Bizerba

Bizerba is a German family-owned technology company headquartered in Balingen, Baden-Württemberg. Founded there in 1866 by Andreas Bizer, the business developed from a manufacturer of weighing equipment into an international provider of integrated weighing, slicing, labeling, inspection, and software solutions. Its name combines the founder's surname, Bizer, with the name of the company's home city, Balingen. The company serves several connected parts of the food and goods-value chain. In retail, its equipment is used for weighing, price calculation, labeling, product identification, and counter operations in environments such as supermarkets, butcher shops, bakeries, and other food stores. In food processing and manufacturing, Bizerba supplies industrial scales, checkweighers, labeling systems, inspection technologies, and production-line solutions. Its portfolio also includes commercial and industrial slicing equipment, hygiene-oriented work surfaces, software, and service capabilities intended to connect equipment with operational and traceability processes. Bizerba's history is marked by the gradual combination of mechanical engineering, measurement technology, electronics, automation, and software. The company patented a pendulum scale in 1924 and designed an industrial scale in 1930 that incorporated numerical printing and dial-based controls. In 1965, it introduced electronic technology into retail weighing, enabling weight and price information to be handled more efficiently. Later developments included touch-screen retail scales, optical article recognition, modular checkweighers, improved slicer surfaces, and integrated workstations for weighing and hygienic cutting. International expansion has been an important part of the company's development. Reference material describes a global organization comprising more than 100 divisions, 41 subsidiaries, 69 national representatives, three German production facilities, and approximately 4,100 employees worldwide. Bizerba USA was established as a subsidiary in 1984, and the company has also expanded its presence through additional regional sites and acquisitions. In 2015 it opened a branch in Singapore, while in 2016 it acquired the Italian labeling-applicator specialist Mac & Label, strengthening its position in fruit and vegetable labeling. Ownership has remained closely connected with the founding family. In 2016, Bizerba bought back shares held by Zurich Deutscher Herold Lebensversicherung AG, returning the company to full ownership by the Kraut family after approximately two decades of external shareholding. Andreas Wilhelm Kraut, a fifth-generation shareholder, became chairman of the executive board and CEO in 2011, reinforcing the family's operational role. Bizerba's present positioning is that of a specialist supplier of high-value measurement and process technologies rather than a consumer-facing appliance brand. Its products are typically sold through direct sales, subsidiaries, representatives, and authorized distributors, and are supported by installation, software, maintenance, and service. The company's broad offer allows it to address individual scales and slicers as well as more complex production, labeling, inspection, and retail-management systems.

