C. Cretors and Company
C. Cretors and Company is a privately held, family-owned U.S. manufacturer founded in 1885 that designs and distributes commercial concession equipment — popcorn poppers, hot dog grills, nacho warmers, cotton candy machines, and display cabinets — to movie theaters, convenience stores, stadiums, and amusement venues across 110+ countries, with a Flo-Thru industrial processing division.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1893
- HeadquartersWood Dale, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What C. Cretors and Company does
C. Cretors and Company is a privately held, family-owned American manufacturer of commercial concession equipment, founded by Charles Cretors in Chicago in 1885 and headquartered at 176 Mittel Drive in Wood Dale, Illinois. The company invented the first commercial popcorn machine in 1893 and remains a category originator, holding 17 unique patents on related technology. Today Cretors designs, manufactures, and distributes a full line of concession equipment — popcorn poppers (Goldrush 6/8 oz, T-3000, Trilogy, Mach 5, Electric Giant, President cabinet series, ranging 6–60 oz), hot dog grills and bun warmers, nacho warmers and dispensers, cotton candy machines, display and Cornditioner™ popcorn cabinets, oil pumps/heaters, topping systems, and CMD caramelizers — with proprietary features including ventless hood systems, ANSUL fire suppression integration, One-Pop auto shut-off, and the Cornditioner™ freshness cabinet.
The commercial proposition is built around durable, hardware-grade equipment serving venue-based concession operators across multiple verticals, with three primary segments being convenience stores, movie theaters, and stadiums/sports venues, alongside secondary verticals such as agritourism, family entertainment centers, gourmet popcorn retailers, amusement parks, military and government sites, hotels and resorts, party rental companies, and home users. The Flo-Thru division extends the company into industrial-scale capital equipment for popcorn, cereal, and nut processing lines.
Revenue is generated through three streams: one-time equipment sales (ASPs ranging from roughly $1,685 for entry countertop units to over $34,000 for industrial processing systems), consumable supplies including portion paks, oils, salts, cotton candy floss, and cleaning supplies offered via subscription with free shipping, and replacement parts including branded emergency repair kits for ongoing installed-base service. Go-to-market combines direct e-commerce through cretors.com with a global authorized distributor network serving 110+ countries, supplemented by trade show presence at industry events such as the NACS Show. Named enterprise customers include Cinemark, Marcus Theaters, Pacific Standard Service, and Lyric Theatre, with multiple testimonials citing 35+ years of customer loyalty and equipment durability.
C. Cretors and Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- C. Cretors and Company
- Legal name
- C. Cretors and Company
- Website
- https://cretors.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1893
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- C. Cretors and Company is a privately held, family-owned U.S. manufacturer founded in 1885 that designs and distributes commercial concession equipment — popcorn poppers, hot dog grills, nacho warmers, cotton candy machines, and display cabinets — to movie theaters, convenience stores, stadiums, and amusement venues across 110+ countries, with a Flo-Thru industrial processing division.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where C. Cretors and Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wood Dale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
C. Cretors and Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Equipment Sales: Sale of commercial concession equipment including popcorn machines, hot dog grills, nacho equipment, cotton candy machines, and display cabinets. Equipment ranges from small countertop models to large stadium-sized floor models.
- Parts and Accessories: Replacement parts, repair kits, and accessories for all Cretors equipment. Includes emergency repair kits, filters, sneeze guards, and maintenance supplies.
- Consumable Supplies: Popping supplies including corn, oil, salt, portion paks, cotton candy floss, caramel mixes, cheese pastes, and eco-friendly bags. Offered via subscription with free shipping and discounted rates.
- Industrial Processing Systems: Large-scale industrial snack food production equipment through the Flo-Thru division for popcorn, cereal and nut processing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Entry-level equipment (6-8 oz poppers) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mid-range equipment (12-20 oz poppers) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | High-capacity stadium/theater equipment (32-60 oz) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Industrial processing systems |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscription supplies |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
C. Cretors and Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
C. Cretors and Company manufactures and sells commercial concession equipment for the snack food industry, including popcorn poppers, hot dog grills, nacho equipment, cotton candy machines, display cabinets, oil pumps, and topping/dispensing systems. The company also produces industrial-scale snack food processing lines through its Flo-Thru division and sells consumable supplies via subscription. Products range from compact countertop units for convenience stores to large stadium-sized configurations serving high-volume venues worldwide.
Product overview
C. Cretors and Company offers a comprehensive portfolio of concession equipment and supplies for the snack food industry. The product line centers on core equipment categories including Popcorn Equipment (featuring Goldrush, T-3000, Trilogy, Mach 5, Electric Giant, and President cabinet poppers), Hot Dog Equipment (grills and bun warmers), Nacho Equipment (Alto, Tray Cornditioner, dispensers), Cotton Candy Equipment (Ringmaster machines), Pizza and Humidified Warmers, Display & Popcorn Cabinets, Topping & Dispensing systems, and Oil Pumps & Warmers. The portfolio also includes the Flo-Thru Industrial Processing Systems division for high-volume popcorn, cereal, and nut production lines. Supporting the equipment are replacement parts and repair kits, consumable supplies (popping corn, oils, salts, cotton candy floss), branded merchandise, and digital gift cards. The company also provides service and training resources including Service School, Online Training, Video Library, and Popcorn Expansion Testing services. Products serve diverse industries including convenience stores, movie theaters, stadiums, amusement parks, family entertainment centers, agritourism operations, school and community concessions, party rentals, and gourmet popcorn shops.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Flo-Thru: Industrial snack food production lines for popcorn, cereal and nuts.
