From the manufacture of launchers to the production of targets for the shooting industry since 1927.

In 1927, Émile Laporte, a great hunting enthusiast, developed his first hand-held launcher, the “No. 1 Projector”, to allow his hunting friends to train during closed seasons. It was a spring-loaded wooden launcher, manually operated by a metal arm. His invention revolutionized the sport

Weighing only 5 kilos, this launcher was sold throughout France and Belgium.

At that time, the targets were made of clay. In 1931, the company’s annual production was nearly one million pigeons per year. Today, it is one million per day!

In the 19th century, the LAPORTE family was famous for the quality of the building materials (stone, paving stones, etc.) it produced from its quarries. During the Second Empire, it specialized in the manufacture of “ballast” for railroads and the subway, thus becoming a major public works company.

After 1918, “Émile Laporte et Compagnie Entreprises”  became manufacturers and distributors of construction materials, bringing together a dozen factories throughout France.

In 1930, Émile Laporte created a second model of launcher even more powerful than the “No. 1 Projector”

During its presentation, his young son Pierre was by his side. This is how his passion and enthusiasm for this sport began throughout his life. The son naturally took possession of the company after the death of Emile Laporte in 1936.

Pierre Laporte continued his farther work with the same passion and desire for progress. In 1947, he invented the first automatic clay pigeon target making machine. The company developed many innovations, with, for example, the Rabbit Target, a rolling target that simulates the trajectory of a hare, but also the “Junior trap 75” which was invented in 1956.

In 1960, Pierre introduced Laporte to the Olympic Committee and the company became the official supplier of targets and throwers for the Rome Olympic Games.

This collaboration was the result of decades of hard work, perseverance and dedication. The brand was selected again for the Tokyo Games four years later, and the company continued to succeed and progress by constantly developing new products, including the SKEET 1000 and TRAP 2000 in 1966.

The year 1969 marked a new era for the company with the creation of a new target factory in Sermaize, in the Marne region of France.

In 1972, Jean-Michel Laporte, the current CEO, took over the head of the company with the same desire to create new designs.

In 1973, he launched a new model named the Trap 125, and the following year added a police and military target division. The Laporte brand was then selected twice, for the Montreal Olympics in 1976 and Moscow in 1980.

In 1982, the “Flash Target” was launched worldwide and used for the Olympic Games.

Growth continued and Jean-Michel Laporte instructed his teams to create a series of simpler and more innovative products without compromising quality. Over the years, legendary launchers such as the Trap 185 (1985), the Auto-rabbit (1987) and the Teal-trap (1988) were created. In parallel, a new launcher factory was set up in Biot in 1990.

At the same time, the experience and the brand image allow Jean Michel Laporte to obtain a unique contract with the famous American brand WINCHESTER.

In 1990, Jean-Michel Laporte pioneered the use of biodegradable materials and introduced the use of environmentally friendly paints.

Since then, many new environmentally friendly materials have been added to Laporte’s product line, which strives to maintain an eco-friendly approach.

The year 2000 marked a turning point with the acquisition of two European competitors: one located in Bottesford, England, and the other in Formerie, France. With a production capacity of 200 million targets and 3,000 machines per year, Laporte has become the world’s leading manufacturer of “targets and launchers”.

At the same time, Jean-Michel Laporte is working to diversify his exports to more than 80 countries. Developing new markets such as the Middle East, China and Australia while strengthening its distribution network.

Laporte’s reputation for reliability and quality led it to be chosen once again as the official supplier of targets and launchers for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. The brand has also participated in the Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and the 9^th Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.