THE NETHERLANDS — Kaak, the family-owned food processing systems group based in the Netherlands, celebrated two milestones on June 24: its 175th anniversary and the consolidation of its companies under one brand name.

Kaak began as a local metalworking company and is now a leading international manufacturer of machines for the baking industry. The group has many specialties that are now under the umbrella of the same name — Kaak. The company said that the rebranding fits seamlessly with the strategy used for vertical integration of the complete production process, from silo to pallet.

Initially a producer of product carriers under the subsection Kaak Bakeware, the company soon moved into developing the integrator function for various components such as spiral towers, cooling and transport systems and solutions.

For the past 30 years the group has seen growth into subcategories of doughmaking, under the Benier; thermo-oil ovens, under the Daub brand; cyclo-thermal ovens, under the MCS brand; and recoating of materials, under the Lhotellier brand. Silowacht, another Kaab sub-brand specializes in silo storage systems and process optimizaion. This expansion of the group’s portfolio has established its international status and it now has sales offices in the UK, France, Taiwan, Brazil and North America.

The intention behind bundling all the expertise under one name is to position the group as a clean point of contact for bakeries large and small. As of June 24, the name Kaak will represent all baking specialties in the organization except Silowacht, who will still operate under its own name during a transition period.