What Great Western Manufacturing does

Great Western Manufacturing is a third-generation, family-owned industrial equipment manufacturer headquartered in Leavenworth, Kansas, operating continuously since its incorporation in 1858. The company designs, manufactures, and sells industrial sifting equipment, sieves, agitators/blenders, roller mills, purifiers, and complementary conveying and cleaning components for dry free-flowing materials. Its core technological platform is horizontal gyratory sifting, anchored by the proprietary Tru-Balance counterweighted drive mechanism that straddles the sifter's center of gravity for vibration-free operation, and includes stacked screen designs, pneumatic sieve compression, and optional PLC-integrated Smart Flow sensor packages. The portfolio spans small laboratory units through large industrial sifters with up to 127 square feet of screening area.

The company serves enterprise customers in food processing — including cereal grain processors, flour mills, bakeries, mix plants, snack food, pet food, and spice processors — as well as industrial clients in chemical, plastics, and mineral processing. Great Western's go-to-market is direct sales led by a team of technical sales engineers who consult on equipment selection and custom engineering, supplemented by trade show presence, technical content marketing, and a complimentary material testing lab. Revenue is generated through one-time equipment sales, a recurring parts and accessories business that serves an installed base with 60+ year equipment service lives, professional services including preventative maintenance inspection programs, and rescreening/repair services.

The business has been extended through two strategic alliances with Turkish family-owned manufacturers: Gazel Makina (2019) for metal free-swinging sifters and Uğur Makine (2021) for roller mills and purifiers, enabling Great Western to offer a more complete milling solution across the Americas. The firm is led by President & CEO and COO David Schroeder, with Director of Sales & Marketing Paul Van Camp, and continues to benefit from advisory involvement of co-founder Jim Schroeder.

Name

Great Western Manufacturing

Legal name

Great Western Manufacturing

Website

https://gwmfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1858

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Great Western Manufacturing is a third-generation, family-owned industrial sifting equipment manufacturer based in Leavenworth, Kansas, serving flour mills, food processors, and industrial manufacturers with gyratory sifters, sieves, agitators, and milling components.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Sifting Equipment

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (33331), Conveyor and Conveying Equipment Manufacturing (333922)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Industrial sifting equipment
• Gyratory sifters
• Flour milling machinery
• Grain processing equipment
• Food processing screens

Headquarters

HQ city

Leavenworth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Sifting Equipment Sales: Great Western Manufacturing generates revenue primarily through the design, manufacture, and sale of sifting equipment including gravity flow sifters, in-line sifters, modular sifters, box sifters, and GyroSift units. Equipment is sold directly to food processing, cereal grain, milling, and industrial manufacturing companies.
2. Parts & Accessories: Replacement parts including drive shafts, eccentrics, inlets, collars; screen cleaners; sieve slides; spouting; screening cloth; mill supplies; and specialized tools. Revenue from repeat parts purchases for installed base of sifters.
3. Services & Maintenance Programs: Sifter inspection programs with three flexible service packages including preventative maintenance, technician advisement, and detailed performance reports. Also includes training services for startup and ongoing equipment operation. Professional services for rescreening and repair on sieve frames.
4. Material Testing Lab Services: Complimentary lab testing services using the Sampl-Sifter to replicate full-scale performance, determining screen interaction, area requirements, and optimum equipment specifications for prospective customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Great Western Manufacturing designs, manufactures, and sells industrial gyratory sifting equipment, sieves, and related processing machinery for dry free-flowing material separation. The product portfolio includes multiple sifter types (gravity flow, in-line, free swinging, modular, box), agitators/blenders, roller mills, purifiers, dry stoners, stainless steel spouting, stream dividers, and a complete line of parts, accessories, and screen cleaners. The company serves food processing (cereal grain, flour milling, bakeries, snack, spice, pet food), and industrial manufacturing (chemical, plastics, mineral) customers, complemented by inspection, rescreening, training, and material testing services.

