What Rotochopper does

Rotochopper is an employee-owned (ESOP) industrial equipment manufacturer headquartered in St. Martin, Minnesota, founded in 1989. The company designs and manufactures horizontal grinders, industrial shredders, screening equipment, conveyors, bagging machines, and wood chip processors for size-reduction applications across multiple end markets. Its core technological proposition — branded "Perfect In One Pass" — is a single-pass grinding architecture protected by a portfolio of granted and pending US patents covering the Generation II Colorizer System, Replaceable Mount Rotor, Screen Installation System, Adjustable Slab Ramp, Concentric Lift Powerfeed, Hydraulic Start Assist, and Sarlac shredder design. Equipment output ranges from 250 HP to over 1200 HP, spanning diesel and electric powertrains for both portable and stationary deployments.

The product line addresses ten end-markets: mulch, biomass, compost, construction & demolition, pallet recycling, land clearing, shingles, storm debris, aggregates, and agriculture. Customers are predominantly mid-sized independent operators, including pallet recyclers (Hay Creek Companies, Oxford Pallet and Recyclers, Taylor Pallet and Recycling), mulch producers (Austin Landscape Supplies, Wheaton Mulch), tree-care and land-clearing contractors (Hansen's Tree Service, Keith Ross Contracting), and municipal governments (City of Fayetteville via Sourcewell). The company sells exclusively factory-direct through regional sales representatives, with no dealer network; a dedicated government purchasing channel is enabled through a Sourcewell cooperative contract valid through May 2027.

Rotochopper monetizes primarily through one-time capital equipment sales, supplemented by a parts and accessories sub-brand (RotoGear), RotoLink remote monitoring subscriptions, Rotochopper University training, and a Preventative Maintenance Program. The leadership team consists of President & CEO Tosh Brinkerhoff, COO Jamey Brick, and Senior Advisor of European Operations Michael Lackner, with the latter appointment signaling the company's first material international expansion into Europe anchored at IFAT Munich 2026.

Name

Rotochopper

Legal name

Rotochopper, Inc.

Website

https://rotochopper.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Rotochopper is an employee-owned Minnesota manufacturer of industrial grinding, shredding, and material processing equipment serving mulch producers, recyclers, municipalities, and land-clearing operators via factory-direct sales and patented "Perfect In One Pass" technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Grinding Equipment

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Wood Waste Processing & Recycling (Mulch/Biomass) (BPALAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

On-Farm Milling, Grinding & Feed Processing Equipment (Hammer Mills, Rollers) (AFAAAJAD)

Keywords

• Industrial grinding equipment
• Horizontal grinders
• Material processing machinery
• Waste shredding equipment
• Biomass processing systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Martin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Grinding Equipment Sales: Manufacture and sale of heavy industrial equipment including horizontal grinders, shredders, trommel screens, conveyors, bagging machines, and wood chip processors. Equipment ranges from compact portable units to high-capacity stationary systems. Sales direct to end users through factory sales representatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rotochopper manufactures industrial horizontal grinders, shredders, trommel screens, conveyors, bagging machines, and wood chip processors used to transform waste materials (wood waste, pallets, C&D debris, yard waste, agricultural residue, asphalt shingles) into finished products such as colored landscape mulch, animal bedding, biomass fuel, and compost. The equipment is powered by diesel engines (275–1200+ HP) or electric motors and features the proprietary "Perfect In One Pass" grinding technology that produces consistent particle size in a single processing step.

