What KWS Manufacturing does

KWS Manufacturing Company, LLC, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Burleson, Texas, designs and manufactures bulk material handling and processing equipment for industrial customers across more than a dozen vertical end-markets. The company operates from a 125,000 square-foot self-sustained facility that includes in-house machine shop and steel fabrication, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kadant Company. Its core engineered equipment portfolio spans shafted and shaftless screw conveyors, belt conveyors, bucket elevators, vertical screw conveyors, screw feeders and live bottoms, drag conveyors, heat transfer screw processors, ASME-coded pressure vessels, slide gates, hoppers/bins/silos, and blenders/mixers, supported by a component parts division offering CEMA stock components, made-to-order solutions, OEM replacement components, and repairs and rebuilds. KWS Environmental operates as a sub-brand focused on wastewater and biosolids handling systems.

The company differentiates on technical capability, holding ASME U-Stamp and National Board R-Stamp certifications (claimed as exclusive among screw conveyor manufacturers), proprietary KWS-350 shaftless spirals at 350-BHN hardness, and Advanced Spiral Technology (AST) for polished screw applications. Design work uses 3D parametric software and finite-element analysis (FEA). Operational metrics include a 98.6% on-time delivery rate, 48.3% early shipment rate, six quality inspections on 100% of shipments, and a 99.5% complaint-free shipment rate, attributed to Lean Manufacturing. The installed base exceeds 200,000 units worldwide.

KWS monetizes through one-time sale of custom engineered equipment and CEMA stock components, plus professional services for repairs and rebuilds, with pricing quoted per application rather than published. Go-to-market is sales-led via an independent manufacturer representative network segmented by product line (Power Transmission/OEM, Engineered Systems, Environmental) across the United States and Canada, supplemented by direct sales of stock components and a digital self-service layer including an AI chatbot (CaptAIn Conveyor), an online CAD configurator covering 1,700+ parts, engineering guides, calculators, and CAD models. Customer logos span food and agriculture (JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill, Nestlé Purina, Welch Foods), mining and minerals (Freeport-McMoRan, Carmeuse Lime, Stillwater Mining, Pete Lien & Sons), chemicals (W.R. Grace, Stepan), power and waste-to-energy (Wheelabrator, Great River Energy), pulp and paper (Smurfit Westrock, Georgia Pacific), environmental and government (Veolia, WSSC), and lumber and alternative fuels (Kingsford Charcoal).

Name

KWS Manufacturing

Legal name

KWS Manufacturing Company, LLC

Website

https://kwsmfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KWS Manufacturing Company, LLC, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Burleson, Texas, designs and manufactures custom bulk material handling and processing equipment — including screw conveyors, bucket elevators, and ASME pressure vessels — serving industrial and government customers across food, mining, chemicals, power, and wastewater sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bulk Material Handling Equipment

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Machinery Manufacturing (333), Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Solids Handling & Processing Equipment (Conveying, Silo, Feeders) (IMAHAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bulk Material Handling Systems (Belt Conveyors, Feeders, Stackers, Reclaimers) (IMAHABAH), Bulk Handling & Conveying for Processing Lines (Augers, Elevators, Conveyors) (AFAAAJAJ)

Keywords

• Screw conveyors
• Bulk material handling
• Bucket elevators
• Conveyor equipment
• Pressure vessels

