The Bel Group is headquartered at 2 allée de Longchamp in Suresnes (near Paris), Île-de-France.

The company “Établissements Jules Bel” was founded in 1865 in Orgelet in the Department of the Jura.

The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri, Leerdammer and Boursin are Bel's five core brands that are distributed on five continents.

By 1921, his son Léon Bel registered the La vache qui rit brand.

The following year, in 1973, it acquired Crowson in the United Kingdom, later to become known as Bel UK.

In 1976, it acquired the Société anonyme des fermiers réunis (SAFR) and its subsidiaries.

A year later, in 2002, it acquired the assets of Merkts and Owl's Nest through its United States based subsidiary, Bel Kaukauna.

It also acquired the Dutch Leerdammer Group and its European subsidiaries based in Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Heading up Lab’Bel are artist Laurent Fiévet, a member of the Bel family, and Silvia Guerra, an art critic and exhibit curator.

Since its founding, Bel has supported artists such as illustrators Benjamin Rabier, who designed the Laughing Cow, Francisque Poulbot, known for his iconic drawings of Parisian children, and celebrated animator Paul Grimault.

Bel sponsors a museum dedicated to its legendary cow – La Maison de La vache qui rit (The Laughing Cow Museum), in Lons-le-Saunier – which also houses special events hosted by Lab’Bel.