Sorma Group
Sorma Group, founded 1973 in Cesena, Italy, designs, manufactures and services automated post-harvest machinery, optical sorters and proprietary sustainable packaging materials for fresh fruit and vegetable producers and packers worldwide, operating through 17 subsidiaries and 10 production sites across 11 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersCesena, Italy
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sorma Group does
Sorma Group, headquartered in Cesena, Italy, and founded in 1973, designs, manufactures and services automated post-harvest machinery and technical packaging materials for the global fresh fruit and vegetable industry. Its portfolio spans the full processing line — infeed systems, presorting, treatments, optical sorters, bagging/punnets/box/bin packaging machines, palletizing and strapping, plant engineering and Traceability 4.0 — together with a vertically integrated packaging materials business (nets, film, flowpack, punnets, boxes, labels) and a pipeline of patented sustainable packaging formats including Sormabag, Sormapeel, SormaPaper, Paper Vertbag, SormaClipless and the Compostable line. The flagship Hyper Vision optical sorter runs on Linux-based industrial PCs using 9 cameras per lane to capture 108 images per fruit at 15 fruits per second for 360° inspection.
The group operates through 17 wholly-owned subsidiaries and 10 production sites totaling 105,000 square metres across Italy, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Morocco, the USA, Brazil, Chile and Peru, with 120+ in-house field technicians providing after-sales and remote support. Revenue is generated through three streams — capital equipment sales (machinery lines), consumable packaging materials manufactured in-house, and after-sales service plus spare parts — all sold direct to enterprise fruit and vegetable producers and packers via field sales, engineering consultancy and a network of trade fair appearances. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with B2B industrial equipment sales.
Sorma is a privately held, family-controlled group organized under Italian holding entity MNLG S.R.L. (established 2001) with no disclosed institutional investors or external funding rounds. The company has built a 50+ year track record of geographic expansion (most recently into Peru in 2022) and continuous packaging innovation, holding 60 industrial patents and offering more than 200 machine models and 60+ packaging models, with certifications spanning ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BRCGS, FSC, MOCA and EU food-contact regulations.
Sorma Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sorma Group
- Legal name
- MNLG S.R.L.
- Website
- https://sormagroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Sorma Group, founded 1973 in Cesena, Italy, designs, manufactures and services automated post-harvest machinery, optical sorters and proprietary sustainable packaging materials for fresh fruit and vegetable producers and packers worldwide, operating through 17 subsidiaries and 10 production sites across 11 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sorma Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Post-Harvest Agricultural Machinery and Packaging
- NAICS
- Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)
- SIC
- Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fresh-Cut & Value-Added Produce (Washed, Peeled, Sliced, Packaged) (AFAKAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Stone Fruit & Tropical Fruit Packing Facilities (AFAOAGAE), Bulk Handling & Conveying for Processing Lines (Augers, Elevators, Conveyors) (AFAAAJAJ), Packaging Papers & Converted Paper Distribution (Corrugated sheets/boxes, Paper bags, Labels, Stationery) (IMAMAIAI)
Keywords
Where Sorma Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cesena
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices20 records
Markets served
Sorma Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Automated Post-Harvest Machinery: Design and build entire lines of automated post-harvest machinery for fruit and vegetables. Includes optical sorters, treatment systems, bagging machines, punnet/box filling machines, palletizing and strapping equipment, and plant engineering.
- Technical Packaging Materials: Production of printed items and nets verticalized and manufactured in-house. Product lines include net bags, film and flowpack, punnets, boxes, labels, nets, industrial packaging, and complementary materials. Materials from cellulose to recyclable polymers conforming to EC regulations.
- After-Sales Service and Spare Parts: Rapid after-sales assistance service, remote technical support, spare parts warehousing, and packaging material stocks for timely fulfillment of customer orders.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Sorma Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sorma Group designs, manufactures, and supplies complete lines of automated post-harvest machinery and technical packaging materials for the fruit and vegetable industry. The offering spans optical sorting equipment, packaging machines, palletizing/strapping systems, and proprietary sustainable packaging products (nets, film, punnets, boxes), with production fully verticalized across 10 manufacturing sites covering 105,000 square metres. The company also provides after-sales service, spare parts, and R&D support delivered through 120 in-house field technicians located across its 17 global subsidiaries.
