What Hepburn Engineering does

Hepburn Engineering Inc. is a privately held Canadian engineering firm headquartered in Etobicoke (Toronto), Ontario, that has operated for over 50 years designing and supplying two core product lines: mine hoist systems (Hepburn Mining Solutions) and replenishment-at-sea (RAS) systems for naval vessels (Hepburn Replenishment at Sea Solutions). The mining line covers the full range of hoist types — single drum, double drum, friction (Koepe), Blair, and escape hoists — together with motors and drives up to 9,000 HP, hydraulic brake systems, ore pocket automation and weighing, and digital add-on modules (Hoist Manager, Hoist Reporter, Hoist Care, Digital Safety Monitor). The naval line includes single-purpose solids, single-purpose liquids, dual-purpose solids/liquids stations, astern reels, RAS control systems, and receiving-ship equipment such as kingposts, padeyes, and probe stations, with documented operational capability up to sea state 6.

Underlying technology centers on state-of-the-art digital control systems paired with low-inertia hydraulic drives, tension transducers, anti-slack and spooling devices, and ram tensioners. The systems are designed for poor-visibility and night operation via pre-programmed modes and can be monitored remotely through Hepburn's secure Hoist Care link.

The business model is direct enterprise sales of custom-engineered capital equipment, complemented by recurring installation, commissioning, training, spare-parts, and OEM support for legacy DavyMarkham, Canadian Ingersoll-Rand, Fullerton Hodgart & Barclay, and Westinghouse hoists (for which Hepburn holds the original manufacturing drawings). Customer segments are global mining operators and sovereign navies; go-to-market is field-based direct sales supported by trade-show presence (Canadian Mine Expo, CenCan Expo). Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company is independent with no parent, institutional, or venture capital backing.

Name

Hepburn Engineering

Legal name

Hepburn Engineering Inc.

Website

https://hepeng.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hepburn Engineering Inc. is a privately held Canadian firm that designs, manufactures, and services mine hoist systems and naval replenishment-at-sea (RAS) equipment for global mining operators and sovereign navies, with deep aftermarket support for legacy hoist brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Hoist and Naval Replenishment Systems

NAICS

Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333131), Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923)

SIC

Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conveying, Hoisting & Materials Handling Systems (Conveyors, Stackers/Reclaimers, Winches) (IMAKANAE), Crane & Hoist Components (Wire Rope, Chain, Drums, Sheaves, Motors, Controls) (IMAHAJAK), Hoists (Electric, Manual & Pneumatic) (IMAHAJAG)

Keywords

• Mine hoist systems
• Replenishment at sea
• Naval defense equipment
• Mining hoist engineering
• Hoist modernization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Etobicoke

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mining Hoist Systems and Equipment: Design, manufacture, and supply of complete mine hoist systems including mechanical design, hydraulic braking systems, motors, drives, electrical and system controls. Revenue from new system sales and complete rebuild or upgrade services.
2. Naval Replenishment at Sea Systems: Supply of replenishment-at-sea (RAS) systems to sovereign navies worldwide. Includes single purpose solids, liquids and dual solids/liquids configurations.
3. Service, Repair and Support: Repair and overhaul services, system conversions, installation and commissioning, controls upgrades, spare parts supply, training courses, and operational/maintenance training including training simulators.
4. OEM Parts and Service: Supply of original manufacturer parts and service for DavyMarkham, Canadian Ingersoll-Rand, Fullerton Hodgart & Barclay, and Westinghouse Mine Hoists. Includes hoist modernization and engineering support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hepburn Engineering designs, manufactures, and supplies turnkey mine hoist systems (shaft sinking, development, and production hoists) for the global mining industry, alongside replenishment-at-sea (RAS) systems (single purpose solids, liquids, and dual solids/liquids configurations) for sovereign navies worldwide. The company also provides installation, commissioning, controls upgrades, repair and overhaul, spare parts, OEM parts for legacy hoist brands (DavyMarkham, Canadian Ingersoll-Rand, Fullerton Hodgart & Barclay, Westinghouse), and operator/maintenance training including simulators.

