Bernard Krone Holding
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGerman family-owned group producing agricultural machinery and commercial vehicles.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG is the family-owned parent company and corporate headquarters of the Krone Group, a German manufacturer serving two closely related industrial markets: agricultural technology and commercial vehicles. The holding is based in Spelle in the Emsland district of Lower Saxony, while important production and engineering operations are located elsewhere in the region and abroad. Its two principal operating divisions are Krone Agriculture SE and Krone Commercial Vehicle SE. The business began in 1906, when Bernhard Krone and his wife Anna established a farm-based blacksmith shop focused on horseshoeing and repairs. The enterprise subsequently obtained distribution rights for Heinrich Lanz agricultural machinery in the Emsland area and gradually moved from distribution into product development and manufacturing. One early proprietary product was a patented animal-operated pasture trough. After the Second World War, the company produced tractor wagons, and in the late 1950s Bernard Krone I developed the Optimat manure spreader. A major structural turning point came in 1963, when agricultural machinery production was expanded at a new industrial site in Werlte. The move was associated with an order for 20 three-axle trailers and marked the beginning of the group's lasting presence in commercial-vehicle manufacturing. When the German agricultural machinery market became more difficult in the late 1960s, Bernard Krone II and his cousins Heinz and Walter Krone pursued truck trailers and semi-trailers as a second business pillar. Under Bernard Krone III, who took over after his father's death in 1970, the vehicle business became an increasingly important part of the group. During the early 1980s, stagnating sales and profits prompted a strategic reorganization. Consultants recommended separating the vehicle and machinery activities and increasing reliance on specialized external suppliers. The resulting division of responsibilities developed into the present two-part group structure: commercial vehicles, centered on Werlte and related facilities, and agricultural technology, centered on Spelle. The group also built long-term industrial relationships with suppliers such as Metallbau Schmees and Brüggen, with Brüggen later becoming part of the wider commercial-vehicle organization. Krone expanded internationally from the 2000s onward. It invested in a production and assembly presence in Turkey, opened or upgraded facilities in Germany and France, acquired the axle manufacturer Gigant, and integrated the Brüggen Group into Krone Commercial Vehicle SE. In 2017, the group co-founded Rytle, a company focused on electric cargo bikes for urban logistics. In 2019, it acquired the Dutch Knapen Group, strengthening its position in moving-floor trailers and related transport equipment. The group also invested in testing, digitalization, logistics, training, painting systems and automated production. Its commercial-vehicle portfolio includes curtainsider trailers, flatbed and container chassis, swap-body systems, dry-freight bodies, refrigerated semi-trailers, building-material trailers, long-truck configurations, axles and moving-floor trailers. Its agricultural division concentrates on forage harvesting and handling equipment, including disc mowers, rotary tedders, balers, loading wagons, transport wagons, the self-propelled Big M mower-conditioner and BiG X forage harvesters. In 2022, Krone introduced the electrified eTrailer concept, intended to reduce the emissions associated with trailer operation. The holding remains wholly owned by the Krone family. For the 2020/21 financial year, the group was reported as having 5,768 employees and revenue of approximately €2.5 billion. Because the company is privately held, it has no publicly traded ticker. Its present identity is that of a diversified, engineering-led industrial group combining agricultural productivity equipment with road-freight and logistics hardware.
