SMO
SMO is a Belgian custom machine builder designing and manufacturing special-purpose automation, robotics-integrated production equipment, and industrial steel structures. Founded in 2002, it serves enterprise clients across food, agro, automotive, and heavy industry with five proprietary brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersEeklo, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SMO does
SMO BV is a Belgian custom machine builder headquartered in Eeklo, founded in 2002 by Sander Mollet. The company designs and manufactures special-purpose machines, automation and integration solutions (robotics, PLC/HMI, vision, motion control), industrialisation and series production, and custom steel industrial constructions. Engineering, sheet-metal working, welding, software, assembly and FAT/SAT testing are all performed in-house on a 30,000 m² site that includes 10,000 m² of production halls and an 800 m² R&D/test area; the facility was expanded in 2026 with new offices and workshops sized for more than 70 employees.
The company serves enterprise clients across food processing, agro/horticulture, automotive, heavy industry, infrastructure, and recycling/circular economy, with named customers including Coca-Cola, Volvo Cars Ghent, Hilti, Umicore, Plukon, Tiense Suiker, Westvlees, Vlaamse Visveiling, Sylva, FrieslandCampina, Daikin, and Pandrol. SMO also develops five proprietary brands (PINTRO for food machines, FleXiever for mobile screening, WIWAM for plant phenotyping, GreenGen for residential CHP, and DESMO for asset management) and acts as the official Belgian distributor for MK Technology Group's aluminium profile and conveyor systems.
Revenue mechanics are project-based: every machine is custom-quoted on scope, complexity and specifications, with milestone-driven delivery from engineering intake through FAT/SAT and after-sales service. SMO has held ISO 9001:2015, VCA, EN 1090 (up to EXC3) and CE marking certifications, holds a patent on its Pick & Skewer system, and has shipped machines across all continents except Antarctica since opening up international projects in 2019. The company is privately held by the founding Mollet family with no disclosed external funding.
SMO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SMO
- Legal name
- SMO BV
- Website
- https://smo.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SMO is a Belgian custom machine builder designing and manufacturing special-purpose automation, robotics-integrated production equipment, and industrial steel structures. Founded in 2002, it serves enterprise clients across food, agro, automotive, and heavy industry with five proprietary brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SMO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Machinery / Custom Machine Building
- NAICS
- Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Machinery Manufacturing (333), All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (333248), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)
- SIC
- Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Conveying, Feeding & Accumulation Systems (Packaging Lines) (IMAHAOAK), End-of-Line Integration & Packaging Line Systems (IMAHAOAN), Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers) (IMAGABAG), Capping, Sealing & Closing Machines (IMAHAOAG)
Keywords
Where SMO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Eeklo
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SMO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Machine Building: Design and build custom special purpose machines for unique manufacturing processes where standard solutions do not suffice. Revenue is project-based with quotes based on complexity, scope, and specifications.
- Automation & Integration Services: Robotics, PLC/HMI, vision, motion control and safety integration services. Includes both new cell design and integration with existing production lines.
- Industrial Constructions: Custom steel structures, machine frames, support structures, landings, guards and industrial construction work for heavy industrial environments.
- Industrialisation & Series Production: Taking over designs and making them production-ready, or series production of machines, modules or structures with established working methods and quality control.
- MK Technology Distribution: As official Belgian distributor of MK Technology Group, selling aluminium profiles, conveyor systems, business equipment and linear technologies.
- Own Brand Products: PINTRO (food industry machines), FleXiever (screening machines), WIWAM (plant phenotyping systems), GreenGen (CHP units), DESMO (asset management). Each brand serves distinct markets with dedicated service offerings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
SMO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SMO designs and builds custom machines and automation systems for manufacturing processes where standard catalog solutions do not suffice. The company delivers special purpose machines, robotics and vision-based automation/integration, industrialization and series production, and industrial steel constructions, with engineering, software, fabrication, assembly, testing and after-sales service performed under one roof. The company also markets five proprietary product brands (PINTRO, FleXiever, WIWAM, GreenGen, DESMO) and distributes MK Technology components in Belgium.
Product overview
SMO is a custom machine builder offering four core service areas: Special Purpose Machines for unique processes, Automation & Integration combining robotics and controls, Industrialisation & Series Production for scalable manufacturing, and Industrial Constructions for steel structures. The company also develops and markets five own brands: PINTRO (food industry machines like brochette and meatball equipment), FleXiever (mobile screening machines), WIWAM (plant phenotyping systems), GreenGen (residential combined heat and power units), and DESMO (shared equipment asset management). As a distribution partner for MK Technology Group, SMO also offers aluminium profiles and conveyor systems. All services are delivered with engineering, production, assembly, software and testing under one roof.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PINTRO: Machines for the food industry: brochette machines, ball machines, hamburger machines and chipola machines. From small solutions to fully automatic lines serving clients worldwide.
- FleXiever
- WIWAM
- GreenGen
- DESMO
Products and services
- Special Purpose Machines Custom-built machines for unique manufacturing processes where standard catalog solutions do not suffice, designed around the customer's product, cycle time, space, safety and integration requirements.
