Kerner
Kerner Maschinenbau is a German manufacturer of agricultural soil-cultivation machinery — ultra-flat cultivators, disc harrows, star-wheel cultivators, residue crushers, and front packers — sold to commercial farmers across ten European countries via regional sales managers and country distributors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersAislingen, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kerner does
Kerner Maschinenbau GmbH, doing business as Kerner, is a German privately held manufacturer of agricultural soil-cultivation equipment headquartered in Aislingen, Bavaria. Founded on January 1, 1999 by Josef Kerner — whose original Schollencracker invention addressed the sticky soils of the Danube plain — the company has operated continuously for over 20 years and is currently led by Managing Director Tobias Kerner. Its core product portfolio spans five families of mounted and semi-mounted implements: ultra-flat cultivators (Stratos S4, S6, SA), residue crushers (X-Cut Solo), short disc harrows (Helix), star-wheel cultivators (Corona, Ventos, X4), and front packers (TORON, launched in 2025). The portfolio is unified by shared modular components — quick-change share systems (Connect 40), the Helix disc arrangement for side-draft-free work, and a double-frame concept — that enable whole-area cutting at very shallow working depths for mechanical weed control and conservation tillage.
The company sells exclusively to professional/commercial farmers and agricultural contractors via a two-tier European channel: six regional sales managers (Gebietsleiter) covering named German territories, supported by country-specific distribution partners across Austria, Poland, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Sweden, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. The company also operates a Dickson Kerner sub-brand distributing Variofield hoeing technology for mechanical row-crop weed control. Pricing is quote-based per configured unit; customers can use an online configurator for product specification but receive final pricing through dealer or direct sales contact. The company employs 51-100 people, operates a single manufacturing site established in 1999, and is positioned around "Bavarian quality" branding in German-speaking markets.
Kerner firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kerner
- Legal name
- Kerner Maschinenbau GmbH
- Website
- https://kerner-maschinenbau.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Kerner Maschinenbau is a German manufacturer of agricultural soil-cultivation machinery — ultra-flat cultivators, disc harrows, star-wheel cultivators, residue crushers, and front packers — sold to commercial farmers across ten European countries via regional sales managers and country distributors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kerner industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Machinery
- NAICS
- Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111), Agricultural Implement Manufacturing (33311)
- SIC
- Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tillage & Soil Preparation Equipment (Plows, Harrows, Cultivators, Subsoilers) (AFAAAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Residue & Straw Management (Choppers, Spreaders, Windrowers) (AFAAAEAF)
Keywords
Where Kerner is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aislingen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kerner business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Agricultural machinery sales: Sale of soil cultivation equipment including ultra-flat cultivators, disc harrows, tine harrows, and front packers. Products are available in various sizes and configurations with customizable options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Custom configurable machinery with quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Kerner product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kerner Maschinenbau develops, produces, and sells soil cultivation machinery for the agricultural sector. Its product range includes ultra-flat cultivators (Stratos series), residue crushing implements (X-Cut Solo), short disc harrows (Helix), star wheel cultivators (Corona, Ventos, X4), and front packers (TORON). Equipment is sold in configurable variants to commercial farmers across Europe for stubble cultivation, seedbed preparation, residue shredding, and mechanical weed control.
Product overview
Kerner Maschinenbau is a manufacturer of agricultural soil cultivation equipment based in Aislingen, Germany. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of implements organized into five main product categories: (1) Ultra-flat cultivators (Stratos S4, Stratos S6, Stratos SA) for shallow full-surface tillage and seedbed preparation; (2) Residue crushing solutions (X-Cut Solo series) for shredding crop residues like corn and rapeseed stubble; (3) Short disc harrows (Helix series) for side-draft-free shallow cultivation; (4) Star wheel cultivators (Corona, Ventos, X4) marketed as versatile tillage tools for shallow to deep work with various roller options; and (5) Front packers (TORON) for active front weight providing crumbling and recompaction. The product line is modular with configurable options including various share types, rollers (Crackerwalze, Universal sand roller, tube roller), and accessories. Additionally, through the Dickson Kerner partnership, the company offers Variofield hoeing technology for mechanical weed control.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stratos S4 450, 500 Four-bar ultra-flat tillage implement for three-point hitch, enabling full-surface shallow soil cultivation and seedbed preparation. Features hydraulic depth adjustment, gauge wheels, and a choice of rigid or spring tines. Designed for commercial farming operations.
