What Terraforce does

Terraforce is a Cape Town-based, family-owned designer and licensor of interlocking concrete retaining wall block systems, founded by Holger Rust in 1978/1979. The company's core technology is a reversible, hollow-core concrete block with a distinctive horizontal interlock system that enables construction of gravity and reinforced retaining walls ranging from light residential applications to heavy industrial geogrid-reinforced earth structures. The product portfolio spans L Range blocks (Standard and Rock finishes), 4x4 Step Blocks, Terracrete permeable pavers, Terralite lightweight blocks, and Terrafix slope stabilization blocks — complemented by professional design services (Terrasafe), design software (Maxiwall Pro with AASHTO 2020 methodology), and a Revit Family Showroom for BIM integration.

Terraforce operates an asset-light licensing business model, generating revenue primarily through royalty agreements with 29 licensed manufacturers operating on five continents across 13+ countries including Canada, Australia, Spain, India, UAE, and multiple African nations. Licensees produce blocks under strict quality standards (weekly compressive strength tests, lab certification) and benefit from Terraforce's engineering design ecosystem, marketing support, and ongoing product development. The customer base spans residential homeowners and landscapers, commercial developers, civil engineers, government infrastructure projects, and environmental/erosion control specialists. Distribution is supplemented by a recommended contractor network (initiated 2004) for installation services. The company holds certifications under SANS 207, BS 8006-1, ASTM-D6916-18, and ICBO/ICC-ES (2002 evaluation), is a member of the Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) with six Bayer Trophy wins, and operates as a Level Four BBBEE Contributor in South Africa. As of March 2024, ownership transitioned to include second-generation family members Karin Johns and Elgin Rust alongside founder Holger Rust.

Name

Terraforce

Legal name

Terraforce

Website

https://terraforce.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Terraforce is a Cape Town-based licensor of patented interlocking concrete retaining wall block systems, founded in 1979. The company earns royalties from 29 licensed manufacturers across five continents serving residential, commercial, and civil engineering markets with erosion control and landscaping solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Segmental Retaining Wall Systems

NAICS

Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing (327331)

SIC

Concrete, Gypsum & Plaster Products (3270)

akta.pro primary industry

Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) & Concrete Blocks (IMADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retaining Wall Blocks & Segmental Wall Systems (IMADABAJ), Concrete Pavers, Hardscape & Retaining Wall Systems (IMADAAAE)

Keywords

• Concrete retaining walls
• Segmental retaining wall blocks
• Erosion control systems
• Landscape retaining solutions
• Hollow concrete blocks

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensing royalties: Terraforce licenses its proprietary interlocking concrete block technology to manufacturers worldwide in exchange for royalty payments. Licensees gain access to substantial marketing and design information, technical support, design software (Maxiwall Pro), Terrasafe design services, and ongoing programme development.
2. Block sales through licensees: Products sold exclusively through 29 licensed manufacturers globally. Block sales reach into the millions worldwide.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Terraforce designs and licenses a family of interlocking, hollow concrete retaining wall block systems (L Range, Terracrete, Terralite, Terrafix and 4x4 Step Block) used for gravity and reinforced retaining walls, erosion control and landscaping. The company does not manufacture the blocks itself; instead it licenses its mould designs to 29 independent concrete manufacturers worldwide, and supports them with design software (Maxiwall Pro), a free Design Table Creator, an in-house Terrasafe design service, and the Terraforce Design Guide & Book of Ideas.

Product overview

Terraforce offers a comprehensive portfolio of interlocking concrete retaining wall systems and erosion control products, manufactured exclusively under license by trusted precast partners globally. The core product line consists of reversible hollow-core L Range blocks (Standard and Rock Options), supplemented by the 4x4 Step Block for stairways and seating applications. Complementary erosion control products include Terracrete (permeable pavers), Terralite (lightweight blocks), and Terrafix (slope protection blocks). The offering extends beyond hardware to include professional design services (Terrasafe), design software (Maxiwall Pro), calculation tools (Design Table Creator), and technical documentation (Design Guide & Book of Ideas), providing architects, engineers, and contractors with a complete ecosystem for earth-retaining solutions ranging from domestic gravity walls to heavy industrial composite structures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• L Range – Standard Option

