HYPRED’s roots lie in hygiene solutions for milk production. Founded in 1985 as a family concern, the company originally supplied disinfectants to milk processors for use in a diverse range of tasks from machine and conveyor belt cleaning to udder hygiene. The competition between milk processing companies at the time was fierce and HYPRED’s French business model of supplying farmers through the milk processors fostered the farmers’ loyalty to the processors and increased quality, benefiting the whole supply chain. As HYPRED had contact with dairy companies, to deliver their product to dairy farmers, they entered the food branch, and in a further step in 1988, began supplying, among others, meat, fish and ready meal producers.
Today the company focuses on two distinct business areas – farm and food – and produces a comprehensive range of hygiene and disinfectant products for both sectors. HYPRED places huge importance on research and development to create innovative products, not only for food safety but also to improve quality.
The company recently launched a dietetic feed supplement for cows which reduces instances of illness and the need for antibiotics, resulting in increased production and better quality milk. Another innovation was in the pipe cleaning process, which historically involved flushing first with alkaline, then acid and finally disinfectant, using a huge volume of water which, in turn, also had to be cleaned.HYPRED developed a solution which condensed the three steps into one operation, saving both time and water.
Today HYPRED has 16 production facilities and numerous partners across the globe. It is currently number two in the world for farm hygiene and number three in the food industry sector.The company exports to 42 countries, which accounts for 65% of its 100 million EUR annual turnover.
“The international market is quite complex,” explains CEO Sébastien Bossard. “Each country or continent (Europe) has its own laws and standards for food hygiene and we have our own specialist department to ensure we fully comply with local regulations. In addition, the competition is very strong and, with the stringent demands, a company needs to be of a certain size to survive. We realized 20 years ago that export would be key to our success, and we have invested heavily in this area.”
While the French business model still exists for the dairy farm business in its home country, the majority of sales today are made via local dairy farm specialist distributors. However, HYPRED sells also, in some countries, directly to milk farmers and uses veterinarian networks.
Despite the company’s significant success, it has ambitions to double turnover in the next five years through consolidation of historical markets as in Europe, North and South America, and expansion in new ones like Australia, New-Zealand and Asia. Up to 50% of the increase will be achieved through organic growth with its own range and innovation.
HYPRED has recently been acquired by ARDIAN’s independent private investment company (1st of november), which will give HYPRED financial and human resources for its ambitious expansion plan. “This will help us to achieve our goal of becoming market leader in the biosecurity sector for FARM and FOOD, supporting our strategic investment in R&D and increasing our capacity to execute acquisitions,” concludes Mr. Bossard.