Headquarters

HQ city

Burleson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Engineered Equipment: Design and manufacture of custom bulk material handling equipment including screw conveyors, shaftless screw conveyors, belt conveyors, bucket elevators, vertical screw conveyors, screw feeders, drag conveyors, heat transfer screw processors, ASME pressure vessels, slide gates, hoppers, bins, silos, and blenders/mixers. Equipment is custom engineered for specific customer applications.
2. CEMA Stock Components: Large inventory of CEMA (Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association) stock components available for immediate shipment. Components directly interchange with stock components from other screw conveyor manufacturers. Includes helicoid flighting, sectional flighting, shafts, hangers, bearings, trough ends, seals, covers, and more.
3. Made-to-Order Solutions: Custom conveyor components and systems designed to fit exact application requirements. Staff of experienced sales and engineering personnel assist with design.
4. OEM Replacement Components: Cost-effective OEM replacement components that are dimensionally exact duplicates to original components. Includes power industry hollow-flight screw processor screws, pulp and paper 317L stainless steel repulper screws, and food grade extruder screws.
5. Repairs and Rebuilds: Equipment evaluation, repair and rebuild services. Components restored to better-than-new condition or reverse engineered for improved solutions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KWS Manufacturing designs, engineers, and manufactures custom bulk material handling and processing equipment for industrial customers. The product portfolio includes shafted screw conveyors, shaftless screw conveyors, belt conveyors, bucket elevators, vertical screw conveyors, screw feeders, drag conveyors, heat transfer screw processors, ASME pressure vessels, slide gates, hoppers/bins/silos, and blenders/mixers, complemented by CEMA stock components, OEM replacement parts, and repair/rebuild services. The company operates a 125,000 square foot in-house manufacturing facility in Burleson, Texas and serves 13+ industry verticals across the United States and Canada.

Product overview

KWS Manufacturing offers a comprehensive portfolio of bulk material handling and processing equipment. The core product line consists of engineered conveying equipment including Shafted Screw Conveyors, Shaftless Screw Conveyors, Belt Conveyors, Bucket Elevators, Vertical Screw Conveyors, Screw Feeders & Live Bottoms, Drag Conveyors, Heat Transfer Screw Processors, ASME Pressure Vessels, Slide Gates, Hoppers/Bins/Silos, and Blenders & Mixers. These products are complemented by a component parts division offering CEMA Stock Components, Made-to-Order Solutions, OEM Replacement Components, and Repairs & Rebuilds. The company also operates KWS Environmental as a specialized sub-brand for wastewater treatment applications. The portfolio is supported by engineering services, bulk material testing, and 24-hour emergency service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KWS Environmental: Environmental processing equipment division of KWS Manufacturing specializing in wastewater treatment equipment including grit classifiers, shaftless conveyors, and biosolids handling systems.

Products and services

• Shafted Screw Conveyors Shafted screw conveyors used for efficiently conveying a variety of bulk materials in industrial applications, transferring bulk materials between processes with minimal maintenance requirements.
• Shaftless Screw Conveyors Shaftless screw conveyors provide a non-clogging conveying surface for difficult-to-convey materials with high moisture content, such as those discharged from centrifuges, filter presses, or mixers.
• Belt Conveyors Belt conveyors for economical transport of bulk materials over short and long distances, ideal for large lump size materials that stay stationary on the belt.
• Bucket Elevators Bucket elevators elevate bulk materials vertically using buckets attached to a belt or chain with pulleys or sprockets, designed based on bulk material characteristics and process requirements.
• Vertical Screw Conveyors Vertical screw conveyors efficiently elevate bulk materials at steep inclines or completely vertical with a compact design that fits into almost any plant layout.
• Screw Feeders & Live Bottoms Screw feeders and live bottoms accurately and efficiently meter bulk materials, handling flood-loaded inlets at fixed or variable rates.
• Drag Conveyors Drag conveyors meter or transfer bulk materials with a compact and versatile design that fits almost any plant layout.
• Heat Transfer Screw Processors Heat transfer screw processors cool, heat, or maintain specific product temperatures while conveying, using heat transfer medium through trough jackets and/or hollow flights.
• ASME Pressure Vessels ASME pressure vessels combine conveying and mixing knowledge with heat transfer science for processing applications requiring mixing of solids and liquids under pressure and temperature.
• Slide Gates Slide gates control the discharge of bulk materials from hoppers, bins, silos, or conveyors using a slide plate actuated manually, pneumatically, electrically, or hydraulically.
• Hoppers, Bins & Silos Hoppers, bins, and silos store bulk materials with capacities up to 10,000 cubic feet, designed for wastewater treatment, cement, chemical, mining, and aggregate industries.
• Blenders & Mixers Blenders and mixers thoroughly combine different materials to achieve a homogenous mixture with uniform distribution for chemical, minerals processing, food, wood products, and wastewater treatment industries.
• CEMA Stock Components CEMA stock screw conveyor components manufactured to Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association standards, directly interchangeable with stock components from other manufacturers, available for immediate shipment.
• Made-to-Order Solutions Custom conveyor components and systems designed to fit exact application requirements, provided by experienced sales and engineering personnel.
• OEM Replacement Components OEM replacement components that are dimensionally exact duplicates to original components, with capability to redesign and improve upon original designs.
• Repairs and Rebuilds Equipment evaluation and cost-effective repair or rebuild solutions that restore equipment to better-than-new condition or provide reverse-engineered improved solutions.
• KWS Environmental Equipment Environmental processing equipment line including shafted and shaftless screw conveyors, belt conveyors, diverter gates, load-out systems, grit classifiers, control panels, and slide gates for wastewater treatment applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ worldwide installations demonstrate established market presence and proven reliability
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments13 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

