owned manufacturer (founded 1959, Pomport) that designs and builds specialized agricultural machinery for fruit harvesting, viticulture straddle tractors, and tobacco harvesters, selling to European growers and agribusiness customers via direct sales and brand distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Harvesting Machinery

NAICS

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Vineyard Mechanization & Equipment Operations (Tractors, Sprayers, Harvesters) (AFAGAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shelling, Hulling & Dehusking Equipment (Rice Hullers, Nut Shellers) (AFAAAJAE), Harvesting & Combining Services (Grain, Oilseed, Row Crop) (AFACAAAD)

Keywords

• Agricultural machinery
• Fruit harvesting equipment
• Viticultural equipment
• Straddle tractors
• Orchard machinery

Headquarters

HQ city

Pomport

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

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. Agricultural Machinery Manufacturing and Sales: SOMAREF designs, manufactures, and sells its own range of specialized agricultural harvesting machines including plum harvesters, apple harvesters, tobacco harvesters, walnut/chestnut/hazelnut harvesters, viticultural straddle tractors, and ancillary equipment. Revenue is generated through direct sales of these machines to end-user farmers, cooperatives, and winegrowers.
2. Equipment Distribution: SOMAREF distributes the products of major branded manufacturers of viticultural, vinicultural, arboricultural, and large-cultivation equipment, acting as a regional dealer/distributor for third-party brands.
3. Public Spare Parts Store and After-Sales Service: The company operates a public spare parts store and provides after-sales service and maintenance, generating service-related revenue from the local Viti-Vini winegrower market.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SOMAREF designs, manufactures, and sells specialized agricultural harvesting machinery for fruits (plums, apples, mirabelles, apricots, peaches, cherries, almonds, olives), nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts), and tobacco, plus viticultural straddle tractors. The company also distributes branded viticultural, vinicultural, arboricultural, and large-cultivation equipment, and operates a public spare parts store serving the local winegrower market in the Bergerac region of France.

Product overview

SOMAREF (Société de construction de Matériel pour la Récolte de Fruits) is a manufacturer and distributor of agricultural machinery specializing in fruit harvesting equipment. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of 23+ named products (M01-M23) including self-propelled and towed harvesters for plums (Ente prunes), apples (cider and juice), walnuts/hazelnuts/chestnuts, and multi-fruits, as well as vineyard straddle tractors (LE FRISON), tobacco harvesters, and agricultural attachments like mechanical thinners. The M-series products include bulk harvest trailers (M02-M04), box pallet harvesters (M06-M07), inclined plane harvesters (M08), fan/umbrella harvesters (M09-M10), juice apple trailers (M11), multi-fruit Corolla harvesters (M12), transport trailers (M13-M14), and straddle tractors (M15-M17). The company also distributes Facma products and has acquired MV TEC and CEPPARO to expand its product range. Manufacturing capabilities include OMAX 80X precision water jet cutting with 5-axis technology, CNC bending/punching, welding, and custom fabrication for agriculture, viticulture, wine production, industrial, and food sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Frison: Multipurpose winegrowing straddle tractor - self-propelled vineyard tractor developed in 2010
• CEPPARO
• MVTEC
• ECLAIRFEL
• Corolle
• Non-Stop
• R.P.I.

