What Willmes Gmbh does

Willmes GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of premium pneumatic wine presses and complementary grape processing equipment, founded in 1918 and headquartered in Lorsch, Germany. The company invented the pneumatic grape press in 1951 and has since specialized in pneumatic tank press technology, now offering three core platforms — SIGMA, MERLIN, and SPHERA — alongside a broader Vertriebsprodukte portfolio that includes the ROTOVIB vibration destemmer, GRAPESORT optical sorting system, grape and must pumps, conveyor belts, crushers, and unloading hoppers. All presses are produced in Germany, and the company holds multiple patents including the active EP1438185 covering hermetically sealed presses with vertical Flexidrain juice channels and double-membrane architecture.

The underlying technology centers on a double-membrane pressing chamber combined with vertical juice channels, which the company claims delivers 50% lower pressure, up to 95% juice yield below 0.8 bar, up to 70% less turbidity, and 30% shorter pressing cycles. Customers are commercial wineries of varying sizes in global wine-producing regions, served through direct consultative sales in Germany (two regional Vertriebsberater), an international dealer network, a Lorsch showroom, and digital channels including a multi-language website and active social media presence. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of new and certified pre-owned presses, complemented by add-on options (CIP cleaning, inert gas, SO2 dosing, Smart Interface), a SIGMA rental subscription in Germany starting at €839/month, CAD planning files, and after-sales service including a 24-hour harvest-season hotline; pricing is largely quote-based and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

The company exhibits no material AI/ML capabilities in its product portfolio. Its growth posture is incremental: the 2024 SPHERA launch, ongoing SIGMA platform evolution, expansion of the processing-equipment ecosystem, and continued international trade-show participation (including SITEVI 2025) point to a stable niche industrial operator rather than a venture-backed high-growth business. Ownership remains with the founding family, with Ulrich Willmes serving as Managing Director (Geschäftsführer), and no external investors, parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity are disclosed.

Name

Willmes Gmbh

Legal name

Willmes GmbH

Website

https://willmes.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Willmes GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer founded in 1918 that designs and produces pneumatic wine presses (SIGMA, MERLIN, SPHERA) and complementary grape processing equipment for commercial wineries worldwide, leveraging patented double-membrane and vertical juice channel technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lorsch

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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. Wine Press Sales: Sale of new wine presses including SIGMA, MERLIN, and SPHERA models with capacities ranging from 750 to 34,000 liters. Customers can also purchase additional equipment and accessories.
2. Used Press Sales: Sale of refurbished and used wine presses at special prices, including models like WCH 8, WCH 22500, WTP 10, WTP 7, and WTP 8.
3. Additional Options and Accessories: Sale of add-on options for presses including automatic lid valves, CIP cleaning systems, flow measurement, inert gas systems, must pump controls, SO2 dosing systems, and software packages.
4. Press Rental: Rental model available for SIGMA presses in Germany starting at €839/month, allowing wineries to access equipment without full capital investment.
5. Service and Maintenance: Press inspection, extended service contracts, 24h emergency service during harvest season, and modernization/upgrading services for older press systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Willmes GmbH designs and manufactures pneumatic wine presses under the SIGMA, MERLIN, and SPHERA product lines, featuring patented double-membrane technology and vertical Flexidrain juice channels for professional winemakers. The company also supplies complementary grape processing equipment including the ROTOVIB vibration destemmer, GRAPESORT optical sorter, grape and must pumps, conveyor belts, crushers, unloading hoppers, and vibration sorting tables. In addition to new equipment, Willmes offers used presses, rental presses, and a range of add-on options.

Product overview

Willmes GmbH is a German manufacturer of premium wine presses and grape processing equipment since 1918. The product portfolio consists of three main press lines (SIGMA, MERLIN, and SPHERA) featuring patented double-membrane technology and vertical juice channels. SIGMA is the high-end system with hermetically sealed lids and Flexidrain technology. MERLIN offers double-membrane technology with vertical stainless steel juice channels. SPHERA is an innovative spherical press for gentle 360-degree pressing. Additionally, the company offers comprehensive Vertriebsprodukte (distribution products) including ROTOVIB destemmers, GRAPESORT optical sorting systems, grape/must pumps, conveyors, crushers, and unloading hoppers for complete grape processing lines. All products are Made in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sigma: High-end wine press system for economy and quality, the most modern and efficient wine press with hermetically sealed lids, flexible Flexidrain juice channels, and central juice drainage. Capacities from 750 to 34,000 liters.
• Merlin
• Sphera
• ROTOVIB
• GRAPESORT

