Kind Technologies acquires Martin Stolze

High-tech scale-up, Kind Technologies, has expanded its position in the horticulture greenhouse market by acquiring Martin Stolze B.V., an international specialist in the automation of internal transport.

Increasing demand for technology and automation within the horticulture and food processing worldwide
Martin Stolze and Kind Technologies see an increasing demand for automation within the agriculture & food market world-wide. Rising labor costs and scarcity, a focus on food safety and the use of data for process improvement are important drivers for the growth strategy of the companies.

Kind Technologies is a frontrunner in this area and is active within the horticulture with its brands KOAT and Crux Agribotics. It has developed the award-winning SortiPack® system for automatic grading, sorting and packing of organic products, fruits and vegetables, enabling greenhouse growers and packing centers to scale up productivity with less dependence on human labor and to utilize crop data available from the system.

Relevant combined forces
Martin Stolze has been an expert in the internal transport of products in horticulture, distribution- and packaging centers since its establishment in 1991. This long experience, a complete product portfolio and its own production and service capacity, make Martin Stolze a leading manufacturer, supplier and integrator for complete internal transport automation projects. The company has grown strongly in recent years, with its internal transport product portfolio -including conveyor belts, buffer belts, potting machines, roller conveyors, watering stations and potting forks, which are sold internationally.

"Martin Stolze is therefore a valuable extension of the portfolio of Kind Technologies," they say. After this expansion, Kind Technologies will consist of more than 200 engineers and technicians dedicated to bringing its technologies to the market. Managing Director Wido Kruijswijk will continue to lead Martin Stolze with the existing team. Martin Stolze with its 57 employees will remain based in De Lier (The Netherlands) and will continue its activities under its current name. Martin Stolze will remain involved as external advisor.

"Essential to further strengthen the growth and continuity of Martin Stolze"
“I am very happy and proud that the Kind Technologies group sees our added value and potential," says Martin Stolze, the former owner and founder of the company. "It was key for me, to guarantee the continuity of the company for our employees, customers and other stakeholders, By joining this innovative high-tech group, we can access their experience in managing growth and further professionalize our business processes, attract new talent and expand our offering."

"Enormous potential in automating horticulture and packaging centers worldwide"
"With this stepping stone expansion, we will accelerate our growth strategy within the horticulture," says Alex E. Kind, CEO of Kind Technologies. "We see enormous potential in automating the typical manual processes within greenhouses and packing centers globally."

"With this acquisition we can secure our presence in the greenport region Westland, the world’s most innovative region in the field of greenhouse horticulture. We are positioning ourselves to be the system supplier of choice for the full horticulture value chain including growers, greenhouse builders, installation and automation companies. Our strategy is based on significant investments in R&D, services and strategic partnerships within the industry combined with strategic acquisitions such as Martin Stolze and KOAT in 2019."

No further details will be disclosed.