Kessler & Co
Kessler & Co is a family-owned German manufacturer of planetary axles, transmissions, wheel drives, and electric drive systems for heavy off-highway vehicles, serving OEM customers across construction, cranes, mining, ports, airports, defense, and heavy commercial transport.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1950
- HeadquartersAbtsgmünd, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kessler & Co does
Kessler & Co (legal name Kessler & Co GmbH & Co. KG) is a family-owned German manufacturer of high-performance drivetrain components for heavy off-highway vehicles, founded in 1950 and headquartered in Abtsgmünd, Baden-Württemberg. The company produces planetary axles (steerable, drive, oscillating, tandem/tridem, and independent suspension variants), transmissions (transfer cases, Upboxes, CVT, powersplit, and powershift units), electric drive systems, and wheel drives, serving OEM customers across construction machinery, mobile cranes, mining, port logistics, airport ground support, defense, heavy trucks, buses, agriculture, and telehandlers.
Its technical core rests on proprietary planetary axle architecture and powershift/CVT transmission technology that has been in continuous series production since 1982, complemented by an electric drive product line launched in 2012. Production is vertically integrated across 130,000 m² of manufacturing space in four facilities (Werk 1–4, with Werk 4 added in 2021) at the Abtsgmünd headquarters, including in-house gear cutting and approximately 45,000 units of annual axle and gearbox output.
The business operates a direct B2B OEM sales model with quote-based pricing, supplemented by wholly-owned sales subsidiaries in the United States (Kessler Inc., Indian Trail NC), China (Kessler & Co Shanghai), and India (Kessler Drive Systems, Mumbai), and an authorized service partner and spare parts distribution network spanning at least ten additional countries. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of drivetrain components, electric drive systems, and aftermarket parts and service. The company is controlled by the Grimminger family, with four family members serving as Managing Directors, and reports approximately 1,200 employees worldwide.
Kessler & Co firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kessler & Co
- Legal name
- Kessler & Co GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://kessler-co.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1950
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Kessler & Co is a family-owned German manufacturer of planetary axles, transmissions, wheel drives, and electric drive systems for heavy off-highway vehicles, serving OEM customers across construction, cranes, mining, ports, airports, defense, and heavy commercial transport.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kessler & Co industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicle Drivetrain Components
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Transmission and Power Train Parts Manufacturing (33635), Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363), Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components (except Spring) Manufacturing (336330)
- SIC
- Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories (3714), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531), Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Axle, Differential & Final Drive Manufacturing (Front/Rear/E-axle housings) (IMACAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Off-Highway Vehicle Cabs, Frames & Attachments Manufacturing (Cabs/Booms/Buckets/Implements) (IMACAFAL), Material Handling & Industrial Lift Vehicle Manufacturing (Forklifts/Telehandlers/Reach Stackers) (IMACAFAD), Airport Ground Support Vehicles (Tugs, Baggage Tractors, Deicers) (IMAHAIAF), Military & Tactical Off-Highway Vehicles (Armored, Tactical Mobility) (IMAHAIAJ), Differentials, Axles & Final Drive Rebuild/Remanufacturing (TLAKALAC)
Keywords
Where Kessler & Co is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Abtsgmünd
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Kessler & Co business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Axles and Drivetrain Components: Kessler + Co generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of planetary axles, transmissions, and wheel drives to OEM manufacturers of heavy construction equipment, cranes, mining vehicles, and commercial vehicles. Production volume is approximately 45,000 units annually.
- Electric Drive Systems: Sale of integrated e-mobility solutions including electric drive systems for commercial vehicles, representing a growing revenue stream as the company expands into electrification.
- Spare Parts and Service: Global spare parts supply and service support through regional service partners, providing ongoing revenue from the installed base of vehicles using Kessler components.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Kessler & Co product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kessler + Co designs, manufactures, and sells planetary axles, transmissions (transfer cases, CVT, powershift, power-split), electric drive systems, and integrated wheel drives for heavy-duty off-highway vehicles. Products are supplied to OEM manufacturers of construction machinery, mobile cranes, mining vehicles, port and airport equipment, agricultural and telehandler machines, heavy trucks, buses, and defense vehicles. The portfolio also includes planetary independent suspension variants and a global spare parts and service network for the installed base.
Product overview
Kessler + Co is a leading manufacturer of drive components and control software for heavy mobile vehicles. The company's product portfolio consists of planetary axles (Planetenachsen), transmissions (Getriebe), electric drive systems (E-Mobility), and wheel drives (Radantriebe). These products are designed for demanding high-load applications including construction machinery, mobile cranes, material handling equipment, and underground mining vehicles. The portfolio operates as a unified system where planetary axles, transmissions, and electric drive solutions work together to provide complete drivetrain systems for heavy non-road vehicles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Planetary Axles (Planetenachsen) High-performance planetary axles for heavy-duty vehicles in the high-load range, including steerable axles (Lenktriebachse), drive axles (Antriebsachsen), oscillating axles (Pendelachsen), and tandem/tridem configurations. Sold to OEM manufacturers of construction machinery, mobile cranes, mining vehicles, port handling equipment, and airport ground support vehicles.
- Transmissions (Getriebe) Transmission systems for heavy mobile vehicles, including transfer cases (Verteilergetriebe), Upboxes, and CVT, power-split, and powershift transmissions. Sold to OEM manufacturers of heavy construction equipment, cranes, mining vehicles, and other off-highway vehicles.
