ACAL

What ACAL does

ACAL (Agência Comercial de Anilinas, Lda., founded 1933) is a Portuguese industrial equipment distributor headquartered in Vilar do Paraíso, Vila Nova de Gaia, operating exclusively as the Portuguese representative of multiple Italian wine industry equipment manufacturers. The company represents GAI (bottling monoblocs, rinser-fillers-cappers, labelers), FRANCESCA (peristaltic pumps with electronic control of dispensed volumes), MASELLI MISURE (online measurement instruments for refractometry, Brix, CO2, alcohol, pH), OMBF (sparkling wine equipment), WIN&TECH (CIP and sanitization systems), NUVA (packaging and end-of-line systems), and CADALPE. Its product portfolio covers the full winery production chain from filtration and measurement through bottling, labeling, and end-of-line packaging.

ACAL's business model is exclusive territorial distribution combined with a full-service support offering: it sells new equipment, supplies original spare parts, provides operator and maintenance training, develops plant layout solutions, performs technical assistance, and since 2025 has operated a dedicated machine reconditioning program selling overhauled used equipment (such as the GAI 7540 rotary labeler and GAI 5108 washer/dryer) at lower price points. The company holds Portuguese Institute of Quality (IPQ) homologations to verify and certify measurement instruments, and it serves commercial wineries across Portuguese wine regions including the Douro, Vinho Verde, Dão, and Alentejo.

ACAL operates with a headcount in the 11-50 range. Its revenue mechanics are project-based capital equipment sales (typically long sales cycles, large ticket sizes) supplemented by recurring after-sales revenue from spare parts, consumables, technical service, training, and reconditioned equipment. The customer base is concentrated in Portugal and exposed to the cyclical and structural dynamics of the Portuguese wine industry, including export demand, vintage volumes, and EU viticulture policy.

Name

ACAL

Legal name

Aparelhos e Componentes para Acondicionamento de Líquidos, S.A.

Website

https://acal.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACAL is a Portuguese exclusive distributor representing Italian wine industry equipment brands including GAI, FRANCESCA, MASELL MISURE, OMBF, WIN&TECH, NUVA, and CADALPE. The company supplies bottling, labeling, filtration, pumping, and quality control machinery to Portuguese wineries, complemented by refurbishment, training, and technical support services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vilar Do Paraíso

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Distribution: ACAL distributes premium wine and beverage processing equipment from exclusive international brands including GAI, FRANCESCA, CADALPE, MASELLI MISURE, OMBF, WIN & TECH, and NUVA. The company acts as exclusive representative for Portugal, providing sales, installation, and technical support of industrial bottling, labeling, filtration, and quality control machinery.
2. Machine Refurbishment Services: ACAL provides deep refurbishment services for used equipment, reconverting machines to like-new condition. They maintain full support of original GAI parts to restore machines that have been in use for decades, sometimes over 40 years.
3. Training Services: Training services focused on bottling and packaging of wine in glass bottles, provided within their activity scope.
4. Layout Development: Development of bottling line layout suggestions adapted to physical conditions, with successive evolutions based on contexts and customer requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ACAL is an exclusive Portuguese distributor of international wine and beverage processing equipment, representing brands such as GAI, FRANCESCA, MASELLI MISURE, OMBF, WIN & TECH, NUVA, and CADALPE. The company sells filling, labeling, bottling, filtration, microfiltration, pumping, and quality control machinery to wineries, sparkling wine producers, and craft beer producers in Portugal. Beyond equipment distribution, ACAL provides machine reconditioning, training, bottling line layout design, and post-sale technical support as an integrated service.

