Florin

What Florin does

Florin Gesellschaft für Lebensmitteltechnologie mbH is a privately held German food-industry technology and services company founded in 1973 and headquartered in Willich near Düsseldorf. It operates an integrated portfolio spanning food-processing equipment (Sonic high-velocity drying systems, UltraFlow drying blowers, Mini Compact Dryer, FloW-Air-Mini, metal detectors, X-ray inspection systems, OXIPACK leak detectors, can-opening systems, and Ferrum stone-removal machine spare parts), a DAkkS-accredited in-house laboratory (Institut für Lebensmittelqualität), food-safety and IFS certification consulting, product-development services in its own technical center, a used-machinery program with 500+ units, and a training academy. The company is run by three managing directors — Dipl.-Ing. Ulrich Florin, Dipl.-Ing. Petra Gerhardt, and Dipl.-Ing. Johannes Knapstein — and holds DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 certification, ISO/IEC 17025:2018 lab accreditation, and official IFS training partner status (since early 2023).

The business model combines one-time equipment sales (new and used machinery, distributed direct via a named field-sales team and online at florin-machines.com) with recurring and professional-services revenue streams: DAkkS laboratory analysis, IFS/HACCP consulting, the SmartAbo subscription bundle, paid seminars and workshops (€49–€980 per seat), spare-parts and commissioning service contracts, and recipe/product-development engagements. Go-to-market relies on direct enterprise field sales supplemented by trade-show presence at FACHPACK, Anuga FoodTec, and interpack, plus a long-standing exclusive partnership with Sonic Air Systems for German-speaking markets. Customer segments span the full food industry — small direct marketers through large international processors — with sub-verticals including organic food producers, pet food manufacturers, and food startups seeking turnkey development-to-shelf support.

Name

Florin

Legal name

Florin Gesellschaft für Lebensmitteltechnologie mbH

Website

https://florin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Florin is a 50-year-old German food-industry technology firm providing processing equipment (drying, metal/X-ray inspection, leak detection), a DAkkS-accredited laboratory, IFS/HACCP consulting, and training to food producers of all sizes, anchored by an exclusive DACH partnership with Sonic Air Systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Willich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New Machines and Equipment Sales: Sale of new machines and equipment for the food industry including drying systems, metal detectors, X-ray inspection systems, can opening systems, filling and packaging equipment.
2. Used/Secondhand Machines: Sale of over 500 used machines from their warehouse in Willich. Services include helping companies sell machines they no longer need at market-appropriate prices.
3. Laboratory Testing Services: Chemical-physical and microbiological food analysis. Services include pathogen testing, allergen testing, contaminant testing, nutritional profiles, and microbiological total bacterial counts. Includes Smart-Abo subscription model for regular laboratory tests.
4. IFS Consulting: Professional IFS certification consulting including HACCP concept development, documentation, staff training, internal pre-audits, and external audit support.
5. Seminars and Workshops: Training programs on food safety, IFS standards, allergen management, pet food regulations, and other food technology topics. Includes IFS-Academy official training partner seminars.
6. Customer and Spare Parts Service: Technical service including maintenance, spare parts supply, on-site service, and commissioning for metal detectors, drying systems, and air blasting equipment.
7. Product Development: Product development consulting in own technical center, recipe optimization, and industrial recipe development for food products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Florin provides integrated solutions for the food industry including new and used food processing machinery (Sonic drying systems, metal detectors, X-ray inspection, leak detectors, can opening systems, FloW-Air-Mini blowers), an in-house DAkkS-accredited food quality laboratory, IFS certification consulting, HACCP development, product development services, and official IFS-Academy training seminars. The company serves food manufacturers from product development through to retail-ready production.

