A major Belgian player

Laroy Duvo was established back in 1962 when founder and local grocery retailer Carlos Laroy began distributing grains and seeds in West- and East-Flanders. Soon it became clear that new premises would be needed, so in 1971 Laroy Duvo moved to a 1 000 m² warehouse in Vinderhoute. Another important mile­stone in the company’s history followed 18 years later, when Laroy Duvo became the exclusive distributor of the “Eukanuba” and “Iams” brands of dog and cat food in Belgium and Luxembourg. Shortly afterwards, the company moved to its current location in Wondelgem with a warehouse covering 8 000 m². By now Laroy Duvo was focusing increasingly on the domestic pet sector, a transition that was reinforced by the acquisition in 1986 of Dutch firm CéDé (www.cedebirdfood.com) which manufactured egg food for birds. Laroy Duvo thus assumed responsibility for the distribution of CéDé products in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France. In 1998, the company was relocated to Evergem in Belgium, which became the base for the distribution of egg food worldwide. In the same year, Laroy Duvo also acquired EuroDog, a manufacturer of pet accessories. Seve­­ral adjacent buildings were pur­chased in addition to increase the warehouse area to 22 000 m²: “More than enough space to keep looking forward and start a logistic partnership for the distribution of Nestlé Purina pet products in 2002.” 8 000 products in the range The merger with Belgian pet shop supplier Luc Deckx at the beginning of 2010 significantly increased Laroy Duvo’s product range once again. The headquarters of the merged companies, which now employ around 150 people, remain in Wondelgem. “In order to be able to meet all the requirements of the sector, we have built a new 7 000 m² ware­house and now have a storage capacity of over 40 000 pallet spaces,” says the company. Around 8 000 different products are housed on the countless shelves. “We try to provide a wide range of products for all kinds of animals. The assortment is a reflection of the market, so the range of products for dogs is larger than the range of other products.” As well as distributing the brands of many well-known companies such as Trixie and Procter & Gamble, the company also produces a number of its own lines under the brand name “Duvo+”. The vast selection of products is shipped not only throughout Europe but also to Africa, Asia, North and South America. Download: A major Belgian player (PDF file)