Product overview

ACAL is a Portuguese company specializing in solutions for the wine industry, founded in 1933. The company operates as a distributor and exclusive representative of internationally recognized Italian brands, offering an integrated portfolio of equipment and services for wine production, bottling, and packaging. The core product offering centers on GAI filling and labeling machines (world leader in wine bottling up to 25,000 bottles/hour), FRANCESCA pumps (Francesca®, Caterina®, Joy® models for must and wine transfer), MASELLI MISURE refractometry instruments (automatic refractometers, multiparametric stations, cranes), OMBF sparkling wine production equipment (gyropalettes, neck freezers, degorgement stations, corkers, agitators), Win&TECH sanitization systems (Win&Guard microfiltration, Win&Clean CIP, Win&Pura water treatment, Win&Fit filtrability meter), NUVA packaging systems (depalletizing, boxing, palletizing), and CADALPE wine treatment equipment. Supporting services include machine reconditioning, training programs, layout development, and technical support. The company has represented GAI exclusively since 1976 and has progressively added representations including FRANCESCA (2000), OMBF (2017), Win&TECH (2019), and NUVA (2023).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GAI Filling and Bottling Machines Italian wine bottling machinery offering monobloc solutions integrating filling, washing, drying, capsule distribution, capsuling, and labeling in single machines. Includes filling in slight depression, isobarometric mechanical filling, electropneumatic filling, washers/dryers, capsulers, linear and rotary labelers, can filling, large format equipment, and semi-automatic machines. Targets wineries of all sizes.
• FRANCESCA Pump Family Peristaltic and rotary pumps for all winery tasks including must transfer, wine racking, filtration, bottling, heat exchanger passage, and barrel filling/emptying. Includes Francesca® (versatile), Caterina® (efficient for normal transfers up to 90% efficiency at 1 bar), and Joy®/LoBó (high-power, suction up to 10 meters depth). Features 7-inch touchscreen electronic panel, WIFI connectivity, and internal liter-counting algorithm with ±1% tolerance without external flow meter.
• MASELLI MISURE Instruments Italian precision instruments for refractometry and quality measurement including automatic refractometers (LA-01, LA-02 measuring sugar content and potentially pH), multiparametric stations (measuring sugar concentration, pH, total acidity, and color), and CC13 crane for representative grape sample extraction. Equipment homologated by Instituto Português da Qualidade for the internal market.
• OMBF Sparkling Wine Equipment Italian specialist equipment for traditional method sparkling wine production including gyropalettes (mechanical riddling simulation), neck freezers (for ice plug extraction of sediment), dégorgement stations (crown cap removal, sediment extraction, liqueur topping), corkers/muselets (pressure-sealing bottles), and agitators (homogenizing expedition liqueur).
• WIN & TECH Sanitization and Filtration Systems Italian microfiltration and Clean-in-Place systems for optimizing disinfection of filling lines with full traceability. Includes Win&Guard microfiltration (automatic pre-bottling sterility preserving wine flavor nuance), Win&Clean CIP (safe cleaning without productivity compromise), Win&Pura water treatment (ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis), and Win&Fit filtrability index meter (automatic wine filtrability measurement via membrane filtration at controlled pressure).
• NUVA Modular Packaging Systems Italian modular depalletizing, boxing, and palletizing systems occupying minimal space, capable of up to 3,000 bottles/hour. First modular machines in the market that can be modified over time even after installation. Targets end-of-line packaging for wineries and beverage producers.
• CADALPE Wine Treatment and Craft Beer Equipment Italian equipment for enology and craft beer production including patented tangential lees filtration (sintered stainless steel membranes for difficult lees), wine treatment solutions (concentration, desulfurization, distillation, water electrolysis, stabilization, fermentation, refrigeration), and other equipment (barrel washers/fillers, box washers, uncorkers, staplers, sparkling wine cappers).
• Machine Reconditioning Service Deep reconditioning of used GAI bottling equipment, reconverting machines into like-new condition with full support of original manufacturer parts. Enables continued operation for additional years on machines sometimes over 40 years old. Competitive solution for producers not seeking investments with community incentive funds, including small producers entering the market.
• Training Services Training programs focused on wine bottling and packaging in glass bottles within ACAL's activity scope, supporting customer teams on equipment operation.
• Bottling Line Layout Design Service Complete bottling line implementation suggestions adapted to real physical conditions, with successive evolutions based on contexts and customer requirements. Consultative design service for wineries setting up or expanding bottling operations.
• Technical Support Service Technical assistance service accepting queries about machines by entity, brand, model, serial number, and problem description. Dedicated technical support contact ([email protected]) for post-sale resolution across represented brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 25,000 bottles/hour filling capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• NUVAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Exclusive representation for Portugal since 2023. NUVA provides compact solutions for depalletization, case packing, and palletization adapted to each production reality. First modular machines in the market that can be modified over time even after installation.
• WIN & TECHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Exclusive representation consolidated since 2019. WIN & TECH provides microfiltration and CIP (Clean in Place) solutions for optimizing disinfection of filling lines with robust traceability. Compact solutions for water treatment and chemical sanitation.
• OMBFcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2017Exclusive representation for Portugal since 2017, responding to the growing sparkling wine sector in Portugal. Provides specialized technical knowledge in design and construction of machines for sparkling wine production including giropaletes, neck freezers, disgorgement equipment, and cork muselet machines.
• FRANCESCAflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2000Exclusive representation for Portugal since 2000. FRANCESCA pumps known for versatility, absence of oxygen during operation, and simplicity in cleaning procedures, with the broadest range of solutions for winery requirements. Features 7-inch touchscreen electronic panel, WIFI connectivity, and innovative internal liter counting algorithm.
• GAIflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1976Exclusive representation for Portugal since 1976. GAI is the world leader in wine bottling machines, with filling lines for bottles or cans of other beverages at cadences up to 25,000 bottles/hour, based on monobloc solutions philosophy.
• CADALPEcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1970Exclusive representation since the 1970s. CADALPE designs and develops patented solutions in various areas of Enology and Craft Beer Production, including filtration, must concentration, and distillation.
• MASELLI MISUREcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1960Pioneer in Portugal in refractometry and grape reception sampling during harvest since the 1960s. Provides equipment for automatic sampling and determination of probable alcohol and other qualitative parameters of grapes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Pak: Tetra Pak is a Swiss multinational packaging and processing company specializing in food and beverage packaging. While Tetra Pak is most known for carton packaging, it also offers processing equipment, bottling, and packaging solutions that overlap with parts of ACAL's portfolio. Tetra Pak represents a global incumbent with extensive R&D resources, broader industry reach, and significant sustainability positioning in packaging.
• Krones AG: Krones AG is the world's leading manufacturer of packaging and bottling equipment for the beverage industry, headquartered in Germany. While ACAL distributes wine bottling equipment similar to Krones' product categories, Krones is a much larger global incumbent with a broader portfolio including fillers, labelers, and complete bottling lines. Krones represents both a competitive threat (direct sales to large wineries) and a benchmark for the equipment category.
• ProMach: ProMach is a major US-based packaging machinery solutions provider serving multiple industries including beverage, food, and pharmaceuticals. While broader than ACAL's wine-specific focus, ProMach's bottling, labeling, and end-of-line packaging equipment overlaps with ACAL's portfolio. ProMach represents a broader incumbent with extensive resources, a multi-brand acquisition strategy, and global reach.
• GEA Group: GEA Group is a German manufacturer of process technology for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. GEA's separation, filtration, and bottling equipment overlaps with parts of ACAL's portfolio. While GEA is much broader and larger than ACAL, its beverage processing division addresses the same winery and beverage producer customer base with similar equipment categories.
• Sidel Group: Sidel Group is a global leader in beverage packaging equipment, particularly PET bottle and aseptic packaging solutions. While broader than ACAL's wine-specific focus, Sidel's bottling and packaging equipment overlaps significantly with what ACAL distributes. Sidel's scale, direct sales presence in major markets, and brand strength make it a competitive benchmark for the broader beverage packaging industry.

