What Stertil does

Stertil is a Netherlands-headquartered, privately held industrial equipment manufacturer founded in 1961, specializing in heavy-duty vehicle lifting systems and loading bay dock equipment. The company operates three core sub-brands: Stertil-Koni for heavy-duty vehicle lifting solutions (mobile column lifts, 4-post, 2-post, in-ground piston and scissor lifts, and platform lifts), Stertil Dock Products for loading bay dock levellers, shelters, and the patented COMBILOK automatic vehicle restraint system, and Stokvis Service, a nationwide service organization in the Netherlands with more than 80 service engineers supporting installation, maintenance, and repair. Manufacturing is conducted at three regional facilities — Kootstertille in the Netherlands (global headquarters, 7,500 m² of additional space added in 2022), Streator, Illinois in the United States (with a robotised welding line and mobile column assembly), and Qingdao in China — and is complemented by sales offices across the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, France, Poland, Turkey, and China. The product portfolio reflects continuous in-house R&D, with patented platforms including the EARTHLIFT self-energy-generating mobile column lift, the SKYLIFT platform, the DIAMONDLIFT in-ground piston lift, and the ebright Smart Control System touchscreen that can operate up to 32 columns simultaneously.

The business model is primarily one-time capital equipment sales sold through a hybrid direct field-sales and distributor network, combined with recurring service, installation, and maintenance revenue. Customers are enterprise industrial buyers across heavy-duty vehicle workshops, bus companies, public transport operators, logistics and distribution centres, commercial fleet operators, construction and earthmoving service operations, agricultural service facilities, military and defence maintenance operations, and aviation ground support — with named enterprise customers including BYD Bus Manufacturer USA and major courier and parcel distribution services. Distribution is direct in major markets (US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, Poland, Turkey, China) and channel-driven via a global distributor network across the remaining 35+ countries. Stertil holds ISO 9001, CE, UKCA, and Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) certifications, supporting regulatory compliance across its primary geographies. The company is owned by Citadel Enterprises through the Kroymans Group (since 2007) and has pursued an active M&A strategy, most recently acquiring Nussbaum Custom/World Lifts (2022) to extend into light-duty automotive lifts and Beissbarth GmbH (2023) to enter automotive testing and service equipment.

Name

Stertil

Legal name

Stertil B.V.

Website

https://stertil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Stertil is a Netherlands-headquartered industrial manufacturer founded in 1961 that designs, builds, and services heavy-duty vehicle lifting systems and loading bay dock equipment for logistics, commercial fleet, public transport, construction, military, and agricultural customers across 35+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kootstertille

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heavy-duty vehicle lift equipment sales: Manufacturing and sale of vehicle lifting solutions including mobile column lifts, 4-post lifts, 2-post lifts, in-ground lifts, and platform lifts for workshops and maintenance facilities.
2. Loading bay dock equipment sales: Production and sale of dock levellers, dock shelters, dock doors, and vehicle restraint systems for warehouses and distribution centers.
3. Service, maintenance and installation: Nationwide service organization in the Netherlands with more than 80 service engineers providing installation, maintenance and support through Stokvis Service.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Stertil designs, engineers, manufactures, markets, sells and services high-performance heavy-duty vehicle lifting systems and loading bay dock equipment. The product portfolio spans mobile column lifts, 2-post, 4-post, in-ground and platform lifts under the Stertil-Koni brand, and dock levellers, dock shelters, dock doors and vehicle restraint systems under the Stertil Dock Products brand. Installation, maintenance and repair services are delivered through Stokvis Service in the Netherlands and partner service networks globally.

