Dayton
Dayton is a 100-year-old, family-owned Finnish B2B group that manufactures stainless steel furniture and plug-in refrigeration at its Vilnius factory, distributes 30+ global kitchen and food service brands, and serves supermarkets, HoReCa, food processors, and convenience operators across Finland, the Baltics, and Scandinavia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1923
- HeadquartersVilnius, Lithuania
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Dayton does
Dayton is a family-owned Finnish industrial group founded in 1923 in Helsinki, currently headquartered in Vantaa, Finland, and operating through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The group reported €55 million in turnover for FY2023 and employs 300-400 people across its four-country footprint, with additional export reach into Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Dayton has progressively exited Russia and Belarus, completing that withdrawal in 2022.
The group's core business combines in-house manufacturing with multi-brand distribution. Its factory in Vilnius, Lithuania, produces custom stainless steel furniture (tables, sinks, shelves, cabinets, hoods) using laser cutting, CNC bending, welding, pipe rolling, turning, and polishing, and manufactures proprietary plug-in refrigerated equipment lines (Frige, Alvis, Thor, Mani, Waco). Alongside its own production, Dayton distributes and integrates more than 30 globally recognized brands — Taylor, Electrolux Professional, Eloma, Hoshizaki, Scotsman, Zumex, Fri-Jado, Bizerba, Franke, Dihr, Nuova Simonelli, and others — covering ovens, refrigeration, ice cream machines, scales, dishwashing, coffee, grills, and food processing. It also sells packaging materials, consumables, and offers subcontracting services (laser cutting, welding, bending, polishing) for industrial customers in pharmaceutical, chemical, power generation, and F&B sectors. Operations are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified, with solar power used in manufacturing.
Commercially, Dayton runs an enterprise field-sales model with dedicated teams organized by domain (local sales, export, retail/HoReCa, industry/scales, stainless steel). Project-based quote-driven pricing is the norm, supported by design and planning services, installation, commissioning, and a four-city technical service network in Lithuania (Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Šiauliai). The customer base spans supermarket chains, fast food and HoReCa operators, food processors (meat, dairy, bakery, frozen goods), hotels/restaurants/caterers, and convenience stores and gas stations. There is no e-commerce channel; conversion occurs through sales engagement. A clearance/outlet section sells discontinued or lightly used equipment on a transactional, self-collect basis.
Dayton firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dayton
- Legal name
- Dayton, UAB
- Website
- https://daytongroup.lt
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1923
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Dayton is a 100-year-old, family-owned Finnish B2B group that manufactures stainless steel furniture and plug-in refrigeration at its Vilnius factory, distributes 30+ global kitchen and food service brands, and serves supermarkets, HoReCa, food processors, and convenience operators across Finland, the Baltics, and Scandinavia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dayton industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Foodservice Equipment
- NAICS
- Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (3333), Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241)
- SIC
- Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial & Industrial Refrigeration Systems (IMAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cafeteria, Kitchen & Foodservice Equipment (Serving Lines, Refrigeration, Smallwares) (EDAEAIAJ), Ventilation, Ducting & Air Distribution Equipment (IMAHAKAG)
Keywords
Where Dayton is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vilnius
- HQ country
- Lithuania
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Dayton business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Stainless steel equipment sales: Dayton designs, manufactures, and sells custom and standard stainless steel furniture (tables, shelves, sinks, cabinets, hoods) from its own factory in Vilnius, Lithuania. The majority of this production is exported to Baltic states, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and beyond.
- Plug-in refrigerated equipment sales: Dayton produces plug-in refrigerated units for convenience stores, retail, restaurants, and professional kitchens, including under-counter fridges, upright coolers, display cases, and wine counters. Products maintain consistent temperatures with environmentally friendly refrigerants.
- Represented brands and third-party equipment distribution: Dayton serves as a distributor and integrator for globally recognized brands (Taylor, Electrolux Professional, Eloma, Hoshizaki, Scotsman, Zumex, Fri-Jado, Bizerba, Franke, Dihr, and 20+ others) covering the full spectrum of professional kitchen, refrigeration, food processing, and food service equipment.
- Design, installation, and commissioning services: Dayton provides end-to-end project services including kitchen and food production facility design, stainless steel furniture planning, equipment installation, commissioning, and after-sales maintenance and repair. Technical service branches operate in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, and Siauliai.
- Technical maintenance, repair, and spare parts: Dayton provides preventive maintenance, emergency repair, and genuine spare parts supply for all represented brands and its own manufactured equipment, with nationwide coverage in Lithuania.