Product overview

Rotochopper is an employee-owned (ESOP) manufacturer of industrial grinding, shredding, screening, and material handling equipment based in St. Martin, Minnesota. The product portfolio centers on the 'Perfect In One Pass' grinding technology across a comprehensive equipment lineup. Diesel horizontal grinders include the flagship L II (up to 1200 HP), B-66L, B-66, FP-66, MC-266, and MP-2 models ranging from 350-1200 HP. Electric horizontal grinders comprise the B-66 E (up to 1000 HP), EC-366, EC-256, and SB-24 E sawmill waste grinder. Industrial shredders include the EVO Series (EVO 95 DT, 85 DT, 75 DT) and DK Series (95 DK, 75 DK) diesel units plus the Sarlac electric shredder. Screening equipment includes MT Series trommel screens (MT 175, 206, 237), TS 124/TS 165 deck screeners, and the Screener Conveyor two-in-one unit. Conveyor systems include 365 and 480 tracked stacking conveyors. Specialized equipment includes the GB-250 portable bagger, CP-118 wood chip processor, RMT hammermill for fine grinding, trailer loading auger systems, asphalt shingle grinders, and hands-free log splitters. Supporting technology includes the RotoLink remote monitoring system, Generation II Colorizer system, patented screen change system, hydraulic start assist, and damage prevention systems. The company serves diverse industries including mulch, compost, biomass, C&D, pallets, shingles, aggregates, and agricultural applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RotoGear: Parts and accessories brand for Rotochopper equipment
• Go-Bagger 250
• RotoLink
• RotoLoadScan

Products and services

• L II Horizontal Grinder Flagship heavy-duty diesel horizontal grinder delivering up to 1200 HP with 66" x 54" infeed clearance for high-volume processing of waste materials into mulch, biomass fuel, animal bedding, and compost.
• B-66L Horizontal Grinder Advanced fiber processing diesel horizontal grinder with up to 1200 HP and 66" x 38" throat opening, designed for larger, more abrasive feedstock materials in land clearing, orchard removal, and waste processing applications.
• B-66 Horizontal Grinder High-volume diesel horizontal grinder with up to 1200 HP and 66" x 36" infeed clearance, producing colored mulch, animal bedding, and engineered fiber products using the patented Colorizer system.
• FP-66 Horizontal Grinder Mid-size diesel horizontal grinder with 30" throat opening and 755 HP engine, processing pallets, sorted C&D waste, and green waste via open-end infeed conveyor.
• MC-266 Horizontal Grinder Portable mid-size diesel horizontal grinder delivering up to 536 HP with 66" x 18" throat opening; the first Rotochopper machine capable of simultaneously grinding and coloring materials into mulch, colored mulch, biomass fuel, animal bedding, and compost.
• MP-2 Horizontal Grinder Compact portable diesel horizontal grinder delivering up to 350 HP with 56" x 18" throat opening, towable with a two-ton truck, and featuring a standard on-board colorizer for small contractors and tree service operations.
• B-66 E Electric Horizontal Grinder High-volume electric horizontal grinder delivering up to 1000 HP with 66" x 36" infeed clearance, featuring mechanical start assist and solid state soft start to reduce amperage surge at start-up.
• EC-366 Electric Horizontal Grinder Third-generation mid-size electric horizontal grinder delivering up to 500 HP with 66" x 18" throat opening, featuring StopWatch monitoring and hydraulic screen changer for high-uptime operations.
• EC-256 Electric Horizontal Grinder Compact electric horizontal grinder with 56" x 18" throat opening and up to 400 HP, offering precision grinding for lower-volume operations requiring a narrower infeed.
• SB-24 E Sawmill Waste Grinder Inline electric slab processor for sawmill operations, delivering up to 250 HP with 24" x 10" infeed opening for pliable slabwood, bark, and similar feedstock.
• 95 DK Shredder Heavy-duty twin-shaft diesel shredder delivering up to 770 HP at 103,000 lbs, with intelligent hopper system, hydrostatic drive producing up to 354,029 ft-lb of torque, and tracked chassis; handles railroad ties, C&D waste, and large chunk wood.
• Sarlac Electric Shredder Compact electric shear point shredder delivering up to 125 HP with low noise and reduced airborne dust; patent-pending design for economical downsizing of C&D, cardboard, and pallet wood waste indoors or outdoors.
• MT Series Trommel Screens (MT 175, MT 206, MT 237) Mobile trommel screens delivering up to 135 HP with over 300 square feet of screening area, hydraulically folding conveyors, tracked configuration, quick-change drum, and drum angle adjustment for compost, mulch, and aggregate screening.
• TS 124 & TS 165 Deck Screeners High-production mobile deck screeners delivering up to 136 HP with top and bottom decks, processing mulch, compost, aggregates, soil, sand, gravel, coal, and demolition materials with 15-minute setup and breakdown.
• 365 Conveyor Portable tracked stacking conveyor delivering up to 48 HP with 6' tracks, 65' working length, and 26-27' discharge height for mulch, waste, compost, and aggregates in radial or non-radial configurations.
• 480 Conveyor Heavy-duty 80' tracked stacking conveyor delivering up to 74 HP with twin drives and 48" belt, optional 180-degree radial control, and mulch hopper with high-speed auger for heavy feedstocks.
• GB-250 Go-Bagger 250 Portable retail bagging system delivering up to 20 HP for filling and sealing bags with landscape mulch, decorative rock, sand, compost, and topsoil; towable with a pickup truck and sets up in minutes.
• CP-118 Wood Chip Processor Compact self-contained wood chip processor delivering up to 72 HP with 10" x 18" infeed clearance that resizes and colors tree chips into premium landscape mulch in a single pass; towable with pickup truck.
• RMT Hammermill Electric hammermill delivering up to 600 HP with 10-14" x 30-60" mill opening, integrating in-line with Rotochopper grinders for Perfect In One Pass fine texture products like animal bedding; features bi-directional rotation.
• HF-300 / HF-800 Hands Free Log Splitters Hydraulic log splitters by U.S. Pride Products that break down hard-to-grind logs, stumps, and similar feedstock; HF-800 delivers up to 15,400 ft-lbs torque and HF-300 mounts to skid steer or mini excavator.