Product overview

Stertil is an international company headquartered in the Netherlands that designs, engineers, manufactures, markets, sells, supports and services high performance solutions for heavy duty vehicle lifting and loading bay dock equipment. The product portfolio consists of three main sub-brands: Stertil-Koni (heavy-duty vehicle lifting systems including mobile column lifts, platform lifts, in-ground lifts, 4-post lifts, and 2-post lifts), Stertil Dock Products (loading bay equipment including dock levellers, dock shelters, and vehicle restraint systems like COMBILOK), and Stokvis Service (installation, maintenance and support services with over 80 service engineers in the Netherlands). Products are manufactured in the Netherlands, United States (Streator, Illinois), and China (Qingdao), with sales offices in the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, Poland, Turkey and China. The company also owns Nussbaum Custom Lifts and Beissbarth (acquired 2022-2023) for automotive light duty lifts and testing equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stertil-Koni: Global leader in heavy-duty vehicle lifting systems, providing vehicle lifts and mobile lifting systems for workshops, truck builders, bus companies, and heavy-duty applications worldwide.
• Stertil Dock Products
• Stokvis Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 55 lifting cycles without recharging with EARTHLIFT®
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and historical.

• Beissbarth GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Acquired business activities in 2023. Beissbarth Automotive Testing Solutions GmbH - manufacturer of world-class modern testing and service equipment - now part of Stertil Group.
• Nussbaum Custom Lifts GmbH and Nussbaum World Lifts GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Acquired in 2022, located in Kehl, Germany. High quality manufacturer of world-class automotive light duty lifts, expanding Stertil's product portfolio.
• ALM Corporation (Streator, Illinois, USA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Acquired by Stertil Group in 2008, becoming the central production facility in the USA for Stertil-Koni vehicle lifts. Production of ECOLIFT scissor in-ground lift moved to this facility.
• Kelley and FrommelthistoricalTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1972In cooperation with Kelley and Frommelt, Stertil began manufacturing dock levellers and dock shelters for loading bays starting in 1972.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rotary Lift: Part of the Vehicle Service Group (VSG), Rotary Lift is one of the world's largest manufacturers of vehicle lifts, directly competing with Stertil-Koni across mobile column lifts, two-post, four-post, and in-ground lifts for automotive and heavy-duty applications.
• Mohawk Lifts: US-based manufacturer of vehicle lifts including mobile column lifts, two-post lifts, and platform lifts. Directly competes with Stertil-Koni in heavy-duty workshop lifting with overlapping product portfolio and customer base.
• BendPak: Manufacturer of vehicle lifts, wheel service equipment, and material handling products including mobile column lifts. Competes directly with Stertil-Koni in commercial and heavy-duty lifting segments across North America and globally.
• Challenger Lifts: US-based manufacturer of vehicle lifts including two-post, four-post, scissor, and mobile column lifts. Directly competes with Stertil-Koni across automotive and heavy-duty workshop applications with ALI-certified products.
• Rite-Hite: Global manufacturer of loading dock equipment, industrial doors, and safety barriers. Directly competes with Stertil Dock Products in dock levellers, dock shelters, vehicle restraints, and warehouse safety solutions.
• Blue Giant: Manufacturer of loading dock equipment including dock levellers, vehicle restraints, and seals/shelters. Directly competes with Stertil Dock Products in warehouse and distribution centre loading bay equipment markets.
• Poweramp: Manufacturer of loading dock levelers, vehicle restraints, and seals/shelters. Competes directly with Stertil Dock Products in the loading dock equipment segment serving distribution centres and warehouses.

Broad incumbents

• Konecranes: Global leader in overhead cranes, port solutions, and material handling lifting equipment. While focused on larger-scale industrial lifting, Konecranes operates in adjacent categories with overlap on safety-driven lifting solutions for industrial facilities.
• Hyster-Yale Group: Global manufacturer of lift trucks, forklifts, and material handling equipment. While primarily in mobile material handling rather than vehicle lifting, the company operates in adjacent industrial equipment markets serving warehouses and logistics.
• Snap-on Incorporated: Global manufacturer and distributor of tools, diagnostics, and equipment for professional users including vehicle service technicians. While not a direct manufacturer of heavy-duty lifts, Snap-on competes in the broader automotive service equipment ecosystem with overlapping workshops customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Stertil

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Stertil