- Packaging materials and consumables: Dayton sells packaging materials, gloves, eco/bio bags, disposable containers, and cleaning products, complementing its equipment business and strengthening its position as a holistic concept supplier.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Clearance/ outlet equipment – new or lightly used |
| Other | Monthly | Sales Project Manager (Vilnius) – base salary |
| Other | Monthly | Export Sales Manager – salary range |
| Other | Monthly | CNC bending machine operator – base salary |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Dayton product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dayton designs, manufactures, and distributes professional stainless steel furniture (tables, sinks, cabinets, shelving, hoods) and plug-in refrigerated equipment from its own factory in Vilnius, Lithuania. It complements own production with distribution of 30+ globally recognized brands to deliver complete equipment concepts for retail, fast food/HoReCa, food processing, and convenience store customers across the Baltic states and Scandinavia.
Product overview
Dayton is a B2B equipment manufacturer and distributor specializing in commercial kitchen, food service, and retail equipment. The core product portfolio consists of in-house manufactured stainless steel furniture (tables, sinks, shelves, cabinets, hoods) and plug-in refrigerated equipment (Frige, Alvis, Thor, Mani, Waco product lines). These are complemented by an extensive range of represented third-party brands including scales (Bizerba, Soehnle), ovens (Eloma, Electrolux Professional), ice cream equipment (Taylor, Ugolini), refrigeration (Hoshizaki), cooking equipment, food processing machinery, coffee equipment, and packaging materials. The company provides planning/design services for kitchens and production facilities, subcontracting services (laser cutting, welding, bending), and comprehensive after-sales technical support. The offering follows a manufacturer-distributor model where own production is combined with global brand partnerships to provide complete food service concepts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stainless Steel Furniture In-house manufactured stainless steel work tables, sinks, dish washing tables, cabinets, shelving systems, and hoods designed for commercial kitchens and food preparation areas. Compliant with HACCP, NSF, and ISO standards.
- Plug-in Refrigerated Equipment Refrigerated furniture and central units (Frige, Alvis, Thor, Mani, and Waco product lines) maintaining constant temperatures using environmentally friendly refrigerants for restaurants, kitchens, pizzerias, and retail.
- Scales and Industrial Weighing Equipment Commercial and industrial scales including trading, laboratory, platform, and automatic scales; product weighing and labeling solutions from Bizerba and Soehnle Professional for retail, industrial, and food processing applications.
- Ovens Convection, steam, combined baking, and pizza ovens from represented brands Eloma, Electrolux Professional, CiBO+, Menumaster XpressChef, Cuppone, and OEMali.
- Ice Cream Equipment Soft ice cream machines, sorbet machines, gelato equipment, and accessories from Taylor, Electrolux, and Ugolini brands.
- Grills Stainless steel grills including gas, charcoal, electric, outdoor, portable, commercial grills, rotisserie, and salamanders.
- Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Commercial refrigerators, blast freezers, and ice cube generators from Hoshizaki and other represented brands.
- Washing Equipment Professional dishwashing machines and cleaning equipment for commercial kitchens, including stainless steel commercial dishwashers.
- Food Production Equipment Professional cooking equipment including programmable fryers, cookers, cooking plates, microwave ovens, automatic pans, cooking kettles, pasta cookers, regeneration cabinets, combi ovens, circulators, and waffle makers.
- Food Processing Equipment Meat and vegetable processing equipment, vacuum and packaging machines, slicers, dough mixers, knives, and related instruments for food preparation and processing.
- Showcases Display cases including heated, refrigerated, and neutral showcases for food presentation in retail and food service settings, including Fri-Jado heated displays with Hot Blanket technology.
- Coffee Equipment Hot and cold coffee machines, cream machines, coffee grinders, espresso machines, percolators, and air pots from Franke, Nuova Simonelli, and Jura.
- Ice Cream and Sorbet Mixes Premium ice cream and sorbet mixes from Italian manufacturer Comprital, including soft line, Speedy, Giubileo base, and Frozen YO+ frozen yogurt mixes.
- Packaging Materials and Accessories Professional packaging materials including boxes, bags, packaging, tapes, labels, gloves, eco/bio bags, and disposable containers.
- Meat Processing Equipment Meat processing equipment including meat grinders and slicers from brands such as Mainca, FAMA, and Sirman, distributed across the Baltic and Nordic markets.
- Subcontracting Fabrication Services Metal fabrication and subcontracting services including sheet metal and pipe laser cutting, welding, sawing, bending, pipe rolling, polishing, burnishing, trimming, profile cutting, and CNC turning. All operations follow ISO 9001.
