What Lewis M. Carter Manufacturing does

Lewis M. Carter Manufacturing (LMC) is a fourth-generation, family-owned US manufacturer of custom-built industrial separation equipment for agricultural commodities, founded in 1941 in Donalsonville, Georgia, when Henry Marcus Carter developed the concept for the modern peanut sheller. The company designs and manufactures processing machinery for peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans), seed and grain, and beans and pulse crops, claiming its equipment processes 100% of the US peanut crop and a substantial share of US almonds. Core products include gravity separators (Marc Series, including the Marc 500 XL), peanut shellers, blanchers, destoners, sizing shakers, vibratory conveyors, aspirators, hard shell crackers, prehullers, and supporting material-handling equipment, engineered using 2D/3D CAD, FAREO 3D laser scanning for retrofits, and precision laser-cutting manufacturing.

LMC's business model centers on engineered-to-order equipment sales, turnkey processing plant design and construction, and a recurring parts and service business supported by a 200,000+ SKU spare parts inventory and a state-of-the-art machine shop. Pricing is custom-quoted per specification; lead times are project-dependent and undisclosed. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales organized by vertical (peanut, tree nut, seed and grain), an inside parts sales team, exclusive in-country channel partners (Grupo DAQ for Argentina/Brazil, Grainwright Industries for Australia, Beeler Industries for California walnuts, LMC Canada in Saskatoon), active participation in industry trade shows (PTNPA, GEAPS, Almond Huller and Processors Association, Georgia Peanut Conference), and multilingual brochures in English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. Approximately 60% of business is export as of 2013, with installations spanning the US, South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

The company operates from a 300,000+ square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Donalsonville, Georgia, with additional operations in Ripon (acquired Mid State Manufacturing) and Riverbank (LMC West), California, focused on almond processing. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; headcount is reported at 200+ based on a 2017 company profile and trade coverage, though firmographic sources state a 51-100 range, and the discrepancy is not resolved in the available data. Ownership remains fully concentrated within the Carter family across four generations, with no outside institutional investors or parent company.

Name

Lewis M. Carter Manufacturing

Legal name

Lewis M. Carter Manufacturing, LLC

Website

https://lmcarter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Lewis M. Carter Manufacturing is a fourth-generation, family-owned US maker of custom-built industrial separation equipment for peanuts, tree nuts, seed and grain, and pulse crops, delivering turnkey processing plants and aftermarket parts and service globally from Donalsonville, Georgia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Donalsonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Equipment Manufacturing: Design, manufacture, and sale of custom-built industrial separation equipment including gravity separators, shellers, shakers, conveyors, and specialized processing machinery. Equipment is built to order per customer specifications with lead times determined by project complexity.
2. Turnkey Plant Design and Construction: Complete processing plant design, engineering, construction management, and installation services. Includes millwright services with 45+ years of industry experience per crew manager for complete turnkey project delivery.
3. Parts and Service: Spare parts catalog of over 200,000 items with state-of-the-art machine shop for critical parts delivery. Service crews available for on-site repairs including bearing/shaft replacement and welding, with around-the-clock dispatch during critical harvest times.
4. System Design Services: Engineering consultation and system design services using 2D/3D CAD software and virtual component planning. Includes 3D scanning for retrofit projects and customized project tracking reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lewis M. Carter Manufacturing (LMC) designs, manufactures, and installs custom-built industrial separation and material handling equipment for agricultural commodity processors — covering gravity separators, peanut shellers, sizing shakers, vibratory conveyors, destoners, aspirators, blanchers, dryers, hard-shell crackers, prehullers and high-capacity air-gap cleaners. The company delivers these products as individual machines or as fully engineered turnkey processing plants, accompanied by in-house system design, construction engineering, installation millwright services, and an inventory of over 200,000 spare parts with around-the-clock service dispatch.

