What Southstar does

Southstar (赛思达) is a Guangzhou-based manufacturer of commercial bakery equipment founded in 1991. The company produces commercial ovens, proofing cabinets, dough mixers, and related production-line equipment for industrial bakeries, food factories, bakery chains, hotels and restaurants, and fresh-baking retail shops. Manufacturing is anchored in two facilities in Guangzhou — headquarters in Conghua District and a production base in Baiyun District — totaling 80,000 square meters with stated annual capacity of 60,000 to 100,000 units and a headcount of approximately 600–680 employees. Products are differentiated across a three-brand portfolio: Southstar for premium positioning, Xinnanfang as an economy-focused domestic line, and EBE as a European-style line developed through a Dutch design partnership. Equipment incorporates PLC and touchscreen control systems for industrial automation.

The company operates a distribution-led go-to-market model, reaching customers through 168 overseas distributors and 16 domestic offices across more than 130 countries. Revenue is generated through direct equipment sales to commercial baking operators; disclosed transaction benchmarks include on-site orders of 400,000 EUR at IBA 2018. The business has accumulated regulatory and certification credentials — ISO9001, CE, BV, TUV, UL — and was the first in its industry to earn the AAAA standardization certification in 2012, with multiple national commercial baking equipment standards attributed to its leadership. Brand value has grown from 1.2亿 RMB in 2007 to an estimated 5亿 RMB currently, and the company has held the Guangdong Province Famous Trademark designation since 2014. Chairman Tang Shusong (唐树松) leads the company, and the business has been recognized as a contract-honoring enterprise for 13 consecutive years.

Name

Southstar

Legal name

广州市赛思达机械设备有限公司

Website

https://southstar88.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southstar (赛思达) is a Guangzhou-based manufacturer of commercial bakery equipment — ovens, proofers, and dough mixers — sold under three brands (Southstar, Xinnanfang, EBE) to industrial bakeries, food factories, and hospitality operators across 130+ countries via a 168-distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Shenyang

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Baking Equipment Manufacturing & Sales: Manufactures and sells commercial bakery equipment including ovens, proofing cabinets, mixers, slicers, and production lines. Revenue is generated from one-time equipment sales with bundled after-sales service. Warranty of one year nationwide with lifetime repair service.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Southstar (赛思达) designs and manufactures commercial bakery equipment for industrial and retail food production operations. The product portfolio includes hot air rotary ovens, convection ovens, tunnel ovens, pizza ovens, dough mixers, proofing cabinets, lamination machines, bread slicers, egg beaters, water chillers, and full automated bakery production lines. Products are sold across two in-house brands — premium Southstar (赛思达) and economy 新南方 (Xinnanfang) — plus the EBE European-style sub-brand, available in gas, electric, and diesel variants. The company operates two large manufacturing bases totaling 80,000㎡ in Guangzhou with an annual output capacity of 60,000–100,000 units, distributed via 168 overseas distributors across 130+ countries and 16 domestic offices across China.

Product overview

Southstar (赛思达) is a commercial bakery equipment manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of baking machinery and equipment. The product line centers on industrial baking ovens including热风旋转炉 (rotary ovens), 热风循环炉 (convection ovens), 隧道炉 (tunnel ovens), and specialized 披萨炉 (pizza ovens), complemented by dough processing equipment such as 和面机 (dough mixers), 起酥机 (lamination machines), and 醒发箱 (proofing cabinets). The company also produces supporting equipment including 冷水机 (water chillers), 冷却塔 (cooling towers), and refrigerated work tables. Southstar operates two main brands: the premium '赛思达' (Southstar) line featuring high-end automated ovens with PLC and touchscreen controls, and the economy-focused '新南方' (Xinnanfang) brand for basic bakery equipment. The EBE sub-brand represents a premium European-style oven collection designed under Dutch specifications. Products are available in gas, electric, and diesel variants to accommodate different energy infrastructure requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 新南方: 经济型品牌，主要生产普通烤箱和醒发箱等基础烘焙设备，定位大众市场，国内覆盖率95%以上
• EBE

