Name

Karlville Development

Legal name

Karlville Development, LLC

Website

https://karlville.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaging Machinery

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993)

SIC

Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555)

akta.pro primary industry

Wrapping & Bundling Equipment (Shrink/Stretch) (IMAHAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shrink Sleeves & Stretch Sleeves (IMALAKAD), Labeling, Coding & Marking Equipment (Labelers, Inkjet, Laser) (IMALAOAD), Flexible Packaging Converting & Finishing (Slitting, Rewinding, Coating, Embossing) (IMALABAL)

Keywords

• Shrink sleeve converting machinery
• Flexible packaging equipment
• Lamination machinery
• Slitting and rewinding machines
• Pouch making equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Converting Machinery Sales: Sale of capital equipment including shrink sleeve seaming, slitting, lamination, laser integration, and inspection machines. Machines are sold directly to converters, co-packers, and brands. The company also sells associated retrofits, upgrades, and parts/services through its support organization.
2. Equipment Service, Support & Retrofits: Aftermarket revenue from spare parts, upgrades, retrofits, and technical support services. The company offers specific retrofit packages including Web Width Measuring System and Automatic Solvent Positioning System.
3. Contract Converting Services: Contract laser scoring and converting services offered through partner facilities, such as FlexPak Services in St Paul, Minnesota for the FreshFocus laser platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Karlville Development designs, manufactures, and services post-print converting machinery for shrink sleeves and flexible packaging, including seamers, slitters, laminators, inspection machines, shrink tunnels, and laser-integrated converting systems. The company sells directly to converters, co-packers, and brands, and supports its machines through aftermarket service, retrofits, and a Film Validation Center for digital packaging.

Product overview

Karlville Development (Karlville Converting) is a provider of converting machinery solutions for shrink sleeves and flexible packaging, serving both digital and conventional market spaces. The company operates a platform architecture with two main divisions: Converting (shrink sleeve converting, lamination, slitting, inspection, and laser integration) and Packaging (shrink sleeve application, tunnels, and handle applicators). Their core product lines include the K5 Plus and K3 Plus seaming machines, Ultra Turret Slitter, iPlus inspection system, COMBI Pack Ready Laminator (thermal and solventless), Compact Solventless Laminator, Tornado shrink tunnel, and Digital Pouch Factory (HP Indigo finishing solutions). The company also offers sub-brands (Karlville Swiss pouch machines), add-on modules (retrofit upgrades, coat weight measurement), and services (customer support, film validation center). Karlville positions itself as serving converters, copackers, and brands across the shrink sleeve and flexible packaging supply chain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• K5 Plus: Shrink sleeve seaming machine - Karlville's flagship seamer that dominated pandemic-era shrink sleeve market growth in USA with thousands of machines installed globally
• K3 Plus
• Tornado
• iPlus
• Ultra Turret Slitter
• Pack Ready
• Digital Pouch Factory
• REVO PRO 3
• FreshFocus

