SOCMA

What SOCMA does

SOCMA (Société Occitane de Maintenance), founded in 1987 by Jo Ferrandez and headquartered in Montredon-des-Corbières near Narbonne, France, designs and manufactures specialized equipment for the grape-reception phase of winemaking. The company focuses on preserving berry integrity throughout destemming, sorting, conveying, and transfer operations. Core products include the Le Cube® vertical vibrating destemmer (now in its fifth generation since 2011), the Densibaie® and Densibaie XL® density sorting systems (5–10 T/hour throughput), the Viniclean® vibrating roller sorting hopper, the Turbopigeur® wine pumping and mixing system, the Le Mini Cube® compact destemmer, and the Niagara water-projection sorter, supplemented by sorting tables, conveyors, pumps, crushers, and tanks. The product portfolio is engineered around mechanical and physical separation principles—vibration, density, and gravity—rather than electronics or AI, and 98% of manufacturing is performed in-house at the Narbonne-area facility under '100% French manufacturing' branding.

The company sells to wineries and wine producers primarily through an authorized distributor network covering all wine-producing regions worldwide, with direct factory engagement reserved for custom installations, complex projects, and bespoke configurations. Revenue is generated almost exclusively through hardware sales (new equipment, spare parts delivered within 24–48 hours during harvest, custom builds, and a small used/refurbished and rental channel), with quote-based pricing that is not publicly disclosed and a one-year standard warranty extendable by one year. The team comprises approximately 25 experienced collaborators. SOCMA has accumulated 10 patents and 20 industry awards, holds registered trademarks on its flagship product names, and in 2022 entered a research collaboration with INRAE and IFV (French agricultural and viticultural research institutes) on sustainable viticulture and climate-change adaptation. The business remains family-controlled, with Sylvain and Rémi Ferrandez having succeeded founder Jo Ferrandez in 2017.

Name

SOCMA

Legal name

SOCIETE OCCITANE DE MAINTENANCE

Website

https://socma.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SOCMA is a 1987-founded, family-owned French manufacturer that designs and produces grape-reception equipment—vibrating destemmers, density sorters, vibrating hoppers, conveyors, and pumps—for wineries worldwide via an authorized distributor network, with 98% in-house production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

akta.pro primary industry

Vineyard Mechanization & Equipment Operations (Tractors, Sprayers, Harvesters) (AFAGAJAF)

Keywords

• Winemaking equipment manufacturing
• Grape sorting machinery
• Destemming equipment
• Density sorting systems
• Wine processing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Montbrun-des-corbières

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wine Equipment Manufacturing: SOCMA designs, manufactures, and sells winemaking equipment including destemmers, sorting tables, density sorters, conveyors, crushers, pumps, and tank accessories. Products are designed and manufactured 98% in-house at their Narbonne facility.
2. Spare Parts and After-Sales Service: Replacement parts manufactured in-house with guaranteed 24-48 hour delivery during harvest season. Repair services and warranty support included. Also offers extended warranty options.
3. Custom/Bespoke Equipment: Custom-designed solutions adapted to specific winery configurations. Engineering and sales teams collaborate to meet unique customer requirements.
4. Used Equipment and Rental: SOCMA occasionally refurbishes and sells pre-owned equipment. Also offers rental options through select service providers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SOCMA designs, manufactures, and sells mechanical winemaking equipment for grape reception and processing, including vibrating destemmers, density sorters, vibrating hoppers, sorting tables, conveyors, crushers, pumps, and tanks. Products are designed and manufactured 98% in-house at the company's facility in Montredon-des-Corbières, France, and distributed to wineries across all wine-producing countries worldwide.