Products and services

• M01 – LE FRISON – Multipurpose Winegrowing Straddle Tractor Self-propelled 4-wheel vineyard straddle tractor with PERKINS combustion engine, SAUER transmission, and POCLAIN wheel motors, designed for winegrowers needing multi-functional equipment supporting rogneuse, effeuilleuse, prétailleuse, broyeur sarments, and other viticultural implements. Features front hydraulic mast for quick tool attachment and central tool holder with hydraulic parallelogram.
• M02 – Bulk Double Harvest Trailer – towed – SOMAREF Towed Ente plum harvester on container with bulk storage for fruit growers specializing in plums. Features hydraulically-operated scale-support panel and multiple tree shaker options.
• M03 – Bulk Double Harvest Trailer – self-propelled – SOMAREF Self-propelled plum harvest trailer with bulk storage and side driver's cabin for fruit growers. Operates independently without tractor attachment.
• M04 – Non Stop Bulk Double Harvest Trailer – CEPPARO Non-stop bulk harvester for Mirabelles, plums, apricots, peaches, apples, cherries, almonds, olives, featuring patented variable power vibrating machine with variable vibration time controlled from operator's cabin. Achieves up to 7 trees per minute throughput.
• M06 – Box Pallet Double Harvest Trailers – self-propelled – SOMAREF Self-propelled harvester for apricots, peaches, and quince with continuous box pallet storage (4 on standby, 1 for filling) and integrated grading system for direct fruit removal in orchard.
• M07 – Non Stop Box Pallet Double Harvest Trailer – CEPPARO Multi-box pallet non-stop harvesting unit with MD non-stop vibrating machine with adjustable vibration time. Full box pallet unloading without stopping the machine.
• M08 – Inclined Plane Harvest Trailers – R.P.I. Towed inclined plane harvester for Ente plums with continuous clamp shaker and steering correction system. 2-ton capacity with adjustable front stabilizing wheel.
• M09 – Fan/Half-Umbrella Harvest Trailer – towed Ente plum harvester on container, fan model with 1.5-ton plum capacity. Features independent wheel height adjustment and emptied via detachable moving floor.
• M10 – Half-Umbrella/Fan Harvest Trailer – self-propelled Self-propelled plum harvest trailer with fan/half-umbrella design for efficient plum harvesting.
• M11 – RPJ03 Juice Apple Harvest Trailer – towed Patented harvester for cider apples on container that eliminates contamination from fallen apples. Features semi-automatic clamp shaker with floating jaws and variable intensity. Achieves 80-90% fruit harvest in single journey, addressing the post-harvest storage requirements of cider producers.
• M12 – Corolla – Towed Multi-Fruit Harvester Multi-fruit harvesting machine for plums, almonds, apples, apricots, cherries, olives, peaches. Processes up to 3 trees per minute with variable power vibrating machine and slope/camber correctors.
• M13 – Transport Trailer – towed Bulk towed transport trailer receiving fruit from harvesters and transporting to station or box pallets. Available in ECO, PLUS, MAXI ECO, MAXI PLUS, and BOGIE models.
• M14 – Box Pallet Carrier Trailer – towed Towed box pallet carrier trailer for transporting empty or filled box pallets in orchards.
• M15 – Bulk Plum Harvest Straddle Tractor – used base – self-propelled Bulk plum harvest straddle tractor built on used harvesting machine base. Non-stop bulk continuous harvest with multiple vibrating shaker options.
• M16 – Bulk Harvest Straddle Tractor – new – self-propelled Continuous self-propelled bulk harvest straddle tractor with IVECO 4-cylinder 4.5L 126HP engine and POCLAIN 4WD transmission. 12-ton weight with 5m width and 3m inner passage.
• M17 – Large Straddle Tractor – self-propelled Large self-propelled straddle tractor for fruit harvesting operations.
• M18 – Harvester for Cider Apples on Ground – MVTEC Tractor-mounted harvester for cider apples collected from ground. Features V-shaped swather, electric control system, and cleaning pintle conveyor belts. Collection capacity 40-70 tons/day up to 120 tons/day.
• M19 – Harvester for Walnut-Hazelnuts-Chestnuts – self-propelled Self-propelled harvester for walnuts, hazelnuts, and chestnuts developed in collaboration with Facma.
• M20 – Burley Tobacco Harvester on Frames – self-propelled Self-propelled agricultural machine for harvesting Burley tobacco plants for storage on frames. 4-wheel drive with hydrostatic transmission, up to 2 hectares/day harvest speed. 12.2 tons weight with 600L hydraulic oil tank.
• M21 – Cider Harvest and Thinning Shaker – tractor-mounted Clamp shaker for cider apples harvested on ground and thinning operations. Features Vibrapince technology for efficient fruit shaking.
• M22 – Walnut Tree Shaker – tractor-mounted Tractor-mounted shaker for walnut tree harvesting operations.
