Mepaco

What Mepaco does

Mepaco is a U.S.-based food processing equipment manufacturer operating as a brand and division of Apache Stainless Equipment Corporation, headquartered in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Founded in 1930, the company designs and builds custom-engineered stainless steel processing equipment — including grinders, mixers, cookers, pump feeders, dumpers, belt conveyors, lifts, and vacuum stuffers — for enterprise and mid-market food processors across six vertical industries: baking/confectionery/snack, dairy, fruits/vegetables, meat/poultry, pet food, and prepared foods. Its flagship product, the ThermaBlend® Industrial Cooker, anchors a portfolio that also includes the Cluster Breaker for IQF frozen vegetable processing and the Pallet Breaker, which has gained traction among large pet food processors. In 2024, the company launched the Validation Lab, a state-of-the-art processing research and testing facility for recipe validation, control optimization, and Factory Acceptance Tests.

The business model is built on direct enterprise field sales of custom-engineered equipment, integrated turnkey processing systems, aftermarket parts and components (belt conveyors, stainless totes, racking), and a dedicated service division (Mepaco Service) for industrial maintenance, repair, and optimization. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to customer specifications, consistent with industrial equipment norms, with no publicly listed standard price tiers. The company operates from a single Wisconsin facility within the 100% employee-owned Apache Stainless corporate structure alongside sister divisions (Vessel Solutions, Service 360, Contract Manufacturing, Finishing Services, Transport). GTM is B2B direct, combining an application engineering consultative sales motion with validation services and trade show presence. No external institutional investors, public listing, or funding rounds are indicated in the source material.

Name

Mepaco

Legal name

Mepaco

Website

https://mepaco.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mepaco is a Wisconsin-based, employee-owned manufacturer of custom stainless steel food processing equipment — including grinders, mixers, cookers, pump feeders, and integrated systems — serving enterprise and mid-market food processors across meat, dairy, produce, pet food, and prepared foods verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaver Dam

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of custom and standard food processing equipment including cookers, mixers, grinders, conveyors, and pumping systems. Equipment is engineered and built to customer specifications for demanding food processing environments.
2. Integrated Systems: Sale of fully engineered food processing lines combining equipment, controls, and sanitary design as complete turnkey solutions.
3. Parts and Components: Replacement parts and auxiliary equipment including belt conveyors, stainless totes, and racking for ongoing maintenance and equipment support.
4. Service and Support: Mepaco Service division provides industrial service and support for equipment maintenance, repair, and optimization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mepaco designs, manufactures, and sells custom-engineered stainless steel food processing equipment, including industrial cookers, mixers, grinders, pump feeders, material handling systems, and fully integrated processing lines. The company serves food processors across meat/poultry, dairy, fruits/vegetables, prepared foods, pet food, and baking/confectionery/snack sectors with engineered solutions supported by a Validation Lab for recipe testing and Factory Acceptance Tests.

Product overview

Mepaco is a food processing equipment brand under Apache Stainless, offering a comprehensive portfolio of industrial stainless-steel processing equipment. The portfolio spans four main equipment categories: Processing Equipment (including the flagship ThermaBlend Industrial Cooker, Mixer-Cookers, Industrial Mixer-Blenders, Industrial Mixer-Grinders, and Size Reduction Equipment), Pumping Equipment (Pump Feeders, Vacuum Sausage Stuffers, and PosiFlo Automatic Chub Loaders), Material Handling Equipment (Dumper Equipment, Screw Conveyor Systems, and Lifts), and Auxiliary Equipment. The company also offers Integrated Systems that combine equipment, controls, and sanitary design into complete engineered food processing lines. A Validation Lab provides customers with recipe validation, control optimization, and Factory Acceptance Testing capabilities. Mepaco serves diverse food processing industries including meat, poultry, dairy, fruits and vegetables, prepared foods, pet food, and baking/confectionery/snack sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ThermaBlend®: Industrial cooker product line, the flagship processing equipment of Mepaco for advanced cooking, mixing, and formulation performance.

Products and services

• ThermaBlend Industrial Cooker The flagship industrial cooker that delivers advanced cooking, mixing, and formulation performance for food processors, helping improve yield, quality, uptime, and throughput through rugged design and precision control.
• Mixer-Cooker Industrial cooking and mixing equipment designed for food processing applications requiring precise temperature control and consistent blending.
• Industrial Mixer-Blender Heavy-duty mixing and blending equipment for food processing operations requiring uniform consistency and thorough ingredient integration.
• Industrial Mixer-Grinder

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved yield, quality, uptime, and throughput
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: GEA is a global food processing equipment major with deep coverage of meat, dairy, and prepared foods processing lines. It competes with Mepaco on integrated processing systems and separators, but with a global service footprint and broader product portfolio.
• SPX FLOW: SPX FLOW provides pumps, mixers, and processing equipment for food, dairy, and beverage customers globally. It overlaps with Mepaco on pumping equipment and sanitary processing, though SPX serves a broader industrial base beyond food.
• ProMach: ProMach is a large diversified packaging and processing equipment manufacturer serving food, beverage, and other industries. It overlaps with Mepaco on processing and material handling equipment but operates at much greater scale across many more product categories and geographies.
• Marel: Marel is an Icelandic-headquartered global leader in food processing equipment, particularly for meat and poultry. It overlaps with Mepaco on grinding, mixing, and integrated processing lines but with full international service and digital offerings.
• JBT Corporation: JBT Marel is a leading global supplier of food processing solutions for meat, poultry, and prepared foods, with full-line capabilities in mixing, cooking, and portioning. It directly competes with Mepaco on protein processing equipment but at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Vemag: Vemag is a German manufacturer specializing in vacuum stuffers, portioners, and sausage filling equipment. It directly competes with Mepaco's Vacuum Sausage Stuffer and chub-loading product lines in meat and prepared foods processors.
• Heat and Control: Heat and Control designs and manufactures custom food processing and packaging equipment for meat, poultry, snacks, and prepared foods. It is a close peer to Mepaco on custom-engineered cooking, conveying, and integrated systems sold to enterprise food processors.
• Reiser: Reiser supplies custom-engineered processing, packaging, and portioning equipment for meat, poultry, and prepared foods, including vacuum stuffers and forming equipment. It is a direct competitor to Mepaco on sausage stuffing and protein processing lines.
• Hollymatic: Hollymatic manufactures food processing equipment focused on meat, including grinders, mixers, patty formers, and vacuum stuffers. It is a direct peer to Mepaco on protein processing equipment, particularly for mid-market and smaller processors.
• Marlen International: Marlen is a custom manufacturer of stainless steel food processing equipment including pumps, grinders, and stuffing equipment. It directly competes with Mepaco on pumping, grinding, and sausage stuffing products for meat and prepared foods processors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mepacoequipment
• Facebookfacebook.com/mepacomanufacturing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Mepaco