This article was originally published on the 04/2025 issue of EU Recycling

Tana, the renowned Finnish manufacturer of waste compactors, continues to broaden its recycling equipment portfolio. Following its successful foray into shredders with the Shark series, the company is now taking the next strategic step with the launch of its new disc screen: the TANA Raven X550T. EU-Recycling met with representatives from Tana and its German distribution partner, Veneto Schwenter GmbH, to discuss the company’s growing presence in the recycling sector.

A visit to a site in Bavaria

At Mühldorf am Inn station in Upper Bavaria, I’m greeted by Corbinian Gattermann, Key Account and Application Manager at Tana Oy. We head to a nearby recycling facility that operates one of Tana’s machines.

Despite a gray January day with on-and-off rain, spirits are high as we arrive on site and meet with key figures: Kirsi Ahonen (Marketing Director, Tana Oy), Kurt Beyer (Chief Customer Officer, Veneto Schwenter GmbH), and Henri Kinnunen (VP of Product Management and Business Development, Tana Oy). The weather doesn’t diminish the enthusiasm for showcasing Tana’s innovative technologies, including the newly introduced TANA Raven disc screen and the company’s expanded German distribution via Veneto Schwenter GmbH, which took over Tana’s general distribution in Germany last year.

Success built on people—and partnerships

Tana’s roots date back to 1971, when inventor Matti Sinkkonen founded Kone-Jyrä Oy in Finland. Today, Tana Oy, headquartered in Jyväskylä, is backed by a group of investors including CapMan Growth, entrepreneur Aaro Cantell, Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company, Tana’s management team, and Kari Kangas and his family. The company employs more than 60 professionals across Finland and Germany, emphasizing that people are central to its success. Investments in employee well-being and customer experience are core to its culture.

While Tana is best known for its landfill compactors, it has made a name for itself in recycling machinery designed for difficult-to-process materials such as tires, mattresses, and pulper ropes. With the guiding motto “TANA – From Waste to Value,” the company now offers a comprehensive range of solutions for material recovery. Tana exports to over 50 countries and works with a close-knit network of local distribution and service partners.

“Tana’s origins are in landfill compaction,” Gattermann explains. “We’ve built compactors for over 40 years and shredders for 15. We’re global market leaders in compactors—with a 25% market share in the U.S. alone.”

A stronger focus on customer proximity

Tana’s current ownership group is steering the company toward long-term customer loyalty by expanding its product and service offerings. Refurbishing used equipment and extending machine lifecycles are becoming top priorities. Lifecycle services and digital monitoring tools are being scaled up as part of a broader strategy to get closer to customers and deliver more value.

“Our goal is to bring structure to the German market,” says Kurt Beyer of Veneto Schwenter. The partnership with Tana began by chance. “We were looking for distribution partners when Veneto reached out,” Gattermann recalls. “From the start, it was a great fit—our visions and approaches aligned. Veneto had a clear strategy for positioning Tana in Germany.”

Meeting market needs

Veneto Schwenter also redefined its own strategy in 2024. According to Beyer, small and mid-sized recycling companies are increasingly seeking to close the value chain themselves by producing final products—tasks once reserved for large-scale operators. “Customers are asking for defined output sizes with minimal processing steps. That led us to Tana. The concept and support behind the product line won us over. And with Tana’s focused portfolio, specialization is a real strength.”

After collaborative planning sessions in Jyväskylä and at the IFAT 2024 trade show in Munich, Veneto Schwenter was named Tana’s exclusive distributor in Germany—handling everything from sales and rentals to servicing and support. Founded by Andreas Schwenter, current President of the BDSV (Federal Association of German Steel Recycling and Disposal Companies), Veneto is based in Herrsching am Ammersee and has its roots in the scrap trade.

Proactive, digital, and decentralized service

“We maintain our own inventory of spare parts, rental machines, and even operate a welding robot for steel repairs,” explains Beyer. “Our offices are spread across Germany, and we use a cloud-based system for real-time service coordination.”

A central part of this approach is TanaConnect®, a digital service portal. Every machine distributed by Veneto is digitally monitored through the platform. It stores machine checklists, automates part ordering, alerts the service team to issues before failures occur, and enables remote diagnostics and adjustments. “It’s about maximizing uptime,” says Beyer.

Machines under warranty include a container pre-stocked with essential spare and wear parts—such as easily replaceable, screw-in knives and filters. Veneto also sells REACTON fire protection systems for mobile machinery and control cabinets, further reducing reliance on third-party services.

The Raven takes flight

The TANA Raven X550T is the latest milestone in Tana’s expanding portfolio. Officially launched in February 2025, the machine enters series production mid-year. The disc screen features a modular design that allows quick changes to particle size sorting. Four interchangeable table modules can be configured to separate fine (under 20 mm), mid-size (20–100 mm), and oversized fractions. Even sticky or moist material is processed with ease thanks to the open design.

Capable of handling up to 70 tons of waste wood per hour (depending on configuration), the Raven is engineered for high-throughput, low-maintenance operation. The discs, made through precision injection molding, are lightweight—up to 75% lighter than steel—quiet, and durable. A patented anti-wrapping design eliminates the need for additional systems, while the TANA Control System (TCS) detects and automatically reverses the machine in case of blockages. Multiple material-specific programs can be saved and selected via touchscreen.

Powerful alone, and as a duo

The Raven X550T works in perfect sync with the TANA Shark Shredder, processing the same waste types at matching speeds. “They’re designed to complement one another,” says Gattermann. “Like its namesake bird, the Raven is adaptable and intelligent.” The disc screen can handle bulky materials such as construction waste, old wood, and even complex inputs like tires or pulper ropes. Feeding is simple using a wheel loader or excavator, and both diesel Stage V and electric-drive versions are available.

Smart monitoring for smart machines

TanaConnect® has evolved over more than a decade into a comprehensive operations platform. It tracks machine status, logs performance data, and integrates seamlessly with ERP, maintenance, or production systems. On the Raven, it’s fully integrated into the operator display, allowing real-time updates on alarms, events, production reports, and maintenance needs.

Proven in the field

The site visit wraps up with a live demonstration of the TANA Shark Shredder, mounted on a trailer and equipped with a metal separator. The system is currently being tested across various facilities and material types. The client—new to Tana—is evaluating the equipment before purchase.

On the day, the shredder effortlessly processes truck and mining tires. Depending on screen setup, throughput reaches up to 25 tons per hour—with no screen, up to 35. “We recommend pre-shredding coarsely, followed by screening and reprocessing,” Gattermann advises. “Swapping the screen takes just some 30 minutes.”

The Shark Shredder also tackles mattresses, metal, wood, scrap, and green waste. “No other settings need to change,” he notes. “One knife type handles everything. Choose the program, and it’s ready for tires, copper, aluminum, pulper ropes, plastics, commercial waste—you name it. The Shark handles it all.”

“And nothing breaks,” Beyer adds. “If something unusual is detected, the machine automatically stops to prevent damage.”