Hide page navigation
The ultimate crown of freshness
At KRONEN, we live by quality standards and the constant striving for the best possible solution every day. It is particularly important for us at KRONEN that the fresh food products processed in our machines and systems still maintain their optimum quality after processing. With this in mind, KRONEN stands for safety, hygiene and long shelf life of fresh food.
Today, KRONEN employs a workforce of more than 130; we are personally there for our customers with representatives in more than 80 countries, and deliver our solutions to around 120 countries.
Our brand values
We are a value-guided, future-oriented family-run company. Our goal is a partnership-based corporate culture, meaning that our employees, customers and partners meet on an equal footing. As an employer, we promote the development of our employees and offer them the opportunity to use their strengths and progress further.
Qualification is the key to success.
The development and success of KRONEN largely depend on the employees, their individual skills and potential, and their team spirit. We value, use and promote the different strengths of the individual employees. True to the motto: Make targeted use of existing potential - and release new potential. In addition, not only the KRONEN employees but also the international representatives are responsible for qualifying our customers. To enable them to use and operate KRONEN products optimally and in a profitable way (e.g. training in service and application).
We see ourselves as a think tank.
For us, being innovative means exactly understanding any new requirements of our customers and finding a customized solution by applying new approaches. For us, being innovative also means working jointly with our partners in research and industry and focusing our energy on finding groundbreaking solutions for processing fresh products. Together with our partners, we seek to create a better, safer future for our sector.
We treat each other with respect.
As a family business, we attach great importance to "fair play". KRONEN is appreciative, loyal, cosmopolitan and human. We see ourselves as a partner of our customers and suppliers, who trust in KRONEN and rely on us. And expect the same in reverse, of course. We treat everyone the same, both internally and externally, namely on equal footing, and handle challenges in an objective and solution-oriented manner. We act in a committed, reliable and responsible way, based on a partnership approach. KRONEN is characterized by a cooperative working atmosphere, fair interaction and a culture based on dialog.
We act responsibly.
We assume responsibility for our employees, our customers and the environment. We strive to always provide our customers with the highest and most consistent quality of services and machines. In addition to function, the focus is also placed on safety and hygiene. KRONEN keeps its promises. When we make mistakes, we own up to them - fix them as quickly as possible and learn from them. Our drive is to support the production of healthy, fresh food products.
Our philosophy: innovative food technology for fresh products
What is our mission?
As experienced experts and providers of ideas, we find the right solution for every customer - from individual industrial machines through to high-tech engineered processing facilities.
Why, how and what?
- Why: We believe that the most important task in processing food products is to preserve their freshness - as a contribution to healthy living.
- How: That is why we work day by day with an unlimited fascination for the food industry.
- What: We therefore develop customized solutions that are efficient, safe and hygienic to make this freshness possible.
What benefit do we offer?
KRONEN has a good reputation worldwide. We have the experts and solutions our customers need. Our goal in all we do is to drive our customers' business forward. This is another reason why we always keep abreast of the times. At the same time, you can rely on us: you are in good hands with the KRONEN family.
What does that specifically mean?
Here at KRONEN, we offer 100% quality: including sustainable machines and solutions for trend products - transparent project management and machine availability through service. The customer gets everything he needs, from one source: for us, that means made-tomeasure. At the same time we bear the profitability and competitiveness of our customers in mind - and the requirements of the respective sector or the products processed.
Our vision
We would like to be part of a world in which food and all other resources are used in a responsible and sustainable manner. At our side, we see partners, who not only value our quality and many years of experience, but who are ALSO open and willing to join us in implementing forward-looking, innovative solutions.
-
With us, the customer gets everything he needs, from one source.
-
Our quality standards set benchmarks.
-
We are personally there for our customers with representatives in more than 80 countries and deliver our solutions to around 120 countries.
-
We also research solutions that are completely new to the market.
1978-1992
Foundation of the company and start of production
KRONEN has its origins back in 1978 in the foundation of a trading company for small appliances for the hotel and catering industry. The foundation stone for KRONEN was laid in 1992, when the company started to develop and produce its own machines for the salad, vegetable and fruit industry.
1998-2009
Takeover and growth by the Zillgith family
In 1998, when Rudolf Hans Zillgith took over the business department for machines for the salad, vegetable and fruit industry as the managing director, the company became independent: KRONEN GmbH. Under his management with the strategy of further orientation towards export, the company quickly made its breakthrough on international markets and grew considerably. In 2004, the new production and administration location with its own exhibition and training rooms was built in Kehl-Goldscheuer, and in 2008 the production area was doubled again to 5,000 m². In 1999, the next generation joined the company with Stephan Zillgith, Dipl. Ing (FH), as the technical manager. In 2010, Stephan Zillgith took over joint responsibility as a managing director.
