CITIZEN MACHINERY FRANCE

What CITIZEN MACHINERY FRANCE does

CITIZEN MACHINERY FRANCE S.A.S is a French distributor and application engineering organization for Japanese-made precision CNC turning machines, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIZEN Japan (acquired 2009) and rebranded in 2023 from its former identity as Hestika France (founded 1970). The 38-employee company is headquartered in a 2,200 m² technical center in Ayze, Haute-Savoie, with a 14-machine showroom, demo area, and parts storage. It exclusively distributes the Citizen Cincom sliding headstock and Miyano fixed headstock product lines across France and selected European markets.

Its technical offering covers precision turned parts from 1mm to 80mm in diameter across 17 sliding headstock models and 14 fixed headstock models. Core technology includes LFV (Low Frequency Vibration) — a patented chatter-suppression technique recognized with the 2017 Salon Industrie Lyon Innovation Award and now fitted on approximately 75% of sliding headstock sales. The company bundles its machines with the Alkart software suite (CNC Wizard, Alkart Alarm, Alkart Transfer), in-house equipment financing via Citizen Finance, QUALIOPI-certified training delivered from the Ayze center, and the CMSure preventive maintenance contract program.

Revenue mechanics combine one-time capital equipment sales, multi-year maintenance contracts, parts, training fees, and financed transactions. Customer concentration spans medical device manufacturing (200+ installed machines in France alone), pharmaceutical (e.g., DBJ), automotive (Eagle Industry France), and aerospace, served both directly and through dealers in Italy, Sweden, Spain, Israel, Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Portugal. Named customers include AFT Micromécanique / Acrotec Group (medical) and Auverdec (job shop, with the latter explicitly noting <10% of revenue from any single end customer).

Name

CITIZEN MACHINERY FRANCE

Legal name

Citizen Machinery France S.A.S.

Website

https://cmf-citizen.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Citizen Machinery France is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIZEN Japan that distributes Citizen Cincom and Miyano CNC lathes across Europe, serving medical, pharmaceutical, automotive, and aerospace manufacturers with machinery, software, training, and after-sales services from its Ayze technical center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

CNC Lathes and Industrial Machine Tools

NAICS

All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (333998)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)

akta.pro primary industry

CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

CNC Machining & Programming (EDAOAGAA)

Keywords

• CNC turning machines
• Sliding headstock lathes
• Fixed headstock lathes
• Precision machining equipment
• CNC lathe distributor

Headquarters

HQ city

Ayze

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CNC Machine Sales: Sale of new Citizen Cincom (sliding headstock) and Miyano (fixed headstock) CNC lathes ranging from 1mm to 64mm diameter capacity. Machines include various configurations with multiple spindles, turrets, and automation options.
2. Spare Parts and Components: Complete range of spare parts available from France (Haute-Savoie) with immediate shipping throughout France and Europe. Same-day assistance and next-day delivery for most parts.
3. Training Services: CNC programming, setup, and maintenance training programs. QUALIOPI certified with 90% client satisfaction rate in 2023. Training can be conducted at customer premises or at the Haute-Savoie facility with multimedia equipment.
4. Preventive Maintenance Contracts: Annual or three-year maintenance contracts including annual technician visit, complete diagnostic by manufacturer, geometric control and report, detailed inspection report, and 10% discount on labor and travel for specified machines.
5. Equipment Financing: Citizen Finance provides leasing options, investment file preparation, profit potential evaluation, and flexible repayment structures. VAT paid on rental payments rather than purchase price.
6. Software Licenses: Alkart CNC Wizard (programming assistant) and Alkart alarm management systems offered as software solutions for Citizen and Miyano machines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Citizen Machinery France distributes Citizen Cincom sliding headstock CNC lathes and Miyano fixed headstock CNC lathes covering 1mm to 80mm bar diameter capacity, complemented by the Alkart software suite (CNC Wizard, Alarm, Transfer), financing (Citizen Finance), QUALIOPI-certified training, after-sales service with spare parts inventory, and preventive maintenance contracts. The offering targets precision machining applications across medical, pharmaceutical, automotive, aerospace, and general décolletage industries.