- Cretors Popped Popcorn
- PopScience
- Popcorn IQ
Products and services
- Popcorn Equipment Commercial popcorn poppers available in sizes from 6 oz to 60 oz, including the Goldrush, T-3000, Trilogy, Mach 5, Electric Giant, and President cabinet models, designed for venues ranging from convenience stores to stadiums and theaters.
- Hot Dog Equipment
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2.5 tons of organic popcorn produced annually by single Lyric Theater customer
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use C. Cretors and Company
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
C. Cretors and Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
C. Cretors and Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Flo-ThrucoreFlo-Thru is a division of Cretors that manufactures industrial snack food production lines for popcorn, cereal and nuts. This is an internal division rather than an external partnership.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
C. Cretors and Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Heat and Control: Manufacturer of industrial snack food processing equipment including popcorn, chips, and nut processing lines. Directly comparable to Cretors' Flo-Thru industrial processing systems division for high-volume commercial food production.
- Paragon International: Specialty concession equipment manufacturer offering popcorn poppers, cotton candy, and nacho equipment. Direct overlap with Cretors' core product portfolio for theaters, C-stores, and small venue concessions.
- Great Northern Popcorn: Manufacturer and distributor of commercial and consumer popcorn machines, concession supplies, and theater-style kettles. Comparable to Cretors in product category, target customer (venues and home), and pricing tiers.
- Gold Medal Products Company: Cincinnati-based manufacturer of commercial popcorn, concession, and snack equipment. Gold Medal is Cretors' most direct head-to-head competitor across theater, stadium, C-store, and amusement park concession equipment with overlapping product lines.
Broad incumbents
- Middleby Corporation: Large diversified commercial foodservice equipment manufacturer with a broad portfolio spanning cooking, refrigeration, and concession. Comparable to Cretors as a foodservice equipment peer but operates at much greater scale and across many more categories.
- Bühler Group: Swiss global industrial food processing equipment manufacturer serving grain, snack, and cereal processors. Comparable to Cretors' Flo-Thru industrial division as a much larger-scale industrial snack and cereal equipment supplier.
- Welbilt (Manitowoc Foodservice): Global commercial foodservice equipment manufacturer (brands including Cleveland, Convotherm, Merrychef, Frymaster). Comparable as a broad-line competitor in the same end-customer venues where Cretors sells concession equipment.
- Ali Group: Privately-held global foodservice equipment conglomerate with dozens of brand subsidiaries across cooking, holding, and concession equipment. Overlaps with Cretors in concession-adjacent product lines sold to the same venue customers.
Regional players
- Popcorn Indiana: Branded ready-to-eat popcorn and gourmet popcorn producer. Comparable to Cretors as a branded popcorn consumer product line, though competing primarily on the consumer packaged goods side rather than equipment.
Emerging players
- Nostalgia Products: Consumer-focused manufacturer of retro popcorn machines, cotton candy makers, and small concession appliances. Overlaps with Cretors' home-use equipment line and consumer popcorn product offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
C. Cretors and Company social profiles
Digital presenceC. Cretors and Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
C. Cretors and Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
C. Cretors and Company subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
C. Cretors and Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
C. Cretors and Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about C. Cretors and Company
What does C. Cretors and Company do?
C. Cretors and Company manufactures and sells commercial concession equipment for the snack food industry, including popcorn poppers, hot dog grills, nacho equipment, cotton candy machines, display cabinets, oil pumps, and topping/dispensing systems. The company also produces industrial-scale snack food processing lines through its Flo-Thru division and sells consumable supplies via subscription. Products range from compact countertop units for convenience stores to large stadium-sized configurations serving high-volume venues worldwide.
Is C. Cretors and Company a public or private company?
C. Cretors and Company is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was C. Cretors and Company founded?
C. Cretors and Company was founded in 1893. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is C. Cretors and Company based?
C. Cretors and Company is headquartered in Wood Dale, United States, in the North America region.
How does C. Cretors and Company make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are parts and Accessories, consumable Supplies and industrial Processing Systems.
Who are C. Cretors and Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Heat and Control, Paragon International, Great Northern Popcorn and Gold Medal Products Company. Broad incumbents are Middleby Corporation, Bühler Group, Welbilt (Manitowoc Foodservice) and Ali Group. Popcorn Indiana is listed as a regional player. Nostalgia Products is listed as an emerging player.
Does C. Cretors and Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for C. Cretors and Company.