Direct peers

• Della Toffola Group: Della Toffola Group is an Italian manufacturer of equipment for wine, beverage, and food processing. It directly overlaps with ACAL's represented brands in product categories like filtration, concentration, distillation, and bottling. As an equipment manufacturer with global reach, Della Toffola could potentially be a partner for ACAL or a competitor if it chose to enter Portugal directly with its own distribution.
• Padovan: Padovan is an Italian manufacturer of equipment for wine and beverage production with a similar product range to ACAL's represented brands. Padovan offers filtration, concentration, and bottling equipment for the wine industry, directly competing with the same Italian principals that ACAL represents. As a peer Italian equipment manufacturer, Padovan is closely comparable in scale, geography, and customer focus.
• AEB Group: AEB Group is an Italian manufacturer of enological equipment, fermentation products, and filtration systems for the wine and beverage industry. AEB's product range overlaps with several of ACAL's represented brands (CADALPE filtration, wine treatment). The company serves the same global wine industry customer base with similar specialty equipment offerings and comparable scale as an Italian equipment specialist.
• Bucher Vaslin: Bucher Vaslin is a French manufacturer specializing in wine processing equipment including presses, sorting equipment, and bottling systems. It serves the same customer base (wineries) with overlapping product categories. As a specialist equipment manufacturer for the wine industry, Bucher Vaslin is closely comparable to ACAL's represented brands in scope, customer profile, and equipment specialization.
• Enoplastic: Enoplastic is an Italian manufacturer of bottle closures and packaging solutions for the wine, spirits, and beverage industries. Closely aligned with ACAL's packaging offerings (capsules, capsuling equipment), Enoplastic serves the same customer base of wineries and beverage producers. Enoplastic's product specialization makes it a comparable peer in terms of customer focus, product depth, and Italian supply chain origin.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/acal.pt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acal-s-a-

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 ACAL