Product overview

Great Western Manufacturing offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial sifting and processing equipment for dry material handling applications. The core product line centers on multiple sifter types (Qi Gravity & Inline, HS Free Swinging, Metal Frame Free Swinging, QA In-Line, QA Gravity, Tru-Balance Modular, Tru-Balance Box, GyroSift, Sampl-Sifter, and Riddle sifters) complemented by sieve products (Summit and NOVA), processing equipment (EB Series and GW Original Agitator/Blenders, Thunderoll Roller Mill, Purifine Purifier, Ultrator Dry Stoner & Classifier), and conveying components (Stainless Steel Spouting, Stream Divider). The company also provides extensive parts and accessories (screen cleaners, pan cleaners, screening cloth, gaskets, sleeves) along with services including rescreening, inspection programs, training, and material testing. The product architecture follows a modular approach where sifters serve as the central platform with compatible interchangeable sieves, screen cleaners, and add-on components. Strategic alliances with Uğur Makine (for Thunderoll roller mills) and Gazel Makina (for metal sifters) extend the product offerings beyond the core Great Western-branded equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qi Gravity & Inline Sifter A sifter combining gravity and inline flow capabilities for dry free-flowing material separation, designed for food processing and industrial applications.
• HS Free Swinging Sifter High-capacity free swinging sifter available in two, four, six, or eight sections utilizing 10 to 30 sieves in three sieve sizes, with dust-tight doors and crevice-free joints for sanitary operation.
• Metal Frame Free Swinging Sifter Metal construction free swinging sifter offered through the Gazel Makina strategic alliance, providing an alternative to traditional fabrication for customers preferring metal construction.
• QA In-Line Sifter Stainless steel in-line pneumatic sifter with QA (Quality Assurance) designation, designed for direct insertion into dilute phase vacuum or pressure pneumatic conveying lines, with up to 62 sq ft of screen area.
• QA Gravity Sifter Stainless steel gravity flow sifter for quality assurance applications, available in QA36 and QA46 models with up to 80 sq ft of screen area for accurate separation and sizing of single product streams.
• Tru-Balance Modular Sifter Box-less design sifter with nest-together sieve frames utilizing a pneumatic or cable sieve clamping system, providing 15 to 100 ft² of screening area with up to three separations.
• Tru-Balance Box Sifter Custom-designed sifter with vertically nested sieve frames providing 10 to 127 ft² of screening area with up to six separations, featuring the Tru-Balance counterweighted drive mechanism for vibration-free performance.
• GyroSift Sifter Compact gyratory sifter available in GS34 (34-inch square sieves) and GS36 (36-inch diameter sieves) models, designed for applications requiring smaller screen areas with up to three or four separations.
• Sampl-Sifter Sample-size laboratory sifter for determining break release, monitoring sifting performance, and quality control testing, available in table-top or worktable configurations.
• Riddle Sifter HL Model Riddle laboratory sifter designed for quality control testing, holding eight full-height or sixteen half-height sieves for accurate and repeatable results.
• Summit Sieve Premium sieve construction type featuring unique design for specific sifter models, with custom-built sieve slides available.
• NOVA Sieve Sieve type that eliminates backwire requirements, designed only for mechanically stretched and glued-on screens with combination cleaners.
• EB Series Agitator/Blender Flour chlorination and enrichment blender featuring PVC housing, R3 Rapid Rotor Replacement technology, and Smart Flow Technology options for flour mills and blending facilities.
• GW Original Agitator/Blender Traditional design agitator/blender with PVC housing for efficient flour bleaching or enrichment, available in three capacity sizes with kiln dried wood or carbon steel rotors.
• Thunderoll Roller Mill Uğur ProMilling roller mill offering silent operation with easy maintenance, featuring fully stainless steel product zone, available as single or double deck machine.
• Purifine Purifier Semolina cleaning and classification purifier with adjustable product flow capacity, featuring large net screen area, low power consumption, and stainless steel product zones.
• Stainless Steel Spouting Food-grade stainless steel spouting for sanitary conveying of bulk powder products, available in various standard components including tubing, elbows, diverter valves, and inspection spouts.
• Stream Divider Precision division equipment for splitting single gravity-flow product streams into two to twelve separate streams for loading sifters, grinding equipment, or bins.
• Ultrator Dry Stoner & Classifier Multifunctional cleaning machine for separating stones and heavy materials from grains, classifying strong vs. weak grains, and separating coarse materials.
• Screen Cleaners Spherical and cube-shaped screen cleaning elements available in poly, rubber, silicone, nylon, UHMW, and metal-detectable materials for preventing screen blinding.
• Pan Cleaners Cleaners for sieve pans including leather, UHMW, diamond, and poly varieties to prevent product buildup in sieve pan areas.
