Cappellotto

What Cappellotto does

Cappellotto S.p.A., headquartered in Gaiarine (Treviso), Italy, and founded in 1953 by Pietro Cappellotto, is Europe's largest manufacturer of industrial vacuum trucks, hydro-excavation equipment and drain-cleaning vehicles. The company designs and assembles specialized body fittings mounted on customer-supplied or proprietary chassis across six manufacturing facilities in Italy (Gaiarine, Fontanafredda, Villafranca di Verona, Porcia), France (Lyon) and Finland (Jyväskylä via the wholly-owned FI.CO. Oy subsidiary acquired in 2021), covering approximately 54,000 m² of production area. Its product portfolio comprises six hardware platforms — Capjet (high-pressure water jetting), Capvac (vacuum loading/transport), Capcombi (combined jetting and vacuum), Caprecy (recycling with continuous water reuse), Capbora (high-capacity pneumatic suction with Venturi discharge to 60m height) and Capgeo (excavation-grade vacuum with internationally patented three-side tipping) — each configurable in multiple tank arrangements (FI, FM, CL, CC) and certified for hazardous-materials handling (ADR) and explosive atmospheres (ATEX).

The company sells primarily through an indirect channel model, supported by 32+ exclusive or semi-exclusive distribution partners across 80 countries and a global authorized workshop service network. Named exclusive distributors include KOR (Australia/New Zealand, 14+ year relationship), TIP Group (Benelux, from January 2025), NOMEK.AS (Norway), RAMB Tech AB (Sweden), IMERCHILE (Chile) and FI.CO. Oy (Nordic/Russia). Revenue is generated from hardware sales of new equipment, prompt-delivery pre-configured units, original spare parts and accessories, after-sales technical assistance and revamping (reconditioning) services, and a used-equipment secondary channel. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is configuration-dependent, consistent with engineered-to-order industrial equipment.

Cappellotto's customer base is B2B and B2G, diversified across three primary verticals: municipal/civil (councils, water utilities, public works departments responsible for sewer maintenance, street cleaning, wastewater treatment), construction (building restoration, sensitive excavations near underground utilities, roof materials pumping), and industrial (metals processing, cement, paper, refineries, foundries, steel mills, thermal power stations, shipyards and waste management facilities). The company cites 10,000+ cumulative installations across 80 countries, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 3834-2:2021 certifications, and 73 years of continuous product innovation as its primary competitive credentials. It remains privately held, family-founded, with no disclosed external institutional ownership.

Name

Cappellotto

Legal name

CAPPELLOTTO S.P.A.

Website

https://cappellotto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cappellotto S.p.A., founded in 1953 in Gaiarine, Italy, is Europe's largest manufacturer of industrial vacuum trucks, hydro-excavation and drain-cleaning equipment. It serves municipal, construction and industrial customers in 80 countries via a network of exclusive distributors and 10,000+ cumulative installations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Vacuum Trucks and Sewer Cleaning Equipment

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Utility & Maintenance Vehicle Manufacturing (Street Sweepers/Vacuum Trucks) (IMACAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vacuum Systems & Components (Vacuum Pumps, Ejectors, Cups, Grippers) (IMAHAGAN), Pressure Washing & Jetting Equipment (IMAHALAB), Industrial Cleaning & Decontamination (Hydroblasting/Vacuum/Confined Space) (IMAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Industrial vacuum trucks
• Sewer cleaning equipment
• Hydro excavation vehicles
• Drain cleaning machinery
• Vacuum pump systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Gaiarine

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Vehicle Equipment Manufacturing: Design and manufacture of body fittings on chassis for vacuum trucks, hydro excavation, and drain-cleaning equipment. Products include Capjet (high-pressure washing), Capvac (vacuum loading), Capcombi (combined), Caprecy (recycling), Capbora (high-capacity suction), Capgeo (excavation).
2. Spare Parts and Accessories: Original spare parts and accessories with rapid delivery from always well-stocked warehouse. Part of comprehensive after-sales service.
3. Service, Maintenance, and Revamping: Technical assistance through authorized workshop network with over 65 years experience. Revamping (total reconditioning) services for extending equipment life. Training for customers on equipment operation.
4. Prompt Delivery Equipment: Pre-configured equipment available for rapid delivery (Capjet, Capvac, Capcombi, Caprecy, Capbora, Capgeo models).
5. Used Vehicle Equipment: Special offers section listing pre-owned equipment (vacuum trucks, combination cleaners, H.P. jetting tankers, recycling units, vacuum excavation units).

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Cappellotto manufactures industrial vacuum trucks and sewer/drain cleaning equipment for municipal, industrial, and construction use. The company's product lineup includes high-pressure jetting units (Capjet), vacuum loading vehicles (Capvac), combined jetting-vacuum units (Capcombi), recycling systems (Caprecy), high-capacity suction units (Capbora), and hydro-excavation vehicles (Capgeo). Founded in 1953, it is headquartered in Gaiarine, Italy, and distributes its equipment through a network of partners across 80+ countries.