Product overview

Lewis M. Carter Manufacturing (LMC) is a manufacturer of custom-built industrial separation equipment operating across multiple industry verticals including peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans), seed and grain, and beans and pulse crops. The product portfolio is organized as a suite of core processing equipment supplemented by support equipment, with comprehensive engineering and construction services wrapping the product line. Core equipment includes Aspirators, Advent Cleaners, Destoners, Gravity Separators (Marc Series), Sizing Shakers, Vibratory Conveyors, Peanut Shellers, Peanut Blanchers, Peanut Dryers, Hard Shell Crackers, High Capacity Air Gap Cleaners, Gentle Handling Elevators, Prehullers, Shear Rolls, Pneumatic Samplers, Stemming Saws, Meat Reclaimer, Tandem Aspirator, Tree Nut Cracker, 303 Destoner, Stacked Shaker, LMC High Moisture Sheller, and the Rebuilt Model 8448 Farmer's Stock Peanut Cleaner. Support equipment includes Air Locks, Belt Conveyors, Belt Elevators, Inspection/Picking Tables, Random Fans, Roll Feeders, and Peanut Dryers/Ag Equipment. The portfolio is complemented by services including System Design (2D/3D engineering), Construction Engineering (project management, 3D scanning for retrofits, millwright services), Research and Development, Parts and Service (200,000+ spare parts inventory), and Installation Services for single machines through complete turnkey plant projects. The company operates from Donalsonville, Georgia with over 300,000 square feet of manufacturing space and exports approximately 60% of its business globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aspirators Air separation equipment used by agricultural processors to remove lightweight foreign material from crops during processing.
• Advent Cleaners Industrial cleaning equipment for separating and cleaning agricultural commodities prior to further processing.
• Destoners Equipment designed to separate and remove stones and other dense foreign material from kernels and seeds during commodity processing.
• Gravity Separators (Marc Series) Density-based separation machines, including the Marc Series and Marc 500 XL, used by processors of peanuts, almonds, seeds and grains.
• Sizing Shakers Machines that separate dry, flowable products by specific size, available in single deck, parallel, reverse flow, and double flow configurations for peanuts, almonds and beans.
• Vibratory Conveyors Custom-built conveying systems with multiple pan and screen options — including screening series, single pan, under-flow, reverse flow, and double flow configurations — used to move commodities through processing lines.
• Peanut Shellers Modern peanut shelling equipment based on the concept developed by founder Henry Marcus Carter, processing farmer's stock peanuts and used in plants reported to process 100% of the U.S. peanut crop.
• Peanut Blanchers Equipment for blanching peanuts by removing skins to produce peanut kernels for food ingredient applications, including systems designed for the Donalsonville Peanut Blanching Facility in partnership with American Peanut Growers.
• Peanut Dryers Drying equipment used in peanut processing operations to reduce moisture content of harvested peanuts.
• Hard Shell Crackers Equipment designed to crack hard-shell nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pecans for downstream kernel processing.
• High Capacity Air Gap Cleaners High-capacity air separation cleaning equipment for industrial processing applications handling large volumes of agricultural commodities.
• Gentle Handling Elevators Elevators designed to move agricultural products gently to minimize kernel damage during handling and processing.
• Prehullers Equipment for pre-hulling operations, including almond prehullers for tree nut processing lines.
• Shear Rolls Industrial shear roll equipment used in processing agricultural commodities.
• Pneumatic Samplers Equipment for pneumatic sampling of agricultural products during processing to support quality control.
• Stemming Saws Saw equipment used in stemming operations during agricultural processing.
• 303 Destoner Destoning equipment introduced in 2019 as part of the company's new machine lineup for industrial separation applications.
• Tree Nut Cracker Nut cracking equipment introduced in 2019 for processing tree nuts including almonds, walnuts and pecans.
• Stacked Shaker Stacked series sizing shaker that maximizes processing capacity within a compact footprint for peanut and tree nut processing.
• LMC High Moisture Sheller Specialized sheller designed for processing green peanuts at high moisture levels to monitor the drying process.
• Belt Conveyors Conveyor equipment available in slider trough and trough and idler configurations for material handling within processing plants.
• Belt Elevators Elevating equipment with lagged head pulleys and slatted boot pulleys, available in high capacity configurations for moving commodities between processing stages.
• Inspection/Picking Tables Tables for visual inspection and picking of agricultural products, available in widths from 18 to 48 inches and lengths from 4 to 20 feet, with stainless contacts available.
• Service, Repair & Parts Parts and service department maintaining over 200,000 spare parts in warehouse, with a state-of-the-art machine shop for timely delivery of critical parts, and service crews and millwrights ready to respond anywhere in the lower 48 U.S. states.
• Construction Engineering Engineering services including customized quoting software, Microsoft Project scheduling, cost projections, supplier agreements, project tracking reports, 3D scanning for retrofits, and full millwright services for installation of single machines through complete turnkey plant construction.
• System Design Design services guided by 13 system design principles to conceptualize plant layouts that maximize food ingredient and seed processing performance, using 2D and 3D CAD software and laser scanning for retrofits.