Bizerba was established in 1866 in Balingen, Germany, by Andreas Bizer. The company name is derived from the founder's surname and the name of Balingen, linking the identity of the business to both its founder and its place of origin. Its early development centered on weighing technology, a field that later became the foundation for a broader portfolio covering retail, food production, logistics, and industrial operations. A significant early technical milestone came in 1924, when Bizerba patented a pendulum scale. In 1930, the company designed and produced what the reference material describes as the world's first industrial scale. That product combined weighing with numerical printing and dial controls, illustrating Bizerba's long-standing effort to turn measurement into a practical business process rather than a standalone mechanical function. Bizerba introduced electronics into retail shops in 1965. Electronic weighing made it easier to connect weight information with different product prices and improved the handling of retail transactions. This transition helped move the company from traditional mechanical scales toward electronically managed systems. Subsequent decades saw the development of increasingly integrated retail and industrial equipment. In 2002, Bizerba introduced CE-class touch-screen scales. These systems changed the way scales could be operated, configured, and updated in retail environments. The company followed this with the Optical Article Recognition Scale CE-H 800 SV in 2006, adding automated product recognition to its weighing and retail technology. In 2007, it introduced its first generation of modular checkweighers, extending its capabilities in production control and quality assurance. The company continued to develop equipment for food handling and hygiene-sensitive operations. In 2010, it introduced the Ceraclean surface finish for slicers. The following year, Andreas Wilhelm Kraut, a fifth-generation shareholder, was appointed chairman of the executive board and CEO. His appointment returned a member of the founding family to direct management and made family continuity a visible element of the company's governance. In 2012, Bizerba developed the KScalePad, a weighing counter board designed to function both as a weighing platform and as a hygienic work surface for cutting. Bizerba's later history has included international network expansion, ownership consolidation, and portfolio development. In late 2015, the company opened a branch in Singapore. In early 2016, it repurchased shares from Zurich Deutscher Herold Lebensversicherung AG, bringing the company back under full ownership of the Kraut family. That same year, Bizerba acquired Mac & Label, an Italian company based in Cesena that specialized in labeling applicators for fruit and vegetable applications. The acquisition broadened the company's labeling-related activities in a specialized food sector. The company operates internationally through a network described in the reference material as comprising more than 100 divisions, 41 subsidiaries, and 69 national representatives. Its organization includes headquarters and three production facilities in Germany, while Bizerba USA, Inc. has operated as a subsidiary since its incorporation in 1984. The US business works with factory-authorized distributors across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and Bizerba Engineered Solutions is identified as a US subsidiary located in Richmond. Bizerba's business has consequently evolved from scale manufacturing into a connected technology platform for weighing, slicing, labeling, inspection, and process management. Its products address retail counters, food-processing lines, logistics operations, and industrial production environments. The company combines equipment with software and services, allowing customers to manage pricing, product identification, labeling, quality control, traceability, and production workflows. It remains a private, family-owned German enterprise with a global commercial and service footprint.

1. 2016Founding family regains full ownership

   Bizerba repurchases shares from Zurich Deutscher Herold Lebensversicherung AG and returns to full ownership by the Kraut family.

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2. 2016Mac & Label acquisition

   Bizerba acquires the Italian labeling-applicator specialist Mac & Label, strengthening its capabilities for fruit and vegetable applications.

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3. 2015Singapore branch opens

   Bizerba expands its international network with a branch in Singapore.

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4. 2012KScalePad developed

   Bizerba develops the KScalePad, combining a weighing platform with a hygienic work surface for cutting operations.

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5. 2011Andreas Wilhelm Kraut becomes CEO

   Fifth-generation shareholder Andreas Wilhelm Kraut is appointed chairman of the executive board and chief executive officer.

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6. 2010Ceraclean slicer surface introduced

   The company introduces Ceraclean surface finishing for slicers, addressing hygiene and handling requirements in food applications.

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7. 2007Modular checkweigher generation

   Bizerba sends its first generation of modular checkweighers into production, expanding its industrial inspection and quality-control offering.

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8. 2006Optical article recognition scale

   The CE-H 800 SV adds optical article recognition to the company's weighing and retail-equipment portfolio.

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9. 2002Touch-screen retail scales

   Bizerba introduces CE-class touch-screen scales, advancing scale operation and update management in retail settings.

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10. 1984Bizerba USA is incorporated

    Bizerba establishes its US subsidiary, creating a dedicated platform for sales and distribution in the American market.

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11. 1965Electronics enter retail weighing

    Bizerba introduces electronic technology into retail shops, simplifying the relationship between weight information and product pricing.

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12. 1930Industrial scale development

    The company designs and produces an early industrial scale incorporating numerical printing and dial controls.

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13. 1924Pendulum scale patent

    Bizerba patents a pendulum scale, marking an early technology milestone in the company's weighing-equipment history.

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14. 1866Bizerba is founded in Balingen

    Andreas Bizer establishes the company in Balingen, Germany, creating the business that later becomes known as Bizerba.

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Premium and specialized industrial, retail, and food-processing equipment provider combining measurement hardware, slicing, labeling, automation, software, and lifecycle services.

• Retail weighing and labeling systemsRetail technology

  Bizerba's retail systems combine weighing, price calculation, product information, printing, and labeling. They are designed for food-retail environments such as supermarkets, butcher shops, bakeries, and service counters, where staff need to connect a product's weight with pricing and label data. Later generations added touch-screen interfaces and more configurable software, allowing stores to manage product databases and operational updates through the scale system.