One partnership is on record.

• KadantcoreOthersKWS Manufacturing Company, LLC is a Kadant Company. Kadant is a global supplier of systems used in the production of various materials. This is a parent-subsidiary relationship, not a typical partnership.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Screw Conveyor Corporation: Direct peer — designs and manufactures screw conveyors, screw feeders, bucket elevators, and related bulk material handling components. Overlaps with KWS on core CEMA-standard screw conveyor product lines and serves many of the same industries (food, chemicals, mining, wastewater).
• Flexicon Corporation: Direct peer — manufactures bulk material handling equipment including flexible screw conveyors, tubular drag conveyors, pneumatic conveyors, and bulk bag handling systems. Competes head-to-head with KWS in conveying solutions for food, chemical, pharmaceutical, and mineral applications.
• Hapman: Direct peer — designs and manufactures bulk material handling equipment including screw conveyors, drag conveyors, bulk bag unloaders, and feeders. Overlaps with KWS in conveying and metering equipment for chemical, food, plastics, and mineral processing industries.
• Martin Sprocket & Gear: Direct peer — manufactures power transmission and material handling products including screw conveyors, bucket elevators, and CEMA-standard components. Sells through industrial distributors with comparable customer base across aggregate, food, and general industrial markets.
• WAM USA: Direct peer — US subsidiary of WAMGROUP, one of the world's largest manufacturers of screw conveyors, bucket elevators, rotary valves, and bulk material handling equipment. Competes with KWS in CEMA-standard components and engineered conveying systems globally.
• Thomas & Muller Systems: Direct peer — designs and manufactures custom screw conveyors, screw feeders, and bulk material handling equipment. Specialty fabricator focused on heavy-duty industrial applications comparable to KWS's engineered systems business.

Broad incumbents

• Superior Industries: Broad incumbent — designs and supplies a wide range of bulk material handling equipment including conveyor components, idlers, and portable conveyor systems for mining, aggregates, and construction. Larger, publicly listed competitor with broader portfolio but overlapping conveying technology with KWS.
• Metso: Broad incumbent — global leader in mining, aggregates, and metals processing equipment with extensive material handling portfolio including conveyors, feeders, and processing equipment. Much larger scale than KWS; overlaps on conveying equipment sold to mining and mineral processing customers like Freeport-McMoRan.

Emerging players

• Schwing Bioset: Emerging player — specializes in material handling solutions for wastewater treatment and industrial applications, particularly shaftless screw conveyors and biosolids handling systems. Direct overlap with KWS's KWS Environmental sub-brand in the municipal/industrial wastewater vertical.

Others

• JBS USA (Cargill, Tyson peer customer comparison): Others — major food/agriculture processors and KWS customers (JBS, Cargill, Tyson). Not a peer in the equipment sense, but represent the end-customer profile KWS serves and signal the strategic importance of food-grade stainless conveying capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KWSMFG
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KWSMFG1?feature=mhee
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/KWS-Manufacturing/537209172972618?ref=hl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kws-manufacturing-co.-ltd.?trk=top_nav_home

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 KWS Manufacturing