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Industry structure of food processing machines 2022

Smaller and medium-sized firms shape the sector food processing machines more strongly than in machinery industry

Update June 22nd, 2023 - The sector food processing machines consists of 218 manufacturers (2022). Their partition into three groups along the company sizes opens up the view to different positions in competition.

69% of the manufacturers of food processing machines (151 firms) are smaller companies with fewer than 100 employees. Their shares at the total sales of the sector, however, is lower with 34%. So the majority of the sector companies are in a strongly dependent position in the competition with the two other groups in the sector and opposite their customers and suppliers.


The opposite pole constitutes the large manufacturers with 500 and more employees. These companies stand for 26% of the sector sales but consist only of 4% of the sector companies (9 firms). These companies coin the sector, taking often a key position opposite their customers and suppliers.

Industry structure of food processing machines 2022.

Over a quarter of the manufacturers (58 firms) has between 100 and fewer than 500 employees. This group generates 40% of the sector sales. Its shares at companies, employees and sales are relatively close together. This proximity of the three sizes indicates a certain balance among the competition forces within the sector as well as in regard to the relations to customers and suppliers.


The group of companies with 500 and more employees has a somewhat weaker position in conveyor than in mechanical engineering as a whole. The share of sales of this group in conveyor is with 26% significantly below the share of sales of 53% in the whole mechanical engineering.


This means at the same time a somewhat stronger position of the two groups of smaller and medium-sized companies than in the entire mechanical engineering sector.