Solema
Solema SRL, founded in 1982 in Pedrengo, Italy, designs and manufactures end-of-line industrial automation machinery—including the Pluton palletizer and Magic Box cartoning machine—for enterprise customers in the graphic arts and paperboard/packaging industries, distributing in North America through its partner Solema USA.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersBergamo, Italy
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Solema does
Solema SRL is an Italian industrial automation company founded in 1982 and headquartered in Pedrengo (Bergamo), Italy. It designs and manufactures end-of-line automation machinery for the graphic arts and paperboard/packaging industries. Core products include the Pluton automatic palletizer (now the global standard configuration), the Magic Box automatic cartoning machine, conveyor belts and stackers, and automatic storage systems. Following the 2013 acquisition of Roda, the company operates two product lines, Graphicart and Paperboard, covering corrugated converting and assembly as well as cartoning systems.
Solema's revenue model combines one-time hardware sales of industrial machinery with recurring after-sales services (parts supply, technical service, installation, and integration). Pricing is quote-based and tailored to enterprise customer requirements. The go-to-market blends direct field sales from the Italian headquarters with an exclusive North American distribution partnership, Solema USA Inc., a jointly-controlled entity established January 1, 2002 in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Solema USA handles sales, installation, parts, after-sales service, and showroom demonstrations across North America.
The company serves primarily enterprise customers in the printing/graphic arts and paperboard/packaging verticals, with documented installations at Thomson Shore (2003) and RR Donnelley (2005). Solema holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and is privately held under founder control. Luca Parsani serves as President and CEO of Solema SRL; Scott Ellis leads Solema USA. Management commentary cites an average 25% sales growth over three years with a 34% peak in 2019, driven by the Solema USA partnership.
Solema firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Solema
- Legal name
- Solema SRL
- Website
- https://solemausa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Solema SRL, founded in 1982 in Pedrengo, Italy, designs and manufactures end-of-line industrial automation machinery—including the Pluton palletizer and Magic Box cartoning machine—for enterprise customers in the graphic arts and paperboard/packaging industries, distributing in North America through its partner Solema USA.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Solema industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Automation Machinery
- NAICS
- Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332)
- SIC
- Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)
- akta.pro primary industry
- End-of-Line Integration & Packaging Line Systems (IMAHAOAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Service, Repair & Maintenance Contracts (Preventive Maintenance, Onsite Service, Extended Warranty) (IMAAAIAM), Blister, Skin & Thermoform Packaging Machines (IMAHAOAI)
Keywords
Where Solema is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bergamo
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Solema business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Industrial Machinery Sales: Sale of automated machinery including Pluton automatic palletizers, Magic Box cartoning machines, conveyor belts, and stackers. One-time hardware sales to enterprise customers.
- After-Sales Service and Parts: Post-sales support including parts supply, technical service, and after-sales customer care. Solema USA has dedicated accounting, parts, and after-sales service departments.
- Installation and Integration Services: Custom installation and integration of automation systems, including programming and configuration for specific customer needs such as accepting different sized pallets.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Solema product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Solema SRL designs, manufactures, and sells industrial automation machinery for the graphic arts and paperboard industries. Its core offerings include the Pluton automatic palletizer, Magic Box automatic cartoning machine, conveyor belts, stackers, and automated storage systems, all used for end-of-line production packaging and material handling. The company distributes these products primarily through Solema USA, its exclusive North American business partner.
Product overview
Solema is an industrial automation company offering specialized equipment for the graphic arts and paperboard industries. Their product portfolio centers on the Pluton automatic palletizer for end-of-line automation and the Magic Box automatic cartoning machine for production packaging. These core products are complemented by conveyor belts, stackers, and automatic storage systems. Following the 2013 acquisition of Roda, Solema expanded into paperboard machinery for corrugated converting and assembly, operating under two main product lines: Graphicart and Paperboard.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pluton Automatic Palletizer Automatic palletizing system for end-of-line automation in graphic arts and paperboard industries. Reduces labor requirements and handles various pallet sizes through advanced programming.
- Magic Box (Automatic Cartoning Machine) Automatic cartoning system for end-of-line production packaging, designed to automate labor-intensive material handling tasks in graphic arts and paperboard operations.
- Conveyor Belts and Stackers Material handling equipment that integrates with Solema automatic palletizers to transport and stack products along production lines.