- Planning and Design Services Professional kitchen and food preparation facility design services, including stainless steel furniture planning, workflow optimization, and integration of standard with non-standard solutions for retail, HoReCa, and industrial customers.
- After-Sales Technical Service Technical service, preventive maintenance, emergency repair, and genuine spare parts supply for all represented brands and own manufactured equipment, with service branches in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Šiauliai.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100-year heritage as a trusted B2B equipment partner
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Dayton
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Dayton technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Dayton partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
30 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Taylor (Taylor Company)coreDayton represents and distributes Taylor's ice cream machines, shake machines, and frozen dessert equipment across its markets in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Taylor is a leading global brand for commercial frozen dessert equipment.
- Electrolux ProfessionalcoreDayton distributes Electrolux Professional's ovens, combi ovens, refrigeration units, dishwashing machines, and ice makers. Products are featured prominently in Dayton's professional kitchen and food processing solutions.
- ElomacoreDayton represents Eloma, a premium brand for baking and combination ovens used in professional kitchens and bakeries. Eloma ovens are part of Dayton's core HoReCa product portfolio.
- HoshizakicoreDayton distributes Hoshizaki ice generators and refrigeration units. Hoshizaki is a globally recognized brand for commercial ice machines and refrigeration, featured in Dayton's refrigeration solutions.
- ScotsmancoreDayton represents Scotsman ice machines and related products. Scotsman is a leading global brand in commercial ice making equipment, distributed through Dayton across Baltic and Nordic markets.
- ZumexcoreDayton distributes Zumex juicers including the Zumex Soul 2 smart juicer with contactless payment capability. Zumex is featured as an innovative solution for fresh juice in retail and food service environments.
- Fri-JadocoreDayton distributes Fri-Jado heated display cases and food presentation equipment. Fri-Jado products featuring patented Hot Blanket technology are featured in Dayton's hot food display and retail solutions.
- BizerbacoreDayton represents Bizerba for commercial weighing and labeling systems. Bizerba scales are used across retail, food processing, and logistics applications in Dayton's product portfolio.
- FrankecoreDayton distributes Franke coffee and beverage systems. Franke equipment is featured in Dayton's coffee solutions for the HoReCa sector.
- DihrminorDayton represents Dihr professional kitchen equipment. Dihr products are part of Dayton's broad HoReCa equipment distribution offering.
- CompritalcoreDayton distributes Comprital ice cream mixtures, gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt mixes from Italy. Comprital products are sold alongside Taylor ice cream machines in Dayton's ice cream equipment category.
- ColdlineminorDayton represents Coldline refrigeration equipment, a brand specializing in professional refrigerated counters and storage units.
- HenkovacminorDayton distributes Henkovac vacuum packaging machines and related equipment for food processing and preservation.
- LincatminorDayton represents Lincat (CiBO+) commercial cooking equipment including rapid cook ovens and combi ovens for professional kitchens.
- Soehnle ProfessionalminorDayton distributes Soehnle Professional weighing equipment and scales for retail, industrial, and food processing applications.
- Robot CoupeminorDayton represents Robot Coupe food processing equipment including food processors, slicers, and vegetable preparation machines.
- OEMaliminorDayton distributes OEMali pizza ovens as part of its ovens and baking equipment category. OEMali is featured in Dayton's professional pizza oven solutions.
- UgoliniminorDayton distributes Ugolini gelato and ice cream machines, including counter-top and gravity-fed units for professional dessert service.
- BertosminorDayton represents Bertos professional cooking equipment including gas and electric grills, cookers, and cooking ranges for commercial kitchens.
- Nuova SimonelliminorDayton distributes Nuova Simonelli coffee machines and espresso equipment for professional coffee service in the HoReCa sector.
- Fama IndustrieminorDayton represents Fama Industrie food preparation equipment including slicers and combination machines for professional kitchens.
- HendiminorDayton distributes Hendi professional kitchen equipment and accessories including cooking, preparation, and serving tools.
- EnofrigominorDayton represents Enofrigo professional refrigeration equipment for food service and retail environments.
- Pira Charcoal OvensminorDayton distributes Pira charcoal ovens for professional cooking, featuring distinctive charcoal-fired cooking technology for restaurants and specialty food operations.
- FomacominorDayton represents Fomaco food processing and meat processing equipment for professional and industrial food production.
- SantosminorDayton distributes Santos centrifugal juicers and food preparation equipment, including commercial juicers for fresh juice service in food service environments.