Product overview

Citizen Machinery France S.A.S distributes a comprehensive portfolio of CNC lathes under two brands: Citizen Cincom (sliding headstock automatic lathes) and Miyano (fixed headstock CNC lathes), covering bar diameters from 1mm to 80mm. The Cincom range includes 17 sliding headstock models (LZ-01 robotic loader, GN-3200/3200W/4200 compact series, VC03 vibration control, B12E/16E, L12-VII/X, L20, L32, L320-XII B5 LFV, M16, M32, A20, D25 new product, and R01-VI/R04-VI micro series). The Miyano range includes 14 fixed headstock models (ABX-64/80, ABX-64SYY, ABX-64THY, ANX-42SYY, BNA-42DHY/GTY/MSY/SY/CY5/S, BND-51/64, BNE-51MSY/MYY, BNJ-42/51SY6, LX-08C). Supporting software includes Alkart CNC Wizard (conversational programming) and Alkart Alarm Alert (machine monitoring). Services include financing (Citizen Finance), training (QUALIOPI certified), after-sales/spare parts, application engineering, high-pressure coolant systems, and preventive maintenance (CMSure).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alkart CNC Wizard: CNC programming assistance software in conversational system, available in Cincom edition for sliding headstock lathes and Miyano edition for fixed headstock lathes.
• Alkart Alarm
• Alkart Transfer

Products and services

• Cincom LZ-01 Robotic Sliding Headstock CNC Lathe

Quantifiable outcome

• Tool life doubled with LFV technology
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.

• DP Technology (FAO Esprit)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019Strategic partnership for optimal installation of alkart-transfer and alkart-alarm software solutions, particularly for heterogeneous machine parks. DP Technology, as FAO Esprit editor, provides expertise in integrating Citizen machines with customer production management systems.
• Citizen Machinery JapancoreTechnology or IntegrationParent company and original equipment manufacturer for Citizen Cincom and Citizen Miyano CNC lathes. Located in Nagano, Japan.
• Citizen Machinery EuroperegionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner covering Germany from Esslingen am Neckar. Part of the European distribution network.
• Citizen Macchine Italia S.r.l.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Italy located in Spirano (BG), serving the Italian market for Citizen and Miyano machines.
• AGEFIPH Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRegional partner for disability accommodations in training. AGEFIPH (Association pour la Gestion du Fonds pour l'Insertion Professionnelle des Personnes Handicapées) supports pedagogical, material, and organizational adaptations for people with disabilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves17 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Star Micronics: Japanese manufacturer of Citizen's most direct competitor in Swiss-type CNC sliding headstock lathes (SR-20R, SV-20R series) for small-diameter precision turning. Competes head-to-head in the medical, electronics and automotive micro-machining segments that Citizen France targets.
• EMCO GmbH: Austrian manufacturer of CNC turning and milling machines (Hyperturn, Emturn) with strong presence in vocational training and European job shops. Has an explicit historical collaboration with Citizen Machinery France dating back to 2003, making it a documented adjacent peer.
• Nakamura-Tome Precision Industry: Japanese builder of multi-axis fixed and sliding headstock CNC lathes (e.g., WY series, NTJX series) with strong European medical/aerospace footprint. Comparable in technology positioning and customer verticals to Citizen/Miyano.
• Tornos: Swiss-headquartered builder of multi-spindle and Swiss-type CNC turning centers, with strong installed base in medical, dental and connectics across Europe. Closest European-based direct competitor to Citizen Cincom sliding headstock lathes.
• Tsugami (Precision Tsugami China / Tsugami Japan): Major Japanese producer of precision CNC sliding headstock lathes used for small-batch high-mix production in medical, automotive and electronics. Direct alternative to Citizen Cincom for the same European job-shop customers.

Broad incumbents

• DMG MORI: Global market leader in CNC machine tools including turning centers, milling and additive. Offers CTX/TX series turning machines that compete with Miyano fixed-headstock models in automotive and aerospace. Larger scale, broader portfolio, and direct sales in France.
• Yamazaki Mazak: Large Japanese manufacturer of CNC lathes (Quick Turn, Hyper Quadrex) and multi-tasking machining centers with strong European distribution. Competes with Citizen at the high-end turning segment and offers broader process integration.
• Okuma Europe: Japanese-origin CNC lathe and machining center builder with direct European subsidiary (Belgium) and competitors in high-precision turning (LB series, MULTUS). Overlaps with Citizen/Miyano on fixed-headstock turning for medium/large parts.

Others

• CITIZEN Machinery Japan: Parent company and original equipment manufacturer for Citizen Cincom and Miyano CNC lathes. As the OEM, it dictates product roadmap, IP, and quality standards for the French subsidiary.

Emerging players

• Haas Automation Europe: US-based high-value CNC lathe/mill builder with growing European presence through direct subsidiary. Competes more on price and lead time in the entry/mid CNC lathe segment where small job shops make buying decisions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cmf-citizen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CITIZEN MACHINERY FRANCE