Product overview

Cappellotto is Europe’s largest manufacturer of vacuum trucks, hydro excavation, and drain-cleaning equipment. The product portfolio consists of specialized industrial vehicle body fittings: Capjet provides high-pressure water jetting for pipe and sewer cleaning; Capvac handles vacuum loading and transport of liquids and sludges; Capcombi combines vacuum and jetting functions in multiple tank configurations (FI, FM, CL, CC) for versatile cleaning operations; Caprecy adds water recycling capability with its 5-stage CRS system for continuous operation; Capbora delivers high-capacity suction for dusts and heavy materials with Venturi offloading; and Capgeo offers the highest-capacity excavation-focused vacuum loading. All products can be customized with a comprehensive accessories range and are certified for various safety standards including ADR and ATEX.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Capjet: High-pressure water jetting equipment for cleaning roads, pipes, sewers, and ducts blocked by sediments and hardened impurities. Simple, agile, and fast solution.
• Capvac
• Capcombi
• Caprecy
• Capbora
• Capgeo

Products and services

• Capjet High-pressure water jetting unit designed to clean sewers, drains, and pipelines by blasting water at high pressure to dislodge debris and obstructions. Used by municipal sanitation departments and industrial cleaning contractors.
• Capvac Vacuum loading truck that uses powerful suction to remove liquids, sludge, solids, and hazardous materials from drains, sewers, industrial tanks, and spill sites. Targeted at municipal, industrial, and environmental service operators.
• Capcombi Combined jetting and vacuum unit that integrates high-pressure water jetting with vacuum suction in a single vehicle, enabling simultaneous cleaning and debris removal for sewer and drain maintenance crews.
• Caprecy Recycling sewer cleaning unit that filters and reuses water during jetting operations, reducing water consumption and waste volume during prolonged drain and sewer cleaning campaigns.
• Capbora High-capacity vacuum suction unit engineered for heavy-duty industrial applications such as emptying sludge lagoons, removing mining sediment, and handling large volumes of industrial waste.
• Capgeo Hydro-excavation vehicle that uses pressurized water and vacuum suction to safely excavate soil and expose buried utilities without mechanical digging, intended for construction and utility-locating crews.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% pneumatic vacuum with 11,000-18,000 m3/h flow rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vactor Manufacturing: US-based leading manufacturer of sewer cleaners, hydro-excavation vehicles, and industrial vacuum trucks. Most direct global peer to Cappellotto, competing for the same municipal and industrial customers with overlapping combined jet/vacuum product lines.
• GapVax: North American manufacturer of industrial vacuum trucks, hydro-excavation units, and sewer cleaners. Closely comparable product portfolio to Cappellotto's Capvac/Capcombi/Capgeo lines, serving municipal and industrial end markets.
• Sewer Equipment Co. of America: US manufacturer of sewer and drain cleaning equipment, including combination vacuum/jet trucks and hydro-excavation vehicles. Direct competitor in the same municipal and industrial cleaning category as Cappellotto.
• Hvidtved Larsen: Danish manufacturer of high-performance sewer cleaning and industrial vacuum trucks. Closely comparable European peer with overlapping combined jet/vacuum and recycling unit offerings serving the same Nordic and municipal customer base that FICO/Cappellotto targets.
• KOKS Group: Dutch manufacturer of industrial vacuum trucks, hydro-excavation vehicles, and ADR-certified hazardous-materials transport units. Comparable to Cappellotto's Capbora and ADR-certified lines, especially relevant given Benelux distribution overlap via TIP Group.
• K.E.W. Cleaning: German-based manufacturer of high-pressure water jetting and industrial cleaning equipment, including sewer cleaning and tube cleaning systems. Comparable to Cappellotto's Capjet high-pressure water jetting product line and serves overlapping European industrial and municipal customers.
• Rioned: Netherlands-based manufacturer of high-pressure cleaning equipment, sewer jetting units, and vacuum vehicles. Closely comparable to Cappellotto's Capjet and combined jet/vacuum offerings, with overlapping Benelux municipal customer base.

Regional players

• KAISER Fahrzeugtechnik: Austrian manufacturer of municipal and utility vehicle bodies, including sewer cleaning and winter service equipment. Comparable to Cappellotto's specialty utility vehicle body-fitting business, though with stronger regional Austrian/DACH concentration.
• Morita Holdings (Sewer Cleaner Division): Japanese fire and specialty vehicle manufacturer with a sewer cleaning and vacuum truck product line. Comparable product category to Cappellotto (vacuum trucks for municipal and industrial cleaning) but focused primarily on the Japanese and broader Asian market.

Emerging players

• Sewer Robotics: Israel-based specialist in sewer and pipeline rehabilitation robotics and cleaning tools. Adjacent peer in the broader sewer cleaning ecosystem — complementary rather than directly competitive to Cappellotto's vacuum truck business, but addressing the same municipal customer set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvn9M5h7-O6QCi0IMrHwKDg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cappellottospa

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cappellotto