What Novatec does

Novatec, Inc. is a Baltimore, Maryland-based manufacturer of resin drying, conveying, and material handling systems for plastics processors, founded in 1948 and operating for over 75 years. The company positions itself as the largest U.S.-based manufacturer of resin dryers for the plastics industry and is notable as one of the few remaining American-owned and American-made players in its category, with design, manufacturing, and shipping consolidated at its 222 Thomas Avenue facility, which also houses a Drying Technology Center for customer-specific resin testing.

The product portfolio spans three core pillars. Drying includes NovaWheel desiccant wheel dryers (with a lifetime desiccant warranty), desiccant bed dryers, desiccating cartridge dryers, infrared drying/crystallization, vacuum dryers, drying hoppers, silo dehumidification, central drying systems, gas-fired process heaters, NITROdry nitrogen dryers, DryTemp Plus, and PET resin crystallizers. Conveying encompasses SmartConveying (with A.I.+E.V. technology), the InfinitySeries, self-contained loaders, vacuum receivers and pumps, central dust collectors, reclaim systems, bulk material handling, material selection/ID, and system valves. Blending is supplied via a long-standing partnership with Maguire Products and includes WSB gravimetric blenders, MaxiBatch, gravimetric feeders, and premixers. Adjacent offerings span downstream Bessemer cutters, pullers, NS Series servo saws, and a controls layer (FlexTouch, FlexXpand, OptiFlex, MCS-400/600 series, CL Silo Manager). MachineSense is sold as an IoT monitoring add-on that extends warranty on connected equipment.

Novatec makes money through three revenue streams: one-time equipment sales (the dominant stream), recurring parts and 24/7 service, and larger system integration and installation projects with on-site project management. Pricing is custom and quotation-based with multi-year contract cadences; no public price list is disclosed. GTM is consultative and sales-led: U.S. customers are served through state-organized direct sales representatives, while international markets are served through a network of regional distributors spanning Africa/Middle East, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, China, Europe, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, and Latin America. Customer segments cut across packaging (PET, nylons, olefins), medical molding, automotive, fiber extrusion, sheet extrusion, profile/coating extrusion, custom control applications, and greenfield projects. The company differentiates on proprietary drying technology, a 5-year industry-leading warranty, and U.S.-based manufacturing.

Name

Novatec

Legal name

Novatec, Inc.

Website

https://novatec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Novatec is the largest U.S.-based manufacturer of resin drying, conveying, and material handling systems, serving plastics processors across packaging, medical, automotive, and industrial extrusion markets with capital equipment, parts, and integrated plant systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Manufacture and sale of resin drying equipment, conveying systems, and material handling machinery for plastics processors. Products range from individual units to complete central systems.
2. Parts and Service: 24/7 technical support, field service, and replacement parts for installed equipment. Service department available around the clock for customer support.
3. System Integration and Installation: Design, installation, and commissioning of complete central drying and conveying systems with on-site project management, engineering, and staff training services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Novatec is a U.S.-based manufacturer of energy-efficient resin drying, conveying, and material handling systems for the plastics processing industry. The company designs, builds, and integrates industrial dryers, blenders, central drying systems, and controls used by plastics manufacturers to condition resin before molding or extrusion. Founded in 1948, Novatec is headquartered in Baltimore, MD and operates with 51–100 employees.

Product overview

Novatec is the largest U.S.-based manufacturer of resin drying, conveying, and material handling systems for the plastics processing industry, offering over 75 years of experience. The product portfolio centers on three core pillars: Drying (including NovaWheel desiccant wheel dryers, desiccant bed dryers, vacuum dryers, infrared drying, and central drying systems), Conveying (featuring SmartConveying with AI technology, InfinitySeries, vacuum loaders, receivers, and pumps), and Blending (through partnership with Maguire Products, including WSB gravimetric blenders, MaxiBatch, and feeders). Additional offerings include downstream extrusion equipment (Bessemer cutters, pullers, servo saws), central control systems (FlexTouch, FlexXpand, OptiFlex, MCS series), moisture measurement (HydroTracer, MoistureMaster), and the MachineSense IoT monitoring add-on. The company emphasizes AI-powered technologies for moisture management and intelligent conveying, with a standout 5-year warranty and lifetime desiccant warranty on select products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NovaWheel: Desiccant wheel resin dryer product line
• SmartConveying
• A.I.-Drying
• A.I.+E.V.
• HydroTracer
• MachineSense