Product overview

Florin Gesellschaft für Lebensmitteltechnologie mbH offers an integrated portfolio combining machinery, laboratory services, and consulting for the food industry. The core machinery offering includes Sonic drying systems, UltraFlow drying blowers, Mini Compact Dryer, metal detectors, X-ray inspection systems, OXIPACK leak detectors, can opening systems, and the FloW-Air-Mini blower. The company operates a DAkkS-accredited Institut für Lebensmittelqualität (ILQ) providing chemical, physical, and microbiological food analyses, while the IFS-Academy delivers official IFS training programs. Additional services include a used machinery program with over 500 machines, plant planning and project engineering, product development in their technical center, SmartAbo subscription services, and food safety consulting including HACCP concepts and IFS preparation. Ferrum spare parts for stone removal machines are also supplied exclusively through Florin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sonic Trocknungssysteme (Sonic Drying Systems) High-speed air drying systems with air velocities exceeding 9,000 m/min, exclusively represented by Florin in German-speaking regions for over two decades. Used by food manufacturers for industrial drying applications.
• UltraFlow Trocknungsgebläse (UltraFlow Drying Blowers) Energy and water-saving drying blowers designed for industrial food processing applications. Sold to food manufacturers.
• Mini Compact Dryer Compact drying unit (180 Watt) serving as an alternative to conventional compressed air systems for blowing applications such as code cleaning or closure blasting before inspection.
• Metalldetektoren (Metal Detectors) Metal detection systems for food safety inspection, sold and serviced by Florin for food industry customers.
• Röntgenanlagen (X-ray Inspection Systems) X-ray inspection systems for foreign body detection and quality control in food products.
• OXIPACK Leckage-Detektoren (Leak Detectors) Leakage detection equipment for package integrity testing in food packaging applications.
• Dosenöffnungsanlagen (Can Opening Systems) Can opening systems for food processing lines.
• FloW-Air-Mini Miniature blower (24V, IP67 rated, ~70 decibels noise level) for replacing compressed air applications, achieving up to 90% energy savings with amortization period approximately 1 year.
• Institut für Lebensmittelqualität (ILQ) - Food Quality Institute DAkkS-accredited laboratory (DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018) providing chemical-physical and microbiological food analysis services, IFS consulting, HACCP concepts, food law advisory, and microbiological testing.
• IFS-Academy Seminars and Workshops Official IFS training partner program offering paid seminars and workshops on food safety, IFS standards, HACCP, allergen management, and food law topics for food industry professionals.
• Gebrauchtmaschinen-Service (Used Machinery Service) Used machine sales platform with over 500 machines and systems in stock at the Willich facility, covering transport, washing, sorting, weighing, cutting, filling, closing, and packaging equipment. Also helps companies sell machines they no longer need.
• Planung & Projektierung (Plant Planning and Project Engineering) Complete plant planning and project engineering services for food production facilities.
• Produktentwicklung (Product Development Services) Product development services in the Florin technical center, helping clients develop recipes into industrial-scale production with appropriate machinery, recipe optimization, and industrial recipe development.
• Ferrum Ersatzteile für Entsteinmaschinen (Ferrum Stone Removal Machine Spare Parts) Exclusive spare parts supply for Ferrum stone removal machines (types EA, EB, FES) including rubber muffs, plungers, round brushes, and circular knives.
• SmartAbo Subscription Service Subscription service offering regular laboratory analyses, food law and technology consulting, hygiene and HACCP support, shelf-life determination, product optimization, and seminars.
• Lebensmittelsicherheit Beratung (Food Safety Consulting) Comprehensive food safety consulting services including IFS consulting, HACCP concepts, documentation, staff training, internal pre-audits, and certification preparation.
• Kunden- & Ersatzteilservice (Customer and Spare Parts Service) Technical service including maintenance, spare parts supply, on-site service, and commissioning for metal detectors, drying systems, and air blasting equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings up to 90% compared to compressed air applications
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IFS (International Food Standard)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Official IFS training partner since early 2023, offering seminars and workshops around food safety, hygiene, and IFS standards as well as consulting in legal matters.
