Krifft & Zipsner

What Krifft & Zipsner does

Krifft & Zipsner GmbH is a privately held, owner-managed German industrial machinery manufacturer founded in May 1993 by Klaus Zipsner and headquartered in Steinebach/Sieg, Germany. The company designs and produces pile turners (Stapelwender), conveyor and material-handling systems (Fördertechnik), facility/plant engineering (Anlagenkonstruktion), and custom control cabinets and panels (Steuerungsbau) for the global printing and packaging industry. Its logistics systems are engineered to enable fully automatic operation — including Non-Stop modes — of printing presses, die-cutters, laminators, folder gluers, and cross-cutting machinery, addressing manual handling of heavy paper and cardboard piles, dust removal, pallet exchange, and pile alignment for continuous high-speed production.

The company operates with high vertical integration across three production sites in Steinebach/Sieg, covering sawing, welding, painting, mechanical CNC processing, and in-house electrical manufacturing, and holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and UL certifications. Its commercial model is project-based one-time machinery sales supplemented by service and support contracts, sold direct from the German headquarters and through six regional sales-and-service partners covering North America (K n Z Services Inc.), Eastern Europe (NAVETECH), Africa (Beswick Machinery), Benelux (Box-Office), UK (WEKO UK), and France/Benelux (Patrick Borgions). Named OEM relationships with Bobst, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, Koenig & Bauer, Manroland Sheetfed, and Stock Maschinenbau are central to the go-to-market, and the company has delivered more than 2,500 machines and conveyor systems worldwide over its 30-year history while employing over 175 people.

Name

Krifft & Zipsner

Legal name

Krifft & Zipsner GmbH

Website

https://krifft-zipsner.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Krifft & Zipsner GmbH is a German manufacturer of pile turners, conveyor systems, plant engineering, and custom control cabinets serving global printing and packaging OEMs and end customers, with 175+ employees across three Steinebach/Sieg production sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Printing and Packaging Automation Machinery

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging Line Automation, Robotics & Integration (Controls, Turnkey Lines) (IMALAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

End-of-Line Integration & Packaging Line Systems (IMAHAOAN), Conveying, Feeding & Accumulation Systems (Packaging Lines) (IMAHAOAK)

Keywords

• Pile turner machines
• Conveyor technology systems
• Printing industry automation
• Packaging machinery logistics
• Control cabinet engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Steinebach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

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. Industrial Machinery Sales: Sale of pile turners, conveyor systems, and related industrial equipment. Custom-built machines for printing and packaging industry with varying specifications based on customer requirements.
2. Plant Engineering and Construction: Planning and implementation of complete production facilities and logistics systems for automated production halls.
3. Control Systems and Electrical Manufacturing: Custom control cabinets and control panels built to customer specifications for automation and control of production machinery.
4. Service and Support: Service hotline and technical support for installed systems with extended operating hours including weekends.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Krifft & Zipsner GmbH designs, manufactures and integrates industrial automation machinery — including pile turners (Stapelwender), conveyor technology (Fördertechnik), facility/system design (Anlagenkonstruktion) and electrical control cabinet engineering (Steuerungsbau) — for printing and packaging machinery OEMs. The company delivers customized material-handling and line-integration solutions on a project-by-project basis, complemented by an after-sales service organization.