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SourcewellcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Sourcewell is a government purchasing cooperative that competitively bids contracts on behalf of member agencies. Rotochopper is a contracted supplier under contract 030923-RTO, valid through 05/03/2027. This enables government agencies to purchase Rotochopper equipment without running separate RFP or competitive bid processes. Membership is free for eligible public and nonprofit agencies including cities, counties, state agencies, tribal governments, and qualifying nonprofits.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vermeer Corporation: Privately held, family-owned manufacturer of horizontal grinders, tub grinders, and wood chippers serving the forestry, recycling, and biomass markets. Directly comparable as a category-leading grinder OEM with a similar industrial grinding equipment lineup and end-market overlap.
• Bandit Industries: Privately held manufacturer of hand-fed chippers, whole tree chippers, and horizontal grinders serving tree care, recycling, and biomass customers. Closely comparable product portfolio and customer base in the wood-waste processing niche.
• Morbark (Altec): Manufacturer of horizontal and tub grinders, wood chippers, and stationary systems serving tree care, sawmill, and recycling markets; now part of Altec. Direct competitor in horizontal grinders and biomass/forestry processing equipment.
• Peterson Pacific Corporation: Manufacturer of horizontal grinders, chippers, and blower trucks for the wood waste, logging, and biomass industries. Directly comparable niche grinder OEM with overlapping equipment categories and customer applications.
• Komptech: European manufacturer of shredders, screens, and composting equipment serving waste, biomass, and recycling end markets. Comparable as a competing grinder/shredder OEM, particularly relevant given Rotochopper's European expansion push.
• Doppstadt: German manufacturer of shredders, screening machines, and separation equipment for waste, biomass, and composting applications. Direct competitor in the European grinding and shredding equipment market that Rotochopper is now entering.
• Jenz: German manufacturer of wood chippers, biomass processors, and shredding equipment for forestry, agriculture, and energy applications. Comparable as a European specialty grinder/chipper OEM targeting overlapping biomass and wood-processing customers.
• West Salem Machinery: US manufacturer of industrial grinding, chipping, and screening equipment serving wood waste, biomass, and pulp/paper markets. Direct peer in heavy-duty industrial grinding systems with overlapping customer applications.
• Lindner: European manufacturer of shredders and recycling systems for waste wood, C&D, and bulky waste. Comparable as a competing shredding and size-reduction equipment OEM with overlapping end-market focus.

Broad incumbents

• Terex Corporation: Diversified global manufacturer of environmental and construction equipment, including wood chippers and grinders via its Environmental Equipment Group. Larger and broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities in wood-waste processing and recycling machinery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/rotochoppervideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Rotochopper
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rotochopper
• Instagraminstagram.com/rotochopper
• Xx.com/rotochopper

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Rotochopper