Products and services

• K5 Plus Seamer Shrink sleeve seaming machine with proprietary KPLUS forming system for high-speed, precise seam formation on shrink sleeve tubes. Used by shrink sleeve converters globally.
• K3 Plus Shrink Sleeve Seamer Third-generation shrink sleeve seamer with friction-free fingerless forming system, automated lay-flat correction, non-stop layout capabilities, multiple tension zones, and optional laser integration for tool-free perforation.
• Ultra Turret Slitter High-speed turret slitter for shrink sleeve and flexible packaging converters, integrated with LasX FreshFocus laser platform for laser scoring and perforation.
• iPlus Inspection Machine Next-generation high-speed shrink sleeve inspection machine operating at 500 m/min with E+L edge guides, adjustable oscillation, and splice/flag detection for PVC, PET, PETG, OPS, PLA materials.
• COMBI Pack Ready Laminator Combined solventless and thermal lamination machine with five-roller adhesive coating system, real-time infrared adhesive coat weight measurement, hot drum with thermal nip, and thermal oil heating.
• LME-SF800 Compact Solventless Laminator Compact solventless laminator for digital and conventional converters with five-roller coating system, three-roller laminating system, closed loop tension control, and HMI/PLC controls.
• Tornado Shrink Sleeve Tunnel Hot air shrink tunnel with homogeneous airflow, section-controlled temperature, preheat 80-90°C, and reduced heat exposure time under one second for uniform shrink sleeve application.
• Webcontrol INSPECT S & SB Post-print inspection system for maximizing printing press output prior to lamination and pouch making, delivering quality and speed improvements.
• Digital Pouch Factory Integrated digital flexible packaging converting solution combining Karlville Laminator, Slitter, and Pouch Maker with HP Indigo 25K and 6K presses for digital flexible packaging production.
• Handle Applicator Machines Paper and tape handle applicator machines for multipack packaging solutions, integrated with ViRtexNord #ZEROPLASTIC paper carry handles and 3M tape technology.
• Karlville Swiss Pouch Machines Pouch making and spout inserting machines designed for compactness, ease of use, quick set-up, and reduced waste, optimized for digital printing workflows.
• Customer Support Services Aftermarket technical support, retrofits, upgrades, training, and support request services for Karlville converting machinery customers.
• Coat Weight Measurement System Real-time adhesive coat weight measurement system using infrared technology, promoting quality and saving cost and time with in-progress checking.
• Film Validation Center Pack Ready Validation Center service that enables media manufacturers, suppliers, and HP Indigo digital press owners to evaluate film compatibility with HP Indigo Digital Offset Technology.
• Contract Converting Services Contract laser scoring and converting services delivered via partner facilities using the FreshFocus laser platform integrated to Karlville's Ultra Turret Slitter, enabling product validation and market launch preparation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 billion shrink sleeves converted in USA during COVID-19 pandemic on Karlville K5 Plus machines
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Integration2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HP IndigocoreTechnology or IntegrationKarlville is an HP Indigo finishing machine partner providing post print solutions for digital flexible packaging converting. The collaboration includes the Digital Pouch Factory concept with integrated Laminator, Slitter, and Pouch Maker machines alongside HP Indigo 25K and 6K presses. Experience centers in Alpharetta, GA and Barcelona, Spain showcase the integrated digital converting line. Karlville also operates a Film Validation Center to evaluate media compatibility with HP Indigo Digital Offset Technology.
• LasX IndustriescoreTechnology or IntegrationLasX's FreshFocus laser platform is integrated to Karlville's Ultra Turret Slitter. The integration provides tool-free perforation and value-added converting capabilities for the contract converting market. The integrated system is available for demos and contract services at FlexPak Services in St Paul, Minnesota.
• FlexPak ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFlexPak Services runs Karlville's laser units in Miami/St Paul for contract laser scoring services. They prepare market samples and validate new product launches including the Prime Peel & Prime Vent Pouch Line. The partnership enables toll contract services and machine business expansion.
• DowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to advance recycled materials usage in flexible packaging. Karlville hosted Dow at its Miami facility for testing and validation of sustainable materials. Dow's Revoloop recycled plastics resins are being evaluated for use with Karlville's converting equipment.
• PregiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration with Dow and Karlville focused on recycled materials in flexible packaging. Pregis and Dow visited Karlville's Miami facility for validation and market launch preparation of sustainable packaging solutions.
• Repakt / Karlville SwissminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKarlville Swiss, a separate company under the Repakt group headquartered in Balerna, Switzerland (founded 2018), produces pouch machines. Karlville Converting continues to collaborate with Karlville Swiss internally and externally, including HP Indigo digital pouch factory partnerships. Karlville Swiss relocated from Miami to Kiel, Wisconsin as part of a strategic reorganization.
• 3MminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on tape and handle multipacks solutions. Karlville offers tape multipacks and handle application equipment in partnership with 3M's adhesive and tape technology.

Scale indicators5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bobst: Swiss global leader in packaging machinery including gravure/flexo presses, laminators, and coating equipment. Bobst is a broad incumbent serving the same flexible packaging converter customers with a much wider portfolio than Karlville.
• Mark Andy: US-based manufacturer of narrow web flexo and hybrid printing machinery for labels and shrink sleeves. Mark Andy is a broad incumbent that shares the same shrink sleeve and label converter customer base as Karlville, though from a printer-side perspective.
• Uteco: Italian manufacturer of printing, laminating, and coating machinery for flexible packaging. Uteco is a broad incumbent competing with Karlville in lamination and offers a wider portfolio across gravure, flexo, and digital print/converting.

Direct peers

• Bimec: Italian manufacturer of slitting and rewinding machinery for films, laminates, and papers. Bimec competes directly with Karlville's turret slitters and inspection rewinders, especially in the European shrink sleeve and flexible packaging converter market.
• Atlas Converting Equipment: UK-based manufacturer of slitting and rewinding machinery for the film, paper, and foil industries. Atlas directly competes with Karlville's slitting/rewinding and inspection machines, particularly in the shrink sleeve and flexible packaging converting segments.
• Comexi: Spanish manufacturer of flexographic presses, laminators, slitters, and rewinders for the flexible packaging and label converting industry. Comexi directly competes with Karlville in lamination and slitting machinery sold to the same flexible packaging and shrink sleeve converter customers.
• Kampf: German manufacturer of slitting and winding machinery for film, paper, and foil. Kampf is a direct competitor to Karlville's Ultra Turret Slitter and inspection rewinders, serving the same flexible packaging and shrink sleeve converter base.
• HCI Converting Equipment: Taiwan-based manufacturer of slitting, rewinding, and inspection machinery for films, foils, and flexible packaging. HCI competes directly with Karlville's slitter and inspection machines in Asia and Latin America.
• Soma: Czech manufacturer of CI flexo presses, laminators, and slitters for flexible packaging and labels. Soma is a direct competitor in digital and conventional printing/converting machinery, overlapping with Karlville's Pack Ready lamination and slitting products.
• Kohli: Italian manufacturer of slitting, rewinding, and finishing machinery for flexible packaging and tapes. Kohli is a direct competitor to Karlville's slitting and inspection product lines serving converters of shrink sleeve films and laminates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Karlville1
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• Xx.com/karlville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Karlville Development