What Schafer & Flottmann does

Schäfer & Flottmann GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German industrial machinery manufacturer founded on April 1, 1951 by Fritz Schäfer and Heinrich Flottmann and headquartered at the former 'Vereinigte Trappe' coal mine site in Gevelsberg-Silschede. The company specializes in end-of-line secondary packaging automation for the dairy, beverage, fats and oils, bakery, confectionery, snacks, and frozen foods industries, operating from a single 51-100-employee facility in Germany. The current legal representative is Heinrich Konrad Flottmann, indicating continued family-controlled ownership with no identified external institutional shareholders.

The company's core offering is a proprietary SFS machine series of approximately 30 numbered models (SFS 314 through SFS 509 plus individual components) covering the full secondary packaging workflow: carton erectors (Kartonaufrichter), tray erectors (Trayaufrichter), wraparound packers, combination packers (Kombipacker), sleevers/carton packers, RSC packers, automated packing machines (Einpacker), carton closers and lidding modules (Kartonverschließer, Verdeckelmodule), shrink-wrapping machines for bottles and sugar loaves, robotic palletizing systems (SFS 415 series including Cobot, layer robot, and row robot), and individual components such as elevators, stackers, and line distributors. Differentiated technical features include automated format change between product formats and remote service capability for installed systems. The company self-reports operational performance metrics of 98% machine efficiency, 98.5% on-time delivery, 99.9% quality rate, and 100% format reproducibility.

Revenue is generated through custom, quote-based sale of capital equipment, complemented by an aftermarket Life Cycle Service stream covering preventive maintenance, spare parts, commissioning, training, remote support, retrofits, and modifications. Distribution combines direct sales from the Gevelsberg headquarters with a regional channel partner network spanning six continents (e.g., Ivarson in North America, SMITS in Benelux, INTAMAC in France, RAUPACK in the UK, GRIMCO in Greece, 4P Solutions in Switzerland/Italy, MAKUM in Australia, Enpac in New Zealand, BRACKER in Chile). Named enterprise customers include Peter Mertes KG, OSM Piatnica, California Dairies, Ca' del Bosco, Vandemoortele (30+ years), Kerrygold, Milchwerke Berchtesgadener Land, Ehrmann SE, and Zweifel Chips & Snacks AG, with multiple dairy customers indicating segment concentration. Marketing is conducted through direct sales consultation, the Interpack trade show, a multilingual corporate website (DE/EN/FR/ES), and limited social media presence.

Name

Schafer & Flottmann

Legal name

Schäfer & Flottmann GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://sfs-net.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Schäfer & Flottmann is a privately held German industrial machinery manufacturer founded in 1951, specializing in end-of-line secondary packaging automation — including carton erectors, packers, closers, shrink wrappers, and robotic palletizers — for enterprise dairy, beverage, food, and snack producers across a six-continent distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging Machinery

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993)

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 Systems (IMAHAOAB), Wrapping & Bundling Equipment (Shrink/Stretch) (IMAHAOAD), Capping, Sealing & Closing Machines (IMAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Industrial packaging machinery
• End-of-line automation
• Secondary packaging equipment
• Carton erecting machines
• Robotic palletizing systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Gevelsberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

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. Industrial Packaging Machinery Sales: Sale of new packaging machinery and equipment including carton erectors, packaging machines, packing systems, carton closers, shrink wrappers, and robot palletizers. Also includes sale of individual components (elevators, stackers, feeders, line dividers) for system expansion or optimization.
2. Aftermarket Services: Comprehensive lifecycle service including maintenance, preventive conservation, spare parts supply, commissioning, training, remote support, retrofits, extensions, and modifications. Services provided both during and outside business hours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Schäfer & Flottmann manufactures and services industrial end-of-line secondary packaging machinery, including carton erectors, wraparound packers, combination packers, sleever/RSC packers, packing machines, carton closers, shrink wrapping machines, robotic palletizers, and individual line components. The portfolio is built around the proprietary SFS machine series and is configured per customer requirements to deliver complete packaging lines from a single source, supported by lifecycle services such as preventive maintenance, spare parts, remote support, commissioning, training, retrofits, and modifications.

