Kronen

What Kronen does

KRONEN GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of industrial food processing machinery headquartered in Kehl am Rhein, founded approximately 1978 and operating for over 45 years. The company designs, engineers, and builds standalone machines and complete turnkey processing lines for washing, cutting, drying, mixing, peeling, conveying, weighing, and packaging fresh produce, meat, fish, vegan products, baked goods, and pet food. Its machine portfolio spans cutting lines (GS 10-2 up to 1,500 kg/h, GS 20 up to 4 tons/h, KUJ V up to 2,500 kg/h, TONA V at 3,600 units/h), washing lines (GEWA PLUS, GEWA ECO, HEWA with throughput from 100 to 2,500 kg/h), drying systems (K1040H horizontal centrifuge, K650, KS-7 PLUS spinner), mixing (K230 up to 1,800 kg/h), and packaging (CP 350 PLUS, UP 500, GKS line), bundled into named processing lines for salads/vegetables, potatoes, and fruits.

The business runs a project-based, custom-engineered hardware sales model: customers across more than 80 representative countries and approximately 120 delivery markets — including enterprise accounts such as Sodexo (Spain), LENTA (Russia), COTO C.I.C.S.A. (Argentina), Wolf Wurstspezialitäten (Germany), Bortar Group (Turkey), Agrifresh (Lebanon), Foodlink (USA), Postuma AGF (Netherlands), Verdeagua (Uruguay), Grönsakshallen (Sweden), and Zalat-o-mat (Germany) — buy either individual machines or fully integrated lines via quote-based, multi-year contracts. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is configured per specification. Distribution combines direct field sales (regional sales managers for Germany North and South, plus five export area managers) with regional resellers such as Lingwood Food Services (UK), Handelsagentur Führer (Austria), and Alejandro Nowak (Latin America), supplemented by technical service and an internal apprenticeship program running over 25 years.

Recurring revenue streams are anchored by SMART Solutions IoT connectivity modules that allow remote monitoring of installed equipment, the Citrocide PLUS chlorine-free peracetic-acid disinfection consumable, and aftermarket service, spare parts, and customer support. The company maintains EHEDG, FDA, TÜV, IFS, and QS certifications as a regulatory moat for EU and US food processors, and is investing in adjacent R&D projects (SPLASH water recycling, aqUAFRESH, and a robotics handling solution for avocados) that signal incremental platform expansion beyond core cutting and washing machinery.

Name

Kronen

Legal name

KRONEN GmbH

Website

https://kronen.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KRONEN GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer (founded ~1978, Kehl am Rhein) of industrial food processing machinery and turnkey processing lines — cutting, washing, drying, mixing, packaging — sold to fresh produce, meat, vegan, baked goods, and pet food processors in over 80 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Processing Machinery

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241)

akta.pro primary industry

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients for Food Manufacturing (Diced, Slices, Fillings, Toppings) (AFAKAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Frozen Entrées & Complete Meals (CRADADAA), Certified Further Processing (Sausages, Deli, Cured/Smoked) (AFANAIAC)

Keywords

• Food processing machinery
• Industrial vegetable processing
• Fresh-cut produce equipment
• Food processing lines
• Cutting and washing machines

Headquarters

HQ city

Kehl Am Rhein

HQ country

Germany

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. Food Processing Machines: Sale of individual machines including cutting, washing, drying, mixing, peeling, and processing equipment for food production facilities.
2. Processing Lines: Complete customized processing lines integrating multiple machines for specific production workflows (salad, vegetables, potatoes, fruit processing).
3. Custom/Specialized Solutions: Developed-to-order machines tailored to specific customer requirements, such as the DEW 200 pressure dewatering machine for Wolf Wurstspezialitäten.
4. Service and Support: Technical service hotline, spare parts, and customer support for installed equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KRONEN GmbH designs, manufactures and sells industrial food processing machines and complete turnkey processing lines for the catering and food processing industries. The product portfolio covers washing, cutting, peeling, drying, mixing, conveying, weighing and packaging of fresh produce, meats, fish, vegan products, baked goods and pet food. They also offer customized processing solutions, the SMART Solutions IoT module for networked production monitoring, and the Citrocide PLUS chlorine-free disinfection product.