• Industrial weighing systemsIndustrial weighing

  Industrial weighing is a core Bizerba category and includes equipment intended for manufacturing, food processing, logistics, and production environments. These systems support measurement of ingredients, goods, packages, and production outputs. Depending on the application, weighing equipment can be combined with data capture, labeling, process control, and inspection functions, making it part of a broader production or traceability workflow.

• CheckweighersInspection and quality control2007

  Bizerba's checkweighing technology is used to verify whether products or packages meet target-weight requirements during production. The company's first modular checkweigher generation was identified in 2007. Modular designs allow equipment to be configured for different production lines and product formats, supporting quality assurance, process monitoring, and the reduction of out-of-specification goods.

• Food slicersFood-processing equipment

  Bizerba produces commercial and industrial slicers for food-retail and food-processing applications. The range is associated with technologies intended to improve cutting consistency, operating efficiency, and hygiene. The Ceraclean surface finish, introduced in 2010, illustrates the company's focus on surfaces and materials suited to demanding food-handling environments.

• Labeling applicatorsLabeling technology

  Bizerba's labeling portfolio includes applicators and related systems for industrial and food-sector use. The 2016 acquisition of Mac & Label added specialist capability in labeling applicators for fruit and vegetable products. These technologies support the placement of product, price, identification, and traceability information in production and distribution processes.

• Optical article recognition systemsRetail automation2006

  The CE-H 800 SV, introduced in 2006, incorporated optical article recognition into a weighing-scale platform. The technology was intended to help identify products in retail operations and connect recognition with weighing, pricing, and labeling tasks. It represents Bizerba's move toward more automated retail equipment.

• KScalePadFood-retail workstation2012

  Developed in 2012, the KScalePad combines a weighing counter board with a work surface for hygienic cutting. The concept integrates measurement and preparation in a single workstation, addressing the practical needs of food counters and other environments where products are weighed and cut in close succession.

• 2016Acquisition of Mac & LabelM&A

  Bizerba sought to expand its labeling capabilities in a specialized food-sector application. Mac & Label, based in Cesena, Italy, focused on labeling applicators for fruit and vegetable products.

  What changed. Bizerba acquired Mac & Label and incorporated its specialist labeling-applicator capabilities into the wider Bizerba offering.

  Aftermath. The transaction broadened Bizerba's labeling portfolio and strengthened its presence in fruit and vegetable processing and packaging applications.

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• 2016Return to full family ownershipStrategy

  After approximately two decades with shares held by Zurich Deutscher Herold Lebensversicherung AG, Bizerba's founding family pursued a return to full ownership.

  What changed. Bizerba bought back the shares held by Zurich Deutscher Herold Lebensversicherung AG.

  Aftermath. The Kraut family again held full ownership of the company, reinforcing its family-business structure.

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• 2021Bizerba reports sales of EUR 729 million

  Reference material reports sales of EUR 729 million and 4 percent growth for the relevant reporting period.

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• 2018Bizerba reports sales of EUR 677 million

  Reference material reports sales of EUR 677 million and 14 percent growth for the relevant reporting period.

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• 2016Bizerba returns to full founding-family ownership

  Bizerba repurchased shares held by Zurich Deutscher Herold Lebensversicherung AG, restoring full ownership to the Kraut founding family after approximately twenty years.

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• 2016Bizerba acquires Italian labeling specialist Mac & Label

  Bizerba acquired Mac & Label of Cesena, Italy, a company specializing in labeling applicators for the fruit and vegetable sector.

  M&A
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• 2016Bizerba reports 2015 sales growth

  Reference material reports fiscal-year 2015 sales of EUR 598.6 million, representing 19 percent growth and increases across all worldwide regions.

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• 2015Bizerba opens a branch in Singapore

  The company expanded its international network by opening a Singapore branch, supporting its regional activities in weighing, slicing, and labeling technologies.

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1. Bizerba
2. Bizerba official website