- Automatic Storage System Automated storage solution for managing inventory and materials, installed at Solema USA facility in 2018.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced sewing line operators from 23 people to 9 people through Pluton automatic palletizer installation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Solema
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Solema technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Solema partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- RodacoreAcquisition of Roda in 2013 that strengthened Solema SRL and helped the company enter the packaging industry. Machines built upon Roda's established foundation now meet even the most special packaging needs in paperboard and corrugated converting.
- Solema USAcoreExclusive North American business partnership established January 2002. Solema USA handles sales, distribution, installation, parts, after-sales service, and maintains a showroom for demonstrations. Partnership has generated average 25% sales growth over past 3 years with peak of 34% in 2019. Solema USA expanded to include accounting, parts, after-sales service departments, showroom (2016), and automatic storage system (2018).
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Solema competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Schneider Packaging Equipment: Schneider designs and builds end-of-line packaging equipment including palletizers, case packers, and cartoning machinery for consumer and industrial packagers, directly comparable to Solema's Magic Box cartoning and Pluton palletizing systems.
- Pester Pac Automation: Pester Pac Automation specializes in end-of-line packaging automation including palletizers, depalletizers, and cartoning systems for pharmaceutical and consumer goods, directly comparable to Solema's Magic Box and Pluton product platforms.
- Beumer Group: Beumer provides end-of-line packaging, palletizing, and intralogistics systems for paperboard, corrugated, and converting plants, making it a close functional peer to Solema's Pluton palletizer and conveyor-based end-of-line solutions.
- Focke & Co. Focke specializes in packaging machinery including cartoning, case packing, and end-of-line systems for paperboard and consumer packaging, serving the same end-of-line automation niche as Solema's Magic Box platform.
- Bobst Group: Bobst is a Swiss-based global leader in packaging and converting machinery for folding cartons, corrugated board, and labels — directly comparable to Solema's paperboard/corrugated converting and end-of-line automation offering, and a far larger incumbent in the same end markets.
- Ess Engineering (Cincinnati): Ess Engineering (a division within palletizing/material handling groups) provides robotic and conventional palletizing systems for packaging and converting lines, directly comparable to Solema's Pluton automatic palletizer.
Others
- Graphic Packaging International: Graphic Packaging is a major paperboard and folding-carton converter and a likely potential customer/partner for Solema's paperboard machinery; adjacent rather than competitive, but operates in the exact converting workflows Solema's Roda-built equipment targets.
Broad incumbents
- ProMach: ProMach is a portfolio company building packaging machinery brands across palletizing, cartoning, case packing, and material handling; it competes with Solema's end-of-line offering through multiple subsidiaries targeting paperboard and converting customers.
- Krones AG: Krones is a large German packaging and bottling machinery manufacturer offering palletizing, cartoning, and end-of-line automation; while primarily focused on beverage, it competes in similar palletizing/cartoning categories and is a reference scale incumbent.
- Heidelberger Druckmaschinen (HEIDELBERG): Heidelberg is a global incumbent printing press and post-press equipment manufacturer serving the graphic arts industry; it overlaps with Solema's graphic arts end-of-line automation focus and competes for similar print-shop capex budgets at much larger scale.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Solema social profiles
Digital presenceSolema compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Solema financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Solema leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Solema subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Solema funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Solema 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 Solema
What does Solema do?
Solema SRL designs, manufactures, and sells industrial automation machinery for the graphic arts and paperboard industries. Its core offerings include the Pluton automatic palletizer, Magic Box automatic cartoning machine, conveyor belts, stackers, and automated storage systems, all used for end-of-line production packaging and material handling. The company distributes these products primarily through Solema USA, its exclusive North American business partner.
Is Solema a public or private company?
Solema is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Solema founded?
Solema was founded in 1982. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Solema based?
Solema is headquartered in Bergamo, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Solema make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Industrial Machinery Sales are the primary driver. The others are after-Sales Service and Parts and installation and Integration Services.
Who are Solema's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Schneider Packaging Equipment, Pester Pac Automation, Beumer Group, Focke & Co., Bobst Group and Ess Engineering (Cincinnati). Graphic Packaging International is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are ProMach, Krones AG and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen (HEIDELBERG).
Does Solema have an API?
No public API is recorded for Solema.
What industry is Solema in?
Solema's product category is Industrial Automation Machinery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAOAN, End-of-Line Integration & Packaging Line Systems, with a secondary code of IMAAAIAM, Service, Repair & Maintenance Contracts (Preventive Maintenance, Onsite Service, Extended Warranty). Its NAICS code is 3332 and its SIC code is 3550.