G.A. Wintzer & Son Co.

What G.A. Wintzer & Son Co. does

G.A. Wintzer & Son Co. is a family-owned rendering and recycling company headquartered in Wapakoneta, Ohio, operating continuously since 1848 across five generations of the Wintzer family. The company's core business is converting animal by-products (inedible meat, bone, and fat from butcher shops, food processors, poultry operations, and grocery stores) and used cooking oil (from restaurants, chains, hotels, bakeries, and schools) into feed-grade protein meals and fats/oils. It manufactures four oil product varieties and three protein meal varieties marketed to pet food manufacturers, farm animal feed producers, and renewable diesel/biofuel manufacturers, with products sold domestically and internationally.

The company's underlying technology centers on rendering processes anchored by Dupps continuous rendering cookers (among the first installations in the industry), supplemented by patented tools and technologies developed by Frederick Wintzer that remain in industry use today. Operating infrastructure includes an advanced air scrubber system and an on-site wastewater treatment plant monitored daily. The business holds HACCP certification (annual third-party audits by APPI and AFIA Safe Feed/Safe Food), is inspected annually by FDA, USDA, and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and operates under EPA Title V Air and EPA NPDES Water permits. Weekly salmonella testing of all protein products and third-party batch testing of fats/oils for chlorinated hydrocarbons and PCBs round out the compliance stack.

The commercial model combines two complementary revenue streams: (1) a route-based collection business purchasing used cooking oil and receiving inedible meat/animal co-products from a long tail of SMB and enterprise customers across Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and West Virginia, with weekly market-based pricing for used cooking oil and 4-week payment terms; and (2) the manufacture and sale of finished protein meals and oil products to feed mills, pet food manufacturers, and renewable diesel producers. GTM is sales-led via five territory-based field representatives, supported by a 24/7 customer service center, quote-request forms for new clients, and existing-client contact/pickup forms. Customer concentration spans large egg-laying companies and poultry processors (primary), food processing facilities (primary), restaurants (primary, long tail), butcher shops (secondary), and feed mills (secondary). No external funding, M&A, or institutional ownership is present; the company remains entirely family-controlled.

Name

G.A. Wintzer & Son Co.

Legal name

G.A. Wintzer & Son Co.

Website

https://gawintzer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1848

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

G.A. Wintzer & Son Co. is a family-owned rendering company in Wapakoneta, Ohio, operating since 1848. It converts animal by-products and used cooking oil collected from restaurants, food processors, and poultry operations across a five-state Midwest region into protein meals and fats for pet food, livestock feed, and biofuel manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Rendering and Feed Ingredients

NAICS

Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing (311613)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Products & Pet Food Ingredients from Meat (Offal, Trimmings) (AFAKALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Manufacturing, Private Label & Co-Manufacturing for Animal Diets (HLAMAHAO), Giblets & Poultry Specialty Parts Processing (Gizzards, Livers, Necks, Frames) (AFANAJAG)

Keywords

• Animal rendering services
• Used cooking oil recycling
• Protein meal manufacturing
• Feed ingredient production
• Animal by-product processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Wapakoneta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Used Cooking Oil Purchase and Processing: The company purchases used cooking oil from restaurants, chains, and food establishments. Materials are refined and sold to feed companies and renewable diesel manufacturers.
2. Inedible Meat and Animal Co-product Rendering: Collects meat scraps and animal co-products from butcher shops, food processing facilities, and commercial food manufacturers. Processes materials into protein meals sold to animal feed and pet food manufacturers, and fats/oils sold to renewable diesel and fertilizer industries.
3. Finished Protein Meals and Fats/Oils Sales: Manufactures and sells 4 different oil products (for pet food, farm animal feed ingredients, and biofuels) and 3 different protein meals (for pet food and farm animal feed ingredients). Products marketed domestically and internationally to feed companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

G.A. Wintzer & Son Co. is a rendering and recycling company that purchases used cooking oil, meat scraps, and inedible animal co-products from restaurants, food processors, grocery stores, and butcher shops, then processes them into protein meals and fats/oils used as ingredients for pet food, livestock feed, and biofuels. The company operates a manufacturing plant in Wapakoneta, Ohio, and services a five-state region through direct pickup routes and territory-based field sales representatives.