• Combination Cleaners Dual-purpose cleaners for NOVA and Summit sieves that clean both pan and screen without backwire separation, including triangle knob, triangle brush, NOVA brush, and NOVA blue cleaners.
• Screening Cloth Screen mesh materials including Nitex, polyester, stainless steel bolting cloth, stainless steel mill wire, magnetic stainless steel, and Milling Forte in various grades.
• Screening Services (Rescreening) In-house rescreening and repair services for sieve frames using full range of materials including natural wood, laminated wood, food-grade plastic, and stainless steel.
• Training Services On-site equipment training covering sifter operation, maintenance procedures, troubleshooting, and safety procedures conducted by certified technicians.
• Material Testing Services Complimentary laboratory testing using Sampl-Sifter to replicate full-scale performance, determining optimal equipment specifications for sifter speed, circle, sieve depth, and cleaner requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment longevity of 60+ years with proper maintenance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Uğur Makine San.Tic.A.ŞcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2021Great Western Manufacturing of Leavenworth, Kansas, entered into a Strategic Alliance agreement with Uğur Makine San.Tic.A.Ş of Çorum, Turkey, in May 2021. Under the agreement, Great Western provides technical consultation and logistical coordination to deliver Uğur ProMilling Products (Thunderoll Roller Mill, Purifine Purifier) to North American, Latin American, Caribbean, and South American clients. This enables Great Western to offer a complete milling solution including roller mills and purifiers alongside its sifting equipment line. Uğur Makine brings over 64 years of experience in flour, feed, semolina, and turnkey facility engineering.
• Gazel MakinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2019A strategic alliance between Great Western Manufacturing of Leavenworth, Kansas, and Gazel Makina of Corum, Turkey, formed in January 2019, offers integrated sales of Gazel's metal free-swinging sifters to North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and select South American countries. Both are family-owned companies with a strong focus on sifting equipment. The collaboration combines multiple family generations focused on improved sifter technology, with complimentary product lines offering metal and traditional construction sifters. Great Western will continue to manufacture European sieve sizes as well as standard North American sized sieves, with a reliable North American contact for service and support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Midwestern Industries: Midwestern Industries manufactures industrial vibrating screens and separation equipment for aggregate, food, and recycling markets, with overlapping sifting applications to Great Western's machinery.
• Sweco (a brand of Schlumberger / Velco): Sweco is a leading U.S. manufacturer of industrial vibrating screens and separators used in food, chemical, and mineral processing — directly competing with Great Western's gyratory sifters across similar dry particle separation applications.
• Triple/S Dynamics: Triple/S Dynamics manufactures vibratory equipment including screening and sifting equipment for processing industries, providing an overlapping product set in dry material separation and screening.
• Kason Corporation: Kason manufactures vibrating screen separators and centrifugal sifters for food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries, competing head-to-head with Great Western in dry material particle separation.
• Rotex Global (Now part of Martin Sprocket & Gear): Rotex is a long-established U.S. manufacturer of industrial screening equipment and gyratory sifters serving flour milling, food, and chemical applications, making it one of the closest direct comparables to Great Western's product line.

Broad incumbents

• Hosokawa Alpine (Hosokawa Micron Group): Hosokawa Alpine is part of a large powder processing equipment group manufacturing milling, classification, and screening equipment that overlaps with Great Western's sifting and screening offerings in food and chemical applications.
• Bühler Group: Bühler is a large Swiss manufacturer of milling, sorting, and sifting equipment for grain and food processing globally — a much larger incumbent whose products include sifters that overlap Great Western's specialty in flour milling lines.
• Eriez: Eriez manufactures separation, magnetic, and material handling equipment for food, mineral, and chemical industries — broader product portfolio but overlapping separation/screening applications with Great Western.

Regional players

• AZO GmbH + Co. KG: AZO is a German specialist in screening, conveying, and feeding equipment for bulk solids and food processing — provides overlapping sifting/screening solutions but primarily serves European markets.
• Gough Engineering: Gough Engineering is a UK-based manufacturer of vibratory sieving and screening equipment for food and bulk material handling — comparable in product category and application scope but operating primarily in European markets rather than North America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCv1imdroY9clhHtJ47Lq-Dw
• Facebookfacebook.com/greatwesternmfg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-western-mfg
• Xx.com/GreatWesternMfg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Great Western Manufacturing