Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG

What Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG does

Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG is a privately held, family-owned German industrial group headquartered in Spelle, Germany, operating under the KRONE Group brand across two distinct divisions: Landtechnik (agricultural machinery) and Nutzfahrzeuge (commercial vehicles and trailers). The Landtechnik division designs, manufactures, and sells forage harvesting and baling equipment — including forage harvesters, balers, and mowers — for hay and forage preservation, crop baling, and silage production used by farmers and agricultural operators. The Nutzfahrzeuge division designs and manufactures trailers and semi-trailers for freight, logistics, agricultural, and industrial cargo transport serving logistics operators, transport companies, and industrial customers. Both divisions address structural end-market drivers including agricultural labor shortages and the demand for mechanization on one side, and commercial freight transport capacity needs on the other.

The group's revenue model is anchored on hardware sales of these two product lines. Agricultural machinery is sold primarily through an established regional dealer network serving mid-market farmers and agricultural operations, while commercial vehicles are sold through a mix of direct enterprise sales and dealers targeting logistics and transport operators. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; products are positioned on German engineering quality, manufacturing reliability, and sustainability compliance. Supporting functions include sustainability reporting, a compliance/whistleblower system, a startup partnerships program, and procurement and career channels housed on the corporate krone-group.com platform.

KRONE employs 5,001-10,000 people and is organized as a European Company (SE) combined with a limited partnership (KG), with no public shareholders, listed ticker, or external institutional investors referenced. Ownership and key management are not disclosed in the available materials, and the company does not publicly report revenue. Strategic emphasis evident in the public materials is on sustainable manufacturing, compliance, and external innovation sourcing rather than on AI/ML or software-led differentiation.

Name

Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG

Legal name

Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG

Website

https://gruppe.krone.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

KRONE is a family-owned German industrial group that manufactures agricultural machinery (forage harvesters, balers, mowers) and commercial trailers/semi-trailers, serving farmers and agricultural operations via dealer networks and logistics/transport operators via direct and dealer channels across Germany and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Machinery and Commercial Trailers

NAICS

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural Tractor & Field Machinery Vehicle Manufacturing (IMACAFAB)

Keywords

• Agricultural machinery
• Forage harvesting equipment
• Commercial trailers
• Baler machines
• Farm equipment manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Spelle

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Machinery Sales: Sale of agricultural equipment including forage harvesters, balers, mowers, and other farm machinery under the Landtechnik division.
2. Commercial Vehicle and Trailer Sales: Sale of commercial vehicles and trailers under the Nutzfahrzeuge division.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG manufactures and sells agricultural machinery (forage harvesters, balers, mowers, hay tools) through its Landtechnik division and commercial trailers and semi-trailers for freight transport through its Nutzfahrzeuge division. The company operates as a diversified industrial group serving farmers, agricultural operations, logistics companies, and transport operators.

Product overview

Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG operates as a diversified industrial group with two main divisions: Landtechnik (Agricultural Machinery) and Nutzfahrzeuge (Commercial Vehicles). The agricultural machinery division provides hay tools, forage harvesters, and baling equipment, while the commercial vehicles division manufactures trailers and semi-trailers for freight transport. The company also maintains corporate functions for sustainability reporting, compliance, startup partnerships, and procurement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pöttinger Landtechnik: Austrian family-owned manufacturer of hay and forage harvesting machinery (mowers, tedders, loader wagons), directly competing with KRONE in European forage harvesting.
• Kögel Trailer GmbH: German manufacturer of trailers and semi-trailers for transport and logistics, a direct peer competing with KRONE's Nutzfahrzeuge division across European trailer markets.
• Schmitz Cargobull AG: Germany's largest trailer and semi-trailer manufacturer and the most direct peer for KRONE's Nutzfahrzeuge commercial vehicles division.
• CLAAS KGaA mbH: German family-owned agricultural machinery manufacturer and one of KRONE's closest direct competitors in forage harvesters, balers, and mowers across Europe.
• Maschio Gaspardo: Italian agricultural machinery manufacturer producing tillage, seeding, and hay/forage equipment with product overlap to KRONE's Landtechnik hay tool portfolio.
• KUHN Group: French manufacturer of agricultural implements including hay and forage equipment (mowers, tedders, balers), a direct competitor to KRONE's Landtechnik product range.

Broad incumbents

• AGCO Corporation: Global agricultural equipment manufacturer behind Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and Valtra, competing with KRONE in hay and forage tools but with a broader portfolio spanning tractors and combines.
• CNH Industrial N.V. Global manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment through Case IH, New Holland, and Steyr; a broad incumbent competing with KRONE in agricultural machinery and adjacent commercial vehicle categories via IVECO.
• Deere & Company: Largest global agricultural machinery OEM, a broad incumbent competing with KRONE across tractors and harvesting equipment with substantially greater R&D and global dealer scale.

Emerging players

• Kverneland Group: Subsidiary of Kubota focused on agricultural implements including tillage and forage equipment, competing with KRONE in selected hay and forage categories with overlap but a narrower direct product match.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG