Katres
Katres is a Czech designer and manufacturer of custom-engineered industrial wood drying kilns — chamber, tunnel, belt, and high-temperature thermal modification — serving sawmills, pallet producers, KVH/biomass processors, and thermal modification operators across 30+ countries via its proprietary MK-520 control platform and global representative network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersRicany, Czechia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Katres does
Katres (KATRES spol. s r.o.) is a Czech Republic-based designer and manufacturer of industrial wood drying kilns, founded in 1991. The company serves the global wood processing, agriculture/biomass, and thermal wood modification industries with six product families: standard chamber dryers (KAD/KSR), the Nordic Line for harsh climates, high-temperature thermal modification kilns (KHT), tunnel progressive dryers (KAPD), low-temperature belt dryers (KBD), and the proprietary MK-520 control system. Headcount stands at 51-100 employees, with 3,000+ installations delivered across approximately 30+ countries in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, anchored by 35 years of continuous operation.
The product platform rests on proprietary technologies including the ReCo (recuperation) heat-recovery system, ECO-TRONIC intelligent regulation, pneumatic push-frame chamber loading, Multi-Energy configurations combining heat pumps with gas/biomass sources, and the Siemens TIA-based MK-520 control system with remote access for up to 32 chambers and automatic data archival. Equipment is custom-engineered rather than catalog-sold, with ISPM 15-compliant heat treatment options supporting phytosanitary market access for packaging and pallet wood. Repeat customers such as Herbert Handlos GmbH (8 ACE-type hybrid kilns) and Carman Wood (incremental chamber additions) demonstrate platform lock-in once installed.
The business model is project-based capital equipment sales with quote-driven pricing, targeting sawmills, pallet producers, KVH/glulam manufacturers, biomass processors, and thermally modified timber producers. Revenue mechanics combine initial equipment sales with recurring service, spare parts, and control-system upgrade streams. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales supported by a global network of in-country representative channel partners, supplemented by recent technology partnerships (e.g., DryTech in Scandinavia) and EU-co-financed export-marketing activity.
Katres firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Katres
- Legal name
- KATRES spol. s r.o.
- Website
- https://katres.cz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Katres is a Czech designer and manufacturer of custom-engineered industrial wood drying kilns — chamber, tunnel, belt, and high-temperature thermal modification — serving sawmills, pallet producers, KVH/biomass processors, and thermal modification operators across 30+ countries via its proprietary MK-520 control platform and global representative network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Katres industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Wood Drying Equipment
- NAICS
- Industrial Process Furnace and Oven Manufacturing (333994)
- SIC
- Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Furnaces, Kilns & Thermal Processing Equipment (IMAHAEAE)
Keywords
Where Katres is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ricany
- HQ country
- Czechia
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Katres business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom-engineered kiln equipment sales: Primary revenue: one-time sale of custom-designed wood drying kilns (standard, Nordic Line, high-temperature, tunnel, belt). Each project includes technical design, manufacturing, complete on-site assembly and commissioning. Pricing per project.
- Service, spare parts and post-sale support: Ongoing warranty and post-warranty service, process tuning, technical consultations and spare parts supplied to installed base. Service is highlighted as a continuing relationship beyond initial delivery.
- Control system upgrades and retrofits: Sales of the MK-520 automatic regulation upgrade to existing customers (e.g., Eglinton Timber Product in Northern Ireland upgraded high-capacity kilns to the newest control system version).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based, project-specific pricing; no public price list |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Katres product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Katres designs, manufactures and commissions custom-engineered industrial wood drying kilns for the global sawmill, wood-processing, agriculture/biomass and thermal-material-treatment industries. Its portfolio covers chamber kilns (KAD/KSR), Nordic Line harsh-climate dryers, KHT high-temperature thermal-modification kilns, KAPD tunnel progressive dryers and KBD low-temperature belt dryers, all unified by the proprietary MK-520 automatic control system built on Siemens TIA/AMAP with remote smartphone/tablet access. Each project includes technical design, in-house production, on-site assembly, commissioning and ongoing service and spare-parts support.
Product overview
Katres offers a modular wood drying technology platform centered on six main product lines: Standard Chamber Dryers (KAD/KSR types), Nordic Line dryers for harsh Scandinavian conditions, High-Temperature Dryers (KHT type) for thermal wood modification, Tunnel Progressive Dryers for high-volume continuous operation, Belt Dryers (KBD type) for sawdust/chips/agricultural products, and the MK-520 Automatic Control System that serves as the unifying control platform across all dryer types. Together these products form an integrated portfolio serving the woodworking industry, agriculture, energy technology, and thermal material treatment, with over 3,000 installations delivered worldwide since 1991.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Nordic Line: A premium product line of fully automatic dryers specifically engineered for Scandinavian wood and demanding sawmill conditions found in Scandinavia, the Baltic region, Canada, and northern Russia. Uses duplex stainless steel construction with self-supporting wall and ceiling panels.
