GK Sondermaschinenbau GmbH

What GK Sondermaschinenbau GmbH does

GK Sondermaschinenbau GmbH (GKS) is a privately held, family-owned German special machine builder founded in 1969 by Gerhard Kummerfeldt and headquartered in Arnsdorf near Dresden since 2012. The company designs, manufactures, and commissions form-fill-seal (FFS) packaging machines — three series of 4-side-seal sachet machines (FB-S/M/L), pillow bag machines (SB-S/L), and stickpack machines (ST-L) — alongside custom special machines for conveying, volumetric dosing, lifting and tipping, and centrifugal separation. Core proprietary capabilities include a TWIN dosing system that combines liquid and powder dosing in a single sachet, ultrasonic sealing technology for recyclable and compostable films, a servo-driven contour die-punch, ATEX-certified wet-wipe and swab production integration, and FDA-compliant tobacco volumetric feeders; throughput reaches up to 1,600 ppm on the FB-L platform with thermal sealing.

The business operates a project-based capital equipment model: machines are highly customized, sold direct to enterprise customers or through regional channel partners (T.G. Ritter for DACH pharmaceutical, Versallis Tech Services for USA/Canada/Latin America), and complemented by a recurring service and spare-parts motion plus contract manufacturing (Lohnfertigung). End markets span food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, chemical/household, and tobacco, with named enterprise customers including L'Oréal's Cosmétique Active Production (La Roche-Posay), a German transdermal patch developer, and a major German spice and ketchup manufacturer. Demand generation relies on flagship trade shows (Interpack, Fachpack), in-house exhibitions, delegation trips (e.g., GACC Midwest 2023), and a multilingual website (DE/EN/FR). Outside its packaging core, GKS has co-developed EV charging columns with Elli Group (Volkswagen) and transformer substations for urban infrastructure.

Revenue is generated through one-time machine sales, contract manufacturing services, and a smaller but growing recurring service stream; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company recently underwent a leadership reversal: founder Gerhard Kummerfeldt reassumed the managing director role in 2025 after his son Christian stepped down for health reasons, leaving succession as a notable governance variable.

Name

GK Sondermaschinenbau GmbH

Legal name

GK Sondermaschinenbau GmbH

Website

https://gk-smb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GK Sondermaschinenbau GmbH is a German family-owned special machine builder founded in 1969, designing custom form-fill-seal packaging machines (4-side-seal sachets, pillow bags, stickpacks) and bespoke conveying and dosing equipment for enterprise customers in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical, and tobacco industries worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging Machinery

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993), Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Form-Fill-Seal (VFFS/HFFS) Machines (IMAHAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bagging, Pouching & Sachet Packaging Equipment (IMAHAOAH), Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid) (IMAHAOAF)

Keywords

• Form fill seal packaging
• Sachet packaging machines
• Stickpack packaging equipment
• Special machine manufacturing
• Industrial conveyor systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Arnsdorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Packaging Machines (4-side-seal, pillow bag, stickpack): Sale of custom-formulated, form-fill-seal packaging machines built to customer specifications. Machines are highly customized with modular options for dosing, sealing type, lane count, and automation. Revenue is earned as one-time capital equipment sales with optional service contracts.
2. Custom Special Machines (Conveyor Technology, Tipper, Feeders): Custom-designed special machines for conveyor technology, lifting/tipping, and tobacco processing. Includes volumetric feeders, belt conveyors, and specialized tobacco industry equipment. Revenue as one-time capital equipment.
3. Contract Manufacturing / Lohnfertigung: Precision parts manufacturing and sub-assembly production as contract work for customers, including test protocols and quality certificates. Also offers electrical and automation engineering services, control cabinet construction, and machine relocation/commissioning.
4. Service, Maintenance and Spare Parts: Full service including phone support, remote diagnosis/maintenance, cyclic maintenance, repairs, spare parts support, plant modifications, machine relocation, and advanced GKS plus services with maintenance contracts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GK Sondermaschinenbau GmbH (GKS) designs, manufactures and services custom form-fill-seal (FFS) packaging machines and special machines for industrial customers worldwide. The core product range covers 4-side-seal sachet machines (FB-S/M/L), pillow bag machines (SB-S/L) and stickpack machines (ST-L), complemented by dosing systems, conveyors, volumetric feeders, lifting/tipping devices, and custom special machines. Machines are delivered turnkey from consulting and engineering through manufacturing, automation, and commissioning for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical, and tobacco industries.