Products and services

• Hot Air Rotary Oven (热风旋转炉) Commercial bakery oven with rotating rack system for even heat distribution. Available in gas, electric, and diesel variants with capacities from 12 to 64 trays. Equipped with PLC and touchscreen control systems, 0-400°C temperature range, and three-layer insulation up to 185mm thick.
• Convection Oven (热风循环炉) Hot air circulation oven with forced air circulation for uniform baking. Available in 5-tray and 8-tray configurations with gas or electric heating options. Features compact design, imported stainless steel 1.5mm construction, and programmable control presets.
• Luxury Electric/Gas Oven (豪华型电烤箱/燃气烤箱) Premium bakery oven with microcomputer controls. Available in 2-tray, 4-tray, 6-tray, and 9-tray configurations with digital or instrument control panels. Includes timing and steam functions for French bread and similar products.
• Pizza Oven (披萨炉) Specialized pizza baking oven including conveyor pizza ovens (e.g., NFC-480D model) with high-temperature capability for authentic pizza preparation, including optional 400°C temperature gauges.
• Dough Mixer (和面机) Commercial dough mixer with dual-action dual-speed design for efficient dough preparation. Available in various capacities including 50kg models (e.g., NFJ-50). Uses imported NSK bearings, US Gates belts, and Schneider electric components for food-contact surfaces.
• Refrigerated/Spray Proofer (冷藏醒发箱/喷雾醒发箱) Fermentation cabinet for dough proofing with refrigerated and spray variants. Features automatic temperature and humidity control, French Tecumseh compressor, automatic water intake with low-water power-off protection, and 1.2mm stainless steel construction.
• Croissant/Danish Lamination Machine (起酥机) Dough lamination machine for producing croissants and Danish pastries. Designed for bakery production of layered pastry products.
• Tunnel Oven (隧道炉) Continuous production tunnel oven for high-volume baking operations. Available in gas and electric configurations. Designed for industrial-scale food production lines.
• Trolley-type Fermentation Room (推车式发酵房) Large-scale fermentation room that accommodates multiple trolleys for industrial proofing operations, paired with fermentation room host units for bakery production lines.
• Bread Slicer (切片机) Commercial bread and toast slicing machine for uniform bread portioning, used in retail and industrial bakery operations.
• Egg Beater/Mixer (打蛋机) High-speed commercial egg beating and mixing machine for bakeries (e.g., NFB-30H model), designed for high-volume egg and batter mixing.
• Refrigerated Work Table (冷藏工作台) Stainless steel refrigerated work table for bakery food preparation areas, providing temperature-controlled workspace for pastry assembly and finishing.
• Automatic Cake Baking Production Line (全自动蛋糕烘焙生产线) Complete automated production line for industrial-scale cake and bakery product manufacturing, integrating multiple equipment modules into a single workflow.
• Luxury Combination Oven (豪华型组合炉) Space-saving combination oven featuring integrated deck oven, proofer, and rack storage in one unit. Combines 5-tray convection oven, 2-tray oven, and 8-tray proofer for retail bakery space efficiency.
• EBE European-style Oven Line (EBE欧式烤箱) Premium European-style oven line designed and manufactured under European standards, featuring Dutch design and advanced thermal technology including EBE heat reflection glass. Includes European deck ovens, combination ovens, and convection ovens.
• Steamed Bun Oven (蒸包炉) Commercial steamer oven for preparing steamed buns, dumplings, and similar Chinese-style baked and steamed products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Temperature control precision: 0-400°C range across product lines
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 minor, core and major.

