Fortifi Food Processing Solutions has acquired SEPAFood Solutions GmbH, a German company known as SEPAmatic that designs and manufactures separation equipment for red meat, fish, fruit and vegetable processing.
The Woodlands, Texas, U.S.-based Fortifi provides food processing automation, software and machine learning technology. SEPAmatic specializes in separation machines and is a global provider of low-pressure belt separators. The acquisition includes SEPAmatic's patented cooling system, which manages heat rise during separation to improve yields and product quality.
"SEPAmatic is a strong strategic addition to Fortifi's growing portfolio of food processing technologies, complementing our existing separation solutions from Provisur and LIMA," said Massimo Bizzi, CEO of Fortifi. "By expanding our capabilities in this critical area of processing, we can help customers maximize yield, recover more value from every raw material and reduce food loss and waste across their operations."
SEPAmatic designs and manufactures its equipment in Germany, including low-pressure belt separators, screw separators, perforated drums in multiple configurations, conveyors and spare parts. The company holds patents for integrated cooling and speed regulation systems used in its processing equipment. The acquisition also adds engineering and manufacturing capability in Germany to Fortifi's operations.
"We look forward to working with the talented SEPAmatic team in Germany to further globalize the business," said Mark Dowdle, executive vice president of strategy and business development for Fortifi. "By leveraging Fortifi's existing operations and global reach, we see significant opportunities to accelerate growth in both original equipment and aftermarket parts revenue. SEPAmatic's product portfolio will become part of our broader efforts to integrate AI and machine learning into the design, performance and operation of our mechanical solutions."
Fortifi said adding SEPAmatic's soft-tissue separation technologies to its existing separation offerings gives customers access to a broader range of capabilities from a single supplier.
Fortifi acquired SEPAmatic from its founding family and BPE, a private equity firm based in Hamburg, Germany, that specializes in succession opportunities.
SEPAmatic employees will join Fortifi's ownership program, which gives all employees the opportunity to hold equity in the company.
