LCI Corporation

What LCI Corporation does

LCI Corporation designs, manufactures, and services process technology equipment for industrial powder handling and liquid separation applications. Founded in 1961 (originally as Luwa Corporation) and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sweden-based Nederman Group. Its product portfolio spans three core categories: evaporation equipment (thin film and wiped film evaporators, short path evaporators, high viscosity processors with viscosities up to 15,000,000 cP, and thin film dryers); powder handling equipment (Marumerizer and Basket Granulator spheronizers, Twin Dome Granulator and Xtruder extruders, Circle Feeders, Fuji Paudal mixers, and Amandus Kahl pellet mills); and sludge drying equipment (thin film sludge dryers with 30–95% dry solids output). Integrated solutions include the Continuous Drug Pelleting (CDP) system and DOME-EX continuous wet granulation, both with CFR 21 Part 11 compliant controls.

The business model is B2B capital equipment sales combined with aftermarket parts and services. LCI sells engineered systems to pharmaceutical (the largest single vertical), agrochemical, and chemical manufacturers, and to adjacent verticals including food and beverage, wastewater treatment, recycling/biofuel, polymers and plastics, and battery manufacturing. Revenue is generated primarily through direct sales of custom-engineered equipment — ranging from laboratory scale to full production — plus a recurring aftermarket stream covering 24-hour parts support and refurbishing for LCI and legacy brands (Cherry-Burrell, Kontro, Blaw Knox, Buss-SMS-Canzler, Votator, Luwa, Rodney Hunt). The go-to-market is technical and consultative: customers visit the Charlotte Test Center for Preliminary Evaluation Studies (PES) and Pilot Plant Tests (PPT) before committing to equipment, supplemented by trade show presence at industry events such as CPHI Americas and Specialty & Agro Chemicals America.

LCI's competitive position rests on 60+ years of process engineering expertise, patented proprietary technologies (Marumerizer, Twin Dome Granulator, CDP System), and exclusive distribution agreements with Yoshikawa (Circle Feeder, North and South America since 1997), Amandus Kahl (pellet presses, US), and Fuji Paudal (extruders and mixers). The company is privately held with no public funding data and reports 11–50 employees.

Name

LCI Corporation

Legal name

LCI Corporation

Website

https://lcicorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LCI Corporation designs and manufactures thermal separation (thin film, short path, wiped film evaporators), powder processing (extruders, spheronizers, pellet mills, feeders), and sludge drying equipment for pharmaceutical, agrochemical, chemical, and industrial process manufacturers globally; operates as a Charlotte, NC subsidiary of Nederman Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Process Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (3333)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAHAEAB

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Process & Industrial Plant Equipment

SECONDARYIMAHAOAF

Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Packaging Machinery (Automated & Semi-automated)

Keywords

• Thermal separation equipment
• Thin film evaporation
• Powder processing equipment
• Process equipment manufacturing
• Evaporation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsingborg

HQ country

Sweden

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. Process Equipment Manufacturing and Sales: LCI manufactures and sells capital equipment including thin film evaporators, short path evaporators, extruders, spheronizers, mixers, pellet mills, and sludge dryers. Equipment ranges from laboratory scale to full production systems. Revenue is generated through direct equipment sales with custom engineering and fabrication capabilities.
2. Aftermarket Parts and Service: LCI provides 24-hour parts support and repair services for their equipment and legacy equipment from acquired brands (Cherry-Burrell, Kontro, Blaw Knox, Buss-SMS-Canzler, Votator, Luwa, Rodney Hunt, Kontro, Roto-Vak). Services include rotor repair, equipment refurbishing, on-site engineering, vibration analysis, and preventive maintenance training.
3. Process Testing and Development Services: LCI operates a Test Center offering Preliminary Evaluation Studies (PES) and Pilot Plant Tests (PPT). Customers can evaluate equipment performance and validate processes at laboratory and pilot scale before committing to full production investment. Also provides short-term equipment leases for facility-based evaluation.
4. Engineered Systems Integration: Modular evaporation systems with completely wired and tested controls ready for installation. Typical scope includes thin-film/wiped-film evaporator with condenser, heat exchangers, tanks, pumps, instrumentation, valves, piping, wiring mounted in steel frame assembly. Provides single-source procurement and complete design incorporating all components.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LCI Corporation designs, manufactures, and sells engineered process equipment — including thin film evaporators, short path evaporators, high viscosity processors, thin film dryers, sludge dryers, extruders, spheronizers, mixers, pellet mills, and feeders — to pharmaceutical, agrochemical, chemical, food, and wastewater treatment producers. The company also operates a test center for process development and provides parts, service, and equipment refurbishment as aftermarket offerings.