Products and services

• SIGMA Pneumatic Wine Press Enclosed pneumatic wine press using patented double-membrane technology and vertical Flexidrain juice channels for self-cleaning; designed for professional wineries seeking high juice yield (up to 95%) with reduced pressure requirements.
• MERLIN Tank Press Pneumatic tank press for grape processing in commercial wineries, applying Willmes's double-membrane approach in a tank-format configuration.
• SPHERA Spherical Press Spherical-format pneumatic wine press using a 360° press principle for gentle, uniform juice extraction in professional winemaking.
• ROTOVIB Vibration Destemmer Vibration destemmer that separates berries from grape stems using controlled vibration, designed for use upstream of Willmes presses in winery production lines.
• GRAPESORT Optical Sorting System Optical sorting system that automatically separates grapes based on quality criteria prior to pressing, for use in commercial winemaking operations.
• Grape and Must Pumps Pumps engineered for the gentle transfer of grapes and must within winery production processes, complementing Willmes press and sorting equipment.
• Conveyor Belts Conveyor systems for moving grapes through intake, sorting, and pre-press handling stages in commercial wineries.
• Crushers Grape crushers for breaking berries prior to pressing, designed for integration with Willmes press lines.
• Unloading Hoppers Hoppers used to receive and feed harvested grapes into processing lines at winery intake points.
• Vibration Sorting Tables Vibration-based sorting tables for manual or assisted separation of grape material before pressing.
• Used Presses (Gebrauchtpressen) Pre-owned Willmes wine presses offered for resale, providing lower-cost access to the company's press technology for smaller wineries and budget-conscious buyers.
• Rental Presses (Mietpressen) Rental service providing Willmes presses on a temporary basis, allowing wineries to access pressing capacity during peak harvest without a capital purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% less pressure required for pressing
• +5 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Della Toffola Group: Italian supplier of complete winemaking solutions including presses, filters, and bottling equipment. Overlaps with Willmes on the press side and competes across the full grape-to-bottle workflow.
• Zambelli Enotech: Italian maker of grape processing machinery including pneumatic presses, destemmers, crushers and sorting equipment. Closely comparable product mix and winery customer segment to Willmes.
• Diemme Enologia: Italian specialist in wine presses and winemaking equipment, including pneumatic tank presses sold to the same global winery customer base. Closely comparable product category and target market to Willmes.
• Bucher Vaslin: French-headquartered global leader in winemaking equipment, offering pneumatic presses, destemmers, presses and complete reception lines. Directly competes with Willmes across the same winery customer base with comparable pneumatic and tank press technologies.
• Pellanc (Pellenc Group / Pera-Pellenc): French manufacturer of vineyard and winery equipment, including pneumatic presses and complete grape processing lines. Pellenc is one of the largest direct competitors to Willmes in premium pneumatic pressing technology worldwide.

Emerging players

• Wottle Maschinenbau: Austrian manufacturer of grape processing and wine press equipment, comparable in product category and customer segment to Willmes but typically serving smaller-scale producers.

Broad incumbents

• KHS (wine filling and processing): German-headquartered global supplier of filling and processing systems for beverages including wine. Competes indirectly by offering integrated winery/bottling lines that can subsume the press stage.
• Andritz Group (wine processing): Large Austrian industrial group with food and beverage processing equipment capabilities. While not specialized in wine presses, it competes at the higher end of winery capex projects with bundled solutions.
• Schmidt-Seeger AG: German industrial machinery manufacturer with a broader portfolio across process industries; relevant as a same-country incumbent with adjacent capabilities into specialized process equipment.

Regional players

• Vaslin Bucher (US operations): North American arm of Bucher Vaslin, offering the same pneumatic press portfolio to US wineries. Comparable product set to Willmes but primarily serving North American customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@willmespresstechnik5108/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willmes
• Instagraminstagram.com/willmes_presstechnik

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Willmes Gmbh