What Sheppee does

Sheppee International Limited, headquartered in Elvington, York (UK), designs and manufactures hot end ware handling equipment for the glass container manufacturing industry. Founded in 1907 and reorganized as Sheppee International Limited following a 1993 management buyout after 1992 receivership, the company was acquired by Rondot Group in 2014 and now operates within the RISE Groupe structure formed in 2016. Sheppee has specialized exclusively in hot end glass container handling equipment since the 1920s, building servo-driven conveyors, lehr loaders, pushbars, transfer drives, and transfer units designed for high-speed production lines capable of exceeding 1,000 bottles per minute. Its product range addresses container formats from pharmaceutical vials and cosmetic containers to the largest champagne bottles, and is sold either as individual components or as complete Ware Handling packages. The R&D and training facility at Elvington supports customer trials and bottle testing prior to equipment purchase.

The company's commercial model is built on quote-based equipment sales backed by a 24/7 customer support operation, an authenticated spare parts portal with quick delivery, on-site installation and commissioning services, and free-of-charge training at the Elvington facility. Go-to-market relies on direct field sales via Regional Sales Directors visiting enterprise customers globally, supplemented by participation in major industry trade shows such as Glasstec. Customer roster includes several of the world's largest glass container producers — Ardagh, Saint-Gobain, Verallia, Stölzle, AGI Glasspac, Allied Glass, BA-Vidro, Piramal, Vical, and Glaswerk Ernstthal GmbH — alongside named testimonials and case studies highlighting improved lehr-in ratios, bottle stability, and downtime reduction.

Sheppee's operational footprint spans at least ten countries across the UK, continental Europe, South America, East Asia, South Asia, Africa, North America, and the Middle East. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications and was awarded an Ecovadis Silver Top 15% sustainability rating in September 2025, alongside its 2013 Queen's Award for International Trade and prior York regional trade awards. With a headcount in the 11-50 range and proprietary in-house CNC machining, CAD design, and electronic/mechanical engineering teams, Sheppee operates as a focused niche industrial equipment specialist within a larger diversified group.

Name

Sheppee

Legal name

Sheppee International Limited

Website

https://sheppee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sheppee International Limited is a UK-based manufacturer of hot end ware handling equipment for the global glass container industry, supplying servo-driven conveyors, lehr loaders, pushbars, transfer drives, and transfer units to enterprise producers including Ardagh, Saint-Gobain, and Verallia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Glass Container Manufacturing Equipment

NAICS

Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336)

akta.pro primary industry

Warehouse Storage & Racking Systems (Pallet Racking, Shelving, Mezzanines) (IMAHABAD)

Keywords

• Glass container equipment
• Hot end ware handling
• Lehr loaders
• Glass conveyors
• Ware transfer systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Elvington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of hot end ware handling equipment including conveyors, lehr loaders, pushbars, transfer drives, and transfers. Equipment can be purchased as individual components or complete ware handling packages.
2. Spare Parts: Stocking and supplying spare parts for all machines, with quick delivery options. Customers can book items for repair through support team.
3. Professional Services: Installation and commissioning services, on-site training, technical audits, and 24/7 support services.
4. Training Services: Classroom theoretical training combined with practical sessions at customer facilities or on-site at customer premises. Dedicated training facility at Elvington provides quiet environment for training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sheppee International Limited designs, manufactures, and supplies hot end ware handling equipment for the glass container and tableware industries. The product portfolio spans cross conveyors, servo-driven lehr loaders, pushbars, transfer drives, and transfer units capable of handling containers from the smallest pharmaceutical vials to the largest champagne bottles. The company also provides spare parts, installation, commissioning, training, and 24/7 technical support as part of its offering.