History
Bernard Krone Holding traces its origins to 1906, when Bernhard Krone and Anna Krone established a rural blacksmith business in Emsland. The original workshop served local agricultural needs through horseshoeing and repairs. The company later became a distributor for Heinrich Lanz AG in the district and began complementing distribution with its own products. A patented animal-operated pasture trough represented an early step toward proprietary manufacturing. Following the Second World War, Krone produced tractor wagons. In the late 1950s, Bernard Krone I developed the Optimat manure spreader, reflecting the company's growing focus on mechanizing agricultural work. In 1963, the business expanded production at a five-hectare industrial site in Werlte. The move was connected to an order for 20 three-axle trailers and created the foundation for a commercial-vehicle division alongside agricultural machinery. The German agricultural market became less favorable toward the end of the 1960s as the number of farms declined. Bernard Krone II, working with cousins Heinz and Walter Krone, responded by developing truck trailers and semi-trailers for road freight. After Bernard Krone II's death in 1970, Bernard Krone III assumed leadership. The vehicle business continued to grow, although the group encountered stagnating sales and profits in the early 1980s. External consultants recommended separating the machinery and vehicle activities and outsourcing more component production. This restructuring led to distinct corporate divisions for the vehicle factory in Werlte and the machinery factory in Spelle. Krone increasingly sourced chassis, assemblies and other parts from specialized suppliers, including Metallbau Schmees and Brüggen. Brüggen began supplying Krone in 1984 and later became a major part of the group's commercial-vehicle organization. Krone's international and industrial expansion accelerated in the 2000s. The fourth generation of the Krone family entered management in 2007, the same year the group began building an Istanbul assembly plant and paint shop. In 2011, the agricultural technology sales and services operation was separated from the holding, although the Krone family retained ownership. Between 2011 and 2014, the Spelle machinery factory underwent extensive modernization, including new technology, testing, logistics, training and assembly facilities. A Turkish commercial-vehicle site opened in Tire in 2012. Krone acquired axle producer Gigant in 2013 and brought several commercial-vehicle businesses together in 2016, including Brüggen, foreign sales companies and the Turkish trailer operation. The group also established Krone SAS in France and a spare-parts center in Herzlake. In 2017, it entered urban logistics through Rytle, an electric cargo-bike venture. The group opened a dedicated administration building in 2019 and acquired the Dutch Knapen Group during the same year. From 2019 to 2021, Krone built the Future Lab test center near Lingen, including workshops, test halls, offices and a track for evaluating trailers and agricultural machines. Product development increasingly incorporated electrification and digital production methods. In 2022, Krone introduced the eTrailer concept, designed to reduce transport emissions, while Bernard Krone III died. Today, Bernard Krone Holding serves as the parent company of Krone Commercial Vehicle SE and Krone Agriculture SE. Commercial-vehicle production spans German sites in Werlte, Herzlake and Lübtheen, the Dinklage axle operation, the Turkish Tire facility and Knapen's Dutch operations. Agriculture is centered on Spelle and is marketed worldwide through dealer networks and subsidiaries, including operations in North America, Europe and China. The Krone family remains the sole owner, and the group continues to operate as a privately held industrial manufacturer.
- 2022
eTrailer introduced
[1]Krone launched an electrified trailer concept aimed at reducing road-transport emissions.
- 2021
Future Lab completed
[1]Krone completed its Lingen testing center for agricultural machinery and commercial vehicles.
- 2019
Knapen Group acquired
[1]Krone acquired the Dutch Knapen Group and its subsidiaries.
- 2017
Rytle founded
[1]Krone co-founded Rytle to develop electric cargo bikes for urban logistics.
- 2016
Commercial-vehicle businesses integrated
[1]Krone and Brüggen operations were combined under Krone Commercial Vehicle SE.
- 2013
Gigant acquired
[1]Krone acquired the Dinklage-based commercial-vehicle axle manufacturer Gigant.
- 2012
Tire commercial-vehicle plant opens
[1]Krone opened production in Tire, Turkey, for container and trailer chassis serving Turkey and export markets.
- 2007
Fourth family generation enters management
[1]Bernard Krone IV joined the company's management as the group expanded its Turkish manufacturing presence.
- 1980
Vehicle and machinery activities are separated
[1]The group reorganized its vehicle and agricultural machinery divisions and increased component sourcing from external suppliers.
- 1970
Bernard Krone III takes over
[1]Following his father's death, Bernard Krone III assumed leadership as the trailer and semi-trailer business developed.