Product overview

Hepburn Engineering Inc. operates as a medium-sized engineering firm with two core product lines: Hepburn Mining Solutions (turnkey hoist systems) and Hepburn Replenishment at Sea Solutions (naval replenishment systems). Mining Solutions encompasses hoist products including single drum, double drum, Koepe/Friction, Blair, and escape hoists, paired with supporting products like Hoist Manager, Hoist Reporter, Hoist Care, Hoist Production Reporter, Digital Safety Monitor, Hoist Electrics (AC/DC drives up to 9,000 HP), Brake Systems, and Ore Pocket Automation systems. Replenishment at Sea Solutions includes single purpose solids, single purpose liquids, dual purpose liquids/solids stations, astern reels, RAS control systems, and receiving ship solutions. Both product lines share complementary services including installation, commissioning, repair, upgrade, training, and remote support capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hepburn Mining Solutions Turnkey mine hoist systems for the global mining industry, covering design, manufacture, and installation as well as repair and upgrade services for existing hoist motor drives, electrics, gearboxes, brake and control systems. Serves underground and surface mining operators needing shaft sinking, development, and production hoist capacities.
• Hepburn Replenishment at Sea Solutions Turnkey Replenishment at Sea (RAS) systems supplied to sovereign navies worldwide, including single purpose solids, single purpose liquids, and dual solids/liquids configurations. Designed to operate in accordance with the Standard Tensioned Replenishment Alongside Method, with proven performance in all weather conditions up to sea state 6. Also includes astern fueling solutions and receiving ship equipment.
• Single Purpose Solids Stations Open deck or enclosed deck solutions for light solids and personnel transfer and heavy solids transfer solutions, with fixed and sliding padeyes. Used by navies for solids replenishment at sea.
• Single Purpose Liquids Stations Replenishment stations for F76, JP5, potable water, and other liquids, featuring custom Hepburn nesting saddles, refueling hoses, and probes. Used by navies for liquids replenishment at sea.
• Dual Purpose Liquids/Solids Stations Combined liquids and solids replenishment stations providing greater flexibility of transfer operations with simplified supply ship layout and reduced overall system weight. Used by navies for combined RAS operations.
• Astern Reels 2.5 inch, 4 inch, and 6 inch Hepburn hose reels including low headroom models, single or double hose reel configurations, pig launching systems, and fairlead rollers. Used for astern fueling operations.
• Receiving Ship Solutions Portable, fixed, and retractable kingposts; over the bow fueling equipment; sliding and fixed padeyes; single and dual probe receiving stations; light solids and personnel transfer solutions; and retractable sliding padeyes. Used by receiving vessels in RAS operations.
• RAS Control Systems Digital control systems for RAS operations with ergonomic sit-down and stand-up configurations, automatic and manual control modes, and built-in system diagnostics and alarms. Used by naval operators to control replenishment-at-sea transfers.
• Mine Hoists (Single Drum, Double Drum, Koepe/Friction, Blair, Escape) Fully integrated hoist systems for mining applications including single drum, double drum, friction (Koepe), Blair, sinking winches, service hoists, and sheaves. Used by mining operators for shaft sinking, development, and production transport of materials and personnel.
• Hoist Electrics (AC/DC Drives up to 9,000 HP) AC and DC drives up to 9,000 HP with complete control systems and automation for mining hoist applications. Supplied to mining operators as part of new hoist installations or upgrades.
• Hydraulic Brake Systems for Mining Hoists Hydraulic braking systems with proven safety and reliability, featuring regulated braking backed up by fixed level braking, automated braking tests, and simple reliable manifold design. Supplied to mining hoist operators.
• Ore Pocket Automation and Weighing Systems Semi or fully automated weighing and loading systems that are fully integrated with hoist controls and provide on-line production data. Used by mining operators for ore handling.
• Mining Solutions Services Complete hoist upgrades and rebuilding services including motors, drives, electrics, hydraulic power unit replacement, brake conversions, drum and shaft replacement, gearbox remanufacture, bearing replacement, and 24-hour remote access service and support. Targets mining operators with aging hoist fleets.
• Replenishment at Sea Services Repair and overhaul, system conversions, installation and commissioning, controls upgrades, spare parts and service, plus on board or dry land training courses, operational and maintenance training, and training simulators. Targets naval operators and shipyards.
• OEM Parts and Service for Legacy Mine Hoists Original equipment manufacturer parts and service for DavyMarkham, Canadian Ingersoll-Rand, Fullerton Hodgart & Barclay, and Westinghouse Mine Hoists, including hoist modernization and engineering support. Targets mining operators with legacy hoist installations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Proven operational capabilities up to sea state six

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hanwha OceancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2025Hanwha Ocean selected Hepburn Engineering to provide its Replenishment-at-Sea System under a Multi-Million USD contract for the Korea Navy AOE-II Project. This represents a significant strategic partnership in the naval defense sector, with Hepburn providing advanced RAS technology to complement Hanwha's naval vessel construction capabilities.
• NexGen Energy Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2025Hepburn Engineering has built a strong partnership with NexGen Energy Ltd., supporting continued education, scholarships and training in northern Saskatchewan for the Métis Nation - Northern Region 2. The partnership focuses on supporting students advancing in sciences, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Konecranes: Konecranes is a global lifting equipment incumbent that produces industrial cranes, hoists and service platforms comparable in technology and customer base to Hepburn's hoist digital and service offering, particularly in industrial heavy lifting.
• Metso: Metso (now Metso Corporation) is a broad mining and metals processing equipment incumbent supplying crushers, screening, and materials handling systems globally. Its installed base in mining plants creates customer overlap and adjacent competition in mine material flow systems.
• FLSmidth: FLSmidth is a broad mining equipment incumbent that supplies hoisting, conveying and material handling systems to global mines. Its mining materials handling portfolio overlaps with Hepburn's mine hoist offering, although it does not specialize in deep-shaft hoisting.
• Liebherr: Liebherr manufactures a wide range of cranes, hoists, and material handling equipment used in mining, ports and heavy industry. Its heavy-duty lifting portfolio addresses overlapping use cases to Hepburn's mine hoist product line, though it is not specialized in deep-shaft mine hoists.
• Sandvik: Sandvik is a broad mining and rock processing equipment incumbent that supplies underground mining customers, often alongside or adjacent to hoist systems. Its mining automation and equipment portfolio overlaps with Hepburn's mining customer base.

Direct peers

• MacGregor (Cargotec): MacGregor is the leading global supplier of replenishment-at-sea (RAS) systems, deck machinery and offshore load handling equipment, directly competing with Hepburn's naval replenishment product line for sovereign navy contracts.
• Siemens: Siemens is a major direct competitor in mine hoist drives, electrification and complete industrial hoisting systems, serving the same global mining customer base with overlapping product scope (motors, drives, controls).
• ABB: ABB directly competes with Hepburn in mine hoist motors, drives and automation (e.g., gearless grinding, hoist systems), targeting the same underground mining operators with comparable power and control scopes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 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 Hepburn Engineering