Product overview

GK Sondermaschinenbau GmbH is a German special machine construction company offering a comprehensive portfolio of packaging machines and customized special solutions. The core product line includes three series of 4-Side-Seal Sachet Machines (FB-S, FB-M, FB-L) producing sachets for food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and chemical products; Pillow Bag Machines (SB-S, SB-L) for vertical pouch packaging; and Stickpack Machines (ST-L) for portion packs. These packaging machines share a modular, robust design accepting various dosing systems and peripheral accessories. Supporting products include belt conveyors (SlimLine, FBB-Series), volumetric feeders (F-Series, FS-Series, Mini Feeder) primarily for tobacco industry, roller and oscillating conveyors, lifting and tipping devices (T-200 to T-500), and dosing systems (rotary valve pumps, ball valve pumps, auger, flap dosing). Special solutions include custom machines like bundle elevators, centrifugal separators, and urban development products (charging stations, transformer substations). The company also offers comprehensive manufacturing services (turning, milling, welding, laser cutting) and full service/maintenance support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FB-S 4-Side-Seal Sachet Machine Compact 4-side-seal sachet machine with 1-8 lanes, thermal sealing up to 800 ppm or ultrasonic sealing up to 320 ppm, for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical products. An ATEX-certified version with integrated folded disinfection/cleansing wipe production is available.
• FB-M 4-Side-Seal Sachet Machine Medium-sized 4-side-seal sachet machine with 4-12 lanes, thermal sealing up to 1,200 ppm or ultrasonic sealing up to 480 ppm, for high-volume packaging operations across food, pharma, cosmetics and chemicals.
• FB-L 4-Side-Seal Sachet Machine Large 4-side-seal sachet machine with 6-16 lanes, thermal sealing up to 1,600 ppm or ultrasonic sealing up to 640 ppm, for maximum throughput packaging of food, pharma, cosmetics and chemical products.
• SB-S Pillow Bag Machine Vertical pouch packaging machine for pillow bags up to 2 kg with pneumatically driven sealing and motor-driven film pulling, in vertical intermittent operation with steel machine frame and control cabinet (painted or stainless steel).
• SB-L Pillow Bag Machine Vertical pouch packaging machine for pillow bags up to 5 kg, jumbo bags up to 15 kg, or dip-doys (doypacks in 2 lanes), with continuous film transport, combinable with dosing systems and control mechanisms.
• ST-L Stickpack Machine Customised stickpack machine with 2-12 lanes, servo-driven sealing and film pulling, vertical intermittent operation, achieving up to 1,080 ppm for products such as ketchup, mustard, spices and granules.
• Custom Special Machines (Bundle Elevators, Centrifugal Separators) Bespoke special machines for industrial customers, including bundle elevators (vertical transport of bundles up to 60 bundles/min, pneumatically actuated ejection, connecting bundle packer to carton packer) and centrifugal separators with cellular wheel sluice in one housing, stainless steel, for food/confectionery and tobacco separation applications.
• Contract Manufacturing Services (Lohnfertigung) Precision parts and sub-assembly production as contract work for customers, including turning, milling, honing, welding, sheet metal working, laser cutting, laser welding, powder coating and plastics processing, with test protocols and quality certificates. Also offers electrical and automation engineering, control cabinet construction and machine relocation/commissioning.
• Service & Maintenance Full after-sales service including phone support, remote diagnosis and maintenance via VPN, cyclic maintenance, repairs, spare parts support, plant modifications, machine relocation, and engineering services, with advanced GKS plus services under maintenance contracts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Throughput up to 1,600 ppm with FB-L 4-side-seal machine (thermal sealing)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GACC Midwest (German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2023GKS participated in a delegation trip organized by GACC Midwest to the US Environmental Circular Economy for Sustainability (June 5-9, 2023). Activities included Circular Economy Expert Conference in Chicago and follow-up in San Francisco, with individual video conferences with potential partners. Led by Ms. Katrin Geisler and Ms. Alexandra Banning of GACC.