Product overview
Sorma Group is a multinational leader providing complete automated machinery for post-harvest fruit and vegetable processing combined with technical packaging materials. The portfolio consists of three interconnected pillars: (1) Automated post-harvest machinery including infeed systems, presorting, treatments, Hyper Vision optical sorting (with Sormatech platforms running Linux software), bag/punnet/box/bin packaging machines, palletizing/strapping, plant engineering, and Traceability 4.0 systems; (2) Technical packaging materials including net bags, film/flowpack, punnets, boxes, labels, nets, industrial and complementary materials, plus proprietary packaging innovations like SormaClipless, Sormabag, Sormapeel line, SormaPaper line, Paper Vertbag, Compostable line, Vertbag, and Mono-Polymer line; (3) Support services including after-sales support (120 technicians globally), spare parts warehouses, R&D, and in-house graphics studio. Production is entirely verticalized across 10 sites with 105,000 square metres, with 6 dedicated to machine design/construction and 4 specialized in printing, extrusion and flexible packaging weaving.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SormaClipless: Net packaging without metal clips - mono-material innovation eliminating metal fasteners for easier recycling
- Hyper Vision
- Sormabag
- Sormapeel
- SormaPaper
- Compostable line
- Paper Vertbag
- Mono-Polymer line
- Vertbag
Products and services
- Hyper Vision Optical Sorting System Advanced optical sorting system using 9 cameras per lane capturing 108 images per fruit at 15 fruits/second, classifying produce by internal and external quality, colour, shape, diameter, density and weight across 360° of product surface. Designed for fruit and vegetable packers requiring consistent quality and reduced waste.
- Sormatech Optical Sorting Platforms
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% inspection rate with 9 cameras per lane taking 108 images per fruit at 15 fruits per second
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sorma Group
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sorma Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature9 records
Sorma Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sorma Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TOMRA: Global leader in optical sorting and grading technology for food (including fresh produce), recycling, and mining. Comparable as a direct competitor in post-harvest optical sorting platforms serving fruit and vegetable packers worldwide, with much larger scale.
- Key Technology: US-based manufacturer of digital sorting, conveying and processing equipment for food processing. Direct peer in optical sorting and conveyor-based automation for fresh and processed produce applications.
- Ellips (Ellips BV): Dutch-based developer of optical sorting and grading technology for fresh produce. Direct competitor to Sorma's Hyper Vision / Sormatech sorting platforms, particularly in apples, tomatoes, and citrus.
- UNITEC: Italian-headquartered specialist in sorting, grading and packaging technology for fruit and vegetables. Closest geographic and product-line peer to Sorma, serving overlapping customer base across apples, kiwifruit, citrus, stone fruit and tomatoes.
- Compac (Tompkin Group): New Zealand-headquartered supplier of sorting, grading, and packing line equipment for fresh produce. Direct peer in turnkey post-harvest lines, with comparable technology positioning in optical sorting and integrated packhouse solutions.
- Aweta: Dutch supplier of sorting, grading and packing solutions for fruit and vegetables. Direct peer in optical sorting and integrated packhouse lines, particularly strong in apples, pears and tomatoes.
Broad incumbents
- Duravant: US-based diversified equipment platform serving food processing, packaging and material handling. Operates brands overlapping with Sorma in fruit and vegetable sorting, conveying and end-of-line packaging.
- GEA Group: Large German industrial group focused on food processing equipment and components. Competes with Sorma in processing and packaging equipment for fruit, vegetables and prepared foods as part of a much broader portfolio.
- JBT Corporation: Diversified global supplier of food processing and air transport equipment. Overlaps with Sorma through JBT's fresh produce technologies (Proseal, FTNON) in sorting, filling, and packaging for fruits and vegetables.
- MULTIVAC: Global leader in packaging solutions and processing equipment. Adjacent competitor in fresh produce and food packaging machinery, with comparable presence in tray, flowpack and film-based packaging.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sorma Group social profiles
Digital presenceSorma Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance16 records
Sorma Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sorma Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sorma Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries14 records
Sorma Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sorma Group 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 Sorma Group
What does Sorma Group do?
Sorma Group designs, manufactures, and supplies complete lines of automated post-harvest machinery and technical packaging materials for the fruit and vegetable industry. The offering spans optical sorting equipment, packaging machines, palletizing/strapping systems, and proprietary sustainable packaging products (nets, film, punnets, boxes), with production fully verticalized across 10 manufacturing sites covering 105,000 square metres. The company also provides after-sales service, spare parts, and R&D support delivered through 120 in-house field technicians located across its 17 global subsidiaries.
Is Sorma Group a public or private company?
Sorma Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Sorma Group founded?
Sorma Group was founded in 1973. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Sorma Group based?
Sorma Group is headquartered in Cesena, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Sorma Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Automated Post-Harvest Machinery is the primary driver. The others are technical Packaging Materials and after-Sales Service and Spare Parts.
Who are Sorma Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TOMRA, Key Technology, Ellips (Ellips BV), UNITEC, Compac (Tompkin Group) and Aweta. Broad incumbents are Duravant, GEA Group, JBT Corporation and MULTIVAC.
Does Sorma Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sorma Group.
What industry is Sorma Group in?
Sorma Group's product category is Post-Harvest Agricultural Machinery and Packaging. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAFAA, Fresh-Cut & Value-Added Produce (Washed, Peeled, Sliced, Packaged), with a secondary code of AFAOAGAE, Stone Fruit & Tropical Fruit Packing Facilities. Its NAICS code is 333241 and its SIC code is 3550.