What HEPRO does

HEPRO GmbH Maschinen- und Spezialgeräte Nahrungsmitteltechnik, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany, designs, manufactures, and distributes professional peeling machines for asparagus and other vegetables. Its core technology is a proprietary horizontal knife-peeling system in which paired knives adapt to the natural contour of each vegetable, an approach that evolved from the founders' first vertical-design ASPA-G1 prototype in 1993. The product portfolio spans entry-level machines (HSM-180 series, HEPRO-1800, HEPRO-1800 XL), industrial-scale asparagus peelers (HSM-3000 XL, HSM-6000 XL, HSM-9000 XL with Eco mode reducing water use up to 78% and IE3-class motors), universal peelers for carrots, cucumbers, radishes, and black salsifies (UP-4000 to UP-8000), the RSS Argyle Pieces Cutter, the "aspara to go" retail appliance, and the "pina to go" pineapple peeler/cutter.

The company generates revenue primarily through hardware sales of these machines, supplemented by equipment rental/leasing arrangements with seasonal billing, service contracts, spare-parts supply, and online service scheduling. Distribution is direct and sales-led, with named regional sales representatives covering Western Germany/Benelux/Spain, Southern Germany/Europe, and a packaging division; trade fairs and a multilingual website serve as additional acquisition channels. HEPRO serves four vertical customer segments: asparagus growers and processors (primary), the broader vegetable processing industry, industrial food processing, and food-service/retail point-of-sale operators. The company self-describes as the market leader in knife peeling technology with a global installed base and was recognized with the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award in 2015. Ownership remains with co-founders Siegfried Hennemeier and Christoph Protte as Managing Directors; the firm operates without external private-equity or strategic-investor backing.

Name

HEPRO

Legal name

HEPRO® GmbH

Website

https://hepro-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HEPRO GmbH, founded 1994 in Germany, designs and manufactures professional asparagus and vegetable peeling machines using proprietary horizontal knife-peeling technology, serving industrial food processors, growers, and food-service retailers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Food Processing Equipment

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)

akta.pro primary industry

Cutting, Peeling & Minimal Processing Equipment (Trimmers, Peelers, Slicers) (AFAAAJAH)

Keywords

• Asparagus peeling machines
• Vegetable processing equipment
• Industrial food machinery
• Knife peeling technology
• Asparagus processing systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Rheda-wiedenbrück

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Peeling Machine Sales: HEPRO develops, produces and distributes professional asparagus and vegetable peeling machines. They sell a range of models from entry-level (HSM-180) to industrial scale (HSM-9000 XL), with various configurations for white/green asparagus and jumbo sizes.
2. Pineapple Processing Equipment: The pina to go product line provides fresh peeled and cut pineapple solutions for point-of-sale applications.
3. Equipment Rental/Leasing: The AGB includes specific rental conditions indicating HEPRO offers equipment rental options with seasonal billing.
4. Service and Spare Parts: Service hotline and spare parts support for existing machines, with online service scheduling.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HEPRO develops, produces, and distributes professional asparagus and vegetable peeling machines for commercial use. The company offers a complete portfolio ranging from entry-level machines (HSM-180) to industrial-scale systems (HSM-9000 XL), plus universal vegetable peelers, pineapple processing equipment, and packaging solutions. The core proprietary technology is a horizontal knife-peeling system where pairs of knives adapt to the natural shape of each vegetable to deliver consistent knife-peeling quality.

Product overview

HEPRO is a specialized manufacturer of professional asparagus and vegetable peeling machines, offering a comprehensive portfolio ranging from entry-level to industrial-scale solutions. The product line includes: (1) HSM series asparagus peelers (HSM-180, HSM-180/ECO, HSM-180/SAP, HSM-180/SAP-MK) for vertical peeling; (2) HEPRO-1800 and HEPRO-1800 XL universal machines bridging entry to professional use; (3) HSM-3000 XL, HSM-6000 XL, and HSM-9000 XL industrial asparagus peeling machines for high-volume white, green, and jumbo asparagus processing; (4) UP series universal peelers (UP-4000, UP-6000, UP-8000) for carrots, cucumbers, radishes, and black salsifies; (5) aspara to go and pina to go portable/small-format peelers; (6) RSS Argyle Pieces Cutter for diamond-shaped vegetable cuts; (7) HSG packaging solutions. The company emphasizes knife-peeling technology with the HEPRO peeling principle that adapts to natural vegetable shapes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• aspara to go: White asparagus peeling machine for retail and convenience applications
• pina to go®
• HEPRO to go

