PCO Group

What PCO Group does

PCO Group GmbH is a German private company that manufactures and distributes snackfood products and concession equipment, primarily serving cinemas, retail, and gastronomy operators across Europe. The company is headquartered in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with a second German operational site in Dassow (the registered legal entity, Amtsgericht Schwerin HRB 8950), and operates wholly-owned subsidiaries in the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Romania, and Poland, delivering to customers on all continents with stated 1-3 day lead times within Europe. The portfolio spans popcorn (kernels, bags, machines, including an induction-based machine), nachos and dips (with warmers, bowls, and dispensers), the proprietary IceKing Slushy brand (a preservative-free slush product), confectionery and snacks (Pick & Mix, Movie Mix, cotton candy, 40+ varieties including halal), 3D glasses, film-themed promotional merchandise, and reusable drink cups. Private-label manufacturing covers custom IML beakers (from 10,000 units), paper cups (from 50,000 units), and confiserie jars (from 2 cartons), and all equipment undergoes PCO-VDE safety certification by qualified technicians.

The business operates a B2B sales-led go-to-market combining direct sales through regional European offices, a registered-customer-only B2B webshop, and trade-show presence at industry events including CineEurope Barcelona, CineHamburg, Intobia Stuttgart, and the Bowl Trade Show Hamburg. Revenue is generated through one-time product and equipment sales, private label licensing (custom-branded packaging and confectionery), technical planning, installation, and repair services, and film-and-license-tied promotional products. The company holds IFS certification and Bio certification (DE-ÖKO 039), with products regularly tested by independent institutes, and is led by Managing Directors (Geschäftsführer) Bernhard Wettlaufer and Stefan Lemke, with Christian Lemke serving as Data Protection Officer.

Name

PCO Group

Legal name

PCO Group GmbH

Website

https://pco-group.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PCO Group GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer and B2B distributor of cinema snacks, nachos, slush, confectionery, and concession equipment, serving cinema, retail, and gastronomy operators across eight European countries through wholly-owned subsidiaries and a registered-customer B2B webshop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dassow

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Snackfood Product Sales: Sale of popcorn, nachos, dips, slush, sweets (pick & mix, cotton candy, movie mix), and snacks through B2B webshop and direct sales to cinemas, retail, and gastronomy customers.
2. Equipment and Machines: Sale and distribution of popcorn machines, nacho warmers, slush machines, and related equipment with technical service and repair support.
3. Private Label Manufacturing: Custom-branded products including IML beakers (10,000+ units), paper cups (50,000+ units), popcorn packaging, nachos packaging, and confiserie jars (from 2 cartons).
4. Professional Services (Technical Support): Technical planning, installation, service, and repairs for equipment including PCO-VDE safety certification.
5. Film and License Promotions: Promotional products tied to current films and licensed themes, offered as part of the product assortment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PCO Group manufactures and distributes cinema snackfood products (popcorn, nachos, dips, slush, sweets, pick & mix, cotton candy) and the related equipment (popcorn machines, nacho warmers, slush machines) to cinemas, retailers, and gastronomy operators across Europe and globally. The company also offers private-label packaging (IML beakers, paper cups, confiserie jars), licensed film-themed promotional merchandise, and technical planning, installation, and repair services for its equipment.

Product overview

PCO Group is a snackfood solutions provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of products for cinemas, trade, and gastronomy. The product range centers around core offerings including Popcorn (in various forms from kernels to machines), Nachos & Dips (with warmers, bowls, and dispensers), IceKing Slushy (slush ice products developed by PCO Group), Confectionery & Snacks (Pick & Mix, cotton candy, Movie Mix), and Film Promotions (licensed movie-themed merchandise). Equipment and technical services support these products, including the innovative Induction Popcorn Machine and reusable Mehrweg cup system. Private label customization is available across multiple product categories. The company operates a B2B web shop as its primary distribution channel, serving customers across all continents from European locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Popcorn Products

Quantifiable outcome

• European delivery within 1-3 days
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mehrwegbechersystem (Reusable Cup System)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCO Group offers a reusable cup system (Mehrweg) for cinemas, providing sustainable cup solutions with custom video spots for individual cinemas. The system includes downloadable promotional video content for cinema screens.
• EU Online Dispute Resolution PlatformminorOthersPCO Group references the EU Commission's online dispute resolution platform (ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/) in its legal imprint, though participation in conciliation procedures is not obligatory.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Popcorn Indiana: Popcorn Indiana is a US-based branded popcorn snack company focused on retail-ready popcorn products, with overlapping customer profiles in cinema and food service and similar popcorn production base inputs.

Broad incumbents

• Frito-Lay (PepsiCo): Frito-Lay is PepsiCo's snack foods division and the world's largest salty snack manufacturer, competing for snack placement at retail and food service accounts that PCO serves, with substantially greater financial and marketing resources.
• The Hershey Company: Hershey is a leading US confectionery and snack manufacturer whose portfolio overlaps with PCO's Pick & Mix, Movie Mix, and cinema-side confectionery sales, and competes for the same food service and retail customers.
• ConAgra Brands: ConAgra is a multinational packaged food company with broad snack and frozen-food brands that compete for shelf and concession placement with PCO's offerings at retail and food service customers across multiple geographies.
• Sysco Corporation: Sysco is the largest US-based foodservice distributor with global operations serving restaurants, leisure, and entertainment customers, supplying snacks, beverages, and concession supplies that overlap with PCO's gastronomy and cinema vertical.

Direct peers

• Weaver Popcorn Company: Founded in 1928, Weaver Popcorn is a US-based popcorn manufacturer serving cinemas, retail, and foodservice channels with branded and private-label popcorn products, with strong overlap to PCO's popcorn and private-label business.
• C. Cretors & Co. Founded in 1885, C. Cretors is a US-based popcorn machine and concession equipment manufacturer serving cinemas, food service operators, and snack retailers worldwide, directly comparable to PCO's hardware-plus-snack approach.
• Gold Medal Products Co. Founded in 1931, Gold Medal Products is a US-based manufacturer and global distributor of popcorn machines, concession equipment, and concession supplies, serving cinemas, amusement parks, and food service operators with a directly comparable product-plus-equipment offering.

Regional players

• KP Snacks: KP Snacks is a UK-based snack manufacturer operating across Britain and Ireland, serving retail and convenience channels that overlap with PCO's UK retail vertical and pop at the same cinema and food service accounts.
• Intersnack Group: Intersnack is a privately held European snack manufacturer with branded and private-label portfolios serving retail and food service across the continent, directly comparable to PCO's European footprint, private-label program, and B2B snack distribution model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pco-nederland-b.v.

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 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 PCO Group