Precision Food Innovations

What Precision Food Innovations does

Precision Food Innovations (PFI) is a U.S. manufacturer of sanitary, food-grade conveying equipment serving food processing customers. Founded in 2017 and headquartered at 300 Kofab Drive in Algona, Iowa, PFI operates as a member of the Grote Company Family of Brands, a diversified industrial conglomerate. The company employs between 101 and 250 people and is classified as a private, for-profit subsidiary entity within that parent group.

PFI's product portfolio spans five equipment categories — belt conveyors, bucket and incline conveyors, dumpers, horizontal motion conveyors, and vibratory conveyors — all engineered to sanitary design standards suitable for direct food contact processing environments. The company explicitly serves twelve food processing verticals, with meat, poultry, and seafood identified as the primary end-market, and additional exposure to bakery, candy, cereal, dairy, frozen, fruits and vegetables, nuts, pasta, pet food, ready-to-eat, and snack food processors. Hormel is named as a customer, alongside unnamed bakery, snack, and large food processor accounts.

Commercially, PFI operates as a custom industrial equipment OEM, generating revenue through project-based sales of engineered systems to food processing plants. Go-to-market leverages the cross-brand sales infrastructure of the Grote Family of Brands, including sister brands ProFab, SPI Automation, and McCabes Mechanical, which provide adjacent fabrication, automation, and mechanical services. The company does not disclose pricing model details, recurring revenue, or unit volumes, and its geographic footprint is currently U.S.-only, with international reach implied through the parent group's network.

Name

Precision Food Innovations

Legal name

Precision Food Innovations

Website

https://pfi-global.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Precision Food Innovations is a U.S. manufacturer of sanitary food-grade conveying equipment — belt conveyors, dumpers, horizontal motion, vibratory, and bucket and incline systems — serving twelve food processing verticals with meat, poultry, and seafood as the primary market. The company operates within the Grote Company Family of Brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pella

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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 Equipment Sales: PFI generates revenue through the sale of custom-configured sanitary conveying and handling equipment including belt conveyors, bucket conveyors, dumpers, horizontal motion conveyors, and vibratory conveyors. Equipment is custom-built to customer specifications, layouts, and processes.
2. Parts & Service: Revenue generated from replacement parts, technical service, and ongoing support for installed equipment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Precision Food Innovations (PFI) designs, manufactures, and supports sanitary food-grade conveying and handling equipment for food processing lines. Its core product line includes Belt Conveyors, Bucket & Incline Conveyors, Dumpers, Horizontal Motion Conveyors, and Vibratory Conveyors & Feeders, each custom-configured to specific application layouts and processes. The company also provides Design, Testing & Installation services, Technical Service, and Parts to support deployed equipment.

Product overview

Precision Food Innovations (PFI) offers a unified portfolio of sanitary food-grade conveying and handling equipment. The core product line consists of five equipment categories: Belt Conveyors, Bucket & Incline Conveyors, Dumpers, Horizontal Motion Conveyors, and Vibratory Conveyors & Feeders. These solutions are custom configured to specific applications, layouts, and processes, and are designed to integrate end-to-end within food processing lines. PFI operates as part of The Grote Company Family of Brands, which also includes Grote Company, Vanmark, ProFab, SPI Automation, and McCabes Mechanical.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PFI: Precision Food Innovations - Sanitary food-grade conveying and handling equipment

Products and services

• Belt Conveyors Food-grade belt conveyors designed for sanitary applications in food processing environments, configured to specific application layouts and processes.
• Bucket & Incline Conveyors Bucket and incline conveying equipment for elevating and moving food products at angles, designed for sanitary food processing conditions.
• Dumpers Dumping equipment for transferring food products from containers into processing lines, built to sanitary design standards.
• Horizontal Motion Conveyors Horizontal motion conveyor technology for gentle product handling and movement along food processing lines.
• Vibratory Conveyors & Feeders Vibratory conveyors and feeders for controlled product movement, feeding, and processing in sanitary food manufacturing environments.
• Design, Testing & Installation Services Comprehensive design, testing, and installation support services for PFI equipment deployment into customer food processing lines.
• Technical Service Ongoing technical service and support for installed PFI conveying equipment.
• Parts Replacement parts for PFI conveying and handling equipment, distributed through the company and its Where to Buy network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Long-term viability and reliability of conveying solutions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Grote CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFI is part of The Grote Company Family of Brands. Grote Company is a sister company providing complementary food processing equipment, parts, and services. The brands work together to provide food manufacturers with a team of experts dedicated to more complete solutions and unwavering support.
• VanmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of The Grote Company Family of Brands, Vanmark is a sister company within the portfolio of food processing equipment providers. The brands collaborate to offer comprehensive solutions to food manufacturers.
• ProFabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of The Grote Company Family of Brands, ProFab is a sister company providing additional manufacturing capabilities and equipment solutions for the food processing industry.
• SPI AutomationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of The Grote Company Family of Brands, SPI Automation is a sister company providing automation solutions that complement PFI's conveying equipment in food processing applications.
• McCabes MechanicalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of The Grote Company Family of Brands, McCabes Mechanical provides mechanical services and solutions that complement PFI's equipment offerings for food processing customers.
• Engineering Firms & OEMsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPFI collaborates with customer engineering teams and other OEM partners during the design and integration phase. They partner with key team members and other OEMs to ensure customers get the best line possible, configured precisely to layout, with seamless project execution.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Heat and Control: Mid-sized food processing equipment manufacturer offering conveying, frying, seasoning, and product handling systems to snack, protein, and prepared food processors. Closely comparable to PFI in product scope (sanitary conveying/handling) and customer verticals.
• Lyco Manufacturing: Food processing equipment manufacturer specializing in cooking, cooling, and material handling for vegetable, meat, and prepared food processors. Comparable mid-sized industrial OEM serving overlapping food-processing customer base.
• Key Technology (Duravant): Designs and manufactures optical sorters, vibratory conveyors, and other food processing handling equipment. Direct overlap with PFI's vibratory conveyors/feeders and broader conveyor portfolio across protein, produce, and snack verticals.
• Cabinplant: Food processing equipment specialist serving seafood, meat, ready meals, and produce processors with weighing, portioning, and conveying solutions. Comparable mid-sized specialist in sanitary handling for protein and prepared food verticals.

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: Global large-cap supplier of machinery, plants, and process technology for food processing including separation, homogenization, and conveying. Broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise food processor spend as PFI.
• Marel: Global provider of food processing equipment, systems, and services for poultry, meat, and fish processors. Competes with PFI in protein-primary vertical and at the integrated-line level.
• Alfa Laval: Global industrial equipment supplier with a food and water division covering heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling for food processors. Adjacent incumbent with sanitary food processing capabilities.
• Tetra Pak: Global food processing and packaging giant offering processing equipment, including conveying and handling, across dairy, beverage, and prepared food. Broad incumbent operating in many of PFI's verticals.
• Bühler Group: Global food processing equipment leader covering grain, protein, and consumer foods with full-line processing and handling solutions. Operates as a broad incumbent in food processing machinery alongside PFI's narrower conveying focus.
• John Bean Technologies (JBT): Global food processing technology provider offering equipment and automation for protein, prepared foods, and liquid foods. Competes with PFI as a broader-line incumbent in shared food processing end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Precision Food Innovations