History

The company was founded in 1895 by Paul Berthoud who, having bought a hardware business, decided to put his money into a new product: a copper backpack sprayer with a helix nozzle. The machine became a huge commercial success and projected the company into a century of sprayer manufacture.

In the years immediatery after WWII, demand for backpack sprayers grew dramatically.
The third generation of Berthouds, cousins Guy and Didier, decided to expand into the home and garden market and set up a special division to serve it, called Flori-loisirs. Backed by the company’s considerable experience and know-how in the professional sprayer business.

Ten years later, Berthoud consolidated all departments (manufacturing, sales and shipping) at a single site at Villefranche-sur-Saône.

The Berthoud company, acquired by Patrick Ballu in 1987, became part of the Exel group (now Exel Industries), who had earlier bought the Vermorel brand.
Berthoud became one of the EXEL GSA company’s flagship subsidiaries when it succeeded in first achieving and then holding 40% of the French sprayer market, in terms of value, for several years. a position of undisputed leadership.