Product overview

KRONEN GmbH is a German food processing technology company based in Kehl am Rhein that designs and manufactures industrial food processing machines and complete processing lines. The product portfolio centers on standalone machines and modular processing lines for cutting (GS 10-2, GS 20, KUJ V, TONA V), washing (GEWA PLUS, GEWA ECO, HEWA, GEWA 3800 PLUS), drying (K1040H, K650), mixing (K230, K120), weighing, and packaging (CP 350 PLUS, UP 500, GKS). These machines can be integrated into complete turnkey processing lines for specific food categories (salad/vegetables, potatoes, fruit) or operate as individual units. The SMART Solutions add-on module enables networked monitoring and control of machines and production lines. KRONEN also offers customized processing solutions and the Citrocide® PLUS disinfection product. The company serves diverse food industries including fresh-cut produce, meat processing, vegan products, baked goods, and pet food.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Citrocide PLUS: Chlorine-free disinfection solution for processing fruits, vegetables, and lettuce using peracetic acid
• SMART Solutions
• GEWA
• HEWA

Products and services

• GS 10-2 Belt Cutting Machine Multi-function belt cutting machine for slicing, grating, rasping and cubing nearly all types of food products including salad, vegetables, fruits, herbs, meat, sausage, fish, vegan products, baked goods, cheese and nuts. Processes up to 1,500 kg per hour with cut thickness from 0.5 to 50 mm.
• GS 10-2 TTS Belt Cutting Machine Belt cutting machine with sensor technology and PLC control for maximum waste reduction. Cuts various food products effectively, precisely and gently with capacity up to 600 kg/h.
• GS 20 Belt Cutting Machine Larger belt cutting machine with 250 mm wide feed belt for products over 12 cm width. Processes up to 4 tons per hour for exact and gentle cutting of various food products.
• KUJ V Cube, Strip and Slice Cutting Machine High-performance machine for cutting vegetables, fruits and meat into cubes, strips or slices in a single operation with exact, perfect quality even for very fine cuts. Capacity from 200 to 2,500 kg/h.
• TONA V Slicing Machine Slicing machine for producing slices, segments or sticks from vegetables and fruits. Features easily changeable cutting inserts and simple cleaning. Capacity 3,600 units/hour.
• K230 Salad and Delicatessen Mixer Industrial mixing machine for gentle and fast mixing of products for sausage production, hamburgers, crunchy salads, delicatessen products, pizza ingredients and pet food. Capacity up to 1,800 kg/h with 300 L mixing container.
• K1040H Horizontal Drying System Horizontal centrifuge for salad, vegetables and vegan products. Seamlessly integrates into processing lines for gentle and continuous drying.
• GEWA 3800 PLUS Washing Machine Universal washing machine for continuous pre-washing, washing, decontamination and treatment of salad, vegetables, herbs and fruits. Capacity from 100 to 2,500 kg/h with optional vibration or belt discharge.
• GEWA PLUS Washing Machines Washing machine series with modular filtration solutions for gentle washing and removal of dirt, insects and foreign particles.
• HEWA Washing Machines Specialized washing machines for various food processing applications with modular configuration options.
• PL 40K Potato Peeling Machine Potato peeling machine used in vegetable processing lines for efficient peeling of potatoes and root vegetables.
• DEW 200 Pressure Dewatering Machine Custom-developed pressure dewatering machine for gentle dewatering of mushrooms and other ingredients using adjustable pressure settings. Specifically adapted to customer production requirements.
• MPC 100 Manual Pineapple Chunk Cutter Manual table-top pineapple chunk cutter for lightning-fast cutting of punched and de-stemmed pineapple cylinders into uniform pieces.
• CP 350 PLUS Tube Bag Packaging Machine Flexible packaging machine for producing space-saving pack sizes for salad in 100g, 300g and 500g portions, optimized for vending machine sales.
• Automatic Basket Carousel KAB Automatic basket carousel for continuous, hygienic and ergonomic filling of baskets after washing machines. Reduces personnel effort, prevents product loss and enables flexibly adjustable fill levels. Capacity 2,500 kg/h.
• Salad and Vegetable Processing Lines Complete processing lines for lettuce and vegetable processing including cutting, washing, drying and packaging capabilities.
• Potato Processing Lines Complete processing lines for potato processing including washing, peeling and cutting capabilities up to 1,200 kg per hour.
• Fruit Processing Lines Complete processing lines for fruit processing including washing, cutting and packaging capabilities.
• SMART Processing Lines Intelligent, networked processing lines with SMART Solutions integration for monitoring and optimization.
• SMART Solutions Intelligent, networked production solutions enabling production managers, technicians and foremen to monitor production status of machines and lines on laptops or mobile devices from anywhere. Enables transparent and efficient production workflows.
• KRONEN Citrocide PLUS Chlorine-free peracetic acid disinfection solution for effective washing and hygienization of fruits, vegetables and salad. Safe and residue-free.
• Customized Processing Solutions Custom-developed machines and processing solutions tailored to specific customer production requirements, such as the DEW 200 pressure dewatering machine developed for Wolf Wurstspezialitäten.
• Technical Service and Spare Parts Technical service hotline, spare parts supply, and customer support for installed food processing equipment globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 25 tons daily processing capacity for single customer facilities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered regional.

