What LIMA SAS does

LIMA SAS is a French industrial equipment manufacturer specializing in mechanical meat-bone separation, deboning, and desinewing technology for poultry, pork, beef, lamb, and fish processors. Founded in 1981 in Quimper, Brittany, France (legal name LIMA S.A.S., SIRET 32241559700036), the company designs and produces a complete product range covering 70+ models, including the S/SM meat-bone separators, DD/DDS and DDM/DDSM deboners and desinewers, DSP/DSPM low-pressure deboners for hard bones, GD/GDM grinders-desinewers, C/CM fat-skin separators, and BSP/BSPM beef separators with pre-breakers. The underlying technology is rotary auger separation with pressure-regulated filtration operating at input capacities from 100 to 20,000 kg/hr, with more than 1.5 million metric tons of meat estimated to be processed annually on LIMA separators as of 2014.

LIMA holds a portfolio of granted international patents covering its original one-piece slotted filter/auger (1984), low-pressure deboning head (1994), sub-1,000 ppm calcium deboning head (1999), BSP beef pre-breaker (2001), and pork skin/fat separation (2006). Outputs include MSM with controlled calcium content, yields of 65-98% depending on application, and very low temperature rise during processing; equipment also supports use cases in the pet food, collagen, and cosmetics supply chains. Revenue model is hardware sales of industrial capital equipment via a quote-based pricing process configured to customer-specific raw material and capacity requirements.

The company operates an asset-light 100% distributor go-to-market, with more than 70 distributors across all continents providing local sales, service, spare parts, and testing. Marketing relies on participation in 27 to 35 trade shows per year (IFFA, ANUGA FOODTEC, IPPE, SIAL, VIV, Foodpro, Propak Asia, Foodtech Taipei) and sustained coverage in industry press. LIMA generates 95%+ of its unit volume through export, with presence in 100+ countries. As of July 1, 2024, LIMA is a wholly owned subsidiary of US-based FORTIFI Food Processing Solutions under CEO Massimo Bizzi, with Denis Le Guillou continuing as President of LIMA.

Name

LIMA SAS

Legal name

LIMA S.A.S.

Website

https://lima-france.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LIMA SAS is a French industrial equipment manufacturer specializing in mechanical meat-bone separators, deboners, and desinewers serving global poultry, pork, beef, lamb, and fish processors in over 100 countries through more than 70 distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Meat Processing Machinery

NAICS

Meat Processed from Carcasses (311612), Poultry Processing (311615), Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering (311611)

SIC

Meat Packing Plants (2011), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Further Processing (Cooked, Smoked, Cured & Deli Meats) (AFAKALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ground & Formed Meat Products Manufacturing (Burgers, Sausages, Meatballs) (AFAKALAE), Formed & Restructured Meats (Nuggets, Patties, Logs, Portion-Control) (AFANAEAI), Poultry Cut-Up, Deboning & Portioning (AFANACAB), Beef Offal & Variety Meats Processing (Organs, Tongue, Tripe) (AFANAAAH)

Keywords

• Meat-bone separators
• Mechanical deboning equipment
• Desinewing machinery
• Poultry processing equipment
• Industrial food processing machinery

Headquarters

HQ city

Quimper

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial food processing machinery sales: LIMA manufactures and sells industrial meat-bone separators, deboners, and desinewers to meat processing facilities worldwide through their distributor network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

LIMA SAS designs, manufactures, and sells industrial meat-bone separators, deboners, and desinewers used by meat processors to mechanically recover meat from bones and remove sinews from poultry, pork, beef, lamb, and fish. The portfolio spans more than 70 models with input capacities from 100 to 20,000 kg/hr, sold worldwide through a network of more than 70 distributors across more than 100 countries.