- Automation & Integration Robotics, vision, PLC/HMI, motion control and safety systems integrated into existing or new production environments, including line integration with existing machines and peripherals.
- Industrialisation & Series Production Scaling from prototype to repeatable series production with manufacturability optimization, standardized testing procedures, quality control, and documentation for consistent output.
- Industrial Constructions Custom steel structures including machine frames, support structures, landings, guards and platforms built for industrial environments with attention to dimensional accuracy and assembly sequence.
- PINTRO Brochette, ball, hamburger and chipolata machines for the food industry, ranging from manual solutions to fully automatic production lines served by SMO to clients worldwide.
- FleXiever Mobile screening machines for separating materials such as soil and stones, used by earthmoving contractors, recycling companies, farmers, and researchers in various sectors worldwide.
- WIWAM Automated robotic systems for plant phenotyping and growth monitoring, providing consistent, reproducible measurement data for research centres and universities worldwide.
- GreenGen Compact combined heat and power unit for homes, generating heating, hot water and electricity from wood pellets with waste heat converted into grid power.
- DESMO Asset management system for companies where several people share work equipment, automatically recording who brings and returns items via physical connectors.
- MK Technology Product Distribution Official Belgian distribution of MK Technology Group products including aluminium profiles (250+ types), conveyor systems, business equipment and linear technologies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Fish sorting: 18 tonnes per hour sorted to 10 gram accuracy
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SMO
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SMO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
SMO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MK Technology GroupcoreOfficial Belgian distributor of MK Technology Group products including more than 250 types of aluminium profiles, conveyor systems, business equipment and linear technologies. SMO has developed expertise in building modular transport systems using MK profiles. Products include transport techniques (conveyor belts, hinged plate conveyors, chain conveyors, roller conveyors), profile techniques, industrial work environments and linear techniques.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SMO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Agidens: Belgian process automation and engineering firm with a similar profile to SMO: custom automation, system integration, and project-based industrial solutions. Comparable scale, geography, and customer verticals (food, life sciences, industry).
- Manz AG: German-listed custom automation and equipment supplier for electronics, energy storage, and industrial customers. Comparable in special-purpose machinery, robotics integration, and bespoke production lines.
- Aspiral (Aspiravi/related): Belgian industrial engineering and automation specialist with overlapping capabilities in custom machinery, automation integration, and energy/industrial customer base.
- VDL Industrial Modules: Dutch custom machine builder and module manufacturer serving automotive, food, and industrial customers. Highly comparable to SMO in custom-engineered production systems and series production capabilities.
- ATS Automation Tooling Systems: Canadian-listed provider of custom automation, repeat manufacturing, and digital solutions to global manufacturers. Direct comparable in custom factory automation, including vision, robotics, and turnkey systems.
Broad incumbents
- ABB Industrial Automation: Global broad-line automation incumbent with PLCs, motion control, robotics, and system integration offerings that overlap with SMO's automation, vision, and PLC/HMI integration services across SMO's verticals.
- Stäubli Robotics: Swiss-headquartered manufacturer of industrial robots, automation, and connectors with a strong presence in food, life sciences, and custom end-of-arm tooling — a credible alternative source for projects SMO addresses.
- Dürr AG: German mechanical and plant engineering group supplying painting, application, and environmental technology plus custom automation. Comparable in turnkey industrial machinery and integration projects at scale.
- KUKA AG: German-headquartered global leader in industrial robots, controllers, and automated production systems. Competes with SMO in robotics integration, motion control, and turnkey automation for industrial customers.
Emerging players
- Beckhoff Automation: German PC-based control and automation specialist providing PLCs, motion control, and vision systems that SMO integrates into its custom machines — a complementary technology partner/peer in the same automation stack.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SMO social profiles
Digital presenceSMO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
SMO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SMO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
SMO subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
SMO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SMO 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 SMO
What does SMO do?
SMO designs and builds custom machines and automation systems for manufacturing processes where standard catalog solutions do not suffice. The company delivers special purpose machines, robotics and vision-based automation/integration, industrialization and series production, and industrial steel constructions, with engineering, software, fabrication, assembly, testing and after-sales service performed under one roof. The company also markets five proprietary product brands (PINTRO, FleXiever, WIWAM, GreenGen, DESMO) and distributes MK Technology components in Belgium.
Is SMO a public or private company?
SMO is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was SMO founded?
SMO was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SMO based?
SMO is headquartered in Eeklo, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does SMO make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Custom Machine Building is the primary driver. The others are automation & Integration Services, industrial Constructions, industrialisation & Series Production, MK Technology Distribution and own Brand Products.
Who are SMO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Agidens, Manz AG, Aspiral (Aspiravi/related), VDL Industrial Modules and ATS Automation Tooling Systems. Broad incumbents are ABB Industrial Automation, Stäubli Robotics, Dürr AG and KUKA AG. Beckhoff Automation is listed as an emerging player.
Does SMO have an API?
No public API is recorded for SMO.
What industry is SMO in?
SMO's product category is Industrial Machinery / Custom Machine Building. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAHAH, Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers), with a secondary code of IMAHAOAK, Conveying, Feeding & Accumulation Systems (Packaging Lines). Its NAICS code is 3332 and its SIC code is 3550.