• T.G. Ritter Spezialmaschinen GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional sales partner for DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), specializing in pharmaceutical packaging machines. Contacts: Johannes Lörcher (Managing Director) and Christian Pöpperl (Sales Manager). Represents GKS in pharmaceutical sector across German-speaking markets.
• Versallis Tech Services LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorService and maintenance partner for USA, Canada, and Latin America. Contact: José Lopez-Gallego, based in Newport Beach, CA, USA. Provides local service support for GKS machines in North and South American markets.
• SÜDPACKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPackaging material manufacturer partner for sustainable (recyclable and compostable) films tested in GKS technical centre. GKS works with SÜDPACK to validate processing parameters for sustainable packaging materials on GKS machines.
• SUPERSEVEN / rePAQminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPackaging material manufacturer partner (rePAQ brand) for sustainable packaging films tested in GKS technical centre. Partnership focused on validating compostable and recyclable film processing on GKS packaging machines.
• Elli Group GmbH (Volkswagen Group Charging GmbH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Elli Group GmbH (a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group Charging GmbH) and engineering office Wolfgang Müller to develop and manufacture electric vehicle charging columns. GKS handled technical realization and manufacturing of the charging column prototype, presented to Volkswagen board of directors in Wolfsburg in September 2022 and displayed near Potsdamer Platz in Berlin for market research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ProMach: US-based packaging machinery solutions provider with a broad portfolio of form-fill-seal, cartoning, labeling, and end-of-line equipment across food, pharma, and consumer goods. Competes with GKS for integrated packaging line RFPs, particularly for multinational North American customers served via Versallis.
• Coesia: Italian broad packaging machinery group with subsidiaries in flexible packaging, flow wrapping, and carton packaging for consumer goods and industrial applications. Overlaps with GKS in flexible-packaging machinery categories and competes for similar multinational accounts.
• R.A Jones (BW Packaging): US-based manufacturer of pouch packaging, cartoning, and form-fill-seal machinery serving food, beverage, pharma, and personal care. Direct overlap with GKS in flexible-packaging machinery categories and competing for similar enterprise customers in regulated end markets.
• Syntegon (formerly Bosch Packaging Technology): German-headquartered global packaging machinery incumbent serving food, pharma, and cosmetics with horizontal and vertical form-fill-seal equipment, processing lines, and comprehensive aftermarket service. Directly comparable to GKS in regulated-pharma and food packaging machinery categories, but at materially larger scale and broader portfolio.
• IMA Group: Italian packaging machinery group with leading positions in sachet, stickpack, and pouch machinery for food, pharma, and personal care, plus processing and end-of-line equipment. Closest large-scale peer to GKS in 4-side-seal and stickpack formats, competing for similar end customers globally.

Direct peers

• Romaco: German/Italian packaging machinery group specializing in powder, granule, liquid, and sachet packaging machinery (including Innojet, Macofar, and Siebler brands). Direct overlap with GKS in custom-configured sachet and powder-handling machinery for pharma and consumer goods.
• MGS Machine: US-based manufacturer of horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) machinery and integrated packaging lines, primarily serving food, pharma, and consumer goods. Direct overlap with GKS in FFS technology and modular machine architecture, with stronger North American footprint.
• Mespack: Spanish manufacturer of horizontal form-fill-seal sachet and pouch packaging machinery for food, pharma, cosmetics, and chemical products. Direct peer in 4-side-seal sachets and stickpack machinery, with comparable focus on custom-configured mid-throughput lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gk-sondermaschinenbau-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 GK Sondermaschinenbau GmbH