2011-2017
Internationalization and further development
In 2011, KRONEN founded its first subsidiary abroad: KRONEN Corp. in Cohoes, New York, which acts as a sales company for the US market. In 2015, the fully owned subsidiary of KRONEN GmbH changed its location to Madison, Wisconsin.
In 2012, KRONEN introduced the KAIZEN culture, a concept for continuous improvement in the daily working environment, with the aim of minimizing waste, among other things. In 2015, KRONEN project management was implemented, followed in 2017 by the KRONEN value stream for optimally structured processes in production.
2017 + 2022
Participation in Synergy Systems
Since 2017, KRONEN holds a participation in Synergy System, the sales and service company in the Netherlands, and since 2022, also in the newly founded company iWEIGH, which develops and produces innovative, integrated weighing systems.
2018
Anniversary and restructuring of the management
In 2018, the company celebrated its 40th anniversary and 20 years of Zillgith-KRONEN. At the anniversary gala on September 27, the senior director of the family business, Rudolf Hans Zillgith, announced the restructure of the management. In addition to himself and Stephan Zillgith, Eric Lefebvre and Johannes Günther, who have both occupied management positions at KRONEN for many years, also became members of the management board and shareholders of KRONEN. This rejuvenates the management board and, with the cumulative competence and experience of the four managers, KRONEN is optimally positioned for the manifold topics of the future. Each of the four managing directors is responsible for a separate division of the company. The management is complemented by Robert Lankhart as an authorized signatory.
2018
In-house production of high quality knives
KRONEN has established strong partnerships with its knife suppliers and works in close cooperation with them to develop and manufacture innovative solutions that meet the needs and requirements of our customers. We also started manufacturing our own knives back in 2018 and have been constantly improving our expertise and quality ever since. Thanks to our cooperation with our new company division WS Edelstahltechnik, we have further expanded our own capacities for developing and manufacturing knives and blades for our KRONEN cutting machines in house at our production site in Achern, Germany. As a result, we can optimally guarantee the high quality and perfect fit of our knives and blades. We also offer an in-house customer service for our knives and blades, which need to be sharpened for continued high performance and a long service life.
April 2020
Takeover of WS Edelstahltechnik GmbH
On April 1, 2020, KRONEN took over all activities and employees of the Achern-based company WS Edelstahltechnik GmbH& Co KG. The Company WS Edelstahltechnik is a specialist for CNC turned and milled parts made of stainless steel for small and medium series production in machine construction and already maintained a long-standing business relationship with KRONEN. By means of the takeover, KRONEN has expanded its field of activity to include the production of turned and milled parts in Achern. The brand name WS Edelstahltechnik will be continued as a division of KRONEN GmbH.
June 2020
Quality management certification according to ISO 9001:2015
In spring 2020; KRONEN's quality management system was successfully certified according to the international standard ISO 9001:2015 in the areas of development, production and sales. The certification yet again demonstrates KRONEN's focus on customer orientation and the continuous development of the company. As the most widespread international quality management standard, it specifies requirements for the QMS of companies to fulfill customer requirements and product or service quality. Company processes are identified, documented and evaluated as part of the QMS in order to determine whether they are suitable for meeting quality targets and fulfilling customer requirements.
September 2021
WS Edelstahltechnik receives quality certificate
With the certification of quality management according to the international standard ISO 9001:2015, the takeover process of WS Edelstahltechnik by KRONEN GmbH was completed. WS Edelstahltechnik has existed for more than 20 years in Achern and is today a manufacturer and supplier of turned and milled parts for the food technology and automotive industries with 20 employees.
Today
Successful food technology: from Kehl to destinations all over the world
KRONEN is and remains a family-run business and has its production and administration location in Kehl-Goldscheuer on the River Rhine. Today, the medium-sized company employs a workforce of more than 130, is personally available for its customers with representatives in more than 80 countries and delivers its solutions to about 120 countries. As a producer and supplier of stand-alone machines, special machines and high-tech processing systems, KRONEN and its partners cover the entire range of fruit, vegetable and salad processing: from preparation, peeling, cutting, washing, mixing, disinfecting and drying to conveying, weighing and packaging. Furthermore, KRONEN offers technical solutions for the processing of meat, cold meats, sausage and fish, vegan products, bakery products and pet food.