Product overview

Schäfer & Flottmann is a German industrial machinery manufacturer specializing in secondary packaging automation for end-of-line processes. The company offers a modular portfolio of packaging machines and components: carton erectors (Kartonaufrichter, Trayaufrichter), packaging machines (Wraparoundpacker, Kombipacker, Sleever/Schachtelpacker, RSC-Packer), packing machines (Einpacker in standalone and integrated variants), carton closers (Kartonverschließer, Verdeckelmodule, SunShield-Inserter), shrink wrapping machines (Einwickelmaschinen for bottles and sugar loaves), and robotic palletizing systems (Robot-Palettierung). These are complemented by individual components (Einzelkomponenten) such as elevators, stackers, and line distributors. The product architecture supports deployment from single-machine integration to fully automated complete packaging lines, supported by comprehensive lifecycle service including maintenance, remote support, and retrofits. Key machine model series include SFS 3xx (erectors, packing), SFS 4xx (packaging, closing, wrapping, palletizing), SFS 5xx (high-performance variants), and individual component models like SFS 700 series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kartonaufrichter (Carton Erectors) High-precision carton erectors for automatic manufacturing of cartons and trays — repeatable, accurate, efficient, and seamlessly integrable into production lines for industrial food and beverage manufacturers.
• Trayaufrichter (Tray Erectors) Tray erectors for automatic tray formation, including specific models for hole trays and various tray dimensions, used in industrial secondary packaging lines.
• Wraparoundpacker (Wraparound Packaging Machines) Wraparound packaging machines that wrap products with cardboard or film around a tray or directly, available in multiple performance classes (SFS 374, SFS 414, SFS 425, SFS 504) for industrial packaging lines.
• Kombipacker (Combination Packers) Combination packer machines that combine tray packing and wraparound functions for flexible packaging solutions (SFS 427, SFS 501), used in food, dairy, and beverage production lines.
• Sleever / Schachtelpacker Sleever and carton packing machines for inserting products into sleeves or cartons (SFS 443, SFS 503) in industrial secondary packaging lines.
• RSC-Packer RSC (Regular Slotted Carton) packers for automated carton filling and closing (SFS 381, SFS 509) in industrial packaging lines.
• Einpacker (Packing Machines) Automated packing systems for fast and secure product placement, available as standalone units (SFS 324) or integrated into existing production lines (SFS 325).
• Kartonverschließer (Carton Closers) Efficient closing systems for stable and transport-secure packaging, including standard carton closers (SFS 495, SFS 437), lidding modules (SFS 395), and SunShield inserters (SFS 399) for UV-protected packaging.
• Einwickelmaschinen (Shrink Wrapping Machines) Shrink wrapping machines for product presentation, including bottle wrapping machines (SFS 314, SFS 446) for beverages and sugar loaf wrapping machines (SFS 391) for sugar confectionery.
• Robot-Palettierung (Robotic Palletizing) Smart palletizing solutions for structured, safe, and efficient end-of-line processes, including robotic palletizers, layer robots, row robots, and cobot solutions (SFS 415 series).
• Einzelkomponenten (Individual Components) Individual components including elevators (SFS EV), container stackers (SFS 420), cup rod feeders, lid rod feeders, and line distributors (SFS LV) sold for maximum flexibility in extending or optimizing existing packaging systems.
• Life Cycle Service Comprehensive lifecycle service and support offerings including preventive maintenance, machine inspections for condition-based maintenance, spare parts supply, remote support, on-site commissioning, employee training, retrofits, and modifications for installed Schäfer & Flottmann machinery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% machine efficiency
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ivarson Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive or primary distributor for packaging machinery in Canada, USA, and Mexico. Provides local sales, support, and service for North American customers. Contact: Mr. Patrick Flanagan and Mr. Glenn Ivarson.
• SMITS AUTOPACKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Belgium (Flanders) and Netherlands. Contact: Sr. Willy Smits based in Breda, Netherlands.
• INTAMAC SAScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Belgium (Wallonia/Brussels) and France. Contact: Sr. Frédéric Callet based in Laives, France.
• BRACKER AtémporacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for South America (Chile). Contact: Mrs. Nora Cárcamo and Mr. Philipp Bracker.
• GRIMCO G. HANNAS & Co.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Greece. Contact: Mr. Gregory Hannas.
• RAUPACKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Great Britain. Contact: Gregor Rauch.
• 4MC7 - Marek CzekanskicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Poland. Contact: Mr. Marek Czekanski.
• 4P SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Switzerland and Italy. Contact: Patrick Pfyffer.
• MAKUM Pty. Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Australia. Contact: Mr. Joel Leebody based in Tullamarine, Victoria.
• Enpac Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for New Zealand. Contact: Mr. Tim Watson based in Auckland.
• MATEQUIPminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for France covering champagne, sparkling wine, wine, and spirits industry. Contact: Mr. Prud'homme based in Paris.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Krones AG: German global leader in packaging and bottling machinery for food and beverage. Directly comparable as a fellow German-based packaging machinery OEM serving overlapping end markets (dairy, beverage) — but at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio (filling, labeling, intralogistics).
• Tetra Pak: Swiss-Swedish packaging giant with deep dairy and beverage focus, including carton erecting, filling, and end-of-line processing equipment. Highly comparable vertical alignment (dairy/beverage), but vastly larger and more diversified.
• Syntegon Technology (formerly Bosch Packaging Technology): German-headquartered packaging machinery manufacturer offering cartoning, case packing, palletizing, and filling lines for food and pharma. Direct overlap with S&F's carton erecting, case packing, and robotic palletizing portfolio, but with much broader end-market and product breadth.
• Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG: German family-owned packaging machinery manufacturer with deep food industry focus. Comparable in ownership structure (family-controlled German Mittelstand), dairy/food vertical, and emphasis on integrated packaging lines.
• Sidel Group: French-based global packaging machinery supplier specializing in PET beverage packaging lines, including shrink wrapping, palletizing, and end-of-line. Overlaps with S&F's bottle wrapping (SFS 314/446) and beverage customer base.
• GEA Group: German industrial machinery major with a dedicated packaging and end-of-line solutions division serving dairy, food, and beverage. Comparable on vertical focus (dairy is core for both) and German manufacturing base; far larger and more diversified.

Direct peers

• ProMach: US-based packaging machinery integration specialist with brands in cartoning, case packing, shrink wrapping, palletizing, and end-of-line systems. Closest direct peer in product-mix terms — same machine categories and similar mid-market customer profile.
• Ishida Co., Ltd. Japanese packaging machinery manufacturer with strong presence in multihead weighers, bagmakers, case packers, and end-of-line systems for snacks and food. Comparable on snack/confectionery vertical served by S&F and on EOL/cartoning portfolio.
• Schubert Group (Gerhard Schubert): German mid-market packaging machinery manufacturer specializing in top-loading packaging machines, cartoning, and robotic end-of-line systems for food, beverage, cosmetics, and pharma. Highly comparable in scale, German manufacturing, and EOL orientation.

Emerging players

• BluePrint Automation: US-based robotic packaging machinery manufacturer focused on case packing, top-load cartoners, and end-of-line robotic integration for food and beverage. Comparable in scale and product mix to S&F; serves similar snack/bakery/dairy verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Schafer & Flottmann