Urschel Becomes Stakeholder in KRONEN

Alan Major, chief sales officer stated:

“Urschel will soon be a minority stakeholder in KRONEN GmbH through a capital investment. Urschel is proud to announce our collaboration with KRONEN. As a 100% employee-owned company, Urschel’s vision aligns with KRONEN’s. Both companies originated as family-run businesses. For Urschel, this is a strategic opportunity to expand and complement our current offerings. KRONEN’s products include conveying, packaging, and small to medium scale cutting machinery. This business venture will strengthen our market share and greatly benefit Urschel customers, specifically in the U.S., Mexico, and parts of Asia. We hope this new venture with KRONEN will yield significant growth for both companies”.

Urschel Laboratories, Inc. is the global leader in food cutting technology, headquartered in the U.S., centrally located in Chesterton, Indiana one hour outside of Chicago. Urschel has a global network of direct offices and distributors surrounding the globe with centralized hubs in Europe and Asia. KRONEN GmbH is an international leading manufacturer of food processing technology for salad, vegetable, and fruit processing located in Germany. The goal of both partners is to strengthen their market positions, combine their expertise, increase sales, and achieve sustainable growth. Both companies and brands will remain fully independent, and Urschel manufacturing and production in Chesterton, Indiana, U.S.A. as well as KRONEN sites in Kehl and Achern, Germany will continue to operate as before.

The sales collaboration will begin in the United States and Mexico in July. In Asia, Urschel will take over sales starting in 2026. Urschel and KRONEN are united by a range of strategic goals to combine their strengths and develop together. Urschel customers should contact their local Urschel salesperson in the U.S. and Mexico via urschel.com if interested in a KRONEN purchase or to learn more about KRONEN products visit kronen.eu. More and more information about KRONEN systems will be added to the Urschel website in the coming months.

Stephan Zillgith, managing partner of KRONEN GmbH, says:

“The partnership is a milestone in KRONEN’s company history. Announcing such a collaboration is not an everyday occurrence. It strengthens our position and visibility in the market. With the increase in orders and revenue, and with Urschel’s investment in our two production sites in Kehl and Achern, we can accelerate our development. This allows us not only to remain a future-proof employer, but also to expand our production capacities and further enhance the development of new solutions.”

From an operational standpoint, the sales partnership collaboration is clearly defined in countries and regions. Soon, Urschel will have sole distributor rights in the U.S.A, Mexico, and Asia (excluding Vietnam). Leveraging the Urschel global network of sales and support in these regions will be a win-win proposition for both companies.

Urschel exclusively manufactures Urschel cutting systems for high processing capacities as well as all crucial parts and knives for Urschel cutting machinery. KRONEN machines and lines complement Urschel’s product range. This enables Urschel to offer its customers in the U.S.A., Mexico, and Asia complete solutions – from disinfection, preparation, peeling, cutting, mixing, washing, drying, conveying, and weighing to packaging. Additionally, KRONEN small to medium cutting machines, which meet different customer requirements, further expand Urschel’s portfolio and will also be distributed. Urschel customers may contact their local Urschel office for more information at www.urschel.com.

About KRONEN GmbH

KRONEN is a globally active producer and supplier of stand-alone machines, custom machines, and highly technical processing lines for the Fresh-Cut industry. Their product range covers the processing of fruit, vegetables, and leafy greens – from preparation, cutting, washing, drying, dewatering, peeling, and decontamination to packaging.

In addition, KRONEN offers machines for processing meat and fish, specialty vegan products, baked goods, and pet food. Today, the company, headquartered in Kehl am Rhein with a second production  site in Achern, employs over 130 people. KRONEN is represented in more than 80 countries and supplies its products to over 120 countries worldwide.

With over 45 years of experience in food technology, KRONEN lives a strong culture of quality and a daily commitment to finding the best possible solutions. The machine manufacturer follows a sustainable, holistic approach to hygienic, safe, and resource-efficient fresh food production. KRONEN sees itself as an innovation hub that delivers forward-thinking solutions tailored to customer needs and ensures a high level of consulting and planning expertise – in close collaboration with industry and research partners. Visit KRONEN.eu for more information.

About Urschel Laboratories, Inc.

Urschel is the global leader in the manufacturing and selling of industrial food cutting machines and reduction technology for food processing, operating in well over 130 countries, including direct offices around the globe to speak both the language of food processing and the local language. Leading food processors around the world rely on patented Urschel cutting technology for large scale production of vegetables, fruits, bakery/snack products, meat/poultry/seafood/pet food/alternative proteins, beverage, and chem/bulk reductions.

Founded in 1910 by inventor William E. Urschel, the company’s history and successes mirror the growth of the advancements in the food processing industry. From 1910 until 2016, the company was privately held by the Urschel Family. In 2016, CEO Rick Urschel announced the Urschel Family was selling the business to the employees. As an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) company, each of the over 500 U.S. employees maintain company shares in the business which motivates employees to give great care to the ongoing success of the company Rick Urschel, fourth generation of the Urschel Family, remains at the helm as CEO.

An engineering-driven company, Urschel continues to develop new patented cutting methods and continues to build more flexibility into existing methods. With engineering and manufacturing under one roof, Urschel teams thrive on invention and discovery.