Products and services
- Standard Chamber Dryers (KAD and KSR types) Convection chamber dryers for all wood species and thicknesses, with chamber volumes from 4 to 240 m³, available in pass-through and non-pass-through configurations. KAD type is loaded by forklift from the front; KSR type is loaded on rail carts. Built from high-resistance aluminium profiles with optional stainless steel, fully automatic MK-520 regulation, and ECO-TRONIC airflow control. Targeted at sawmills, planing mills and pallet manufacturers that need uniform drying of sawn timber and ISPM-15 heat treatment.
- Nordic Line (harsh-climate dryers) Fully automatic dryers specifically designed for Scandinavian wood and demanding sawmill operations in Scandinavia, the Baltic region, Canada and northern Russia. Built from high-grade duplex stainless steel with self-supporting wall and ceiling panels sourced from a single world steelworks, high air-flow speed, powerful heat source, and available in forklift-loaded or pass-through rail-cart variants. Features pneumatic push-frame technology for straight, stress-free dried timber. Targeted at large Nordic/Scandinavian sawmill groups such as Moelven, VIDA AB, Wallnäs AB and NORDWOOD.
- High-Temperature Dryers KHT Chambers for thermal modification of wood at 170–230°C, producing a chemical-free alternative to impregnated wood with improved biological resistance, dimensional stability, acoustics and color. Built entirely in stainless steel with hermetically sealed chambers, high-load fans with external motors, and heating from gas/oil burners, hot oil, or electric heating coils. Chamber volumes from 5 to 90 m³. Targeted at manufacturers of thermally modified timber (TMT) for cladding, garden products, saunas, windows, doors and acoustic panels.
- Tunnel Progressive Dryers (KAPD) Continuous-process tunnel drying chambers for large volumes (from 25,000 m³ of wood per year) of mainly softwood. Wood is loaded on rail carts and automatically progresses through drying zones under uniform conditions, reducing overall drying time by up to 30% versus conventional forklift-loaded chambers. Low electrical and thermal energy consumption via a powerful recuperation unit, with pneumatic push-frame technology. Targeted at industrial-scale softwood processors with continuous high-volume operations.
- Belt Dryers (KBD type) Low-temperature belt dryers designed for continuous drying of sawdust, wood chips, grain, agricultural products, bark, beet pulp, wooden mass for pellets, fruits/vegetables, crushed plastics, municipal waste and sludge. Fully automatic control with continuous adjustment of parameters as input moisture and ambient conditions change; maximises use of heat (including waste heat) for drying a variety of materials to strictly regulated humidity and temperature parameters. Targeted at agricultural processors, biomass-pellet producers and waste-to-value operators such as CMB OSMOLODA Brošniv (Ukraine), which operates a KBD 3/12 unit delivering 2 t/h of dry material.
- Automatic Control System MK-520 Proprietary control system for the drying environment that regulates airflow speed and direction, temperature and humidity. Built using the latest Siemens TIA or AMAP programming languages, with an intuitive graphical PC interface, archive data access, fully automatic process with manual override, and remote access via tablet or smartphone. One computer can control up to 32 chambers with remote sensing, data processing and evaluation via modem or GSM mobile network, with SMS alarm routing. Sold both as the standard control system on new kilns and as a standalone upgrade/retrofit to existing installations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 30% reduction in total drying time vs classical chamber kilns when using KATRES tunnel/progressive kilns
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Katres
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Katres technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature7 records
Katres partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core / flagship, core and regional.
- DryTechcore / flagshipDryTech supplied part of the technology integrated into the KAD2x6PVA-Hybrid kiln delivered to Nordic Timber Labs (Sweden, 2026) and co-developed the two-chamber custom kiln for AB Bråthults Sågverk (Sweden, start-up 2023). The partnership is described as combining the best of two worlds in Scandinavia.
- KOIVU-TRADING OY (Antti Korpikallio)coreListed in-country sales representative for Finland; handles sales and customer support for KATRES kilns in the Finnish market, including the JK Wood Oy project.
- Edde Competence Provider AB (Mikael Edde)coreListed in-country sales representative for Sweden, supporting Swedish customer projects such as Nordic Timber Labs and AB Bråthults Sågverk.
- SGB SP. J. (Grzegorz & Szymon Biczysko)regionalIn-country sales representative for Poland based in Kalisz; provides local sales and customer liaison for KATRES kilns in the Polish market.
- VIKALSTA UAB (Sigitas Eigminas)regionalIn-country sales representative for Lithuania (Vilnius); also supports Latvia (Lotyšsko) with the same contact details, providing KATRES kiln sales in the Baltic region.
