What Altrex does

Altrex BV is a privately held Dutch manufacturer of aluminium access equipment, headquartered in Zwolle, Netherlands, and founded in 1950 (originally as Bijstede, renamed Altrex in 1989). The company designs and produces a comprehensive range of climbing and access solutions including household, professional and industrial stepladders, single and multi-section ladders, mobile access towers and scaffolding systems, suspended platforms, and bespoke special projects. Manufacturing is concentrated at a 25,000 m² facility in Zwolle that houses a 75-meter robotic welding line using six ABB robots integrated with Fronius CMT welding technology and ERP-driven production planning, supported by a custom Rodemach stepladder machine capable of 120 rivets per minute.

The product portfolio is anchored on multiple proprietary branded technologies, including Safe-Quick® GuardRail (world-first scaffolding guardrail system), Fiber-Deck® (composite platforms 30% lighter than wooden equivalents), Red Step®, Easy-Lock® stabilizers, the single-person-assembly MiTOWER / MiTOWER PLUS / MiTOWER STAIRS range, the RS TOWER 53 stairway tower, the Shuttle lift system for solar-panel installation, and the Ergo360 ergonomic line co-developed with STEP Nederland. Altrex holds Cradle to Cradle®, EcoVadis Silver, EN 1004, and TÜV certifications across key product lines.

The business model is B2B hardware sales into consumer, professional trade, industrial construction, and equipment-rental segments, distributed through more than 5,000 dealers across 65+ countries, supplemented by company-owned branches in Belgium and Spain, an exclusive UK & Ireland distribution partnership with Pop Up Products extended through 2034+, and direct digital channels including three online configurators and a multilingual newsletter service. Revenue is generated from access-equipment sales, custom/special projects (e.g., Airbus A320 maintenance platform, Boels Rental, RAVO, Vrienden van Amstel Live, Cape Access Equipment), and recurring accessories and spare-parts sales. The company is led by CEO Eugène Derksen, employs 101–250 staff, and operates without disclosed external funding, M&A activity, or public-listing status.

Name

Altrex

Legal name

Altrex BV

Website

https://altrex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Altrex BV is a privately held Dutch manufacturer of aluminium access equipment (ladders, stepladders, scaffolding, suspended platforms) sold through 5,000+ dealers in 65+ countries to consumers, professional trades, and industrial customers from its Zwolle headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aluminium Access Equipment (Work at Height)

NAICS

Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924)

SIC

Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Access & Scaffolding Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accessibility & Platform Lift Service (Wheelchair/Vertical Platform Lifts) (BPABAIAI)

Keywords

• Aluminium access equipment
• Mobile access towers
• Professional scaffolding
• Work at height solutions
• Safety ladders

Headquarters

HQ city

Zwolle

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Access Equipment Sales: Altrex generates revenue through the sale of aluminium ladders, stepladders, scaffolds, suspended platforms, and related access equipment. Products are sold through a dealer network of over 5000 distributors globally.
2. Custom/Special Projects: Bespoke access solutions for specific customer requirements such as maintenance platforms for aircraft (Airbus A320), custom projects for rental companies and municipalities.
3. Accessories and Spare Parts: Sales of replacement parts, accessories, and consumables for existing Altrex products including tower wheels, stabilizers, platforms, and toe boards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Altrex designs and manufactures aluminium access equipment — household, professional and industrial stepladders; combination, folding, telescopic, hoop/escape and push-up ladders; mobile access towers (scaffolding) including the MiTOWER, MiTOWER PLUS, MiTOWER STAIRS and RS TOWER 53 lines; suspended platforms with roof beams and hoists; plus bespoke special-project solutions for clients such as Boels Rental, RAVO and Airbus A320. The company sells primarily through a global dealer network of 5,000+ partners and international distributors across 65+ countries.