• M23 – ECLAIRFEL Mechanical Thinner – tractor-mounted Mechanical thinner for apple blossoms that thins across entire thickness of hedge. Won silver trophy at Vinitech-Sifel 2012 innovation awards. Developed jointly with CTIFL.
• Facma Chestnut, Hazelnut, and Walnut Pickers (Distributed) Distributed products from Facma for harvesting chestnuts, hazelnuts, and walnuts. SOMAREF became the French distributor in 2002, providing these branded products alongside its own manufactured equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• M20 tobacco harvester harvests up to 2 hectares per day
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• FacmacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2002SOMAREF became the distributor of Facma Chestnut, Hazelnut, and Walnut pickers in 2002. This partnership gave SOMAREF access to the nut harvesting market segment in France.
• MV TECcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997SOMAREF adapted its tree shaker technology for apple and walnut shaking, which led to collaboration with MV TEC, a company specialized in machines for lateral harvesting of cider apples on the ground. SOMAREF subsequently acquired MV TEC, integrating its cider apple harvesting technology into the SOMAREF product portfolio.
• CEPPAROcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOMAREF acquired CEPPARO, which expanded SOMAREF's range of plum harvesters and opened new perspectives for harvesting other fruits like cherries and apricots in France and internationally. CEPPARO specializes in non-stop harvest trailers.
• CTIFL (Centre Technique Interprofessionnel des Fruits et Légumes)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOMAREF and CTIFL co-developed the Eclairfel mechanical thinner prototype, which received a silver trophy at the Vinitech-Sifel 2012 innovation awards. CTIFL is a French interprofessional technical center for fruits and vegetables, providing agricultural research expertise.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pellenc: French manufacturer of specialized viticultural and arboricultural equipment including straddle tractors, pre-pruners, and harvesting tools. Directly comparable to SOMAREF as a French specialty agricultural machinery OEM serving winegrowers and orchard operators, though with a significantly larger scale and broader product line.
• Ploeger Oxbo Group: Dutch-American manufacturer of specialty harvesters for berries, vegetables, and orchard crops. Comparable to SOMAREF in targeting mechanized harvesting for high-value crops, with self-propelled harvesters and tractor-mounted equipment serving similar grower customers across Europe and North America.
• Gregoire: French manufacturer specializing in grape harvesters and vineyard equipment. Comparable to SOMAREF as a French-based specialty agricultural machinery OEM serving the winegrower market, with overlapping vineyard tractor and harvester product lines.
• Weremczuk: Polish manufacturer of fruit harvesters including berry, cherry, plum, and apple machines. Directly comparable to SOMAREF's multi-fruit harvester line (Corolla/M12) and cider apple harvesting equipment, targeting orchard operators in Central and Eastern Europe.
• Facma: Italian manufacturer specialized in chestnut, hazelnut, and walnut harvesters. SOMAREF is already Facma's French distributor (since 2002), making Facma both a partner and direct competitive peer in nut harvesting machinery with overlapping product categories.
• Littau Harvester: US-based manufacturer of over-the-row continuous prune, cherry, and olive harvesters. Comparable to SOMAREF in continuous-straddle orchard harvester design and Ente-plum/cherry/apricot crop focus, serving a similar end-user profile of specialty orchard growers.

Broad incumbents

• John Deere: Global broad-line agricultural equipment OEM with specialty crop offerings including orchard tractors and harvesters. Overlaps with SOMAREF's specialty orchard and vineyard equipment, though John Deere addresses these as part of a much larger portfolio rather than as a focused niche.
• New Holland Agriculture (CNH Industrial): Global broad-line agricultural equipment manufacturer offering specialty crop harvesters including grape harvesters and orchard equipment. Competes with SOMAREF through Braud grape harvesters and specialty tractor lines, with vastly larger R&D and dealer scale.

Regional players

• Munckhof: Dutch manufacturer of fruit sprayers and orchard equipment. Adjacent to SOMAREF in serving European orchard operators with complementary mechanization products (spraying, pruning), though focused on a different equipment category.

Emerging players

• Coe Orchard Equipment: US-based manufacturer of nut and fruit harvesting equipment including walnut shakers and sweepers. Comparable to SOMAREF's walnut/chestnut/hazelnut harvester line (M19, M22), focused on tree-nut orchard mechanization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/somaref

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 SOMAREF