Product overview

LCI Corporation, a Nederman Group company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, provides process technology equipment and systems for powder processing and evaporation applications. The portfolio consists of three core product categories: Powder Handling Equipment (extruders, granulators, spheronizers, mixers, feeders, and pellet mills), Evaporation Equipment (thin film/wiped film evaporators, short path evaporators, high viscosity processors, and thin film dryers), and Sludge Drying Equipment (thin film sludge dryers). Products include named systems like the Marumerizer Spheronizer, Basket Granulator, Twin Dome Granulator (TDG), Xtruder, Circle Feeder, DOME-EX, Continuous Drug Pelleting (CDP) System, and engineered modular systems. LCI also provides laboratory equipment for testing and development, test center services for process validation, and 24-hour parts and refurbishing services. Manufacturing partners include Fuji Paudal for extruders and mixers, Amandus Kahl for pellet presses, Buss-SMS-Canzler for large volume processors, and Yoshikawa for Circle Feeders (exclusive North/South America supplier).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Marumerizer: Spheronizer brand for converting wet pellets into spheres, ranging from 0.5mm to 10.0mm in diameter
• Basket Granulator
• Twin Dome Granulator
• Xtruder
• Circle Feeder
• D-Velpac
• LabVap
• Sanitary Super LabVap

Products and services

• Thin Film Evaporators Engineered wiped-film evaporators for continuous concentration, purification, and stripping of heat-sensitive, viscous, or fouling fluids. Sold to pharmaceutical, chemical, agrochemical, food, and wastewater processors.
• Short Path Evaporators

Quantifiable outcome

• Thin Film Sludge Dryer achieves 30-95% dry solids output with low energy usage
• +4 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Yoshikawa CorporationcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1997In 1997, LCI Corporation formed a partnership with Yoshikawa Corporation. LCI is the exclusive supplier to the process industries in North and South America for Yoshikawa's unique, patented Circle Feeder technology. The Circle Feeder prevents material arching, bridging, and ratholing in hopper discharge applications.
• Amandus KahlcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLCI is the exclusive representative of Amandus Kahl in the United States for Chemical/Industrial applications. LCI markets and sells Amandus Kahl pellet press (pellet mill) equipment throughout the US market for chemical, plastics, ceramics, beverage, and other industries.
• Fuji PaudalcoreTechnology or IntegrationLCI's production and laboratory extruders and mixers are manufactured by Fuji Paudal of Osaka, Japan, described as a world leader in powder agglomeration technology. LCI distributes Fuji Paudal equipment through their North American sales network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GMM Pfaudler: Global leader in corrosion-resistant process equipment including glass-lined reactors, agitation systems, and evaporation/drying technologies. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving pharmaceutical, chemical, and agrochemical process industries with overlapping thin film evaporation and engineered systems offerings.
• GEA Group: Large German process technology conglomerate offering evaporation, drying, separation, and homogenization equipment across dairy, food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Comparable as a broad incumbent with significant overlap in thin film evaporation and engineered separation systems.
• Alfa Laval: Swedish multinational specializing in heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling equipment for chemical, pharma, food, and environmental applications. Overlaps with LCI's thin film evaporation and separation technology serving similar process industry customers.
• SPX FLOW: Global process equipment provider offering evaporation, drying, mixing, and reaction technologies for food, dairy, chemical, and industrial markets. Direct overlap with LCI's engineered evaporation systems and powder handling product lines, with stronger global service network.

Direct peers

• Büchi Labortechnik: Swiss manufacturer of laboratory and process evaporation equipment, including rotary evaporators and short path distillation systems. Closely comparable to LCI's D-Velpac and LabVap laboratory evaporator lines and short path/molecular distillation technology used in pharmaceutical and chemical R&D applications.
• Hosokawa Micron Group: Japanese-origin specialist in powder and particle processing technology including mixing, drying, agglomeration, and granulation equipment. Directly comparable to LCI's powder handling portfolio (extruders, granulators, spheronizers, mixers) serving pharmaceutical, chemical, and food applications.
• Caleva Process Solutions: UK-based manufacturer of extrusion and spheronization equipment for pharmaceutical and chemical applications, including the original Spheronizer technology. Directly competes with LCI's Marumerizer, Basket Granulator, and Twin Dome Granulator product lines in pellet formulation.
• VTA Verfahrenstechnische Anlagen: German specialist in thin film and short path evaporation equipment serving chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Closely comparable to LCI's thin film evaporator, short path evaporator, and high viscosity processor product portfolio.
• Bepex International: US-based manufacturer of process equipment for size reduction, agglomeration, drying, and extrusion serving food, chemical, and pharmaceutical markets. Comparable to LCI's powder processing (extruders, granulators) and drying equipment serving similar customers and applications.

Others

• Amandus Kahl: German manufacturer of pellet presses and flat die extruders for feed, biomass, chemical, and recycling industries. Listed as a partner of LCI rather than a direct competitor; included because Kahl's pellet press technology is marketed and serviced through LCI in the US market, making it a strategically adjacent peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/LCICorporationCharlotte
• Facebookfacebook.com/LCICorporation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lci-corporation
• Xx.com/lcicorp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 LCI Corporation