Waldrop Company

What Waldrop Company does

Waldrop Company is a family-owned manufacturer of custom automation systems for food processing and packaging, founded in 1960 and headquartered at 8125 Kempwood Dr., Houston, TX. The company designs, builds, installs, and services integrated production line equipment including tray denesters, tray feeders, pad placers, product loading systems, robotic casepacking and palletizing cells, checkweighers, label applicators, case erectors and sealers, capping equipment, merge and divert conveyors, indexing systems, paper interleavers and stackers, tenderizers/cubers, and custom conveying solutions. Technology is assembled around a standardized controls platform (Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLC and PanelView Plus HMI) with third-party components from ABB Robotics, Nordson, Cognex, Videojet, Lantech, Intralox, and Habasit, and equipment is built primarily in stainless steel grade 304 for high-pressure washdown environments.

The company serves meat, poultry, seafood, prepared food, snack, bakery, and pet food manufacturers across the United States and internationally through a direct enterprise field sales motion and project-based turn-key engagements spanning concept, design, installation, and commissioning. Revenue is generated primarily from custom hardware sales, supplemented by professional services including ongoing service contracts, spare parts, field technician support, telephone technical support, and employee training. No public pricing, customer list, or revenue figure is disclosed.

The business is private, family-owned, and reportedly financially stable with 11-50 employees, no disclosed institutional investors, no parent company, and no M&A activity in the available record. Strategic priorities evidenced in the data center on deepening technology partnerships (notably ABB and Allen-Bradley) and extending product line breadth into adjacent food processing workflows rather than geographic buildout or external capital deployment.

Name

Waldrop Company

Legal name

Waldrop Company

Website

https://waldropco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Waldrop Company is a family-owned Houston-based manufacturer founded in 1960 that designs, builds, and services custom automation systems, including tray handling, robotic casepacking and palletizing, checkweighing, labeling, and conveying equipment, for food processing manufacturers in the United States and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Processing and Packaging Automation Equipment

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

End-of-Line Integration & Packaging Line Systems (IMAHAOAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cartoning, Case Packing & Tray Loading Machines (IMALAOAE), Conveying, Feeding & Material Handling for Packaging Lines (IMALAOAG), Conveying, Feeding & Accumulation Systems (Packaging Lines) (IMAHAOAK), Capping, Sealing & Closing Machines (IMAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Food packaging automation
• Robotic palletizing systems
• Tray handling equipment
• Food processing machinery
• Conveyor systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Automation Equipment Sales: Design, manufacture, installation, and servicing of custom automation systems for food processing and packaging. Revenue generated from sale of custom-built equipment including tray handling, robotic systems, conveyors, checkweighers, and related machinery. Includes full project lifecycle from concept to commissioning with ongoing service and support.
2. Equipment Service and Support: Ongoing service contracts, spare parts sales, field service technician support, telephone technical support, and employee training services. Full service support including research and development, installation, and product application support.
3. Turn-Key Solutions: Complete automation system solutions combining strategic planning with creative design execution. Includes engineering, equipment procurement, installation, construction, testing, and commissioning services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Waldrop Company designs, manufactures, installs, and services custom automation systems for the food processing and packaging industry. The company's offerings span complete production line solutions including tray handling (denesters and feeders), tray padding, product loading, robotic casepacking, robotic palletizing, checkweighing, labeling, capping, merging/diverting, indexing, custom conveying, and turn-key system integration. Equipment is built in-house with stainless steel construction and integrated controls for food industry manufacturers in meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, snack, bakery, and pet food segments.

