Maerz Ofenbau AG

What Maerz Ofenbau AG does

Maerz Ofenbau AG is a privately held Swiss engineering company, headquartered in Zurich, that designs and builds industrial lime shaft kilns and supplies related lifecycle services. Founded in 1950 (with a wholly owned engineering subsidiary, Maerz Ofenbau SRL, in Timișoara, Romania since 2005), the company has delivered more than 750 kilns in approximately 70 countries and positions itself as the global market leader in lime-kiln construction. Its core product platform comprises the Maerz PFR (Parallel Flow Regenerative) kiln — the industry's most widely installed design, originally developed by Maerz in the 1960s — alongside Maerz HPS single-shaft kilns, the newer Maerz EcoKiln® line optimized for CO2 capture from kiln off-gases, and Maerz Finelime® kilns for fine-lime production; complementary offerings include hydration plants, CemCat SCR exhaust-gas denitrification plants for the cement sector, and high-pressure radial fans delivering up to 86% efficiency and 20–25% electricity savings.

The company's revenue model combines large, custom-engineered EPC-style lime-kiln plant projects (priced per-specification under multi-year contracts) with recurring income from proprietary spare parts (burner lances, burners, skip winches, dosing valves, hydraulics), revamping and modernization services that extend plant life, and field services such as consulting, commissioning support, audits, training, and laboratory analyses. Go-to-market is a direct enterprise field-sales motion run from Zurich, organized into five geographic territories and supported by a worldwide representative network covering Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East; marketing is technical and trade-oriented (International Lime Association conferences, ZKG technical publications, website, newsletter).

Customers span iron and steel producers (Jindal Stainless, voestalpine, Tosyalı, El Marakby/Uni Lime), global lime producers (Calcinor with 17 GGR kilns, Calidra/La Laja, Cal Química Mexicana), cement and adjacent industries (Asia Cement Korea, Mombasa Cement, Jiangsu Huaye with thyssenkrupp, Lhoist, Schaefer Kalk Malaysia, Kalkfabrik Netstal), and emerging applications such as sugar refining (Schweizer Zucker). Headcount is reported in the 51–100 range, consistent with a focused engineering and project-management organization delivering globally through partners and representatives.

Name

Maerz Ofenbau AG

Legal name

Maerz Ofenbau AG

Website

https://maerz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Maerz Ofenbau AG is a privately held Swiss engineering company, founded in 1950 and headquartered in Zurich, that designs and builds industrial lime shaft kilns (PFR, HPS, EcoKiln, Finelime) and supplies spare parts, revamping, and field services to steel, cement, lime, and environmental customers across roughly 70 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Lime Kilns and Lime Plant Equipment

NAICS

Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567), Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Furnaces, Kilns & Thermal Processing Equipment (IMAHAEAE)

Keywords

• Industrial lime kilns
• Shaft kiln construction
• Quicklime production equipment
• Lime plant engineering
• Exhaust gas denitrification

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lime Kiln Plant Construction: Custom engineering, procurement, and construction of complete lime kiln plants. Revenue generated from large-scale industrial plant projects including design, equipment supply, installation, and commissioning.
2. Spare Parts Supply: Supply of proprietary spare parts including burner lances, burners, skip winches, field instruments, dosing valves for solid fuels, and hydraulics.
3. Modernization and Revamping Services: Upgrades to existing kilns including firing systems, performance increases, software and hardware modernization, and general modifications to extend plant life and improve efficiency.
4. Field Services and Consulting: Technical assistance, construction and commissioning support, audits, training, and laboratory analyses for raw materials, solid fuels, filter dust, and hydrated lime.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Maerz Ofenbau AG designs, engineers, and builds custom industrial lime shaft kilns (PFR, HPS, EcoKiln, Finelime) for quicklime production, along with hydration plants and CemCat SCR denitrification systems. The company delivers full EPC packages from consulting and laboratory analysis through commissioning, and supports installed kilns with spare parts, revamping/modernization services, field services, audits, and training over the plant's full operating life.

Product overview

Maerz Ofenbau AG is a Swiss engineering company and world market leader in the construction of industrial plants for lime production. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio centered on shaft kilns for quicklime production: the Maerz PFR (Parallel Flow Regenerative) kilns represent their flagship technology—the most widely built kiln type globally—alongside HPS (High Pressure Shaft) single shaft kilns, the newer Maerz EcoKilns® series for CO2 capture, and specialized Finelime kilns with hanging cylinder technology. Complementary products include hydration plants for processing quicklime into hydrated lime, and CemCat SCR plants for exhaust gas denitrification (with 700 plants installed globally). The product ecosystem is supported by a full lifecycle service offering: engineering and project management from concept to commissioning, spare parts and burner components, revamping/modernization services, on-site technical assistance, and laboratory testing. High-pressure radial fans represent an energy-efficiency add-on that can reduce electricity consumption by up to 25%. The company operates from headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland and a subsidiary in Timișoara, Romania, with projects in 70 countries and over 750 kilns built to date.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maerz EcoKiln®: The EcoKiln series sets new standards in the enrichment of CO2 in kiln off-gases for further use or sequestration.
• Maerz PFR Kilns
• Maerz HPS Kilns
• Maerz Finelime®
• Maerz Hydration Plants
• CemCat SCR Plants

