Lortel

What Lortel does

Lortel is a French industrial manufacturer and distributor of lifting and handling equipment, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Guénange, Moselle, France. The company designs, fabricates, and distributes manual and electric hoists, lifting beams, slings, winches, and custom-engineered metal constructions for industrial clients, while also providing regulated periodic inspection services for installed equipment. Distribution is delivered through six regional agency locations spanning France and Luxembourg, supplemented by authorized reseller relationships with twelve premium global brands (Tractel, Yale, JDT, Fetra, Petzl, KITO, Verlinde, REMA, HADEF, Manuloire, NeofeU, Elephant).

The business operates three revenue streams: (1) hardware sales of own-manufactured and third-party distributed lifting products, (2) custom fabrication services for bespoke engineered solutions, and (3) recurring periodic inspection contracts driven by French regulatory requirements for lifting equipment. Customers span industrial manufacturing, construction/BTP, marine/aeronautics, steel industry, and individual/SMB segments. The company has developed LORTEL GC, a proprietary digital platform for managing inspection workflows, representing a modest step into software-enabled service delivery within an otherwise traditional industrial business.

Lortel is structured as a SàRL with €300,000 share capital, employs between 11 and 50 people, and remains under founder-management, with Patrick Liegaut serving as Gérant. The hybrid manufacturer-distributor model, anchored by multi-decade supplier authorizations and a regionally distributed service network, is the core of its operating identity. No external funding rounds or institutional investor involvement are disclosed.

Name

Lortel

Legal name

LORTEL SàRL

Website

https://lortel.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

French manufacturer and distributor of lifting and handling equipment, founded 1993. Produces hoists, slings, and custom metal constructions, and provides recurring periodic inspection services. Serves industrial, construction, marine, and steel sectors through six regional agencies across France and Luxembourg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923)

SIC

Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifting Accessories & Rigging (Slings, Shackles, Hooks, Spreaders) (IMAHAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE), Jib Cranes (IMAHAJAE), Gantry & Portal Cranes (IMAHAJAD)

Keywords

• Lifting equipment manufacturing
• Material handling accessories
• Custom metal fabrication
• Periodic inspection services
• Cable and chain slings

Headquarters

HQ city

Guénange

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lifting and Handling Equipment Sales: Sale of standard and custom-manufactured lifting accessories including cable slings, chain slings, textile slings, ropes, beams, cranes, clamps, forks, magnets, and lifting hooks. Products range from standard catalog items to bespoke fabrications.
2. Custom Metal Fabrication Services: Custom design and manufacturing of lifting equipment according to customer specifications. Average delivery time of 8-10 days for custom orders. Includes engineering consultation, CAD design, manufacturing, testing, and painting.
3. Periodic Control and Maintenance Services: Regulatory periodic inspections and maintenance services for lifting equipment per French arrêté du 1er Mars 2004. Includes dynamic testing at 110% SWL and static testing at 150% SWL, maintenance, and compliance certification through LORTEL GC platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Lortel is a French manufacturer of lifting and handling equipment that designs, fabricates and distributes a full range of products including cable, chain, rope and textile slings; lifting accessories (hooks, shackles, pulleys); clamps and spreader beams; jib and gantry cranes; hoists, winches and tirfors; magnets, dynamometers and jacks; PPE; and handling equipment. It also offers custom metal construction services and certified periodic inspection and maintenance of lifting equipment.

Product overview

Lortel is a French manufacturer of lifting and handling equipment operating for over 30 years, with its headquarters in Guénange, Moselle. The product portfolio centers on four sling types (cable, chain, rope, textile) complemented by lifting accessories, hoists, winches, cranes, and custom metal construction. The offering spans: élingues (slings in cable/chain/rope/textile), accessories (shackles, hooks, pulleys), arrimage (tie-downs), stainless steel and cable architecture ranges, clamps (plate/drum/pipe/rail), spreader beams, jib cranes, gantry cranes, pallet forks, chain hoists and trolleys, winches and tirfor devices, lifting magnets, dynamometers, handling equipment, workshop cranes, jacks/hydraulic cylinders, tool balancers, and PPE. Services include custom metal fabrication (palonniers, potences, portiques, pinces) and periodic inspection with the LORTEL GC web platform. Six manufacturing workshops and multiple regional agencies (Lorraine, Luxembourg, Ardennes, Rhône-Alpes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais) support rapid delivery and local service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LORTEL GC: Online platform for managing equipment inspections and control schedules, providing customers with access to equipment documentation, intervention reports, and compliance certificates.