Products and services

• Resin Dryers Industrial dryers that remove moisture from hygroscopic plastic resin prior to injection molding, blow molding, or extrusion. Designed for plastics processors using engineering and commodity resins.
• AI-Drying System AI-driven resin drying optimization system that adjusts drying parameters automatically to improve energy efficiency and throughput for plastics processors.
• NovaWheel Dehumidification Wheel Proprietary non-salt-based dehumidification wheel used inside Novatec dryers to deliver low dew-point drying air, with a lifetime desiccant warranty.
• HydroTracer Moisture Measurement Proprietary moisture measurement technology used to verify that resin leaving a Novatec dryer has reached the target dryness level before it reaches the molding or extrusion machine.
• Auto Mate Control System Automated control system that sequences and monitors resin drying operations on Novatec equipment, sold as part of Novatec's dryer offerings.
• Vacuum Pressure Dryer (VPD-100) Vacuum pressure dryer designed for low-dew-point drying of high-temperature engineering resins at injection molding and extrusion processors.
• Resin Conveying Systems Industrial conveying systems that move resin from storage to dryers and from dryers to molding or extrusion machines. Sold to plastics processors as part of a complete material handling setup.
• Gravimetric Blenders Gravimetric blenders that dose and mix multiple resin components and additives by weight for accurate formulation at injection molding and extrusion lines.
• Central Drying Systems Custom-engineered central drying systems designed, built, and integrated on-site to condition resin for multiple molding or extrusion lines from a shared central dryer installation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Moisture management ensures high-grade parts quality for plastics processors
• +2 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Maguire ProductscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNovatec's association with Maguire Products broadens their business group to offer the largest line of manufactured plastics auxiliary equipment in North America. Through this partnership, Novatec supplies Maguire's popular and extensive line of blenders and feeders, combining plastics drying, conveying, and blending with downstream extrusion products to design and install complete central plastics systems.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Conair: Conair is a direct competitor to Novatec, manufacturing resin dryers, conveying systems, blenders, and granulators for plastics processors. The product portfolios overlap closely — drying, conveying, and material handling — and both serve the same injection molding and extrusion customer base in North America and globally.
• Wittmann Group: Wittmann is one of the largest global manufacturers of plastics auxiliary equipment, including dryers, material loaders, conveying systems, blenders, and granulators. It competes head-to-head with Novatec on dryer technology and central-system installations, particularly in Europe and on large greenfield plastics projects.
• Motan (Colortronic): Motan manufactures drying, conveying, and dosing systems for plastics processing — the same core product categories as Novatec. It serves comparable injection molding and extrusion customers and competes directly on resin drying technology across European and global markets.
• Piovan Group: Piovan is a global leader in auxiliaries for the plastics industry, producing dryers, temperature controllers, granulators, and complete central systems. It directly competes with Novatec on industrial drying and conveying for PET, packaging, and technical molding applications.
• AEC (a division of ITW): AEC manufactures resin dryers, hot-oil and water temperature controllers, and material handling equipment for plastics processors. Backed by Illinois Tool Works, AEC is a direct peer to Novatec in desiccant and compressed-air dryer categories for injection molding applications.
• Maguire Products: Maguire is both a strategic partner (Novatec supplies Maguire's blender and feeder lines) and a peer in plastics auxiliary equipment. Maguire manufactures gravimetric blenders, feeders, and vacuum loaders, overlapping with Novatec's product line in blending and conveying categories.
• Dri-Air Industries: Dri-Air Industries specializes in resin dryers and dehumidifying dryers for the plastics and PET industries. It is a focused direct peer to Novatec in the dryer category, particularly serving injection molding and PET preform processors.
• Plastic Process Equipment, Inc. Plastic Process Equipment is a US-based supplier of plastics auxiliary equipment including dryers, hoppers, loaders, granulators, and chillers. It directly competes with Novatec across multiple product categories for plastics processing customers in North America.
• Universal Dynamics (a Piovan brand): Universal Dynamics, now part of Piovan, manufactures drying, conveying, and material handling systems for the plastics industry. It serves the same injection molding and extrusion customer segments as Novatec with a directly overlapping product range.
• Sterico AG: Sterico is a smaller but directly comparable peer, manufacturing resin dryers and material handling equipment for the plastics industry. It is an emerging peer focused on cost-competitive industrial dryers that serves similar plastic processor customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@novatecinc/videos
• Xx.com/novatecinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novatec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Novatec