Frings
Frings is a German industrial technology company founded in 1878 that designs, manufactures, and services fermenters, bioreactors, membrane filtration systems, aeration equipment, and automation for vinegar, biotechnology, food/beverage, chemical, and environmental customers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1878
- HeadquartersRheinbach, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Frings does
Frings is an owner-managed German industrial technology company founded in 1878, headquartered in Rheinbach, that designs, manufactures, and services fermentation and bioprocess equipment. Its product portfolio centers on proprietary process technologies for industrial-scale fermentation, including ACETATOR vinegar fermenters, PROREACT bioreactors (laboratory, pilot, production, gas fermentation, and corrosive media variants), CLEARFLOW crossflow membrane filtration systems, FRIBORATOR aeration turbines, FOAMEX foam centrifuges, ALKOSENS alcohol measurement probes, ACETOCONTROL/ACETOMAT Siemens S7-based automation systems, and consumable nutrients under the ACETOZYM brand. The company also developed the submersible aerator in 1970, with more than 12,000 units sold globally, and supplies complete environmental/wastewater treatment plants using PROREACT T and high-performance reactor designs.
The company serves five verticals: vinegar production (its core and historically dominant market), biotechnology (industrial-scale bioreactors for fermented products), food and beverage (fermented foods, yeast, brewery wastewater), chemical (gas-liquid reaction and separation for small/medium plants), and environmental technology (municipal/industrial wastewater and sludge treatment). Customers range from specialty vinegar manufacturers to large industrial producers and municipalities, with requirements spanning laboratory-scale development through production volumes of several hundred thousand liters.
Frings operates a B2B enterprise field-sales model with no public pricing. It sells direct from Rheinbach and through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Grand Rapids (USA), Mexico City, Piracicaba (Brazil), and Xuzhou (China), supplemented by a sales partner network covering roughly 20 additional countries. Revenue is generated from custom-quoted hardware sales, a recurring nutrient/consumables line (over 100 years of production), maintenance and spare-parts services, process consulting, and laboratory/scale-up support — with multi-year industrial equipment contracts anchoring the model.
Frings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Frings
- Legal name
- Heinrich Frings GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://frings.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1878
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Frings is a German industrial technology company founded in 1878 that designs, manufactures, and services fermenters, bioreactors, membrane filtration systems, aeration equipment, and automation for vinegar, biotechnology, food/beverage, chemical, and environmental customers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Frings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Fermentation Equipment
- NAICS
- Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)
- SIC
- General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biological Formulation, Fermentation & Scale-Up Manufacturing (AFABAEAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biofuel Plant EPC, O&M & Process Technology Providers (EUAAAHAK), Fermented/Probiotic Beverage Co-Packing (Kombucha, Kefir, Culture Drinks) (AFAFAIAG)
Keywords
Where Frings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rheinbach
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Frings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Industrial Fermentation Equipment Sales: Sale of fermenters, bioreactors, filtration systems, aeration equipment, and automation systems for vinegar production, biotechnology, food/beverage, chemical, and environmental applications. Includes production plants, laboratory plants, and pilot-scale equipment.
- Nutrient Production: Production and sale of high-quality nutrients for fermentation processes, including ACETOZYM nutrients, BIOZYME, and nutrient salts. Frings has been producing fermentation nutrients for over 100 years.
- Maintenance and Service: Planned maintenance services, spare parts supply, remote maintenance support, and third-party equipment service. Conducted at customer site, Frings technical center in Rheinbach, or via remote support.
- Consulting and Process Optimization: Technical consulting services including plant and process optimization, technology testing, concept studies, investment cost estimation, cost optimization through automation, and operator training.
- Laboratory Services and Scale-up Support: Laboratory services and technical center test facilities for process development and scale-up support from laboratory to industrial production.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom quotation-based pricing for industrial equipment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Frings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Frings designs, manufactures, and services industrial fermentation equipment — including fermenters (ACETATOR), bioreactors (PROREACT), membrane filters (CLEARFLOW), aeration turbines (FRIBORATOR), foam centrifuges (FOAMEX), submersible aerators, automation systems, and fermentation nutrients (ACETOZYM) — for vinegar, biotechnology, food and beverage, chemical, and wastewater treatment customers worldwide. The company also provides scale-up, consulting, and maintenance services.