Product overview

LIMA SAS is a manufacturer of industrial meat processing equipment, offering a complete range of meat-bone separators, deboners, desinewers, and grinders for the poultry, pork, beef, lamb, and fish industries. The product portfolio includes: S & SM range meat-bone separators for mechanically separated meat (MSM); DD/DDS & DDM/DDSM deboners/desinewers for poultry; GD/GDM grinders-desinewers for red meat and poultry; DSP & DSPM deboners for harder bones like pork and lamb; C & CM fat-skin separators for pork rind processing; and BSP & BSPM beef separators. All equipment operates on similar mechanical principles with capacity ranging from 100 to 20,000 kg/hr input, with over 70 different models available. The company also provides global after-sales service through a network of more than 70 distributors worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meat-bone Separators S & SM Range Mechanical meat-bone separators for producing high-quality mechanically separated meat (MSM) with high yields and fibrous texture from poultry, pork, and fish bones.
• Deboners/Desinewers DD/DDS & DDM/DDSM Range Low-pressure deboners and desinewers for separating meat from bones in poultry carcasses, necks, and whole birds, producing high-quality structured or ground poultry meat with low calcium content.
• Grinders-Desinewers DD/DDS & DDM/DDSM & GD/GDM Red Meat Range Grinders and desinewers for processing boneless red meat (beef and pork), transforming trimmings, shank meat, and aponeurosis into high-quality coarse ground meat while removing tendons, sinews, cartilages, and bone chips.
• Grinders-Desinewers GD & GDM Poultry Range Grinders-desinewers specially designed for boneless poultry meat, producing high-quality ground-desinewed poultry meat from trimmings, wishbones, deboned thigh, and drumstick meat.
• Deboners DSP & DSPM Range Mechanical deboners for harder bones such as pork and lamb, producing high-quality structured meat with very low calcium content (less than 1,000 ppm), commonly referred to as '3mm MSM' or 'structured MSM'.
• Fat-skin Separators C & CM Range Pork fat-skin separators for mechanically separating fat from pork rinds, producing quality ground fat and defatted skin with preserved integrity, at input capacities of 750 to 12,000 kg/hr.
• Beef Meat-bone Separators BSP & BSPM Range Beef meat-bone separators with incorporated bone pre-breaker for producing high-quality fibrous structured beef meat from beef bones including backbones, neck bones, and ribs.
• LIMA RM 2000 S Separator Very large capacity separator designed for chicken bones up to 20,000 kg/hr input capacity with very low maintenance cost features, expanding LIMA's high-end product range.

Quantifiable outcome

• Yields of 80% to 98% for desinewing applications while maintaining controlled collagen/protein ratios
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FORTIFI Food Processing SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024On July 1, 2024, FORTIFI completed the acquisition of LIMA company. FORTIFI is a food processing technology company focused on automated food processing solutions. LIMA joins Fortifi as a leader in meat-bone separation, deboning, and desinewing technology, expanding Fortifi's capabilities in essential secondary and further processing of proteins.
• 70+ Worldwide DistributorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLIMA operates through a network of more than 70 distributors worldwide covering all continents. With fully trained technicians, distributors provide local service, on-site training, spare parts supply, and testing capabilities. LIMA has maintained this distributor model since founding in 1981.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: Large German industrial group with a sizable food processing equipment business covering meat, poultry, and further processing. Competes with LIMA in separation and grinding equipment for protein applications at scale.
• Marel: Iceland-based global food processing equipment major with broad poultry, meat, and further-processing portfolios. Overlaps with LIMA in deboning/separation for poultry and red meat as part of much wider integrated lines.
• Provisur Technologies: US-headquartered meat processing equipment maker offering forming, separating, and slicing solutions. Overlaps with LIMA in further processing and mechanical separation for poultry and red meat processors.
• Bühler Group: Swiss family-owned equipment maker with food processing capabilities including protein processing lines. Competes broadly in industrial food equipment, including adjacent separation and grinding technologies.
• JBT (John Bean Technologies): US-listed food processing and air transport equipment group with significant meat, poultry, and further-processing operations. Competes in mechanical separation/deboning for protein processors as part of an end-to-end portfolio.

Regional players

• Hollymatic: US-based food processing equipment maker historically focused on patty forming, portioning, and grinding equipment for meat processors. Adjacent competitor in the meat processing machinery space, primarily serving North American markets.

Direct peers

• Townsend Further Processing (Marel): Townsend, now part of Marel, has historically been one of the leading makers of mechanical deboning/separation equipment for poultry, with products that compete head-to-head with LIMA's deboners and separators in poultry processors.
• BAADER: German global leader in fish and meat processing equipment, including mechanical deboning and separation machines for poultry, beef, pork, and seafood. Directly comparable to LIMA's mechanical separation technology across protein categories.
• Grasselli: Italian manufacturer of meat processing machinery, including grinders, flakers, and desinewers used by meat processors. Closely comparable mid-sized competitor to LIMA in mechanical deboning/desinewing for red meat and poultry.

Emerging players

• Frontier Equipment: Smaller US-focused maker of meat processing and further-processing equipment including grinders and desinewers. A smaller-scale, regional peer to LIMA's desinewing/grinding product lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lima-s-a-s-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LIMA SAS