Products and services

• Maerz PFR Kilns (Parallel Flow Regenerative Kilns) The Maerz PFR kiln is the most widely built kiln type in the global lime industry. Developed in the 1960s, it applies the parallel flow regenerative principle where combustion air and fuel move in parallel through the shaft, achieving the highest thermal efficiency of all kiln types for industrial quicklime production. It is sold to industrial lime producers, steel mills, and cement companies as a custom-engineered plant.
• Maerz HPS Kilns (High-Pressure Single Shaft Kilns) Single shaft kilns operating with overpressure, designed for various fuel types including solid fuels, gas, and biomass. The HPS kiln is offered to industrial lime producers as a custom-engineered alternative to the PFR for specific production requirements and fuel flexibility.
• Maerz EcoKilns® The newest generation of Maerz lime kilns, designed to set new standards in CO2 enrichment in kiln off-gases for further use or sequestration. The EcoKiln platform supports industrial lime and cement customers pursuing climate neutrality and CO2 capture goals.
• Maerz Finelime Kilns Specialized kilns with hanging cylinder (Hängecylinder) technology that ensures uniform lime quality and high energy efficiency for production of high-quality quicklime with flexible stone sizing. Sold to industrial lime producers needing fine-lime capability.
• Maerz Hydration Plants Plants for processing quicklime into hydrated lime, extending Maerz's portfolio beyond kiln construction to complete lime production solutions for industrial lime and chemical customers.
• CemCat SCR Plants (Selective Catalytic Reduction) Exhaust gas denitrification plants using Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology for the cement industry. Maerz has installed 700 CemCat SCR plants worldwide, including the first High-Dust and High-Temperature installation in Korea for Asia Cement.
• Maerz High-Pressure Fans High-pressure radial blowers that replace traditional Roots blowers in lime kilns, achieving up to 86% efficiency and enabling up to 20-25% electricity savings for combustion and cooling air supply. Sold as energy-efficiency upgrades to industrial lime kiln operators.
• Engineering and Project Management Services Professional services including consulting, laboratory analyses, detailed engineering, project management, procurement and logistics, design, plant components, software development, and field services delivered to customers from initial layout through commissioning of lime kiln plants.
• Revamping and Modernisation Services Upgrade and modernization services for existing kilns including general modifications, firing system upgrades, performance increases, and software/hardware updates to extend kiln life, improve efficiency, and adapt plants to new fuels or emissions requirements.
• Spare Parts and Burner Components Original spare parts including burner lances for PFR kilns, burners for HPS kilns, skip winches, field instruments, dosing valves for solid fuels, and hydraulic components, supplied to support the global installed base of more than 750 Maerz kilns.
• Laboratory Tests and Analyses Laboratory testing services for raw materials, solid fuels, filter dust, and hydrated lime to ensure optimal kiln operation and product quality for lime producers and industrial customers.
• On-Site Training Services On-site training programs for kiln operation, maintenance, and best practices delivered to customer plant personnel to ensure optimal performance, safety, and lifecycle value of Maerz lime kiln plants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 25% electricity savings with high-pressure fans
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (China) Co., Ltd.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Lime Division of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (China) cooperating with Maerz on projects including two 800 t/d kilns commissioned for Jiangsu Huaye Calcium Industry in China.
• Parget MakinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Turkish steel construction and plant engineering company. Long-term strategic partnership spanning over 12 years with more than 10 lime plants successfully built together. Currently building the largest lime plant in Turkey for Tosyalı with 1,600 t/d capacity.
• Lhoist S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Technology partnership for GLOBE project at Lhoist's Marche-les-Dames facility in Belgium, focusing on decarbonization with Maerz EcoKiln technology.
• Shanghai Maiyao Engineering Co., Ltd.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Long-term partnership in China, cooperating on multiple projects including kilns in Guizhou Province and other locations. Partner for project execution and local engineering support in Chinese market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FLSmidth: FLSmidth is a Danish-listed global supplier of cement and lime processing equipment, including kilns and pyroprocessing lines. It is the most direct competitor to Maerz in lime shaft kiln EPC and competes head-to-head on large international lime plant tenders.
• thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (Polysius): Polysius, the cement and lime division of thyssenkrupp, designs and builds rotary and shaft kilns globally. Although thyssenkrupp also cooperates with Maerz on some Chinese projects, Polysius is a direct competitor in lime kiln EPC worldwide.
• Metso: Metso (formerly Metso Outotec) supplies minerals processing equipment including lime slaking systems, calcining plants, and refractories. It overlaps with Maerz in industrial lime processing equipment and serves many of the same steel and lime customers.
• KHD Humboldt Wedag: KHD is a German engineering company specializing in cement and lime processing equipment, including pyroprocessing lines. It is a direct competitor in lime plant EPC and competes on similar rotary and shaft kiln technologies.
• Cimprogetti: Cimprogetti is an Italian specialist in lime processing equipment including shaft and rotary kilns, hydration plants, and lime handling systems. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Maerz in custom-engineered lime kiln EPC.
• IKN GmbH: IKN is a German engineering firm supplying rotary kilns and coolers for cement, lime, and minerals. It overlaps with Maerz in industrial pyroprocessing equipment and competes on similar custom-engineered kiln projects.
• Surface Combustion: Surface Combustion is a US manufacturer of industrial heat treatment furnaces and thermal processing equipment. It serves a different primary end-market (metals heat treatment) but is comparable as a niche industrial furnace engineering firm with custom project execution.
• Nutec Bickley: Nutec Bickley designs and builds industrial kilns and furnaces for ceramics, refractories, and advanced materials. It is comparable as a custom-engineered industrial kiln EPC specialist serving process industries, though focused on different end-applications than Maerz.

Broad incumbents

• Andritz: Andritz is a large Austrian industrial group providing drying, separation, and thermal processing equipment across pulp, paper, feed, and minerals. It serves adjacent industrial thermal processing niches but is broader than Maerz and not lime-specialized.

Others

• Refratechnik: Refratechnik is a German supplier of refractory products and systems used inside industrial kilns, including lime and cement kilns. It is an enabling supplier to Maerz and similar kiln operators rather than a direct competitor in kiln engineering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Maerz Ofenbau AG