What Natec Network does

Natec Network, legally Hochland Natec GmbH, is the industrial food processing machinery and plant-engineering division of Hochland Group, a privately-held international cheese producer. Founded in 1974 and headquartered in Heimenkirch, Germany, the company designs, engineers, and manufactures customized processing and packaging equipment — including the FreeTherm batch cooker, RotaTherm continuous steam cooker, ShearTherm emulsifier/batch cooker, FreeSlice forming equipment, FreePack wrapping systems, and EasyTherm mozzarella/pizza cheese dry cooker-stretcher — together with complete production lines. Its technology stack is built on direct steam injection (DSI) cooking, for which it claims to have invented the world's first commercial unit, and on M4E (Magnet for Emulsion Technology), a patented platform that combines turbulent flow with LORENTZ force from a permanent magnetic field to create lump-free emulsions and powder dispersions in a single pass without mechanical high shear. Capacity offerings range from 500 kg/h to 6,000 kg/h, with continuous run times up to 30 hours.

The company's primary customer base consists of industrial processed cheese and pasta filata/mozzarella producers, with secondary segments spanning cream cheese, meat processing (including 95% fat-free mince and rendering), plant-based/vegan foods, sauces/soups/dressings, pet food (continuous sterilization without autoclave), baby food, fruits and vegetables, and specialty food. Revenue is generated through capital equipment sales and custom production-line projects — quoted per customer specification rather than via published list pricing — supplemented by recurring aftermarket streams in spare parts, maintenance, upgrades, technical consulting, and training. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales executed through three directly-staffed regional units in Germany, Australia, and the USA, supported by a worldwide network of agencies and partners. Management is led by Managing Director Harry Miess.

Name

Natec Network

Legal name

Hochland Natec GmbH

Website

https://natec-network.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Natec Network (Hochland Natec GmbH) is the German industrial food machinery division of Hochland Group, designing and manufacturing customized processing and packaging equipment — batch and continuous steam cookers, emulsifiers, forming and wrapping systems — for industrial cheese, dairy, meat, plant-based, sauce, pet food, and specialty food producers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Heimenkirch

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Food Machinery Sales: Sale of industrial food processing and packaging equipment including cookers, emulsifiers, forming machines, and complete production lines.
2. Spare Parts & Packages: Supply of spare parts and maintenance packages for installed equipment.
3. Service & Maintenance: Technical support, consulting, service, maintenance, upgrades and optimizations for food processing equipment.
4. Training Services: Training services for equipment operation and maintenance.
5. Custom Production Lines: Design and installation of complete customized production lines for food processing applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Natec Network designs, engineers, manufactures, and supports industrial food processing and packaging machinery and complete customized production lines. Its portfolio spans continuous and batch cookers, emulsifiers, forming/portioning machines, and high-speed wrapping systems used to produce processed cheese, mozzarella/pizza cheese, cream cheese, meat products, plant-based foods, sauces, soups, dressings, pet food, baby food, fruits and vegetables, and specialty foods. The company also provides Benchineering consulting, installation, technical support, maintenance, spare parts, upgrades, and training services worldwide.