Product overview

SOCMA manufactures a comprehensive range of grape reception and sorting equipment for the wine industry. The product portfolio centers around grape processing machinery including vibrating destemmers (Le Cube®, Le Mini Cube®), density sorting systems (Le Densibaie®, Le Densibaie XL®), vibrating hoppers (Viniclean®, Vibrating Hopper), sorting tables (Belt Sorting Table, Vibrating Sorting Table), and material handling equipment (Conveyor Belts, Crate Tipper, Bin Tipper, Pumps, Tanks). The equipment is designed for the grape reception workflow from destemming through to pressing, emphasizing berry preservation, mechanical simplicity, and 100% French manufacturing (98% in-house production). The product line operates through purely mechanical and physical processes—vibration, density separation, and water projection—without any software or AI components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Le Cube®: Vertical vibrating destemmer that combines efficiency and gentle grape handling. Features destemming fingers and vibrating chute for clusters to pass through gently.
• Densibaie®
• Viniclean®
• Turbopigeur®

Products and services

• Le Cube® Vertical vibrating destemmer that combines efficiency with uncompromising grape care. Features destemming fingers and adjustable spacing grid for gentle berry release and sorting. Throughput: 9T/hour (manual harvest), 15T/hour (mechanical harvest). For wineries and wine producers requiring gentle berry handling during destemming.
• Le Mini Cube®

Quantifiable outcome

• Cube processing: 9T/hour (manual harvest), 15T/hour (mechanical harvest)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOCMA collaborates with INRAE and IFV (French Institute of Vine and Wine) on research and development projects addressing challenges facing the wine industry, including reducing chemical inputs in vineyards and wineries, and anticipating climate change impacts on viticulture.
• IFV (Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research partnership with INRAE focusing on sustainable viticulture and winemaking practices, including reducing reliance on chemical inputs and climate change adaptation strategies.
• Authorized Distributor NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSOCMA has built a national and international network of authorized distributors who are trained in SOCMA technical expertise. These distributors handle sales, installation, and after-sales support for customers in their respective wine-producing regions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Della Toffola Group: Italian manufacturer of complete winemaking lines including grape reception, sorting, fermentation, and packaging equipment. Direct competitor to SOCMA in the global winery equipment market with comparable product categories.
• Pellenc: French manufacturer of equipment for viticulture and wine production, including sorting, destemming, and vineyard machinery. Closely comparable to SOCMA in targeting wine industry customers with specialized processing equipment.
• Bucher Vaslin: French manufacturer of winery equipment including destemmers, presses, and filtration systems. Direct competitor to SOCMA in grape reception and processing equipment, serving similar winery customers globally with a broader product line.
• Diemme Enologia: Italian manufacturer of wine production equipment including destemmers, presses, and filtration systems. Direct competitor to SOCMA in grape processing equipment for the wine industry, serving similar winery customers.
• ENOVENETA: Italian producer of wine-making equipment including grape reception and sorting machinery. Direct peer offering comparable product lines to SOCMA's destemmers and sorting tables in the wine equipment market.
• Europress / Scharfenberger: German manufacturer of wine presses and grape processing equipment. Direct peer to SOCMA in the European winery equipment market with overlapping customer base of wine producers.
• Witte GmbH: German manufacturer of sorting and processing equipment including optical sorters for the food and beverage industry. Comparable to SOCMA in producing sorting equipment, though with broader food industry applications including wine production.
• Criveller Group: Canadian-Italian supplier of winery equipment, tanks, and processing systems. Comparable to SOCMA in distributing and manufacturing grape processing equipment for wineries across multiple wine regions.

Broad incumbents

• Krones AG: German global leader in beverage packaging and processing equipment, including wine production lines. Significantly larger than SOCMA, with overlapping capabilities in wine processing but serving a much broader beverage industry portfolio.
• Alfa Laval: Swedish multinational providing heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling equipment for various industries including food, dairy, and beverage production. Broad incumbent with some overlap to SOCMA in wine processing equipment but serving a much wider industrial base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Socma.France
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/socma-narbonne
• Instagraminstagram.com/socma_narbonne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 SOCMA