- Stratos S6 450, 500 Six-bar three-point ultra-flat cultivator without roller, ideal for shallow full-surface tillage to achieve mechanical removal of crop residues and weeds without recompaction. For commercial farmers.
- Stratos SA 500, 600, 750 Mounted ultra-flat cultivator with integrated roller for intensive shredding and mixing of harvest residues, precise tillage, and optimal recompaction with good crumbling in a single pass. For commercial farming operations.
- X-Cut Solo 300 Residue crushing solution for shredding organic mass such as corn, rapeseed stubble, or cover crops. Can be used front or rear, solo or in combination with cultivators or disc harrows. For commercial farmers.
- X-Cut Solo 450, 500, 600, 750 Folding version of the residue crushing solution for shredding organic mass such as corn, rapeseed stubble, or cover crops, with working widths from 450 to 750 cm. For commercial farming operations.
- Helix 300 Short disc harrow featuring side-draft-free operation due to special disc arrangement and geometry. Equipped with standard pre-roller harrow and various roller systems for shallow, fast organic soil cultivation. For commercial farmers.
- Helix 450, 550 Folding short disc harrow with side-draft-free operation, high own weight for secure soil penetration, and various roller options for versatile shallow tillage. For commercial farming operations.
- Helix HA 500, 600, 800 Semi-mounted short disc harrow allowing turning on the roller, with effective working widths up to 8.1 meters. For commercial farming operations.
- Corona 250, 300 Star wheel cultivator (Sternradgrubber) marketed as the 'Swiss Army knife' of cultivators. Versatile for shallow or deep work, with or without recompaction, featuring quick-change systems for shares and roller. For commercial farmers.
- Corona 450, 500 Folding star wheel cultivator with three-bar configuration and 300mm row spacing. Versatile for shallow or deep work with quick-change systems for shares and roller. For commercial farming operations.
- Ventos 390, 450, 510 Semi-mounted star wheel cultivator with compact design for optimal maneuverability on small structured areas. Features homogeneous share distribution for side-draft-free work and Connect 40 quick-change share system. For commercial farmers.
- X4 460, 520, 570, 620 Star wheel cultivator setting standards in modern tillage. Performs shallow full-surface stubble cultivation, deep loosening, and precise seedbed preparation as standard features. Four-bar design with 270mm row spacing. For commercial farming operations.
- TORON 250, 300, 350 Front packer (active front weight) combining crumbling, leveling, and recompaction in one unit for optimal seedbed preparation. Features integrated steering head, roller with cutting system, adjustable pre-tools, and variable ballast. For commercial farming operations.
- Variofield Hoeing Technology (Dickson Kerner) Hoeing technology products including Variofield hoeing devices and messerwalze (blade roller) for mechanical weed control in row crops. For commercial farming operations.