Quantifiable outcome

• Retaining walls have stood strong for over four decades
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Consent LLC, UAEmajorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2005Exclusive manufacturer in the Middle East since 2005. Successfully manufactured and supplied 1.6 million Terraforce L16 blocks and 4×4 step blocks to Palm Jumeirah project. Continues to supply prestigious projects in UAE and GCC countries.
• ICC-ES (formerly ICBO Evaluation Service)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2002Terraforce underwent successful ICBO evaluation in 2002 (now ICC-ES), a leading US nonprofit that does technical evaluations of building products, components, methods, and materials. This certification validates Terraforce's compliance with Canadian and US international Standard Specification for Loadbearing Concrete Masonry Units.
• The Blockmakers, AustraliamajorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2001Licensed manufacturer for Australia since 2001. Described as very professional company relationship with unique and well-designed products.
• Hawkins Hawkins & Osborne Consulting EngineersmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1992Terraforce blocks were extensively tested by Hawkins Hawkins & Osborne Consulting Engineers in South Africa in 1992, resulting in a comprehensive design and specification manual and user guide.
• Licensed Manufacturers NetworkcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerTerraforce licenses its proprietary interlocking concrete block technology to 29 manufacturers worldwide. Licensees produce Terraforce blocks according to strict specifications including weekly compressive strength tests, weight and dimension measurements, and laboratory testing. In return for royalty payments, licensees receive access to marketing and design information, technical support, Maxiwall Pro design software, Terrasafe professional design services, and ongoing development support.
• Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerraforce is a member of the Concrete Manufacturers Association in South Africa. The CMA facilitates the biennial Awards for Excellence competition where Terraforce has won the Bayer Trophy six times. CMA membership provides industry credibility, networking, and standards compliance verification.
• Klapmuts Concrete (Pty) LtdmajorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWestern Cape-based Terraforce block manufacturer and licensee. Has won multiple CMA awards including for Fijnbosch Farm, Dimension Data Campus, and various residential projects. Responsible for numerous award-winning installations.
• ReMaCon Products ccmajorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGauteng-based Terraforce licensee that manufactures Terrafix blocks. Won Premier Award at CMA Awards 2010 for The Islands Estate project. Also won award for Forzando Coal Mine project.
• Dassenberg Retaining SystemsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecommended Terraforce contractor. Award-winning installer responsible for Suikerbossie Nek, Public Transport Shared Service Centre, and Cavalli Stud Farm projects.
• Decorton Retaining SystemsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecommended Terraforce contractor. Responsible for multiple award-winning installations including 2002 and 2006 CMA award projects and Cavalli Stud Farm.
• Kirstenbosch National Botanical GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerraforce collaborated with Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens staff, particularly Ernst van Jaarsveld, to develop the Terraflora guide to indigenous plants for use with Terraforce retaining walls.
• Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeasibility study conducted for Terraforce by CSIR provides additional design guidelines for erosion control applications.
• Terraforce UKmajorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerUK-based licensee providing positive testimonial about Terraforce support and product quality.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• EP Henry: US East Coast-based manufacturer of concrete pavers and segmental retaining wall products. Comparable product offering in the SRW category with regional focus rather than Terraforce's global licensing model.

Direct peers

• MagnumStone: Producer of large wet-cast segmental retaining wall blocks distributed through licensed manufacturers. Competes directly in the hollow-core, gravity, and geogrid-reinforced retaining wall categories with a comparable licensing model.
• Keystone Retaining Wall Systems: One of the largest manufacturers of concrete segmental retaining wall (SRW) units in North America, offering interlocking concrete blocks with similar functional applications (soil retention, erosion control) to Terraforce's L Range blocks, though Keystone operates its own manufacturing versus Terraforce's licensing model.
• Redi-Rock: Manufactures large-block retaining wall systems using precast concrete with a patented knob-and-groove interlocking system. Direct competitor in the segmental concrete retaining wall space, serving similar civil engineering and landscaping applications globally.
• Anchor Wall Systems (Belgard/Oldcastle): Developer of the original Diamond Block retaining wall system with extensive licensing to manufacturers worldwide. Operates a similar IP-licensing-plus-certified-manufacturer model in the same segmental concrete retaining wall category as Terraforce.
• Rockwood Retaining Wall Systems: Manufacturer of concrete segmented retaining wall blocks with a licensing-based manufacturer network. Competes in the same gravity and reinforced earth retention applications as Terraforce, with similar hollow-core design philosophies.

Broad incumbents

• Tensar International: Provider of geosynthetic soil reinforcement and retaining wall systems, often used in conjunction with segmental concrete blocks. Represents a competing technology approach to earth retention that could displace concrete block solutions in cost-sensitive applications.
• Belgard (Oldcastle APG): Large manufacturer of concrete pavers and retaining wall systems for residential and commercial hardscape. Owner of Anchor Wall Systems and competes broadly in retaining walls and erosion control, though with focus on North American directly-operated manufacturing.
• Contech Engineered Solutions: Broad infrastructure solutions provider offering Redi-Rock among other retaining wall and erosion control products. Competes in the same earth retention category with a wider portfolio of civil engineering products and direct manufacturing capabilities.
• Unilock: Major North American manufacturer of concrete pavers, retaining walls, and hardscape products with own manufacturing operations. Serves overlapping residential and commercial landscaping/erosion control markets with a broader product portfolio than Terraforce's licensing model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/terraforceza
• Facebookfacebook.com/TerraforceRetainingWalls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/terraforce-cc
• Instagraminstagram.com/terraforceza

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Terraforce