- MaincaminorDayton represents Mainca meat processing equipment including mincers, slicers, and related equipment for butchery and food processing.
- EickerminorDayton distributes Eicker professional kitchen and catering equipment, offering modular solutions for professional food service operations.
- HatcominorDayton represents Hatco food service equipment including heated holding units, toasters, and display warmers for commercial food service.
- Mawi PolandminorDayton distributes Mawi Poland food service equipment and accessories as part of its broader product portfolio.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Dayton competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hoshizaki: Hoshizaki is a global manufacturer of commercial ice machines and refrigeration. Dayton distributes Hoshizaki products into Baltic/Nordic markets but also manufactures competing plug-in refrigeration units, making them directly comparable across product and channel.
- Gram Commercial: Gram Commercial is a Danish manufacturer of professional refrigeration and freezer systems. It competes directly with Dayton's plug-in refrigeration business across Northern Europe with comparable product categories.
- Metos: Metos is a Finland-based HoReCa equipment manufacturer and distributor with a similar Nordic/Baltic footprint and multi-brand portfolio. It competes head-to-head with Dayton in professional kitchens and food service equipment across the same geographies.
- Taylor Company: Taylor is a US-based manufacturer of frozen dessert equipment (ice cream, shake, frozen beverage machines). Dayton represents Taylor across its markets, but Taylor also serves global QSR chains directly, making it a comparable peer in ice cream/frozen equipment.
- Foster Refrigerator: Foster Refrigerator is a UK manufacturer of commercial refrigeration. It competes with Dayton's plug-in refrigerated equipment line in similar food service and retail customer segments across European markets.
- Williams Refrigeration: Williams Refrigeration is a UK-based commercial refrigeration manufacturer serving food service, retail, and hospitality. It overlaps directly with Dayton's refrigeration product portfolio in European HoReCa channels.
- Scotsman Ice Systems: Scotsman is a global manufacturer of commercial ice machines. Dayton distributes Scotsman across the Baltics and Nordics, and Scotsman competes with Dayton's own refrigeration offering in adjacent categories.
- RATIONAL AG: RATIONAL is a leading German manufacturer of combi ovens and professional cooking systems. Dayton distributes competing oven brands (Eloma, Electrolux Professional, CiBO+) into the same HoReCa customer base, putting the two in direct competition for kitchen fit-outs.
Broad incumbents
- Ali Group: Ali Group is a global HoReCa equipment conglomerate that owns several brands Dayton distributes (Hoshizaki-style acquisitions, Scotsman, Manitowoc, etc.). It is a much larger incumbent offering full-suite commercial kitchen and refrigeration solutions worldwide.
- Electrolux Professional: Electrolux Professional is a global manufacturer of professional kitchen, laundry, and refrigeration equipment. Dayton distributes its products in select markets but Electrolux also sells direct to enterprise accounts — making it both a partner and a broad incumbent competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Dayton social profiles
Digital presenceDayton compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Dayton financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dayton leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Dayton subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Dayton funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dayton 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 Dayton
What does Dayton do?
Dayton designs, manufactures, and distributes professional stainless steel furniture (tables, sinks, cabinets, shelving, hoods) and plug-in refrigerated equipment from its own factory in Vilnius, Lithuania. It complements own production with distribution of 30+ globally recognized brands to deliver complete equipment concepts for retail, fast food/HoReCa, food processing, and convenience store customers across the Baltic states and Scandinavia.
Is Dayton a public or private company?
Dayton is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Dayton founded?
Dayton was founded in 1923. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Dayton based?
Dayton is headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, in the Europe region.
How does Dayton make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Stainless steel equipment sales are the primary driver. The others are plug-in refrigerated equipment sales, represented brands and third-party equipment distribution, design, installation, and commissioning services, technical maintenance, repair, and spare parts and packaging materials and consumables.
Who are Dayton's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hoshizaki, Gram Commercial, Metos, Taylor Company, Foster Refrigerator, Williams Refrigeration, Scotsman Ice Systems and RATIONAL AG. Broad incumbents are Ali Group and Electrolux Professional.
Does Dayton have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dayton.
What industry is Dayton in?
Dayton's product category is Commercial Foodservice Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAKAA, Commercial & Industrial Refrigeration Systems, with a secondary code of EDAEAIAJ, Cafeteria, Kitchen & Foodservice Equipment (Serving Lines, Refrigeration, Smallwares). Its NAICS code is 33341 and its SIC code is 3580.