Products and services

• Slings - Cable, Chain, Rope and Textile (Élingues) Core product line of lifting slings in cable (manchoned, spliced, braided), chain (Grades 80/100/120), rope (hemp, polyamide, polypropylene) and textile (flat/round, polyamide/polyester/polypropylene), with safety coefficients from 4 (chain) to 10 (rope) and custom fabrication available. Designed for industrial manufacturing, construction and professional lifting buyers.
• Steel Cables - Clear, Galvanized, Stainless, Anti-rotation (Câble) Steel cables in clear, galvanized, stainless steel, PVC-coated and anti-rotation variants. Includes specially calibrated cables (diameter 6-16mm) for tirfor and minifor devices. Sold by meter or in spools.
• Lifting Accessories - Hooks, Shackles, Rings, Pulleys, Thimbles Lifting accessories including rings, hooks, shackles, pulleys, thimbles and plates in Grades 80/100/120 or stainless steel, plus cable accessories (cable clips, thimbles, tensioners).
• Lifting Chains (Grade 80, 100, 120) - Chain Slings and Components High-resistance lifting chains in Grades 80, 100 and 120, with chain slings assembled using head rings, junction links and low-end attachments (rings, hooks, shackles). Available in 1- to 4-leg configurations, including marine and stainless variants.
• Lifting Clamps and Beam Claws (Pinces et Griffes)

Quantifiable outcome

• 8-10 days average delivery time for custom metal constructions from plan approval
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• TractelminorOthersDisplayed as a key brand partner on Lortel's website footer. Tractel is a leading manufacturer of lifting and traction equipment. Lortel distributes Tractel products including tirfors, minifors, and related calibrated cables.
• YaleminorOthersBrand partner displayed on website. Yale is a recognized manufacturer of lifting equipment. Lortel offers Yale electric hoists and other Yale products as part of their comprehensive catalog.
• JDTminorOthersBrand partner shown on Lortel website footer. JDT is a manufacturer of lifting and handling equipment whose products are distributed by Lortel.
• FetraminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFetra is a manufacturer of handling equipment. Lortel distributes Fetra products and features them in their handling equipment catalog alongside their own manufactured products.
• ManuloireminorOthersBrand partner displayed on Lortel website. Manuloire produces handling and lifting equipment that Lortel distributes as part of their comprehensive product offering.
• PetzlminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLortel is a certified Petzl reseller. Petzl is the market leader in personal protective equipment for work at height. Lortel offers Petzl harnesses, helmets, headlamps, lifelines, energy absorbers, and safety lanyards.
• NeofeUminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLortel is a NeofeU reseller. NeofeU specializes in personal protective equipment, offering products with excellent quality-to-price ratio that complement Lortel's safety equipment offering.
• Elephant (KITO)minorOthersBrand partner specializing in chain hoists and lifting equipment. Elephant (manufactured by KITO) products are featured in Lortel's hoist catalog with strong quality-to-price ratio.
• HADEFminorOthersBrand partner for lifting equipment including electric hoists and winches. HADEF products are distributed by Lortel through their Rhone-Alpes and other agencies.
• VerlindeminorOthersBrand partner for lifting equipment. Verlinde produces hoists and other lifting equipment that Lortel distributes through their network.
• REMAminorOthersBrand partner for lifting and material handling equipment. REMA products are featured in Lortel's product catalog for various lifting applications.
• KITOminorOthersKITO is a manufacturer of chain hoists and material handling equipment. Lortel distributes KITO products including electric hoists as part of their comprehensive catalog.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Demag (Terex Material Handling): Terex's Demag brand is one of the world's largest industrial crane and hoist manufacturers. It competes with Lortel in overhead and jib cranes but at significantly larger scale and with broader portfolios.
• Yale (Columbus McKinnon): Columbus McKinnon owns the Yale brand and is a global leader in lifting, rigging, and material handling. Yale hoists are sold through Lortel, but Columbus McKinnon as a whole dwarfs Lortel across product breadth and geography.

Direct peers

• ABUS Kransysteme: ABUS is a German manufacturer of crane systems, jib cranes, gantry cranes, and hoists. It is a direct peer to Lortel's overhead lifting and crane business, with comparable custom-engineering capability.
• STAHL CraneSystems: STAHL CraneSystems is a German specialist in explosion-proof and standard hoists, crane components, and complete crane systems. It overlaps with Lortel's crane, hoist, and component offering, but with stronger industrial/explosion-proof focus.
• Verlinde: Verlinde is a French/European manufacturer of hoists, cranes, and lifting components. It is both a competitor and a brand partner of Lortel, with overlapping product lines in electric hoists and overhead lifting solutions.
• Tractel: Tractel is a global manufacturer of lifting, load-securing, and access equipment. Listed as Lortel's flagship brand partner, it competes directly in tirfors, cables, and lifting accessories, but at a much larger scale across multiple continents.
• HUCHEZ: HUCHEZ is a French family-owned manufacturer of manual and electric winches, tirfors, and hoists. It is a near-direct competitor to Lortel in winches and lifting/traction equipment, with a similar size profile and domestic French focus.
• KITO Group: KITO is a Japanese-headquartered global manufacturer of chain hoists and electric hoists (including the Elephant brand). KITO products are distributed by Lortel, making it both a supplier-partner and a direct competitor in chain hoists.
• Fetra: Fetra is a German manufacturer of material handling equipment, trolleys, and lifting accessories. Fetra products are distributed by Lortel, but Fetra also competes with Lortel's own handling/lifting accessories catalog.

Regional players

• Petzl: Petzl is a French global leader in personal protective equipment for work at height. Lortel is a certified Petzl reseller in France, while Petzl's PPE line is technically adjacent to (but not directly competing with) Lortel's lifting equipment core.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lortel-est-cables

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Lortel