• Research and Development R&D team that partners with companies to design equipment tailored to specialized processes, performs feasibility research on whether LMC can build systems to required separation specifications, and conducts on-site audits with sales teams to recommend new designs.
• Installation Services Professional installation services for individual pieces of equipment or entire turnkey plant construction, with design/build capabilities, project management, and crews trained in safety for nut and dry flowable material processing installations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of US peanut crop processed by LMC equipment
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• Pyxus Agriculture MalawistrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023LMC spearheaded design and equipment for Pyxus Agriculture Malawi processing facility in partnership with USAID. Facility supports contracted farmers in Malawi with tobacco and agricultural processing capabilities.
• Grainwright Industries Pty LtdstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2016Exclusive sales and service representative for LMC processing equipment in Australia. Founded and owned by Daniel Cook with over a decade of processing industry experience. Provides supplementary product lines to offer entire processing systems. Australia is one of LMC's largest export markets.
• Baldor (ABB Group)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2013Global partnership for motors, gearboxes, bearings, and mechanical power transmission components. LMC standardized on Baldor products for their mechanical and electrical needs, benefiting from global support as an ABB Group member. Carter noted Baldor shares LMC's systems approach and values.
• Grupo DAQstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales representatives for Argentina and Brazil markets. Designed Beatrice Peanut shelling plant in partnership with LMC consultation, processing 18-20 tons of peanuts per hour.
• Golden Peanut and Tree NutstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term global partnership spanning multiple continents. LMC designed first complete processing plant in South Africa at Hartswater. Equipment installed across USA, South Africa, and Argentina operations processing peanuts and tree nuts.
• Beeler IndustriesstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCalifornia-based sales representative for walnut shelling industry. Partnered with Poindexter Nut Company and Minturn Hullers Co-op on major California processing facility projects.
• Mid State Manufacturing CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationAcquired business in Ripon, California focused on almond processing and air separation equipment, cementing LMC's position in almond industry.
• LMC WestcoreTechnology or IntegrationNew business established in Riverbank, California for product-specific lines and air separation business expansion.
• Almond Alliance of CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud member and sponsor of the Almond Alliance of California, supporting the almond industry's advocacy and education efforts.
• American Peanut Growers (APG)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on new peanut blanching facility in Donalsonville, Georgia bringing jobs to local area. LMC designed and equipped the facility in just over 12 months from concept to ribbon cutting.
• LMC CanadastrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanada operations based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan serving North American customers with seed cleaning equipment including ProAgroTech Russia project.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PETKUS Technologie: German manufacturer of seed conditioning and grain processing equipment (cleaners, gravity tables, conveyors). Overlaps directly with LMC's seed/grain and material-handling product lines.
• Cimbria: Danish specialist in seed and grain processing equipment (cleaning, sorting, drying, conveying). Directly comparable to LMC's seed/grain vertical and shares turnkey plant delivery model.
• Bühler Group: Swiss-headquartered global leader in food processing equipment for grains, nuts, and consumer foods. Directly competes with LMC on grain cleaning, separation, and processing lines for food ingredient plants, but at far greater scale and with broader portfolio and digital offerings.
• Aarsen: Dutch manufacturer of feed and grain processing machinery, including hammer mills, coolers, and conveying systems. Competitor in industrial processing equipment sales to feed and grain plants.
• Satake Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of rice, grain, and seed processing equipment, including gravity separators, optical sorters, and milling machinery. Closely aligned with LMC's separation and seed/grain processing product line.
• Forsberg: US manufacturer of gravity separators, destoners, and fluid bed drying equipment for seed, grain, and food processing. Direct competitor in the same separation technology category as LMC.
• Westrup: Danish provider of seed and grain processing equipment including gravity separators and air-screen cleaners. Competes with LMC for separation equipment sales into seed processors globally.
• AGI (Ag Growth International): Canadian manufacturer of grain handling, storage, and conditioning equipment. Overlaps with LMC's material handling, conveying, and seed processing product lines for agricultural processors.

Emerging players

• Fowler Westrup: Indian-headquartered seed processing equipment maker (gravity separators, pre-cleaners, seed treaters). Comparable product-by-product overlap with LMC, primarily serving South Asian and emerging markets.

Broad incumbents

• Carraro Group: Italian industrial group with a dedicated agricultural and industrial processing equipment portfolio. Comparable in customer base (food processors) though broader across vehicle and drivetrain lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LMCManufacturing
• Xx.com/lmcmfgco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lmcmfg

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Lewis M. Carter Manufacturing