- Electric Drive Systems (E-Mobility) Application-optimized system solutions for electric drive systems in the high-load segment, including integrated electric motors, power electronics, and control systems developed to customer specifications for various vehicle layouts. Sold to OEMs in the commercial vehicle, bus, and other heavy-duty vehicle sectors for vehicle electrification.
- Wheel Drives (Radantriebe)
Companies that use Kessler & Co
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kessler & Co technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Kessler & Co partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Teknom Otomotiv Ltd.coreAuthorized Kessler service partner and spare parts distributor for Turkey. Located in Ankara, providing sales, service, and spare parts support for the Turkish market.
- Kessler Inc.coreNorth American subsidiary providing sales, service, and spare parts for the USA market. Located in Indian Trail, North Carolina.
- EmWest Powertrain SystemsminorAuthorized service partner in Eugene, Oregon, USA, providing power systems service and support.
- Bull PowertraincoreAuthorized spare parts distributor for Canada, with locations in Sudbury Ontario, Edmonton Alberta, and Vancouver British Columbia.
- Daenggi CorporationcoreAuthorized sales partner for Korea, located in Seoul. Provides sales and technical support for the Korean market.
- Kessler Drive SystemscoreSales operation in India serving the Indian market with sales and service support.
- Kessler & Co Shanghai Co., Ltd.coreSales office in Shanghai, China, providing direct sales and support for the Chinese market.
- IOW SERVICE Sp. z o.o.minorAuthorized service partner in Poland, providing service support for the Polish market.
- IOW BULGARIA Ltd.minorAuthorized service partner for Bulgaria, providing service support in the Sofia region.
- Hydraulic Engineering Repair ServicesminorAuthorized service partner in South Africa, located in Germiston, providing repair and service support.
- explorhino Science CenterminorScience education center initiated by the Grimminger family and supported through Kessler + Co Foundation for Education and Culture. Kessler supports science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for children and youth through this initiative.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kessler & Co competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bonfiglioli: Italian manufacturer of gear drives, gearboxes, and electric mobility solutions for industrial, mobile, and renewable applications. Directly comparable in planetary gearboxes, wheel drives, and integrated electric drive products.
- Carraro Group: Italian specialist in axles, transmissions, and drivetrain components for off-highway vehicles including agricultural and construction machinery. Closest European peer to Kessler in product mix and customer overlap.
- Poclain Hydraulics: French manufacturer of hydraulic motors, integrated transmissions, and electric drivetrains for off-highway vehicles. Comparable niche positioning in heavy-duty mobile drivetrains and growing e-mobility portfolio.
- Dana Incorporated: Global supplier of drivetrain, sealing, and thermal-management technologies for off-highway and commercial vehicle OEMs. Most direct competitor to Kessler's planetary axles and e-drive portfolio, with comparable customer base in construction, mining, and material handling.
Broad incumbents
- Bosch Rexroth: Global supplier of drive and control technologies including gearboxes, hydraulic drives, and electric drives for off-highway and industrial applications. Competes with Kessler in wheel drives and integrated electric drive systems.
- ZF Friedrichshafen: Major German tier-1 supplier of drivetrain and chassis technology for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and off-highway machinery. Much larger and broader than Kessler, but with overlapping off-highway axle and transmission product lines.
- Meritor (Cummins): Supplier of axles, driveline components, and braking systems for commercial and off-highway vehicles, now part of Cummins. Overlaps with Kessler in heavy-duty axle offerings, particularly for vocational and off-road trucks.
Emerging players
- Allison Transmission: US-based manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for heavy-duty commercial and specialty vehicles, including construction and mining. Adjacent product overlap with Kessler's powershift/CVT transmission portfolio, with a growing electrification initiative.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kessler & Co social profiles
Digital presenceKessler & Co financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kessler & Co leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Kessler & Co subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Kessler & Co funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kessler & Co M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kessler & Co
What does Kessler & Co do?
Kessler + Co designs, manufactures, and sells planetary axles, transmissions (transfer cases, CVT, powershift, power-split), electric drive systems, and integrated wheel drives for heavy-duty off-highway vehicles. Products are supplied to OEM manufacturers of construction machinery, mobile cranes, mining vehicles, port and airport equipment, agricultural and telehandler machines, heavy trucks, buses, and defense vehicles. The portfolio also includes planetary independent suspension variants and a global spare parts and service network for the installed base.
Is Kessler & Co a public or private company?
Kessler & Co is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Kessler & Co founded?
Kessler & Co was founded in 1950. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kessler & Co based?
Kessler & Co is headquartered in Abtsgmünd, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Kessler & Co make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Axles and Drivetrain Components are the primary driver. The others are electric Drive Systems and spare Parts and Service.
Who are Kessler & Co's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bonfiglioli, Carraro Group, Poclain Hydraulics and Dana Incorporated. Broad incumbents are Bosch Rexroth, ZF Friedrichshafen and Meritor (Cummins). Allison Transmission is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kessler & Co have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kessler & Co.
What industry is Kessler & Co in?
Kessler & Co's product category is Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicle Drivetrain Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAHAG, Axle, Differential & Final Drive Manufacturing (Front/Rear/E-axle housings), with a secondary code of IMACAFAL, Off-Highway Vehicle Cabs, Frames & Attachments Manufacturing (Cabs/Booms/Buckets/Implements). Its NAICS code is 33635 and its SIC code is 3714.