Products and services

• HSM-180 Entry-level asparagus peeling machine for vertical peeling of asparagus with compact footprint. Targeted at smaller commercial asparagus operations.
• HSM-180/ECO Economy variant of the HSM-180 asparagus peeling machine with optimized energy consumption for cost-conscious operators.
• HSM-180/SAP Special asparagus peeling variant with SAP configuration for specific processing requirements in commercial operations.
• HSM-180/SAP-MK Modified SAP variant with MK configuration for enhanced processing capabilities in asparagus peeling operations.
• aspara to go Portable asparagus peeling solution for white, green, and jumbo asparagus with on-the-go convenience for retail and food service applications.
• HEPRO-1800 Entry-level universal peeling machine bridging vertical and industrial peeling technologies for small to medium commercial operations.
• HEPRO-1800 XL Versatile universal peeling machine suitable for soup and jumbo asparagus from 8-36 mm, offering enhanced flexibility across multiple asparagus varieties.
• HSM-3000 XL Professional industrial asparagus peeling machine for white, green, and jumbo asparagus with expanded capacity for medium-scale processors.
• HSM-6000 XL High-capacity industrial asparagus peeling machine for large-scale white, green, and jumbo asparagus processing operations.
• HSM-9000 XL Worldwide innovation in industrial asparagus peeling with expanded peeling range (8-36 mm, +17%), flexibility for asparagus up to 250 mm, Eco mode (up to 78% water reduction), IE3 gear motors, and open design for easy cleaning. Processes up to 5,000 pieces per hour.
• UP-4000 Universal peeling machine for processing various vegetables including carrots, cucumbers, radishes, and black salsifies in commercial operations.
• UP-6000 Mid-range universal peeling machine for diverse vegetable processing applications including carrots, cucumbers, radishes, and black salsifies.
• UP-8000 High-capacity universal peeling machine for industrial vegetable processing at scale across multiple vegetable types.
• pina to go Pineapple peeling and cutting machine that cores, peels, and cuts fresh pineapple into slices or pieces in 20 seconds with output up to 180 pcs/h. Features 230V/50Hz connection, 0.75 kW system voltage, and personalized design options for food service and retail point-of-sale applications.
• RSS - Argyle Pieces Cutter Cutting machine for producing diamond-shaped asparagus pieces from white and green asparagus. Handles diameters 8-32 mm, lengths from 80 mm, with performance up to 5,000 pieces per hour.
• HSG - Packaging Packaging solutions for freshly peeled vegetables designed to maintain convenience and freshness at point-of-sale.
• Desinfektions-Spender Hygiene equipment for hand disinfection in food processing environments, supporting food safety protocols.

Quantifiable outcome

• Water consumption reduced by up to 78% with Eco mode
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Turatti Group: Italian manufacturer of food processing machinery including peeling, cutting, and washing lines for fruits and vegetables. Direct competitor to HEPRO in industrial produce processing equipment, with overlapping customer base in European vegetable and asparagus processors.
• ProEx Food srl: Italian producer of fruit and vegetable processing machinery including peelers, dicers, and sorting equipment. Direct peer to HEPRO in industrial vegetable peeling with overlapping product categories and customer profiles.
• Eillert B.V. Dutch specialist in vegetable processing and peeling equipment, comparable in scale to HEPRO and serving overlapping European asparagus and root vegetable processing customers.
• FTNON (JBT Fresh Produce Technologies): Specialized supplier of fresh produce processing equipment (including peeling, cutting, washing) for fruits and vegetables, now part of JBT Corporation. Closely comparable to HEPRO's industrial asparagus and vegetable peeling systems and competing for the same large processor accounts.
• Wyma Engineering: New Zealand-based designer and manufacturer of vegetable processing equipment, including peeling, washing, and grading systems. Comparable to HEPRO's vegetable peeling machines and active in similar fresh-produce / packhouse segments globally.
• KRONEN GmbH: German manufacturer of salad, vegetable, and fruit processing machinery headquartered in Kehl. Direct competitor to HEPRO, offering washing, cutting, peeling, and drying lines for the fresh-cut and industrial vegetable processing sectors that HEPRO also targets.
• Sormac BV: Dutch manufacturer of vegetable processing machinery including peeling, cutting, and washing equipment for industrial processors. Direct competitor to HEPRO in the European vegetable/peeling equipment market, serving similar asparagus and vegetable processor customers with comparable industrial peeling systems.

Broad incumbents

• JBT Corporation: Global US-headquartered supplier of industrial food processing and packaging equipment with broad portfolio spanning fresh produce, meat, and beverage lines. Larger, multi-line incumbent that competes with HEPRO at the high end of industrial vegetable peeling and processing accounts.
• CFT Group (Pavan): Italian-headquartered group offering processing lines for vegetables, fruits, and prepared foods. Competes with HEPRO in industrial vegetable handling equipment while also serving much larger food processing customers with broader line solutions.
• TOMRA Group: Norway-headquartered technology company dominant in sorting and increasingly active in food processing and peeling equipment for fresh produce. A much larger incumbent operating broadly across food processing versus HEPRO's specialized knife-peeling focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/heprogmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hepro-gmbh-nahrungsmitteltechnik

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 HEPRO