• FIS Europe (Food Information Service Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for seminars and workshops. FIS Europe, founded in 2006 by Dr. Sylvia Pfaff in Bad Bentheim, is a research and consulting institute for the food industry specializing in QM and HACCP systems.
• SF ConsulTECminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner founded in 2021 by Svenja Flöring-Stötzel, offering interim services, consulting, training, and internal/external audit support for food companies.
• Sonic Air SystemscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerExclusive representation in German-speaking region for over 20 years. Florin maintains the largest Sonic Air Systems spare parts warehouse in Europe in Willich. Systems feature air velocities over 9,000 m/min.
• Lubeca Verschließmaschinen GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner at FACHPACK 2025. Specialist for robust and flexible closing technology. Presents fully automatic 1-station closing machine LW357 processing round cans.
• EME Engler Maschinen GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner at FACHPACK 2025. Filling systems for vegetables, ready meals, sauces, delicatessen, cosmetics, and chemical products. Now combined with Steiner Apparatebau GmbH.
• Whystler Automation GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner at FACHPACK 2025. Full-service provider for automation solutions for food and beverage industry, developing conveyor systems, robotic solutions, and cleaning/packaging lines.
• BOGK (Bund für Lebensmittelrecht und Lebensmittelkunde)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association co-hosting Praxisseminar Lebensmittelsicherheit und IFS Food V8 with Florin.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Scientific: Global food-testing laboratory network offering microbiological, chemical, and allergen analysis. Comparable to Florin's Institut für Lebensmittelqualität lab services, though Eurofins operates globally and at vastly greater scale with a much broader testing menu.
• SGS SA: Swiss-based global testing, inspection, and certification company with a sizeable food-safety and quality assurance practice. Comparable to Florin's IFS consulting and food-lab analysis offerings at global scale; competes for certifications, audit, and lab-testing engagements.
• ProMach: US-based packaging-machinery conglomerate integrating filling, capping, labeling, and inspection brands. Comparable broad-portfolio play in food-industry packaging lines but operating in a different geography; reference for how multi-line food-machinery distributors scale.
• Bühler Group: Swiss global incumbent supplying equipment and processing solutions across food manufacturing (grain milling, chocolate, dairy). Comparable to Florin's food-industry equipment focus but at vastly larger scale and with broader geographic reach; overlaps in food-safety/quality solutions though Bühler is far broader.
• SPX FLOW: Global supplier of process equipment for food, beverage, and dairy including pumps, valves, and heat exchangers. Direct overlap with Florin's pumps/dosing equipment and broader food-processing machinery portfolio, though SPX FLOW operates at international scale.
• GEA Group: German-listed engineering group offering separators, homogenizers, and complete food processing lines. Direct overlap with Florin's filling, processing, and food-industry equipment portfolio on a much larger industrial scale.
• TÜV SÜD: German-based certification body offering food-safety audits, IFS assessments, and HACCP certification. Comparable to Florin's IFS-Beratung and HACCP consulting services; TÜV SÜD operates globally and dwarfs Florin in audit/certification breadth.

Direct peers

• MULTIVAC: German packaging machinery specialist covering vacuum packaging, labeling, quality control, and food processing. Direct peer to Florin's X-ray inspection, metal detection, and packaging equipment lines for food-industry customers in DACH.
• Mettler-Toledo: Global leader in industrial weighing and product inspection (metal detection, X-ray, checkweighing). Direct overlap with Florin's metal detectors, X-ray inspection, and weighing equipment product lines for food processors.
• Krones AG: German packaging and food-processing machinery leader covering filling, closing, labeling, and inspection. Florin's labeling, filling/dosing, closing, weighing, and X-ray inspection lines overlap directly with Krones' core offerings, though Krones serves global F&B brands versus Florin's DACH-focused SME base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCytCfUogVxDaFN4DYGL7B8w
• Facebookfacebook.com/floringmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/florin-gmbh

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Florin