Since 1880: How Beelonia became a smoker manufacturer

"Beelonia has always been rooted in Beelen – deep in the Münsterland, North Rhine-Westphalia." This is how Michael Vering describes the business his family runs, with roots dating back to 1880. The 19th-century metalworking shop became the brand for grilling and smoking technology, boiling kettles and scalding kettles from our own production – with inventions that shaped the market, and one constant across all generations: we build locally what customers really need.

Last updated: 23 July 2026 · Author: Michael Vering, Beelonia GmbH

Reading tip: To see what production looks like today, check out the factory report from Beelen with pictures from the workshop and mechanical engineering.

From metalworking to a smoking technology brand

The name reveals the origin: Beelonia comes from Beelen – the town in the Warendorf district where metal has been processed since 1880. Over the generations, the craft business grew into the specialist for what is written in the company logo today: "Grilling and smoking technology, boiling kettles and scalding kettles from our own production". The specialisation followed the customers – farmers, butchers, anglers and connoisseurs of the Münsterland needed equipment that lasts. And the answer was always the same: build it yourself, in V2A stainless steel (AISI 304), repairable.

The inventions that stayed: Two Beelonia developments have shaped the smoking market. The little smoking house with a gabled roof – black finish, viewing window, red roof – was brought to the market by Beelonia as the first manufacturer worldwide; it remains the trademark in the range to this day. And the double-walled insulated smokers, which Beelonia helped introduce to the market, turned the fair-weather device into a year-round smoker. Added to this was the interchangeable heating system – a unique selling point of the series to this day.

Family business as a working principle: "Many believe a family business means: run by one family," says Michael Vering in the image film. "For me, a family business is a company where the atmosphere among the employees is like a family – you know everyone by name, you know the story of every employee." Employees have a say, customer wishes are taken seriously: "If a customer comes and says, I want it 20 cm larger or smaller, with glass, painted black – we always cater to customer wishes. That is what sets us apart."

The balance between the tried and tested and the new

We have always modernised – but never at the price of compatibility: "If you compare production with that of 20 years ago, it's a completely different story – today we have the means to produce plans within hours that used to take days," says Michael Vering, describing the leap into CAD and modern mechanical engineering. His conclusion: "I believe the recipe for success is the balance between the tried and tested and the new." Exactly this balance explains why decades-old smokers still get parts – and why today's bestsellers feature digital controls.

Beelonia today: a manufactory with open doors

The showroom in Beelen is deliberately not a museum: customers drop by, look at the equipment, and if the desired machine is in the warehouse, it is brought into the showroom. Opening hours Monday to Thursday 8 am – 4:30 pm, Friday 8 am – 12 pm – a quick call beforehand is enough. Add to that the custom-build department for everything the catalogue doesn't cover, the trade fair appearances (such as at SÜFFA) and the YouTube channel where the family explains their products themselves. You can't get closer to a manufacturer.

Reading tip: What the manufactory origin means for buyers in concrete terms is shown in Made in Germany; the professional reference of Michael Wickert is appreciated in the article Michael Wickert.

Sources and technical basis: Beelonia image film (quotes from Michael Vering: Beelen/Münsterland, family business, customer wishes, CAD modernisation, "balance between the tried and tested and the new"); showroom video (gabled roof smoking house as a world first, opening hours, custom builds); double-wall history from the smoke generator video.