Product overview

G.A. Wintzer & Son Co. operates as a rendering and recycling company offering a portfolio of products and services centered on waste material processing. The core offerings include Used Cooking Oil Collection and Recycling services paired with Inedible Meat Recycling (Rendering). The company manufactures finished products including 4 oil product varieties and 3 protein meal varieties, all marketed as feed-grade materials for pet food and farm animal feed ingredients, with oils also supplied to biofuel producers. Equipment rental (various container sizes) is offered as a complementary component of the collection service. All products are produced at the company's modern manufacturing plant in Wapakoneta, Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oil Products
• Protein Meals
• Used Cooking Oil Collection and Recycling
• Inedible Meat Recycling (Rendering) Rendering process that reclaims meat, bone, and fat from inedible animal materials and mortalities, transforming them into ingredients for pet food, biofuels, and livestock feed. The company processes millions of pounds of raw material weekly.
• Storage Containers and Equipment

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of unwanted meat, bone, and fat is recycled into usable products
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North American Renderers Association (NARA)coreOthersActive industry membership for over 50 years. The rendering industry is described as society's best available control technology for addressing disposal of animal by-products. NARA provides industry education and advocacy.
• Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF)coreOthersActive membership for over 50 years. FPRF funds research for the rendering industry and animal protein producers.
• Animal Proteins Producers Industry (APPI)coreOthersCertifies Wintzer's HACCP plan annually under 'The Rendering Industry Code of Practice' and the Biosecurity Arm of the Rendering Industry. Manages Salmonella Testing Program where all protein products are tested weekly.
• American Feed Industry Association (AFIA)coreOthersCertifies Wintzer's HACCP plan annually under the Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program. AFIA represents feed manufacturers and ingredient suppliers.
• Pet Food Industry AssociationminorOthersIndustry membership supporting the pet food manufacturing sector.
• Ohio Poultry AssociationminorOthersState industry association membership for Ohio poultry operations.
• National Turkey FederationminorOthersNational industry association membership representing turkey producers and processors.
• American Trucking AssociationminorOthersNational trucking industry association membership supporting transportation operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• JBS USA:
• Darling Ingredients: Largest publicly traded rendering company in North America, operating Diamond Pet Food ingredients, used cooking oil collection, and renewable diesel feedstock businesses across multiple continents. Directly comparable business model but at materially larger scale and with public-market capital access.
• SARIA Group: European-headquartered global rendering and recycling company with U.S. operations (SARIA Bio-Industries, SARIA Energy & Environmental). Comparable rendering and used cooking oil collection business with international scale and biodiesel feedstock capabilities.
• Smithfield Renewables / Smithfield Foods: Largest U.S. pork processor operates an integrated rendering business converting inedible pork by-products into feed ingredients and renewable energy inputs. Comparable rendering activity but bundled within a vertically integrated meat processing operation.
• Tyson Foods: Integrated poultry and protein processor with in-house rendering operations supplying feed ingredients. Overlaps with Wintzer on poultry rendering raw material supply and end-market protein meal/fat products, though at vastly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Valley Proteins: Private rendering company based in Winchester, VA, that converts animal by-products into protein meals and fats for feed and biofuel markets. Closest direct competitor in operating model, customer mix, and end markets, though geographically focused on the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
• Baker Commodities: West Coast-focused private rendering company that processes animal by-products and used cooking oil into tallow, protein meals, and biodiesel feedstocks. Highly comparable business model, regional scale, and customer mix.
• American Proteins: Rendering company operating poultry and protein meal facilities across the Southeast U.S., serving pet food, aquaculture, and feed markets. Direct rendering peer with similar protein meal and fat product portfolio.

Regional players

• West Coast Reduction: Western Canada's largest independent renderer, processing animal by-products into protein meals, fats, and oils for feed and renewable diesel. Comparable business model but serving a different geographic region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 G.A. Wintzer & Son Co.