Product overview

Waldrop Company is a manufacturer of complete automation systems for the food processing and packaging industry, operating since 1960. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of food manufacturing equipment organized into integrated production line solutions: Tray Handling systems (Model 125/112 Tray Denesters, Model 238 Tray Feeder, Vacuum Reciprocating Denester), Tray Padding equipment (Model 357HS Pad Placer), Product Loading systems (Model 112 Portion to Pack Series 3), Case Equipment (Case Sealers, Lantech Case Erectors C-300/C-1000), Robotic systems (ABB-powered Robotic Casepacking and Robotic Palletizing with IRB 660-180 arm), Checkweighing Equipment (Product and Case Checkweighers with reject mechanisms), Labeling Systems (Single/Dual Top-Bottom Label Applicators, Case Print-and-Apply with Videojet integration), Paper Interleaving and Stacking, Capping Equipment, Merging and Diverting Systems, Indexing Systems, Manual Handpack Systems, and Custom Conveying Solutions. The portfolio is supported by Turn-Key Solutions for complete system integration, Design Expertise services for custom engineering, and Service & Support for ongoing maintenance. Key technology partners include Lantech for case erectors and stretch wrappers, and ABB Robotics for robotic systems, while equipment incorporates Allen-Bradley controls, Nordson glue systems, Cognex vision inspection, and Videojet thermal transfer printing. The company serves meat, poultry, seafood, prepared food, snacks, bakery, and pet food industries with in-house manufacturing capabilities in Houston, TX.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Model 125 Tray Denester Tray denester that accepts consumer trays in vertical stacks and dispenses single trays using rotating shafts. Customizable for specific applications with direct integration into existing conveyor systems. Designed for food industry manufacturers handling tray-based packaging operations.
• Model 125 Screw Denester Tray denester utilizing four progressive lead screws to separate trays one at a time from vertical stacks, driven by a single AC motor for tray distribution in food processing operations.
• Model 112 Vacuum Assisted Tray Denester Vacuum-assisted tray denester that separates trays from vertical stacks using rotating shafts with vacuum assist. Includes stainless steel cabinet housing the integrated vacuum drive system.
• Vacuum Reciprocating Tray Denester Denester system that accepts consumer trays in single or multiple vertical stacks, dispensing single trays from each stack using vacuum cups to separate trays and place them into equipment carriers. Designed for unique tray types.
• Model 238 Tray Feeder Tray inventory support system that supplies tray denesters with vertical tray stacks. Automatically replenishes vertical stacks to denester chamber with multi-tray stack capability for streamlined operations.
• Model 357HS Pad Placer High-speed tray padding equipment that applies absorbent soaker pads into consumer trays in-line with thermoforming processes. Features Nordson Pro-Blue Flex glue system with Eclipse pattern control, dual glue heads, and three-axis servo control. Throughput up to 250 trays per minute.
• Model 112 Portion to Pack Series 3 Product loading system that loads empty trays with fresh meat from upstream portioning equipment. Integrates tray denesting operation with product portion to denested tray merge. Configurable for various foam and plastic tray sizes.
• Robotic Casepacking Systems ABB Robotics-integrated casepacking systems with custom end-of-arm tooling for product picking and case packing. Features encoder tracking infeed conveyor, Cognex vision sensor for top label inspection, and Allen-Bradley controls. Diverts products with unreadable labels to rework containers.
• Robotic Palletizing Systems ABB IRB 660-180 articulated arm robotic palletizers with IRC 5 controller and 180-kilogram payload capacity. Includes customized end-of-arm tooling for cases and pallets, Allen-Bradley PLC integration, PickMaster 5 preparation, and safety guard fencing with light curtains.
• Product Checkweigher Equipment In-motion weigh scale capturing product weight for validation, printing, and labeling. Performs over/under weight validation via load beam with automatic rejection mechanism for non-conforming products.
• Case Checkweigher Equipment In-motion case weigh scale for weight validation with rejection mechanism. Stainless steel construction suitable for high-pressure washdown environments.
• Label Applicator Single label applicator for pressure-sensitive label application to in-motion packages. Mountable to existing or Waldrop-supplied conveyor systems for flexible integration.
• Single Top and Bottom Label Applicator In-line applicator for top and bottom labels on in-motion packages. Available with optional Videojet IP65 Data Flex thermal transfer printer for variable information including best-by dates, batch/lot codes, and bar codes.
• Dual Top and Bottom Label Applicator Dual lane label applicator for running two different labels on the same line with quick switching for label inventory. Optional Videojet thermal transfer printing available for variable information.
• Case Label Print-and-Apply Labeling system for in-motion cases with variable case weight acceptance and 2D bar code information, logo, and identifying information application.
• Case Sealer Equipment Case sealer that folds minor and major top flaps and secures them with tape or hot melt glue. Available in standard and random case versions with automatic size detection capability.
• Lantech C-300 Case Erector Painted case erector accepting flat panel boxes and erecting them. Runs approximately 10 cases per minute with ergonomic blank loading and square case erecting features.
• Lantech C-1000 Case Erector Case erector available in painted or stainless steel for washdown applications. Runs approximately 10 cases per minute with option to upgrade up to 30 cases per minute.
• Lantech S-1500 Stretch Wrapper Pallet stretch wrapper with standard infeed and outfeed conveyors. Industry standard for performance, ease of use, and safety with over 65,000 placements globally.
• Tenderizer/Cuber System Meat tenderizer and cuber equipment with innovative conveyor system that rotates meat between dual blade sets for uniform cube steaks. Customizable blade settings with Allen-Bradley controls and food-grade stainless steel construction.
• Paper Interleaver and Stacker Automated sliced meat paper interleaver and stacker that inserts thin sheets of paper between product layers and stacks according to manufacturer specification. Handles speeds up to 900 pieces per minute with Allen-Bradley controls.
• Capping Equipment Capping units that dispense single lids from stacks and apply them to moving tubs. Options include Lid Feeder, cap detection system, card stock applicator, and code date data printer.
• Merge Conveyor Systems Two-to-one, three-to-one, and four-to-one lane merge systems that combine multiple lane packaging outputs to a single exit lane. Optional powered side belts and servo motors available for enhanced functionality.