Product overview
Frings is an international specialist for fermentation technology offering a comprehensive portfolio of process equipment and systems across five industry segments: vinegar technology, biotechnology, food/beverage technology, chemical technology, and environmental technology. The product portfolio centers on bioreactors/fermenters (ACETATOR for vinegar, PROREACT for bioprocess applications), membrane filtration (CLEARFLOW), aeration systems (FRIBORATOR turbines, Submersible Aerators), foam control (FOAMEX), and process automation (ACETOCONTROL, ACETOMAT, ALKOSENS). Supporting equipment includes laboratory analysis instruments (NIR devices), nutrient products (ACETOZYM), and custom special plant engineering. The company provides complete turnkey systems for industrial fermentation, wastewater treatment, and bioprocess applications, from laboratory scale through production-scale facilities with working volumes from a few liters to several hundred thousand liters.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ACETATOR: Fermenter systems for vinegar production including production plants, plants for special vinegars, and laboratory plants
- CLEARFLOW
- PROREACT
- ALCOSENS
- FOAMEX
- FRIBORATOR
- ACETOZYM
- ACETOCONTROL
- ACETOMAT
Products and services
- ACETATOR Fermenter Systems Industrial vinegar fermenters with high-performance aerators for rapid acetic acid fermentation; available in production-scale, specialty-vinegar, and laboratory configurations. Used by industrial vinegar producers worldwide.
- CLEARFLOW Membrane Filtration Systems Crossflow membrane filtration systems for vinegar and bioprocess separation; available in CLEARFLOW P hygienic design for industrial use and CLEARFLOW C for special small-quantity filtration.
- PROREACT Bioreactors Bioreactor lineup including PROREACT P (laboratory/pilot), PROREACT B (production), Seed Train systems, reactors for higher pressures, gas fermentations, and corrosive media. Sold to biotechnology manufacturers.
- Submersible Aerators (TA, TAK, TRG) Submersible aeration units for aerobic wastewater treatment; available in TA, TAK, and TRG variants for different capacity and application requirements. Sold to municipal and industrial wastewater operators.
- PROREACT T Environmental Plants Environmental plant systems for biological wastewater treatment, including mixing/equalizing basins, SBR systems, high-performance reactors, and sludge stabilization units.
- PROREACT C Gas-Liquid Reactors Gas-liquid reactors for chemical engineering applications focused on gas-liquid reaction technology, gas/liquid separation, solid/liquid separation, and miniplant-based system design.
- ACETOCONTROL S7i LOGIC / ACETOMAT S7 LOGIC Automation Systems Automation control systems for vinegar fermentation and bioprocess plants using Siemens S7 logic controllers; enable cost optimization through automation and operator training support.
- ALKOSENS Alcohol Probe Alcohol measurement probe for continuous monitoring of ethanol concentrations during fermentation and vinegar production processes.
- FRIBORATOR Aeration Turbines Aeration turbines (Begasungsturbinen) for gas-liquid mass transfer in fermenters, bioreactors, and wastewater treatment; available in B, TRG, P, and self-priming C configurations.
- FOAMEX Foam Centrifuges Mechanical foam centrifuges for controlling foam formed during aeration in fermentation and wastewater treatment processes.
- ACETOZYM Fermentation Nutrients Proprietary nutrient formulations for vinegar fermentation, including ACETOZYM nutrients, BIOZYME, and nutrient salts; produced with intensive biological and physico-chemical quality control.
- Custom Bioprocess Apparatus and Special Plants Custom-designed bioprocess apparatus and plants for specialized chemical and biotechnology applications, including miniplant technology-based system design scaled from laboratory to production.
- Maintenance, Spare Parts, and Service After-sales services including planned maintenance, spare parts, remote maintenance, and service for third-party equipment, delivered on-site, at Frings' Rheinbach technical center, or remotely.
- Process Consulting and Laboratory/Scale-up Services Technical consulting services including plant and process optimization, technology testing, concept studies, investment cost estimation, cost optimization through automation, operator training, and laboratory services with scale-up support from laboratory to industrial production.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 12,000 submersible aerators sold globally since 1970
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Frings
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Frings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
Frings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FRINGS AMERICA INCcoreWholly-owned subsidiary serving North American markets (USA) from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Provides localized sales, support, and service for Frings products in the region.
- FRINGS S.A. de C.V.coreSubsidiary serving Mexico and Latin American markets from Mexico City. Provides regional sales and customer support.
