ERHARD

What ERHARD does

ERHARD GmbH is a German industrial valve manufacturer founded in 1871 and headquartered in Heidenheim, Germany, operating as a subsidiary of Hawle Beteiligungsgesellschaft m.b.H. The company designs, manufactures, and sells valves and fittings for water and wastewater applications, with a portfolio spanning gate valves, butterfly valves, knife gate valves, penstocks, diaphragm valves, ball valves, control valves, check valves, air valves, hydrants, house connection products, tapping valves, and connection/repair systems. Its technical differentiation rests on proprietary surface protection technologies — EKB epoxy coating (certified to GSK RAL-GZ 662, DVGW, and WRAS) and ERHARD Pro-Enamel (600 HV hardness, resistant to acids, alkalis, and abrasive media) — manufactured in-house in Heidenheim. Engineering capabilities include 3D CAD design, flow simulation, and testing for pressure ratings up to PN 160 for demanding applications such as dam outlets.

The company's business model is built on direct enterprise field sales to municipal water utilities, industrial water users, hydropower operators, and desalination projects across Germany and international markets, supported by regional application experts and country-specific international representatives. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of valve products, with ancillary revenue from surface protection services, repairs and overhauls (including third-party products), spare parts, and the ERHARD Academy/Showbus training programs. The newer ERHARD.live digital product line (CAP, KEY, BOX, APP) introduces IoT-enabled remote monitoring for hydrants and water supply systems, with subscription-based Silver and Gold APP tiers adding a recurring software revenue stream. The company holds 251-500 employees, publishes 2026 price lists and product catalogs, and maintains active customer engagement through webinars, the annual Expertentag, and on-site Showbus demonstrations.

Name

ERHARD

Legal name

ERHARD GmbH

Website

https://erhard.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ERHARD GmbH is a 1871-founded German manufacturer of industrial valves and fittings for water and wastewater applications, serving municipal utilities, industrial water users, hydropower, and desalination markets globally through direct enterprise field sales and proprietary surface protection technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Valves for Water and Wastewater

NAICS

Metal Valve Manufacturing (33291), Industrial Valve Manufacturing (332911)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Valve Sites, Drip Pots & Appurtenances (EUAJABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Treated Water Storage & Pressure Management (Reservoirs, Tanks, Booster Stations) (EUANAAAD)

Keywords

• Water valve manufacturing
• Industrial valve fittings
• Hydrant systems supply
• Corrosion protection coatings
• Water infrastructure equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Heidenheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Valve and Armature Products: ERHARD generates primary revenue from manufacturing and selling industrial valves for water and wastewater applications. Product portfolio includes gate valves, butterfly valves, knife gate valves, penstocks, diaphragm valves, ball valves, control valves, check valves, air valves, hydrants, tapping valves, house connection products, and accessories. Products are sold directly to utilities, municipalities, and industrial customers.
2. Corrosion Protection Services: Application of proprietary surface protection systems (EKB epoxy coating and ERHARD Pro-Enamel) for valves, offered as part of product delivery and potentially as standalone service.
3. Digital Solutions: ERHARD.live digital products including CAP (hydrant monitoring), KEY (digital operating key), and BOX (IoT gateway) sold as hardware-software solutions for digital water supply infrastructure.
4. Training and Academy Services: ERHARD Academy provides seminars, webinars, and training programs on valve technology, maintenance, and applications. Services include on-site training via Showbus and classroom seminars at the Heidenheim facility.
5. Service and Maintenance: On-site maintenance, repairs, overhauls, and spare parts services. Repairs can be performed at customer sites or at the factory in Heidenheim, including for third-party products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ERHARD manufactures and sells industrial valves, fittings, and hydrants for water and wastewater infrastructure, including gate valves, butterfly valves, knife gate valves, penstocks, diaphragm valves, ball valves, control valves, check valves, air valves, connection/repair systems, and fire hydrants with proprietary EKB epoxy and ERHARD Pro-Enamel corrosion protection. The offering extends to digital water infrastructure via the ERHARD.live platform (smart hydrant caps, digital valve operating keys, IoT gateways, and mobile/web apps), plus services such as repairs, overhauls, on-site maintenance, ERHARD Academy training, and customized engineering up to PN 160 pressure rating.

Product overview

ERHARD is a manufacturer of industrial valves and fittings for water and wastewater applications, founded in 1871. The product portfolio includes core valve products (gate valves, butterfly valves, knife gate valves, penstocks, diaphragm valves, ball valves, control valves, check valves, air valves), hydrants (above-ground CLASSIC/CLASSIC Premium and underground HALIOS), connection/repair systems, house connection products, tapping valves/saddles, and accessories (handwheels, surface boxes, security products). The digital ERHARD.live line extends the offering with smart monitoring solutions: ERHARD.live CAP for hydrant monitoring, ERHARD.live KEY for digital valve operation with torque sensing, ERHARD.live BOX for remote monitoring of water supply systems, and ERHARD.live APP as the mobile/web management platform. Surface protection is provided through EKB epoxy coating and ERHARD Pro-Enamel. The company also offers services including spare parts, repairs, on-site maintenance, the mobile Showbus training, ERHARD Academy seminars, and customized engineering solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ERHARD.live: Digital water supply solutions platform including smart hydrants, digital operating keys, and remote monitoring systems for water infrastructure
• EKB
• ERHARD Pro-Enamel
• ERHARD Academy
• ERHARD Showbus