Product overview

Natec Network is an industrial food processing machinery company that designs, engineers, and manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of food processing and packaging equipment as part of the Hochland Group. The product portfolio centers on core processing machines including: FreeTherm (batch cooker), RotaTherm (continuous cooker), FreeSlice Range (forming/portioning), FreePack Range (wrapping/packaging), ShearTherm (emulsifier/batch cooker), M4E (emulsion technology), and EasyTherm (cheese stretcher/cooker). These systems serve food applications including processed cheese, pizza cheese/mozzarella, cream cheese, meat products, plant-based/vegan foods, sauces/soups/dressings, pet food, fruits & vegetables, baby food, and specialty foods. Equipment functions include grinding, transferring, blending/feeding, cooking/pasteurising, ultra-high-temperature cooking, filtering/reworking, and forming/portioning. The company also provides service solutions including tech support, maintenance, spare parts, upgrades, training, and warranty services through its global network in Germany, Australia, and the USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FreeTherm Automatic industrial batch cooker using steam that mixes, blends, cooks, and de-aerates a wide range of food products, offering world-leading flexibility in batch processing for food manufacturers.
• RotaTherm Continuous cooker and continuous steam cooking system offering world-leading continuous cooking capabilities for industrial food processing lines.
• EasyTherm Continuous dry cooker and stretcher for mozzarella and pizza cheese production that delivers up to 5% yield gain without bath cook water, with capacities from 500 kg/h to 6,000 kg/h and up to 30 hours run time.
• ShearTherm Lump-free emulsifier and steam batch cooker that combines emulsification and cooking in one system using M4E technology, offering world-leading efficiency for sauces, soups, dressings, and dairy emulsions.
• FreeSlice Range World-leading slice-on-slice forming machine providing high speed and efficiency for cheese and food product portioning and forming.
• FreePack Range Fastest Individual Wrap Slice (IWS) cheese slice wrapper on the market, offering world-leading wrapping speed and efficiency for processed cheese packaging lines.
• M4E (Magnet for Emulsion Technology) Patented emulsion and dispersion technology that combines turbulent flow with LORENTZ force from a permanent magnetic field to create stable emulsions and lump-free powder dispersions in a single pass without mechanical high shear.
• Tech Support & Consulting Technical support and consulting service helping food manufacturers troubleshoot and optimize their Natec Network equipment and production processes.
• Service & Maintenance Scheduled and corrective service and maintenance for Natec Network food processing and packaging equipment, delivered through regional offices and the worldwide agency network.
• Spare Parts & Packages Supply of original spare parts and pre-defined spare-parts packages for Natec Network equipment, supporting uptime and lifecycle maintenance.
• Upgrades & Optimisations Upgrades and process optimisations for installed Natec Network equipment to improve yield, throughput, and product quality.
• Training Training services for food manufacturer personnel on the operation and maintenance of Natec Network equipment.
• Warranty Warranty service covering newly installed Natec Network equipment.
• Benchineering consulting Benchineering consulting service that translates customer product visions into tailored technology and equipment solutions, leveraging Natec Network's food production know-how from parent Hochland Group.
• Custom production lines Design, engineering, and installation of complete customized food processing production lines combining grinding, transferring, blending, cooking, pasteurizing, filtering, forming, and packaging steps tailored to customer requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 5% yield gain in mozzarella and pizza cheese production (EasyTherm)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hochland GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatec Network is the machinery and plant engineering division within the Hochland Group, an international group of food processing companies. Hochland Group is an internationally successful cheese producer. This relationship provides Natec with direct access to food industry know-how, production experience, and technology expertise. Natec develops innovative, highly efficient, and powerful machines to improve the competitiveness of food manufacturers both within and outside the Hochland Group.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: Global large-cap supplier of food processing machinery, separation, and packaging equipment across dairy, meat, and bakery — directly competes with Natec in cheese and dairy processing lines while serving a much wider portfolio.
• Tetra Pak: Major food processing and packaging solutions provider with deep dairy and cheese expertise; competes with Natec on integrated processing lines and benefits from significantly greater scale and brand recognition.
• Alfa Laval: Global leader in heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling — its food-processing modules overlap directly with Natec's cooking, pasteurization, and emulsification equipment.
• Bühler Group: Swiss food-processing equipment manufacturer with strength in grain, chocolate, and value-added food; competes with Natec in specialized food processing equipment and complete plant engineering.
• IMA Group: Italian-based manufacturer of packaging and processing machinery for food, dairy, and pharma; overlaps Natec in cheese processing and packaging equipment (e.g., FreeSlice/FreePack equivalents) and competes on integrated production lines.

Direct peers

• JBT Corporation: US-listed supplier of food processing technology with strong dairy, meat, and prepared-food portfolios; overlaps Natec's processed cheese, sauce, and meat processing equipment lines and serves a similar global customer base.
• Marel: Iceland-based food processing equipment provider specializing in meat, poultry, and fish with growing dairy capabilities; comparable in product engineering depth and direct enterprise sales to industrial food manufacturers.
• SPX Flow: Provider of fluid handling, mixing, and food processing technologies including cheese and dairy solutions; closely comparable to Natec in batch/continuous processing and emulsification systems.
• ProXES (Stephan Machinery): Manufacturer of batch and continuous cooking, mixing, and emulsifying equipment for food processors; one of the most direct comparables to Natec's FreeTherm and ShearTherm platforms, particularly in dairy and sauces.

Emerging players

• Hosokawa Alpine: Specialized manufacturer of processing and containment equipment for food, chemicals, and pharma; competes with Natec in size reduction, mixing, and integrated processing lines for food applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbhDXSubaKG-HQyixn6kt5Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/natec-network

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Natec Network