Companies that use Kerner
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Kerner technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Kerner partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Christian HühncoreRegional sales manager (Gebietsleiter) covering Kerner sales in assigned territory with responsibility for partner coordination and customer support
- Cord RütercoreRegional sales representative located in Hille, Germany, providing local sales support and customer coordination
- Jürgen GerstmeiercoreSales representative providing support for Kerner products in assigned German territory
- Lars AderholdcoreRegional sales representative based in Am Ohmberg, Germany
- Urban Landmaschinen GmbHcoreAgricultural machinery dealer in Rimbach, Germany handling sales and spare parts
- Andreas HoffmanncoreRegional sales representative based in Denklingen, Germany
- Andreas SpitzercoreDistribution partner for Austria covering Hollenthon area
- KarchexcoreDistribution partner for Poland located in Cieszkow
- Alphatec SAcoreDistribution partner for Switzerland located in Mathod
- Jean-Sebastian GisbertcoreDistribution representative for France covering Saint-Memmie area
- Packo NVcoreDistribution partner for Belgium located in Zedelgem
- AximacoreDistribution partner for Sweden located in Grästorp
- UAB IvabaltecoreDistribution partner for Lithuania located in Rokiskis
- Zlatex Ltd.coreDistribution partner for Bulgaria located in Stara Zagora
- Vektor-Holding Kft.coreDistribution partner for Hungary located in Győr
- Agromex s.r.o.coreDistribution partner for Czech Republic located in Modletice
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kerner competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lemken: German family-owned specialist in tillage, seeding and crop care implements. Closely competes with Kerner in cultivators, disc harrows, and mechanical weed control; similar customer base of European professional farmers.
- Pöttinger: Austrian family-owned manufacturer of tillage, seeding, harvesting and loader equipment. Directly comparable in cultivators and soil preparation, with strong presence in Austria and other Kerner's distributor markets.
- Horsch: German manufacturer focused on tillage, seeding and crop care. Overlaps with Kerner on cultivators and soil preparation equipment and shares the same European professional farmer customer base.
- Amazone: German family-owned manufacturer of tillage, seeding, fertilizing and crop protection equipment. Directly comparable product overlap with Kerner's soil cultivation, disc harrow, and cultivator lines, and similar DACH Mittelstand positioning.
- Carré: French family-owned manufacturer of soil preparation, weeding and seeding equipment. Comparable niche focus on cultivators and mechanical weed control, with overlap in Kerner's French distribution territory.
- Väderstad: Swedish manufacturer of tillage, seeding and planting equipment. Directly comparable in cultivators and disc harrows with a pan-European footprint overlapping many of Kerner's distributor markets.
- Einböck: Austrian specialist in mechanical weed control, tillage and crop care. Particularly relevant peer for Kerner's Variofield hoeing technology and ultra-flat cultivation focus.
- Köckerling: German family-owned tillage equipment manufacturer specializing in cultivators, disc harrows and seedbed preparation implements. Closely comparable niche positioning to Kerner within the German Mittelstand.
Broad incumbents
- Great Plains Manufacturing: US-based broad agricultural tillage, seeding and fertilizing equipment manufacturer. Compares to Kerner on cultivators and disc harrows but operates at significantly larger scale and broader product scope.
- Kuhn: Large French agricultural machinery group with a broad portfolio including tillage, seeding, spraying, livestock and hay equipment. Competes with Kerner in soil cultivation but serves a wider product category.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kerner financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kerner leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Kerner funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kerner 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 Kerner
What does Kerner do?
Kerner Maschinenbau develops, produces, and sells soil cultivation machinery for the agricultural sector. Its product range includes ultra-flat cultivators (Stratos series), residue crushing implements (X-Cut Solo), short disc harrows (Helix), star wheel cultivators (Corona, Ventos, X4), and front packers (TORON). Equipment is sold in configurable variants to commercial farmers across Europe for stubble cultivation, seedbed preparation, residue shredding, and mechanical weed control.
Is Kerner a public or private company?
Kerner is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Kerner founded?
Kerner was founded in 1999. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Kerner based?
Kerner is headquartered in Aislingen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Kerner make money?
One revenue line is on record: agricultural machinery sales.
Who are Kerner's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lemken, Pöttinger, Horsch, Amazone, Carré, Väderstad, Einböck and Köckerling. Broad incumbents are Great Plains Manufacturing and Kuhn.
Does Kerner have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kerner.
What industry is Kerner in?
Kerner's product category is Agricultural Machinery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAAAAAB, Tillage & Soil Preparation Equipment (Plows, Harrows, Cultivators, Subsoilers), with a secondary code of AFAAAEAF, Residue & Straw Management (Choppers, Spreaders, Windrowers). Its NAICS code is 333111 and its SIC code is 3523.