Our story
140 years of history
From 1881 to the present day, BAYARD® is above all a story of French industry. Innovation, quality, and appeal: the strength of a modern and dynamic industry in which we believe.
This industrial history is inseparable from our social commitment; BAYARD® is above all about women and men who have been committed for 140 years to innovating, producing, and passing on their knowledge, whose expertise is a real asset.
BAYARD® is also you: farmers, design offices, pipe fitters/public works, local authorities, distributors, network operators, manufacturers, integrators, pumping professionals, firefighters, whose unwavering loyalty fuels the commitment and passion of our teams.
Let's continue to write this story together, which is also yours.
From a Lyon foundry to an international group
BAYARD® was founded in Lyon at the end of the 19th century, based on metalworking expertise and unique mastery of foundry and valve manufacturing. Very early on, the company differentiated itself through invention, patent registration, and an ability to industrialize its ideas. This culture of design and continuous improvement, inherited from founder Jean-Louis Bayard, has become the very DNA of the brand.
Over the generations, BAYARD® has transformed, restructured, and regrouped around a single industrial identity, eventually becoming an official company in its own right. The story then accelerated: entry into leading international groups, expansion, opening up to Europe, integration into the AVK group, and today, strengthening in data and network digitalization thanks to the merger with Calasys.
More than a century of existence, several changes in size... but the same guiding principle: to make a lasting contribution to the performance of water networks, in the field and in the service of local communities.
From taps for winegrowers to connected solutions for water networks
Since its beginnings, BAYARD® has always placed innovation at the heart of its development. At the beginning of the 20th century, the company filed its first patents for taps and standpipes, marking the start of a long tradition of engineering in the service of water networks. From the first frost-proof hydrants to “freeze-proof” fire hydrants, each advance was designed to combine technical performance, safety, and durability.
Throughout the 20th century, BAYARD® produced a series of major innovations: the creation of control valves, suction cups, backflow preventers, and even complete solutions for fire protection and irrigation. This momentum continues with the development of iconic products such as EMERAUDE fire hydrants, MONECA® electronic payment hydrants, and street-pooling prevention devices such as the SECURE kit.
Entering the digital age, BAYARD® has successfully adapted its expertise to connectivity: COPERNIC® and SENTINEL™ smart systems, NEO® SMART fire hydrants, HYDROGENIE control valve pilots, and a new generation of fire hydrants to combat street-pooling, such as RESTREETO®.
Today, BAYARD® continues its mission: to design smart, robust, and responsible solutions to support the transition of water networks towards greater efficiency.