What Ceratec does

Ceratec SA is a privately held Belgian family-owned industrial engineering company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Ploegsteert, Belgium. The company employs approximately 500 people and operates through three integrated business units: Handling & Clay Solutions (industrial automation and equipment for heavy clay processing — including material handling, clay shaping, drying, firing, and prefabricated wall production); Intralogistics Solutions (conveyor systems, automatic warehouses, shuttle loops, stacker cranes, transstockers, and the proprietary MFCS material flow control software); and Electrical Installations (medium and high voltage engineering, process automation, control panel construction, energy and EV charging solutions, photovoltaic systems, and security systems).

The company generates revenue primarily through project-based sales of custom-engineered capital equipment bundled with engineering, integration, and installation services, supplemented by standalone professional services and subcontracting work. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales targeting industrial clients across Europe and internationally, with project quotations rather than standardized pricing, multi-year contract structures, and a 24/7 customer support hotline. Ceratec serves a diverse customer base spanning heavy clay product manufacturers, logistics and cold storage operators, food processors, EV charging providers, aerospace and optics companies, automotive suppliers, and construction firms — with named reference clients including Vandersanden, Etex, Ibstock Brick, Newcold, Clarebout Potatoes, Driveco, ELT, and Enersys, across more than 13 countries.

Ceratec is part of the broader Ploegsteert family group, governed by a family Advisory Board, and was nominated for the 2026 EY Family Business Award of Excellence. Recent strategic emphasis has included expansion into energy efficiency (waste heat recovery, photovoltaic, EV charging), international project delivery, and academic partnerships (VIVES University College) to support its R&D and talent pipeline.

Name

Ceratec

Legal name

Ceratec SA

Website

https://ceratec.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Ceratec SA is a Belgian family-owned industrial engineering company founded in 1986 that designs and integrates handling machines, clay processing equipment, intralogistics automation, and electrical installations for heavy clay manufacturers, logistics operators, and industrial enterprises globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Equipment

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Control Panels & Enclosures (Panel Building, MCCs, Integration) (IMAGABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chemical Processing Equipment (Reactors, Mixers, Agitators) (IMAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Industrial automation equipment
• Heavy clay processing machinery
• Intralogistics warehouse systems
• Electrical engineering services
• Prefabricated wall manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ploegsteert

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Equipment & Machinery Sales: Custom-designed handling machines, clay processing equipment, intralogistics systems, and electrical installations sold as capital equipment to industrial clients. Revenue generated through project-based contracts with engineering, procurement, and installation services.
2. Engineering & Integration Services: Professional services including electrical engineering, automation, industrial revamping, and system integration. Services bundled with equipment sales and provided as standalone consulting engagements.
3. Subcontracting Services: Industrial subcontracting services mentioned on downloads page, indicating capacity for contract manufacturing and specialized industrial services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ceratec designs, manufactures, and installs industrial handling machines, clay processing equipment (preparation, shaping, drying, firing), intralogistics systems (conveyors, automated warehouses, shuttles, stacker cranes), and complete electrical installations (medium/high voltage, process automation, control panels, energy and security systems) for industrial clients. The company delivers turnkey engineering projects spanning mechanical handling, electrical engineering, and process automation across multiple industrial sectors.

Product overview

Ceratec is a family-owned industrial engineering company offering three interconnected business units: Handling & Clay Solutions (industrial automation and heavy clay processing equipment including material handling machines, clay preparation, shaping, drying, firing systems, and prefabricated wall solutions), Intralogistics Solutions (automated warehouse systems, conveyors, robotics, and logistics software), and Electrical Installations (comprehensive electrical engineering services including high/medium voltage, process automation, control panels, energy solutions, and security systems). The company provides end-to-end industrial solutions spanning mechanical handling, electrical engineering, and process automation for materials processing, logistics, and construction industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handling & Clay Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings through heat pump integration in drying processes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• VIVES University CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026Collaboration with VIVES university college where students Siebe Dhaene and Xander Vandeputte completed their thesis projects developing innovative pallet rotation system for Ceratec

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vanderlande: Dutch intralogistics integrator specializing in automated warehouses, conveyor systems, and shuttle-based storage — directly overlapping with Ceratec's Intralogistics Solutions unit. Comparable go-to-market with enterprise industrial customers.
• B&T Group: French industrial group offering handling and production equipment for the heavy clay and building materials industries. Comparable niche focus, similar customer verticals (brick, tile, refractories), and competing reference base in Europe.
• Swisslog: Provider of automated warehouse and distribution center solutions including shuttles, stacker cranes, and WMS software. Competes with Ceratec's Intralogistics Solutions unit for cold-storage and FMCG warehouse contracts.
• SPIE: French multi-technical services group providing electrical installations, automation, and industrial services across Europe. Comparable scope in electrical engineering and industrial contracting for enterprise customers.
• BEUMER Group: German provider of intralogistics systems including conveyors, palletizers, and automated loading solutions. Comparable offering in conveying, packaging, and warehouse automation for industrial customers.
• Lingl Anlagenbau: German specialist in heavy clay machinery and complete plant construction for the brick and tile industry. Most directly comparable to Ceratec's Handling & Clay Solutions business unit in terms of customer base (heavy clay producers) and product scope (preparation, shaping, drying, firing).
• TGW Logistics: Austrian warehouse automation specialist with a comparable product portfolio of shuttle systems, conveyors, and automated storage solutions serving cold storage, retail, and industrial customers across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens: Global industrial automation and electrical engineering conglomerate with broad portfolio (PLCs, SCADA, drive systems, switchgear) that overlaps with Ceratec's Electrical Installations and process automation offerings, though at much larger scale.
• KION / Dematic: Global intralogistics leader (Dematic is a KION Group brand) supplying automated storage, conveyor, and shuttle systems at scale. Comparable product portfolio to Ceratec's intralogistics business but with substantially larger installed base and global service network.
• ABB: Global leader in industrial automation, electrification, and motion. Competes with Ceratec in medium/high voltage installations, control panels, and process automation across industrial customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CeratecPloegsteert
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ceratectechnology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ceratec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Ceratec