• Lingwood Food Services LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based representative handling KRONEN sales and support for customers in England, including accounts like Kanes Food.
• Handelsagentur FührerregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustrian representative for KRONEN sales covering Austria, providing local customer support and sales.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bühler Group: Swiss family-owned global plant and food processing equipment manufacturer serving grain milling, pasta, chocolate, feed and a growing fresh-food segment. Larger scale and broader portfolio than Kronen, with overlapping food-safety/hygienic design expertise.
• JBT Corporation: US-listed provider of food processing and air transport solutions with strong positions in fruit and vegetable processing, juice extraction and protein processing. Overlaps with Kronen on fresh-produce and protein processing equipment for large enterprise customers.
• GEA Group: German-listed global industrial machinery group with a large food processing and packaging division covering separation, homogenization, filling and processing. Competes with Kronen on large turnkey processing-line projects, though Kronen is more focused on fresh-produce niche lines.
• Marel: Icelandic-listed global provider of processing equipment, software and service for meat, fish, poultry and (increasingly) plant-based processors. Comparable on the meat/fish side of Kronen's portfolio and a benchmark for how a mid-sized specialist scaled into a global incumbent.
• Multivac: German family-owned packaging and processing solutions provider with a strong food portfolio. Overlaps with Kronen on the packaging step of the processing line (Kronen's CP 350 PLUS, UP 500, GKS) and increasingly on integrated processing-and-packaging lines.
• TOMRA: Norwegian-listed sensor-based sorting and processing solutions company with a Food division serving fresh produce, nuts, potatoes and protein processors. Adjacent rather than direct: competes for capex dollars on the front-end sorting/grading side of Kronen's processing lines.

Direct peers

• Turatti Group: Italian family-owned manufacturer of food processing equipment for vegetables, fruits, leafy greens and ready-meals. Closely comparable mid-sized European competitor serving similar fresh-produce and prepared-food customers with cutting, washing and drying technology.
• FAM N.V. Belgian maker of industrial cutting machines for fruits, vegetables, meat and cheese. Directly comparable on the cutting-machine side of Kronen's portfolio (GS 10-2, KUJ V) and frequently bids for the same produce and meat processing customers.
• FTNON (Eqraft): Dutch manufacturer of fresh-cut produce and salad processing equipment, including washing, cutting, drying and weighing lines. Directly comparable to Kronen on product scope, customer segments (fresh-cut processors, ready-meal producers) and project-based processing-line sales.
• Sormac BV: Netherlands-based specialist in machinery for fresh-cut vegetables, leafy greens and potato processing. Overlaps directly with Kronen's GEWA/HEWA washing, K-series drying and GS cutting machines and competes for the same salad/vegetable processor customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/kronenmaschinen
• Facebookfacebook.com/Nahrungsmitteltechnik
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kronen-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/kronen_nahrungsmittelmaschinen

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Kronen