Products and services

• Gate Valves (Absperrschieber) Industrial gate valves for water and wastewater applications, providing reliable shut-off functionality in pipeline systems for utilities and industrial customers.
• Butterfly Valves (Absperrklappen) Butterfly valves for efficient flow control in water supply and wastewater systems, available with various coatings and actuation options for utilities and industrial customers.
• Knife Gate Valves (Plattenschieber) Knife gate valves designed for slurry and demanding media applications in industrial and municipal water systems.
• Penstocks Penstock valves for water control and isolation in hydropower, irrigation, and industrial applications.
• Diaphragm Valves (Membranventile) Diaphragm valves for precise flow control and isolation in water treatment and processing applications.
• Ball Valves (Kugelhähne) Ball valves for quick and reliable shut-off in water distribution and industrial applications.
• Control and Security Valves (Regelarmaturen) Control valves for regulating flow, pressure, and water levels in municipal and industrial water systems.
• Check Valves (Rückflussverhinderer) Check valves preventing backflow in water supply and wastewater systems, available in various configurations.
• Air Valves (Be- und Entlüftungsventile) Air valves for releasing trapped air and admitting air during pipeline drainage and filling in water distribution networks.
• Connection and Repair Systems Connection and repair solutions including couplings, adapters, and tapping saddles for pipeline maintenance and extensions.
• Hydrants Fire hydrants for water extraction and firefighting, including above-ground (CLASSIC, CLASSIC Premium) and underground (HALIOS) models with DVGW certification.
• House Connection Products Products for house water connections including tapping valves and fittings for residential water supply connections.
• Tapping Valves and Saddles (Anbohrarmaturen) Tapping valves and saddles for under-pressure pipeline connections without system shutdown.
• ERHARD.live CAP (EH20LIVE/EH25LIVE) Intelligent remote monitoring caps for above-ground and underground hydrants providing real-time status monitoring, alerting via SMS/email, and statistics for water utilities.
• ERHARD.live KEY (EH30LIVE) Digital operating key for gate valves with torque sensing, Bluetooth/NFC connectivity, and automatic documentation of valve operations.
• ERHARD.live BOX (EH10LIVE) Remote monitoring base station for drinking water supply systems, supporting sensors for filling level, flow rate, pressure, water quality, with 4G/3G/2G data transmission.
• Surface Protection (EKB / ERHARD Pro-Enamel) Epoxy plastic coating (EKB, certified per GSK RAL-GZ 662 at minimum 250 micrometers thickness) and ERHARD Pro-Enamel glass-like enamel (600 HV hardness), providing durable corrosion protection for valves in drinking water, wastewater, hydropower, and industrial applications.
• ERHARD Service Service offerings including spare parts, repairs, overhauls, on-site maintenance, and technical support for ERHARD products, including third-party valves.
• ERHARD Academy Training and seminar program covering valve technology, maintenance, and application knowledge for planning, engineering, and practical use, held at the Heidenheim facility and via webinars.
• Customized Solutions Engineering and project planning services for customized valve solutions, including consulting, 3D CAD design, in-house flow and cavitation testing, and project realization for demanding applications up to PN 160.

Quantifiable outcome

• Valves with pressure ratings up to PN 160 for extreme applications like dam outlets
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hawle Beteiligungsgesellschaft m.b.H.parent companyOthersHawle Beteiligungsgesellschaft m.b.H. is referenced as the parent company, with ERHARD appearing as part of their corporate portfolio. The ERHARD logo on the website includes the Hawle branding. ERHARD operates as a subsidiary within the Hawle group of companies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hawle Armaturen GmbH: Direct sister company and parent group, manufacturing water fittings, valves, and house connection products for municipal water supply across Europe. Highly comparable product portfolio and overlapping customer base; ERHARD operates as part of the Hawle group of companies.
• AVK Holding A/S: Denmark-based valve manufacturer specializing in water and wastewater applications with similar product breadth (gate valves, butterfly valves, hydrants, fittings). Sells into the same municipal utility customers and competes head-to-head across Europe.
• VAG-Armaturen GmbH: German valve manufacturer focused on water and wastewater applications, including penstocks, butterfly valves, and control valves. Direct competitor in German municipal tenders with comparable engineering depth and customer relationships.
• TALIS Group: European valve specialist (formerly BSS Group/VAG predecessor brands) serving water supply, wastewater, and gas distribution utilities. Comparable product mix in water utility valves and similar mid-market positioning across European municipal tenders.

Broad incumbents

• KSB SE & Co. KGaA: Global German-headquartered manufacturer of pumps, valves, and related service; the most direct large incumbent in the European water valve market. Overlaps with ERHARD on butterfly, gate, and control valves for water applications but operates across a much broader industrial portfolio.
• Mueller Water Products: US-listed manufacturer of water infrastructure products including valves, hydrants, and metering equipment for North American utilities. Comparable end-market exposure (water utilities) with broader portfolio breadth and similar digital-water ambitions.
• Crane Co. (Crane ChemPharma & Energy / Crane Water): Global diversified industrial manufacturer with significant water and infrastructure valve operations serving utilities and industrial customers worldwide. Overlaps with ERHARD on water utility valves but operates at much greater scale and across many other industrial verticals.
• Pentair plc: Global water treatment and flow technologies company with a strong commercial and utility water portfolio. Comparable digital water monitoring ambitions and channel into municipal and industrial water customers, though broader in water treatment than pure valve manufacturing.

Emerging players

• Watts Water Technologies: Public water technology company focused on plumbing, flow control, and water safety products for residential, commercial, and industrial markets. Overlaps with ERHARD on valve and flow-control product categories but skewed toward building services vs. municipal transmission.

Others

• GF Piping Systems / Georg Fischer: Swiss-headquartered manufacturer of piping systems, fittings, and flow solutions for water and industrial applications. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — overlapping end customers in utility and industrial water projects, and a potential ecosystem partner for ERHARD's valves into integrated piping systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@erhard-valves
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erhard-by-talis
• Instagraminstagram.com/erhardgmbh
• Facebookfacebook.com/138917369494591

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 ERHARD