- JIRKA SERVIS (Irina & Jurij Podělščikov)regionalBelarus sales and service partner based in Minsk; handles local sales of KATRES kilns and technology in the Belarusian market.
- ROJEK LVIV (Alexander A. Dziupin)regionalUkraine partner based in Lviv; together with service technician Oleksandr Usovich provides local sales, installation and service for KATRES kilns in Ukraine, including the belt-dryer project for CMB OSMOLODA Brošniv.
- DIAMOND TEMARAL (Radoslav Lazarov)regionalSerbian sales and service partner based in Pančevo; serves as KATRES's in-country representative for Serbia.
- BEST ELECTRONICS (Fernando Anguita Geissbuhler)regionalChilean sales representative based in Concepción; serves as KATRES's in-country partner for Chile and the Caribbean region of the Americas.
- ÖZBEK GÜNELregionalTurkish sales representative based in Üsküdar, Istanbul; handles KATRES sales and customer liaison in Turkey.
- OOO KAMIregionalRussian sales partner operating a free hotline (8-800-1000-111) for the Russian market; serves as KATRES's in-country representative for Russia and Abkhazia.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Katres competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Siempelkamp Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH: Large German industrial-equipment group with wood-based panel and sawmill machinery lines; broader incumbent with overlapping customer base but different core focus.
- Linck Holzverarbeitungstechnik GmbH: German supplier of sawmill lines and wood-processing equipment; adjacent peer serving similar sawmill customers with broader machinery portfolios than Katres.
Direct peers
- Valutec AB: Swedish manufacturer of wood drying kilns (chamber and continuous) serving Scandinavian sawmills with comparable product lines to Katres Nordic Line and standard chambers.
- WDE Maspell S.r.l. Italian kiln manufacturer (formerly Maspell/WDE) producing chamber and special-purpose dryers; competes with Katres in Southern and Eastern European sawmill markets.
- Baschild A/S: Danish/Italian manufacturer of wood drying kilns including high-temperature and conventional chambers; directly overlaps with Katres KAD and KHT product lines.
- Brunner-Hildebrand GmbH & Co. KG: German supplier of industrial wood drying kilns and reconditioning services, comparable to Katres in chamber dryer offerings for European sawmills.
- Nardi (ItalPlant): Italian supplier of industrial kilns for wood and other materials; overlaps with Katres on chamber dryers and continuous drying for biomass/agricultural applications.
- Mühlböck Holztrocknungsanlagen GmbH: Austrian manufacturer of wood drying kilns including chamber and tunnel dryers with proprietary control systems; competes directly with Katres for Central European sawmill customers.
- Incomac S.r.l. Italian maker of wood drying kilns and thermo-treatment chambers; directly comparable to Katres KHT high-temperature and standard chamber offerings.
Emerging players
- DryTech: Swedish drying-technology firm partnering with Katres on the NTL and Bråthults projects; a smaller emerging player with partial product overlap in Scandinavian kiln design.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Katres social profiles
Digital presenceKatres compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Katres financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Katres leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Katres funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Katres 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 Katres
What does Katres do?
Katres designs, manufactures and commissions custom-engineered industrial wood drying kilns for the global sawmill, wood-processing, agriculture/biomass and thermal-material-treatment industries. Its portfolio covers chamber kilns (KAD/KSR), Nordic Line harsh-climate dryers, KHT high-temperature thermal-modification kilns, KAPD tunnel progressive dryers and KBD low-temperature belt dryers, all unified by the proprietary MK-520 automatic control system built on Siemens TIA/AMAP with remote smartphone/tablet access. Each project includes technical design, in-house production, on-site assembly, commissioning and ongoing service and spare-parts support.
Is Katres a public or private company?
Katres is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Katres founded?
Katres was founded in 1991. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Katres based?
Katres is headquartered in Ricany, Czechia, in the Europe region.
How does Katres make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom-engineered kiln equipment sales are the primary driver. The others are service, spare parts and post-sale support and control system upgrades and retrofits.
Who are Katres's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Siempelkamp Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH and Linck Holzverarbeitungstechnik GmbH. Direct peers are Valutec AB, WDE Maspell S.r.l., Baschild A/S, Brunner-Hildebrand GmbH & Co. KG, Nardi (ItalPlant), Mühlböck Holztrocknungsanlagen GmbH and Incomac S.r.l.. DryTech is listed as an emerging player.
Does Katres have an API?
No public API is recorded for Katres.
What industry is Katres in?
Katres's product category is Industrial Wood Drying Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAEAE, Industrial Furnaces, Kilns & Thermal Processing Equipment. Its NAICS code is 333994 and its SIC code is 3567.