Product overview

Krifft & Zipsner is a manufacturer of industrial machinery for the printing and packaging industry, offering a portfolio of four integrated product lines. The core products are Stapelwender (pile turners) for turning, shaking, and aerating printed sheets, and Fördertechnik (conveyor technology) encompassing roller conveyors, chain conveyors, plastic belt conveyors, turntables, and related material handling equipment. These core products are complemented by Anlagenkonstruktion (facility design/plant engineering) for planning complete automated production facilities, and Steuerungsbau (control engineering) for custom control cabinets and panels. The products work together as an integrated logistics system enabling fully automatic operation of printing machines, die cutters, laminators, and folder gluers, including Non-Stop operation modes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stapelwender (Pile Turners) Industrial pile turners (Stapelwender) that rotate, lift and re-orient stacks of printed sheets, boards or blanks in printing and packaging lines. Designed for integration into press lines and finishing operations of printing-press OEMs such as Bobst AG, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, Koenig & Bauer and Manroland.
• Fördertechnik (Conveyor Technology) Custom-engineered conveyor systems (Fördertechnik) for sheet, stack and pallet transport between press, finishing and packaging stations. Designed and built to customer-specific line layouts for printing and packaging OEM customers.
• Anlagenkonstruktion (Facility / Plant Design) End-to-end plant and facility design (Anlagenkonstruktion) covering layout, mechanical integration and infrastructure planning for new or refurbished printing and packaging production lines. Sold to OEMs and large industrial customers undertaking line modernization or greenfield builds.
• Steuerungsbau (Control Cabinet Engineering) In-house electrical control cabinet engineering and build (Steuerungsbau), including PLC-based automation hardware design, wiring, and integration with the firm's mechanical and conveyor systems. Sourced as a standalone engineering service or as part of integrated machine deliveries by printing-press OEMs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,500 machines and conveyor systems delivered since founding
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• Bobst AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBobst AG is one of the world's leading suppliers of equipment and services to packaging and label manufacturers. Krifft & Zipsner works closely with Bobst providing conveyor and logistics systems for their equipment.
• Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeidelberger Druckmaschinen AG is a precision mechanical engineering company and globally leading manufacturer of sheet offset printing machines. Krifft & Zipsner provides integrated logistics systems for Heidelberg presses.
• Koenig & Bauer AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKoenig & Bauer is the world's oldest press manufacturer with the broadest product range in the industry. Krifft & Zipsner supplies conveyor and handling systems as a key supplier.
• Manroland SheetfedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManroland Sheetfed supplies systems for high-quality packaging, commercial and label printing, represented in over 90 countries. Long-standing partnership for integrated material handling solutions.
• Stock Maschinenbau GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStock Maschinenbau develops and manufactures machines for economical manufacture of packaging and advertising media, and is one of the globally leading manufacturers for laminating machinery.
• K n Z Services Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorth American sales and service partner representing Krifft & Zipsner in USA, Canada, and Mexico. Contact: Axel Conrads based in Warrenville, IL.
• NAVETECH s.r.o.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEastern Europe sales and service partner. Contact: Tomáš Hejzlar based in Řitka u Prahy, Czech Republic.
• Beswick Machinery (Pty) LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfrica sales and service partner. Contact: Bruce Beswick based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• Box-Office / Patrick BorgionsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBenelux and France sales and service partner. Contact: Patrick Borgions based in Belgium.
• WEKO UK Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreat Britain sales and service partner. Contact based in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, UK.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BOBST: Global leader in packaging and label converting equipment for folding carton, corrugated, and flexible materials. BOBST is both a customer (OEM buyer of K&Z conveyor and pile handling systems) and an adjacent competitor in the broader packaging line automation space, with its own automation and integration capabilities.
• Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG: World-leading manufacturer of sheet offset printing presses and a key OEM customer of K&Z. Operates a broad equipment portfolio in commercial printing and packaging, with overlap in line automation and material handling solutions.
• Koenig & Bauer AG: World's oldest press manufacturer with the broadest product range in printing, including packaging and sheet-fed presses. A long-standing OEM partner of K&Z for integrated logistics systems.
• Manroland Sheetfed GmbH: Manufacturer of sheet-fed offset presses for packaging, commercial, and label printing, with global footprint in 90+ countries. A long-standing OEM partner of K&Z for integrated material handling solutions.

Direct peers

• Stock Maschinenbau GmbH: Global leader in laminating machinery for packaging and advertising media, and a core OEM partner of K&Z. Highly comparable as a specialized German industrial machinery producer in the printing/packaging supply chain.
• Kolbus GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of bookbinding and packaging machinery with similar specialization in industrial-scale automation and conveyor systems for printing-related workflows. Comparable family-owned mid-market industrial machinery producer with custom-engineered solutions.
• Bäumer GmbH & Co. KG: German family-owned industrial machinery manufacturer serving printing, packaging, and foam converting with specialized equipment and plant engineering. Comparable mid-sized niche industrial machinery peer with similar customer profile and project-based business model.
• Polar-Mohr Maschinenvertriebsgesellschaft GmbH: German specialist in paper cutting and print finishing machinery with integrated material handling and conveyor automation. Highly comparable niche industrial machinery business with global sales reach and OEM-like customer relationships in the printing industry.
• Perfecta Schmid & Wezel GmbH: Manufacturer of cutting and finishing machinery for the printing industry, including automated material handling solutions. Directly comparable as a specialized German mid-market industrial machinery supplier serving print and packaging converters.

Emerging players

• ATS Corporation: Global provider of custom automation solutions for industrial customers, including material handling and line integration. Comparable on the integration/automation services side of K&Z's business, particularly for outsourced full-line design and build projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Krifft & Zipsner