Product overview

Altrex is a Dutch manufacturer of high-quality aluminum access equipment with 75 years of experience. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of climbing solutions organized into five main product categories: Stepladders (household, professional, industrial, loft ladders), Ladders (combination, folding, telescopic, hoop-/escape, push-up), Scaffolding/Mobile Access Towers (including MiTOWER, MiTOWER PLUS, MiTOWER STAIRS, RS TOWER series), Suspended Platforms, and Special Projects for custom solutions. Key product lines include the innovative MiTOWER series (single-person assembly), RS TOWER 53 stairway tower, Shuttle lift system for solar panel installation, Fiber-Deck lightweight platforms (30% lighter than wood), and the Ergo360 ergonomic product range. The company also provides online configurator tools for custom scaffold, hoop ladder, and industrial stepladder specifications. Altrex serves both consumer and professional markets through over 5000 dealers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stepladders Altrex stepladders comprise household, professional and industrial variants, plus loft ladders and accessories, for home, trades and industrial users.
• Ladders Altrex ladders span combination ladders, folding ladders, telescopic ladders, hoop/escape ladders and push-up ladders, plus accessories.
• Scaffolding / Mobile Access Towers Scaffolding and mobile access tower systems including folding towers, stairway towers, staging, triangle bridges, parts and accessories for construction, maintenance and industrial sites.
• Suspended Platforms Suspended access platforms including roof beams and hoists for elevated work access on building façades, industrial structures and large-scale maintenance projects.
• Special Projects (Custom Access Solutions) Custom-made access solutions engineered for specific client requirements, including custom platforms for equipment rental, municipal, aerospace and events customers.
• Roof Ladder Specialised ladder for safe access on sloping roofs, available in 2, 3, 4 and 5 metre lengths with ridge hook attachment, designed for solar installers, roofers and maintenance contractors.
• Ergo360 Ergonomic Product Range Ergonomic product range developed with STEP Nederland, designed to reduce physical strain and address the 30% of work accidents and 42% of strenuous-work roles related to working at height.
• Shuttle Lift System Modular scaffolding-based lift for safely hoisting solar panels and other materials up to roof level, operated with a cordless drill, available in working heights from 4.2 m to 14.2 m.
• MiTOWER Mobile Access Tower Single-person quick-assembly mobile access tower, assembles in 10 minutes up to 6 metres working height, jointly developed with Pop Up Products Limited.
• MiTOWER PLUS Mobile Access Tower Single-person assembly mobile access tower with a larger working platform, assembles in 12 minutes up to 8.2 metres working height.
• MiTOWER STAIRS Extension for MiTOWER / MiTOWER PLUS enabling safe work on stairs and stairways, with single-person assembly and EN 1004 Class 3 / TÜV certification.
• RS TOWER 53 Stairway Tower Mobile access tower with built-in stairs for easy up-and-down access carrying tools, EN 1004-2 certified, working heights up to 14.2 m indoors and 10.2 m outdoors.
• Fiber-Deck Platform Lightweight scaffold platform, 30% lighter than traditional wooden platforms, designed for the RS TOWER 5 Series with automatic wind-lock catch and crossbeams.
• Safe-Quick GuardRail Advanced proprietary guardrail system providing all-round protection during scaffolding assembly, applicable for the RS4 and RS5 series and positioned as the world's first guardrail of its kind.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fiber-Deck® platforms are 30% lighter than traditional wooden platforms, reducing physical strain on workers
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Pop Up Products LimitedflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020UK & Ireland exclusive distribution partnership since 2009, extended to 2034 and beyond. Jointly developed world's first one-person erect tower range including MiTOWER, MiTOWER PLUS, and MiTOWER STAIRS. Delivered >14,500 MiTOWER units and >1,100,000 tower components. Worldwide Intellectual Property (IP) partnership. Partnership generates significant volume through combined knowledge and innovation.
• STEP NederlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEP Nederland specializes in prevention of physical strain. Partnership for development of Ergo360 product line focusing on ergonomics. Products are ergonomically tested by STEP Nederland. Combines Altrex access equipment expertise with STEP's ergonomics knowledge for innovative products addressing worker health and safety.
• Rodemach SpeciaalmachinescoreTechnology or IntegrationDeveloped custom-made stepladder production machine based on Altrex requirements list. Custom machine achieves 120 rivets per minute with high accuracy and reproducibility. ERP-controlled production enabling better matching of customer demand to manufacturing output.
• FroniuscoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of CMT Advanced welding technology used in Altrex's 75-meter robotic welding line. CMT (Cold Metal Transfer) enables spatter-free welding of thin materials (from 0.3mm) with minimal heat input. Fronius equipment enables high-quality, precise welding across all Altrex products.
• ABBcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of welding robots for the 75-meter robotic welding line. Six ABB welding robots operate across the production line achieving 0.03mm positional accuracy. Robots are integrated with ERP system and feature automatic calibration capabilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Layher: German family-owned scaffolding and access systems manufacturer and global market leader in modular scaffold. Direct competitor to Altrex in mobile access towers, scaffolding, and engineered access solutions serving construction, industrial maintenance, and events.
• Hymer-Leiter: German aluminum step-ladder and access-platform specialist focused on professional/industrial users. Competes in adjacent ladder and platform segments with comparable quality, EN-standard compliance, and European dealer-channel GTM.
• ZARGES: German aluminum specialist producing access solutions, ladders, scaffold towers, and platform systems. Closest material/category analog to Altrex given shared aluminum access equipment focus, EN-1004-class products, and B2B industrial customer base.
• Krause-Werk: German manufacturer of ladders, stairway platforms, and rolling scaffolds with overlapping product categories to Altrex including professional/industrial stepladders and access towers. Strong German and European B2B distribution parallels.
• TB Davies (Boss Ladders): UK supplier and manufacturer of ladders, step ladders, and access platforms serving trade, industrial, and consumer segments. Comparable mid-sized access-equipment company with overlapping dealer-channel business model and adjacent UK distribution footprint to Altrex.
• Youngman Group: UK-based manufacturer of access equipment including ladders, step ladders, and access towers. Direct comparable in the UK/Ireland market where Altrex's exclusive distributor Pop Up Products operates, with overlapping professional and industrial customer segments.
• Hailo-Werk: German household, trade, and industrial step-ladder manufacturer with comparable household/professional/industrial product segmentation to Altrex and similar German/European B2B2C distribution through hardware retailers.
• Tubesca-Comabi: French manufacturer of ladders, step ladders, platforms, and access equipment with comparable product range to Altrex across aluminum ladders, scaffolding, and personnel lifts. Competes head-to-head in European B2B channels through dealer networks.
• WernerCo: US-based global leader in climbing and access equipment (brands Werner, Louisville, Gorilla). Closest large-scale analog to Altrex in ladder/access manufacturing for professional trades, with comparable dealer-channel distribution and EN-equivalent safety standards.

Broad incumbents

• Altrad: French-headquartered, Morocco-listed multinational industrial services and equipment group that operates across scaffolding, access platforms, industrial services and equipment manufacturing — competing with Altrex in access equipment sales while also dominating larger industrial-services/rental segments where Altrex does not participate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/altrex
• Xx.com/altrex_nl
• Facebookfacebook.com/AltrexNL

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Altrex