Products and positioning
A privately owned German engineering group positioned around specialized agricultural productivity equipment and commercial-vehicle systems for professional farming, contracting, freight transport and logistics.
Self-propelled mower-conditioner
Big M
The Big M is Krone Agriculture's self-propelled mower-conditioner family. It is designed for high-capacity forage harvesting by professional agricultural contractors and large farms, combining mowing and conditioning functions in a mobile machine.
Self-propelled forage harvester
BiG X
BiG X is Krone's flagship self-propelled forage-harvester range. The series is intended for intensive harvesting operations and is sold through Krone's international agricultural machinery network. The Big X 1180, introduced as a high-power expansion of the range, was specified at 1,156 horsepower.
Mobile pellet harvester
Premos 5000
The Premos 5000 is a mobile pellet-harvesting machine for agricultural biomass applications. It received a gold medal from the German Agricultural Society in 2015, reflecting its role in Krone's development of specialized harvesting technology.
Electrified trailer system · 2022
Krone eTrailer
The eTrailer is Krone's electrification concept for commercial trailers. Introduced in 2022, it is intended to support lower-emission road freight by adding electric assistance to trailer operation, with the stated aim of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 20 to 40 percent.
Commercial-vehicle trailer
Krone curtainsider trailers
Krone produces curtainsider trailers for general freight transport. The Werlte vehicle factory is part of the group's principal commercial-vehicle manufacturing base and supplies equipment for road logistics markets.
Temperature-controlled trailer
Krone refrigerated semi-trailers
Refrigerated semi-trailers are produced within Krone's commercial-vehicle organization at the Lübtheen site. They serve temperature-controlled distribution and long-distance freight applications.
Moving-floor trailer · 2019
Knapen moving-floor trailers
Through its acquisition of the Dutch Knapen Group, Krone offers moving-floor trailers for European transport markets. These trailers are suited to bulk and loose-load logistics where mechanical unloading is required.
Brand decisions
2022
Launch the electrified eTrailerProduct launchBackground
Road freight operators faced growing pressure to reduce fuel use and transport-related carbon dioxide emissions.
Action taken
Krone introduced an electrified trailer concept intended to provide electric assistance and reduce emissions by approximately 20 to 40 percent.
Aftermath
The launch extended Krone's product strategy beyond conventional trailers toward lower-emission logistics equipment.
2019
Acquire the Knapen GroupM&ABackground
Krone sought to broaden its commercial-vehicle portfolio and international manufacturing footprint.
Action taken
The group acquired 100 percent of the shares in Dutch Knapen Group and its subsidiaries.
Aftermath
Krone expanded its presence in moving-floor trailers and related European logistics equipment.
2016
Integrate Brüggen and related commercial-vehicle operationsM&ABackground
Krone had developed a longstanding supplier relationship with Brüggen and operated multiple commercial-vehicle subsidiaries and foreign sales activities.
Action taken
The Brüggen Group, Gigant Achsen, Krone Used, the Turkish trailer operation and foreign sales companies were integrated under Krone Commercial Vehicle SE.
Aftermath
The integration consolidated much of the group's commercial-vehicle manufacturing, component and distribution structure.
2011
Spin off agricultural technology sales and servicesStrategyBackground
Until July 2011, agricultural technology sales and services operated within the organizational structure of Bernard Krone Holding.
Action taken
On August 1, 2011, the LVD agricultural sales and service activity was separated from the holding company.
Aftermath
The Krone family continued to own the separated business while the holding focused on its principal manufacturing divisions.
1980
Separate machinery and commercial-vehicle divisionsStrategyBackground
Sales and profits had stagnated in the early 1980s, leading Krone to commission external analysis of its organization and operations.
Action taken
The group separated the vehicle factory from the agricultural machinery factory and increased the use of external suppliers for chassis, assemblies and other components.
Aftermath
The reorganization established the structural basis for the group's two principal operating divisions and its specialist supplier network.
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