Product overview

Sheppee International Limited is a world leader in hot end ware handling solutions for the glass container manufacturing industry, supplying innovative and dependable equipment for both container and tableware industries. The product portfolio consists of five core product categories: (1) Cross Conveyors (CCA/1250, CCA/1200) for hot container conveying between production stages; (2) Lehr Loaders (Speedliner65, Speedliner55, TriFlexS, TRIFLEX REM, MRS-9000-REM) - a range of servo-driven loaders for loading containers into annealing lehrs; (3) Pushbars (ALP Airless, STK/9400) for transferring containers between conveyor sections; (4) Transfer Drives (ITS-1000, ITD-8250) providing synchronized drive systems for transfers; and (5) Transfer Units (AWT-2200, VFT-2000, SWT-2000, PT-1000, HST-6000-HW, HST-6000, FT-7000, AWT-2000, AWTS-1000) covering fractional, parallel, and high-speed transfers for pharmaceutical containers to champagne bottles. Equipment is available as individual components or complete Ware Handling packages, with Spare Parts available for all machines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CCA/1250 Cross Conveyor Cross conveyor system for hot glass container handling in the glass manufacturing process; moves hot ware between production stages on high-speed container lines.
• CCA/1200 Cross Conveyor Cross conveyor system for hot glass container handling, successor to the CCA/1100 model.
• Speedliner65 Lehr Loader High-speed servo-driven lehr loader for loading glass containers into annealing lehrs.
• Speedliner55 Lehr Loader Servo-driven lehr loader for loading glass containers into annealing lehrs.
• TriFlexS Lehr Loader Advanced flexible lehr loader system for versatile glass container handling.
• TRIFLEX REM Lehr Loader Remote-controlled lehr loader for loading glass containers with enhanced operational flexibility.
• MRS-9000-REM Lehr Loader Remote-controlled multi-row servo lehr loader system for high-volume glass production.
• ALP Airless Pushbar Airless pushbar system for transferring glass containers between conveyor sections.
• STK/9400 Pushbar Pushbar system for transferring glass containers, designed for high-speed production lines.
• ITS-1000 Transfer Drive Independent transfer drive system for synchronized control of container transfers.
• ITD-8250 Transfer Drive High-capacity independent transfer drive for industrial glass container handling.
• AWT-2200 Transfer Unit Advanced ware transfer unit for handling glass containers at high production speeds.
• VFT-2000 Transfer Unit Versatile fractional transfer unit for glass container handling.
• SWT-2000 Transfer Unit Side-wall transfer unit for glass containers.
• PT-1000 Transfer Unit Parallel transfer unit for handling pharmaceutical and cosmetic containers.
• HST-6000-HW Heavy Ware Transfer Unit High-speed transfer unit designed for heavy ware handling, including large format containers.
• HST-6000 Transfer Unit High-speed transfer unit for glass container production lines.
• FT-7000 Transfer Unit Fractional transfer unit for small glass container handling.
• AWT-2000 Transfer Unit Advanced ware transfer unit for standard glass container production.
• AWTS-1000 Transfer Unit Advanced ware transfer with synchronization for high-speed production.
• Spare Parts Supply Replacement parts and components stocked for all Sheppee ware handling equipment, with quick delivery available to global customers.
• Installation, Commissioning and Training Services Professional services including equipment installation and commissioning, classroom and on-site training at Sheppee's Elvington facility or customer premises, technical audits, and 24/7 customer support for glass manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production speeds over 1000 bottles per minute achievable
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• RISE GroupecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Rondot Groupe merged with IS Engineering in 2016 to form RISE Groupe. This brought together complementary expertise in the glass industry equipment sector. Sheppee operates within the RISE Groupe structure, which includes multiple companies in the glass manufacturing equipment space.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Putsch Group: German industrial group serving the glass industry with equipment and components, including material handling and processing machinery. Direct comparable in customer base and industrial equipment category.
• Bucher Emhart Glass: World's largest supplier of glass container manufacturing equipment, offering forming machines, hot end handling, and inspection systems. Direct overlap with Sheppee in the hot end equipment category but at substantially greater scale and a much broader portfolio.
• Tiama: Supplier of inspection, quality control, and process equipment to the glass container industry, with a strong presence in hot end. Adjacent but overlapping offering versus Sheppee's hot end ware handling portfolio.
• AGR International: Provider of glass container quality assurance and process control equipment to global container manufacturers. Comparable customer base and direct overlap on equipment sold into glass container production lines.
• Heye International: German-based supplier of glass container production technology, including forming and handling equipment. Closely comparable to Sheppee in serving the same global glass container manufacturers with complementary process equipment.
• Bottero: Italian manufacturer of machinery for glass container and hollow glass production, including forming and handling lines. Competes with Sheppee for hot end equipment orders at the same tier-1 glass container customers.
• GPS Glasproduktions-Service: Specialist in hot end services, equipment, and modernisation for glass container manufacturers. Closest niche competitor to Sheppee's hot end ware handling focus, including conveyor and lehr loader capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Bystronic Glass: Global supplier of machinery and services for glass processing, particularly in architectural and automotive glass. Operates in the wider glass machinery space with adjacent rather than direct overlap with Sheppee's container focus.
• Sorg: German supplier of glass melting furnaces and complete glass plants, serving the same global container and tableware manufacturers as Sheppee. Comparable customer base but a different point in the production process.
• Rondot Group: Parent company of Sheppee and broader industrial group specialising in hot end glass handling equipment. Overlaps with Sheppee's product domain but operates at the group level across multiple subsidiaries and product lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Sheppee