Urban

What Urban does

Urban (legally Urban GmbH & Co. Maschinenbau KG in Germany and Urban Machinery Corporation in North America) is a family-owned industrial machinery manufacturer specializing in production equipment for PVC/vinyl window fabrication. Founded in 1947 by Josef Urban Senior in Memmingen, Germany, the company commercialized the first automatic welding machine for PVC windows in 1967 and has since built a focused product portfolio spanning four categories: CNC welding machines (e.g., AKS 8400 with VARIO 8-servo axes, AKS 6600/1900/1300/1150), corner cleaning machines (SV 410 through SV 840 with up to 13 servo axes), cutting and lineal machining equipment (UCS 200, UCS 100, DGU 500, UNS 4590, DKS 380, GLS200), and handling equipment (RT 13 roller tables, 13 S sliding tables), together with testing equipment such as the PRD 3-Digital corner tester and HTM 500 temperature gauge. The equipment is typically sold as integrated welding-and-cleaning production lines with Windows-based industrial-PC controls, automatic profile identification, and proprietary parallel-welding technology developed internally since 1967.

Urban earns revenue primarily through direct hardware sales of manufacturing equipment and a recurring aftermarket parts and service stream from the installed base. Industrial machinery is sold via direct field sales — Jim Pollock covering Canada, Jeff Masdon the Eastern US, and Luke Sobolewski the Central/Southwest US, with Protomach GML Inc. serving as the Quebec dealer — supplemented by trade-show participation (notably Win-Door) and industry association memberships (AAMA, Fenestration Canada). Pricing is quote-based against customer specifications, with payment terms of 14 days from invoice in Canadian Dollars for North American transactions; no public price list is available.

The company operates from German headquarters in Memmingen, a Forchach, Austria production plant, and North American facilities in Cambridge, Ontario (sales/service), Fredericton, New Brunswick (manufacturing and R&D), and Kent, Ohio (parts/service, opened 2021). Second-generation family leadership (Peter, Martin, and Thomas Urban) runs the parent, while Mitchell Heckbert (VP Sales & Service) and Rob Macaulay (VP Operations) lead North American operations. The firm is privately held with no external investors and serves customers in more than 100 countries, with cumulative installations including roughly 1,500 SV 530 corner-cleaning machines worldwide and multiple Crystal Achievement Awards for Most Innovative Machine.

Name

Urban

Legal name

Urban GmbH & Co. Maschinenbau KG

Website

https://urban-machinery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Urban is a family-owned German-founded machinery manufacturer specializing in CNC-controlled welding, corner cleaning, cutting, and handling equipment for PVC/vinyl window production, with North American operations since 1987 serving customers in over 100 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Window Production Machinery

NAICS

Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (33351), Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (3335), Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515)

SIC

Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping) (IMAHADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)

Keywords

• Window production equipment
• Vinyl window machinery
• Welding machines
• Corner cleaning machines
• Window fabrication equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 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. Manufacturing Equipment Sales: Sale of production and manufacturing equipment for window production including welding machines, corner cleaning machines, cutting/lineal machining equipment, and handling equipment. Equipment ranges from single-point welding machines to complete automated production lines.
2. Parts and Aftermarket Service: Parts sales and service support for installed equipment base. Service team providing maintenance, repairs, and technical support. Contact email [email protected] for parts inquiries.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Urban manufactures and services production and manufacturing equipment for vinyl/PVC window fabrication, including welding machines, CNC corner cleaning machines, cutting/lineal machining equipment (saws, routers, mills), and handling equipment (roller and sliding tables). The portfolio spans single-point welders through complete automated production lines with integrated welding-cleaning-handling solutions, complemented by parts and aftermarket service from North American facilities in Cambridge (Ontario), Fredericton (New Brunswick), and Kent (Ohio).

Product overview

Urban is a manufacturer of production and manufacturing equipment for window production, serving customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. The product portfolio consists of four main categories: (1) Cutting/Lineal Machining equipment including computerized miter saws (UCS 200, UCS 100, DGU 500, DGU 500-1, DKS 380), notch saws (UNS 4590), length stops (TS10 TigerStop), glazing bead saws (GLS200), copy routers (A23 AZ), end milling machines (M100), and manual length gauges (MD50/MD50 D); (2) Welding Machines including 4-head high performance welders (AKS 6600), 4-point vinyl welders (AKS 1900 H/V, AKS 1300), 2-point welders (AKS 4020 B), single-point multi-angle welders (AKS 1150), and VARIO high-performance welding option with 8 servo drives; (3) Corner Cleaning Machines including 4-head cleaners (SV 800), 2-head cleaners (SV 830, SV 840, SV 744, SV 722, SV 354, SV 350), and single-head cleaners (SV 410, SV 530); (4) Handling Equipment including roller tables (RT 13) and sliding tables (13 S). The equipment is complemented by testing equipment (PRD 3-Digital corner testers, HTM 500 temperature measuring instruments). Urban also provides complete production lines combining welding and cleaning machines, along with service, parts, and support for North American customers from facilities in Cambridge, Ontario, Fredericton, New Brunswick, and Kent, Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VARIO: High Performance - High Speed - High Temperature welding option for Vertical AKS 8400NA or Horizontal AKS 6600NA Machines with 8 servo drives allowing axially adjustable table movements

Products and services

• AKS 6600 Welding Machine Horizontal 4-head welding machine (AKS 6605 and 6610 models) for vinyl windows with diagonal release of front clamping slide for easy profile bar insertion, individually adjustable welding parameters, and integrated connection to downstream cleaning machines.
• AKS 1900 H Welding Machine

Quantifiable outcome

• 1500+ SV 530 machines sold worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Protomach GML InccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive Quebec dealer for Urban Machinery products. Contact: 819-364-7270, [email protected], www.protomachgml.ca

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stürtz Maschinenbau: German-based manufacturer of welding, cutting, and corner cleaning machinery for PVC window production. Closely mirrors Urban's product architecture and target customer profile.
• Haffner Maschinenbau: German manufacturer of CNC machinery for PVC, aluminum, and wood window production, including welding, cleaning, and cutting equipment. Direct competitor with overlapping product categories.
• Elumatec: German manufacturer of machinery for aluminum, PVC, and steel processing in the window, door, and façade industry. Directly competes with Urban across welding, cutting, and corner cleaning for PVC window OEMs.
• Promac (Profilati): Italian machinery builder producing PVC and aluminum window fabrication equipment with comparable welding and corner cleaning systems. Targets the same European and international window OEMs as Urban.
• Schirmer Maschinenbau: German-based supplier of uPVC window production machinery offering welding, cutting, and handling equipment. Comparable in scope and customer base to Urban's product portfolio.
• FOM Industrie: Italian producer of machinery and complete production lines for PVC and aluminum windows and doors. Offers comparable welding, cleaning, and cutting equipment to window manufacturers globally.
• Rotox: German specialist in PVC window machinery, particularly welding and corner cleaning technology. Competes head-to-head with Urban in the PVC/uPVC corner cleaning segment.

Regional players

• Yilmaz Makine: Turkish manufacturer of PVC, aluminum, and glass processing machinery, strong in MENA and emerging markets but expanding globally. Competes in similar product categories to Urban in regional markets.

Broad incumbents

• Lisec Group: Austrian incumbent serving the flat glass and insulating glass industry with broader fenestration equipment and automation lines. Adjacent to Urban in window production equipment but more focused on glass processing.
• Bottero: Italian group with a broader fenestration machinery portfolio including glass cutting, PVC window lines, and automation. Overlaps with Urban's cutting and PVC production equipment offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/UrbanMachinery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-machinery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Urban