• Guangzhou Zhenqi Food (广州珍奇味食品)minorOthersLong-term customer and partner of Southstar bakery equipment. Listed as a key customer on the Southstar partner/customer testimonials page.
• Ningbo Siweite Food (宁波思味特食品)minorOthersLong-term customer and partner of Southstar bakery equipment. Listed as a key customer on the Southstar partner/customer testimonials page.
• Xiamen Gushi Food (厦门鼓食食品)minorOthersLong-term customer and partner of Southstar bakery equipment. Listed as a key customer on the Southstar partner/customer testimonials page.
• 全国饮食加工设备标准化委员会 (National Food Processing Equipment Standardization Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthstar leads the drafting of national standards for commercial baking equipment including electric ovens, hot air ovens, bread slicers, and dough mixers. Chairman Tang Shusong serves as Vice Chairman of National Commercial Machinery Standardization Technical Committee.
• 广东省酒店用品行业协会 (Guangdong Hotel Supplies Industry Association)coreOthersChairman Tang Shusong serves as President of Guangdong Hotel Supplies Industry Association, providing significant industry influence and partnership network for Southstar.
• 中国酒店用品协会 (China Hotel Supplies Association)coreOthersSouthstar serves as Executive Standing Vice President of China Hotel Supplies Association, with significant involvement in industry standards, exhibitions, and policy discussions.
• 全国工商联烘焙业公会 (National Federation of Commerce Bakery Industry Committee)coreOthersActive member and participant in National Federation of Commerce Bakery Industry Committee, regularly attending and hosting committee meetings and exhibitions.
• 168 Overseas DistributorsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distribution network spanning 130+ countries. At 2018 Germany IBA exhibition, Southstar signed 7 new country distributors and achieved 400,000 EUR in on-site orders. Network enables significant global market reach.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Middleby Corporation: Large US-based conglomerate that owns multiple commercial kitchen and bakery equipment brands. Overlaps with Southstar's premium oven offerings but operates as a much broader foodservice equipment platform across cooking, refrigeration, and beverage.
• Rational AG: German manufacturer of commercial combi-ovens widely used in professional foodservice. Comparable in commercial heating equipment manufacturing and premium brand positioning, though focused on combi-steam ovens rather than dedicated baking ovens.

Direct peers

• MIWE: German manufacturer of commercial bakery ovens, proofing systems, and refrigeration equipment with strong premium global positioning. Closely comparable to Southstar's premium Southstar/EBE product lines and serves similar commercial bakery customers across multiple continents.
• Bongard: French commercial bakery equipment manufacturer offering ovens, mixers, proofers, and full bakery line solutions. Similar product portfolio breadth and customer segments as Southstar, with a particularly strong European footprint.
• Sveba Dahlen: Swedish manufacturer of commercial bakery equipment including deck ovens, rack ovens, and proofers. Comparable to Southstar's oven and proofer offerings with overlapping target customer base in industrial bakeries and bakery chains.
• Wiesheu: German commercial baking oven manufacturer specializing in in-store baking ovens and rack ovens. Directly comparable to Southstar's oven-centric product line with similar premium positioning in commercial bakery equipment.
• Bakon Food Equipment: Dutch manufacturer of industrial bakery equipment including spray machines, depositors, and specialized oven equipment. Comparable to Southstar's specialized bakery equipment portfolio and similar European export orientation.

Regional players

• Guangzhou Hualian Food Machinery: Chinese manufacturer of food processing and packaging equipment also based in Guangzhou. Comparable as a domestic Chinese competitor in food machinery manufacturing, though with broader food packaging and sealing focus rather than baking specialization.

Emerging players

• Unox: Italian manufacturer of professional combi ovens and baking equipment that has scaled globally with innovative designs. Comparable to Southstar's premium oven line and similar international growth trajectory from a European base.
• Anko Food Machine: Taiwanese manufacturer of food processing machinery for bakery, snack, and prepared food products. Comparable in Asian food machinery manufacturing with a similar export-oriented business model targeting international bakery and snack producers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Southstar