• Diverting Systems Dual lane conveyor system for diverting product through processing lines or to alternate lanes. Utilizes slide pin belt for product movement with customizable configurations.
• Indexing Systems Motor-driven tray indexing systems with flighted belt or chain systems. Directed by manufacturer-supplied indexing sequence for precise control over food processing operations.
• Manual Handpack Systems Ergonomic workstations for packing product into corrugated boxes with infeed and take-away conveyors. Stainless steel construction for high-pressure washdown environments.
• Custom Conveying Solutions Custom conveyor systems designed for food processing environments including ready-to-eat foods, raw meats, poultry, fish, dairy, bakery, and pet foods. Built for high-pressure sanitation requirements with Intralox and Habasit belting options.
• Turn-Key Solutions Complete automation system solutions combining strategic planning with creative design execution. Includes engineering, equipment procurement, installation, construction, testing, and commissioning services for full project lifecycle.
• Design Expertise Services Engineering and design services including conceptual layouts, feasibility studies, simulation, project management, installation, commissioning, and employee training. Supported by in-house manufacturing capability.
• Service and Support Technical support including dedicated help desk, field service technicians, spare parts inventory, product support specialists, and research and development team. Full lifecycle service support for Waldrop equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tray throughput rates up to 250 trays per minute for Model 357HS Pad Placer
• +4 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature13 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• LantechcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for case erecting equipment. Waldrop has teamed up with Lantech to provide case erector equipment including C-300, C-1000, and C-2000 models. The C-1000 units are available in painted or stainless steel for washdown applications. Lantech is described as continuing to be the most innovative packaging equipment manufacturer in the industry with over 65,000 packaging machine placements. Also provides stretch wrapping equipment including the S-1500 model for pallet stretch wrapping.
• ABB RoboticscoreTechnology or IntegrationABB Robotics integrator partnership for robotic casepacking and palletizing systems. Waldrop utilizes ABB robotics including IRB 660-180 articulated arm with IRC 5 controller capable of 180-kilogram payloads. Controller is prepared for PickMaster 5 and configured with defined pallet pack pattern recipes. ABB's Palletizing Power Pack used for generating pallet patterns. Partnership enables seamless robotic integration within Waldrop's automation equipment.
• NordsoncoreTechnology or IntegrationNordson glue system partnership for tray padding equipment. Model 357HS Pad Placer utilizes Nordson Pro-Blue Flex glue system with Nordson Eclipse glue pattern control and dual glue heads for adhesive application. Equipment specification includes Nordson Spectra glue pattern control for precise adhesive placement on trays.
• VideojetsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationVideojet IP65 Data Flex thermal transfer printer system offered as optional feature for labeling systems. Enables printing of variable and real-time information including best-by dates, batch/lot codes, ingredients, bar codes, and logos on labels. Provides crisp, clear images for product labeling applications.
• CognexsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationCognex vision sensor partnership for robotic casepacking quality control. Vision inspection system used for top label inspection prior to product entering casepacking workcell. Parts with unreadable or improper labeling are identified and diverted to customer-supplied rework container.
• Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation)coreTechnology or IntegrationStandard controls platform across all Waldrop equipment. Allen-Bradley Controls used throughout including CompactLogix PLC, PanelView Plus color touch screen operator interface, and IP69K push buttons, switches, and E-stops. Hoffman Watershed Enclosures included for protection. Ensures consistent automation performance and integration across all equipment offerings.
• Intralox and HabasitcoreTechnology or IntegrationBelting options provided as standard features across conveyor and equipment systems. Intralox and Habasit belting options included in standard equipment specifications for durability and performance in food processing environments.
• Plan LeftminorOthersWebsite development and hosting partner. Plan Left provides website platform powering the Waldrop Company website as noted in footer copyright information.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• JLS Automation: US-based custom robotic packaging integrator focused on food industry applications including case packing, tray packing, and primary packaging — directly comparable in customer base (protein, prepared foods) and turn-key approach.
• Harpak-ULMA: Specialist in packaging machinery for food,蛋白, and medical applications, offering tray sealing, flow wrap, and integrated lines — strong product/customer overlap with Waldrop's case and tray equipment portfolio.
• Heat and Control: Designs and manufactures processing, conveying, and packaging systems for snack food, protein, and prepared-food customers — directly comparable end-markets and turn-key project delivery model.
• Pro Mach: Integrated packaging machinery solutions provider serving food, beverage, and consumer-goods manufacturers with robotic casepacking, palletizing, conveying, and labeling — overlapping product set with Waldrop.
• MULTIVAC: Global packaging solutions company providing tray-sealing, labeling, and portioning equipment for food, medical, and consumer products — overlapping customer segments and product categories with Waldrop.
• Formpak: Smaller US custom integrator specializing in food packaging lines including robotic casepacking, tray handling, and conveying — closely comparable size, custom approach, and customer profile to Waldrop.

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: Large-cap German industrial group with extensive food processing and packaging equipment portfolio — addresses the same customers as Waldrop but at vastly greater scale and breadth across the food value chain.
• Tetra Pak: Global food processing and packaging solutions provider with deep dairy/liquid-food installed base — comparable food-industry end market but vastly broader product range and geographic footprint than Waldrop.
• Syntegon (formerly Bosch Packaging Technology): Major global supplier of processing and packaging machinery for food, pharma, and consumer goods — broad incumbent whose portfolio directly overlaps Waldrop's robotics, casepacking, and labeling products.
• Marel: Global provider of advanced food processing equipment, equipment, software, and services to meat, poultry, and fish processors — overlaps significantly with Waldrop's meat/protein customers and systems.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 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 Waldrop Company