What KERRES does

KERRES Anlagensysteme GmbH is a German manufacturer, developer, and supplier of industrial food processing and cleaning equipment, headquartered in Backnang, Germany, and founded in 1966. The company operates two product lines: Food Systems — including universal smoking/cooking systems, baking systems, cooking systems, showering and intensive cooling systems, semi-continuous systems, climate control systems, smoke generators, combination chambers, and butcher cooking kettles (250–1,000 liters) for meat, sausage, and fish processors — and Cleaning Systems — industrial washers for small load carriers (KLT), trolleys, trucks, Dolav bins, and smoke sticks serving both food and non-food customers. All Food Systems are built around KERRES's proprietary Hybrid Air Technology, which combines multiple heating and air circulation methods to deliver flexible, energy-efficient thermal treatment with improved product quality and reduced operating costs.

The company generates revenue primarily through direct hardware sales of custom-engineered, quote-priced equipment (no public pricing), with a complementary stream from spare parts and after-sales service tied to its durable installed base (equipment lifespans of 20 to nearly 50 years are reported by customers). Its go-to-market combines direct field sales with a global network of regional sales partners (Vertriebspartner), supported by a tiered customer service structure spanning Sales, Project Planning, Technological Advice, Technical Support, and Spare Parts. Marketing channels include a HubSpot-powered bilingual (German/English) website with downloadable media library, an email newsletter, and a recurring presence at international trade fairs (Genusswerk, Seafood Expo Barcelona, Interzoo, SÜFFA Stuttgart). The customer base spans industrial food processors (e.g., Woods Smoked Meats, Barony Country Food, Maudisari Foods), craft butchers (e.g., Metzgerei Ehret), and non-food industrial accounts (e.g., automotive Tier-1 supplier NIDEC GPM for KLT cleaning). With 51–100 employees and management held by Konstantin Pal, Dejan Trajkovic, and Viktor Pal, KERRES operates as a privately held GmbH focused on a narrow industrial equipment niche where customization, durability, and after-sales support are decisive purchasing criteria.

Name

KERRES

Legal name

KERRES Anlagensysteme GmbH

Website

https://www.kerres-group.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KERRES Anlagensysteme GmbH is a Backnang-based German manufacturer of custom-engineered food thermal processing equipment (smoking, cooking, baking, cooling) and industrial container cleaning systems, built around its proprietary Hybrid Air Technology and serving industrial food processors, craft butchers, and non-food customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Food Processing Equipment

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Drying System Design & Engineering (Grain/Seed) (AFAOAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-Bin Drying & Aeration Control Systems (AFAOAHAH), Aeration Fan & Ducting Systems (AFAOAHAC)

Keywords

• Industrial food processing equipment
• Smoking cooking systems
• Industrial cleaning systems
• KLT container washers
• Craft butcher equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Backnang

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. Food Processing Systems (Food Systems): Sale of industrial and craft food processing systems for smoking, cooking, baking, and cooling of meat, sausage, and fish products. Includes universal systems, baking systems, cooking systems, showering and intensive cooling systems, semi-continuous systems, climate control systems, smoke generators, combination chambers, and cooking kettles (250–1,000 liters). Revenue is generated through direct sales of custom-engineered equipment to food processing businesses.
2. Cleaning Systems: Sale and supply of industrial washing and cleaning systems for small load carriers (KLT), trolleys, trucks, dolav bins, smoke sticks, and containers used in the food and non-food industries. Revenue from equipment sales targeting automotive and food industry customers requiring clean container management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KERRES is a manufacturer, developer and supplier of industrial and craft-scale food processing equipment — including smoking, cooking, baking, cooling and air-circulation systems for meat, sausage and fish producers — and industrial container/crate cleaning systems (KLT, IBC, pallet cleaning) for the food and automotive industries. Both lines are unified by proprietary Hybrid Air Technology combining targeted heating, airflow and humidification.

Product overview

KERRES Anlagensysteme GmbH offers two main product lines: Food Systems and Cleaning Systems. Food Systems comprise industrial and craft thermal processing equipment for meat, sausage, and fish products, including Universal Systems, Baking Systems, Cooking Systems, Showering/Cooling Systems, Semi-Continuous Systems, Climate Control Systems, Smoke Generators, and Combined Chambers. The portfolio is unified by Hybrid Air Technology, a proprietary technology combining multiple heating methods for improved energy efficiency and product quality. Cleaning Systems provide washing solutions for containers, trolleys, and KLT bins in both food and non-food industries. The company serves both industrial manufacturers and craft/butcher operations, with support services including project planning, technological consulting, and spare parts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hybrid Air Technology: A proprietary hybrid technology combining different processes for flexible adaptation to production requirements, reducing operating costs and increasing efficiency.

Products and services

• Food Systems (thermal processing equipment) Industrial smoking, cooking, baking, cooling and air-circulation systems for meat, sausage and fish producers, unified by proprietary Hybrid Air Technology and configurable from craft to industrial scale.
• Cleaning Systems (industrial container washers) Industrial washing systems for KLT, IBC, pallets and other reusable containers, with programmable cycles, for food-processing and automotive-sector customers.
• Consumables and supplies (smoke, spices, casings) Manufacturer-supplied smoke, spices, casings and related consumables used together with KERRES food-processing systems.
• Service, maintenance and spare parts Manufacturer-provided maintenance, spare parts and after-sales support for KERRES equipment, supporting multi-decade installed-base lifespans.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment operating reliably for 20+ years reported by long-term customers (e.g., Maudisari Foods)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: GEA is a global industrial equipment group with a large food-processing solutions division spanning meat, dairy and further processing; a broad incumbent competitor and potential channel partner for KERRES's niche thermal-processing systems.
• Marel: Marel is a leading global supplier of food processing equipment for meat, poultry and fish; competes with KERRES in the meat/sausage thermal-treatment space as part of a much larger end-to-end processing portfolio.
• Krones AG: Krones is a German industrial equipment manufacturer specializing in food and beverage processing and packaging; a broader German incumbent in food-line engineering and an indirect comparable to KERRES's industrial food-systems business.
• JBT Corporation: JBT Marel (now JBT) provides protein processing, cooking, smoking and chilling solutions for meat, poultry and seafood; a broad incumbent that overlaps with KERRES's smoking and cooking offerings at the industrial scale.
• Middleby Corporation: Middleby is a large diversified food-equipment group owning several smoking and cooking brands (including Maurer-Atmos); competes with KERRES in industrial and craft smoking/cooking systems via its portfolio companies.

Emerging players

• Heat and Control: Heat and Control manufactures food processing and thermal treatment equipment (cooking, frying, smoking) for meat, poultry, seafood and snacks; an internationally expanding private player with direct overlap to KERRES's thermal processing systems.

Direct peers

• Fessmann: Fessmann GmbH is a German manufacturer of smoking, cooking, cooking-baking and climate systems for meat and sausage — the closest like-for-like competitor to KERRES in industrial and craft thermal processing equipment.
• EWS Smokar: EWS is a European maker of industrial smoking and cooking installations for fish, meat and sausage — overlapping directly with KERRES's core Food Systems use cases, particularly in fish and seafood processing.
• Vemag (Handtmann Group): Vemag, part of the Handtmann Group, supplies sausage and meat-processing equipment including portioning, linking and cooking systems; comparable to KERRES in serving the same meat-processing customer base with engineered industrial equipment.
• Maurer-Atmos Middleby: Maurer-Atmos (a Middleby company) designs and manufactures industrial smoking, cooking and maturation systems for meat and sausage — a direct functional overlap with KERRES's Food Systems portfolio and Hybrid Air Technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 KERRES