- FRINGS DO BRASILcoreSubsidiary (Engenharia e Comercio Ltda) serving Brazilian markets from Piracicaba, São Paulo. Provides local sales and engineering support.
- Frings (Xuzhou) Food Machinery & Technology Co., LtdcoreSubsidiary serving Chinese markets from Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province. Provides localized manufacturing, sales, and support for Chinese customers.
- Heinrich Frings AustraliaminorSales partner for Australian market, represented by Helen Sanders. Covers Australia with PO Box in Kensington NSW.
- Frings FranceminorSales partner for French market, represented by Francois-Xavier Denneulin from Cournonterral.
- INDUSTRIA S.A.minorSales partner for Greek market located in Athens.
- Emmel AssociatesminorSales partner for Great Britain and Ireland, represented by Joe O'Rourke.
- Sai Industria doominorSales partner for Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro, represented by Milica Djuric from Belgrade.
- Leybold Co. Ltd.minorSales partner for Japanese market located in Tokyo.
- Biolabor Ltd.minorSales partner for Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador markets, represented by Silke Stimming from Bogotá.
- DAEIL INTERNATIONAL INCminorSales partner for Korean market located in Seoul, represented by JB Lee, YJ Kim, and HC Shin.
- A. J. B. Far EastminorSales partner for Thailand market, represented by F. Bremer from Pathum Thani.
- Systemach Industrial EnterpriseminorSales partner for Philippines market, represented by Pol Alfonso from Makati City.
- Beverage Technologies S.L.minorSales partner for Portugal and Spain markets, located in El Casar de Talamanca, Spain.
- J.C.NiemannminorSales partner for Guatemala market, represented by J.C. Niemann from Guatemala City.
- Peter Mayer C.A.minorSales partner for Venezuela market, represented by Ing Martin Mayer from Caracas.
- Meta Muhendislik Tic. San. Ltd. Sti.minorSales partner for Turkey and Turkic States, represented by Tamer Otuzlu from Izmir.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Frings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- GEA Group: GEA is a major industrial equipment manufacturer serving food, beverage, dairy, and pharmaceutical industries with separation, homogenization, fermentation, and process technology. It overlaps with Frings across food/beverage fermentation and downstream filtration, and competes on turnkey plant capability.
- Bühler Group: Bühler is a Swiss industrial process equipment supplier serving food, feed, and mobility industries, including fermentation and biotechnology processing equipment. It is comparable to Frings as a European-rooted specialist supplier of fermentation and process technology to industrial food and beverage customers.
- Sulzer Ltd.
- Andritz AG:
- Alfa Laval:
Direct peers
- Sartorius AG: Sartorius is a leading global supplier of bioreactors and bioprocess equipment for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. It directly competes with Frings' PROREACT bioreactor line in industrial biotech and shares the same customer base of fermentation process developers.
- Xylem Inc.
- Eppendorf SE:
- Pall Corporation (Danaher):
Emerging players
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Frings social profiles
Digital presenceFrings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Frings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Frings subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Frings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Frings
What does Frings do?
Frings designs, manufactures, and services industrial fermentation equipment — including fermenters (ACETATOR), bioreactors (PROREACT), membrane filters (CLEARFLOW), aeration turbines (FRIBORATOR), foam centrifuges (FOAMEX), submersible aerators, automation systems, and fermentation nutrients (ACETOZYM) — for vinegar, biotechnology, food and beverage, chemical, and wastewater treatment customers worldwide. The company also provides scale-up, consulting, and maintenance services.
Is Frings a public or private company?
Frings is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Frings founded?
Frings was founded in 1878. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Frings based?
Frings is headquartered in Rheinbach, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Frings make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Industrial Fermentation Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are nutrient Production, maintenance and Service, consulting and Process Optimization and laboratory Services and Scale-up Support.
Who are Frings's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are GEA Group, Bühler Group, Sulzer Ltd., Andritz AG and Alfa Laval. Direct peers are Sartorius AG, Xylem Inc., Eppendorf SE and Pall Corporation (Danaher). Aquatech International is listed as an emerging player.
Does Frings have an API?
No public API is recorded for Frings.
What industry is Frings in?
Frings's product category is Industrial Fermentation Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAEAM, Biological Formulation, Fermentation & Scale-Up Manufacturing, with a secondary code of EUAAAHAK, Biofuel Plant EPC, O&M & Process Technology Providers. Its NAICS code is 333241 and its SIC code is 3560.