Chesterton-based Urschel Laboratories will soon be a minority stakeholder in KRONEN GmbH through a capital investment.

The move represents an opportunity for Urschel to expand its offerings. KRONEN, located in Germany, manufactures food processing technology for salad, vegetable and fruit processing.

“This business venture will strengthen our market share and greatly benefit Urschel customers, specifically in the U.S., Mexico and parts of Asia,” said Alan Major, chief sales officer, in a press release. “We hope this new venture with KRONEN will yield significant growth for both companies.”

Both companies and brands will remain fully independent. Urschel manufacturing and production in Chesterton, 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.

Stephan Zillgith, KRONEN managing partner, called the partnership a milestone in KRONEN’s company history.

“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,” Zillgith said. “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.”

Urschel will have sole distributor rights in the U.S., Mexico, and Asia. Urschel manufactures cutting systems for high processing capacities as well as parts and knives for Urschel cutting machinery. KRONEN machines and lines complement Urschel’s product range.

William Urschel founded Urschel in 1910. From 1910 until 2016, the company was privately held by the Urschel family. Today, Urschel is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan company, each of the over 500 U.S. employees maintain shares in the business. Rick Urschel remains at the helm as CEO.