Heyer

What Heyer does

Heyer GmbH Oberflächentechnik is a Lübeck-based industrial surface treatment specialist providing electroplating and industrial painting services to B2B manufacturing customers. The company traces its operating heritage to a 1937 in-house galvanics facility at Drägerwerke Lübeck and was re-established under its current name by founder Jens Heyer on 1 September 2010, when the galvanics operations were carved out of Heyer + Martin GmbH Oberflächentechnik. Heyer operates a single production site at Moislinger Allee 53/55, is certified to ISO 9001:2015, and serves customers in precision engineering, medical technology, aerospace, valve technology, automation, and fire protection, with named reference customers including Dräger, B/E Aerospace Systems, Olympus Winter & IBE, Minimax, and Kendrion Kuhnke Automation.

The technical offering is built around 13 main processes (Hauptverfahren) — chrome, nickel, zinc, and black chrome plating; electroless (chemical) nickel; sulfuric, chromic acid, and color anodizing; electropolishing; chromating; pickling and passivation; copper-alloy burnishing; industrial painting (top coats, texture paints, RAL-to-Pantone color matching); pad printing; and cleaning/degreasing — supplemented by four mechanical finishing services (Ergänzende Arbeiten): grinding, polishing, sand and glass-bead blasting, and assembly. Processes are executed through electrolytic baths, chemical immersion tanks, and mechanical finishing lines capable of handling industrial parts up to roughly 1,300 × 500 × 500 mm, delivering corrosion protection, wear resistance, decorative finishing, electrical conductivity, and solderability for component manufacturers.

Commercially, Heyer runs a sales-led, direct B2B distribution model in which customers send parts to the Lübeck facility (or arrange pickup) and receive quote-based services invoiced under standard 14-day B2B payment terms; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Revenue is generated as one-time service fees per process and part specification, with no subscription, licensing, or recurring contracts observed. The go-to-market emphasizes comprehensive technical consultation and short decision paths enabled by manageable company size, treating each customer requirement as a candidate for an individualized solution. Operating geography is primarily Germany (Schleswig-Holstein and broader), with selected Swiss customers such as Tschudin + Heid AG indicating limited cross-border reach.

Name

Heyer

Legal name

Heyer GmbH Oberflächentechnik

Website

https://heyer-oberflaechentechnik.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

German industrial surface treatment specialist based in Lübeck providing electroplating, anodizing, chromating, electropolishing, chemical nickel, and industrial painting services to B2B manufacturers in medical, aerospace, precision engineering, valve technology, and fire protection sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lübeck

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Galvanotechnik (Electroplating/Coating Services): One-time service fees for surface treatment processes including electroplating (chrome, nickel, zinc, tin), anodizing, chromating, pickling, passivation, electropolishing, burnishing, and sand/glass bead blasting. Pricing is quote-based per job depending on part dimensions, material, and process complexity.
2. Industrielackierung (Industrial Painting): Industrial coating/painting services including top coats, texture paints, RAL to Pantone color matching. One-time service fees for painting applications on customer parts.
3. Montage (Assembly Services): System and assembly work provided as supplementary service. Assembly services offered as cost-reduction measure for customers requiring semi-finished or finished products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Heyer GmbH Oberflächentechnik delivers industrial surface treatment and finishing services from its Lübeck facility. The company performs electrochemical and wet-chemical galvanotechnik processes (chrome, nickel, zinc, black chrome plating, chromating, electropolishing, anodizing, chemical nickel plating, pickling/passivation, copper alloy burnishing) and industrial painting (top coats, texture paints, RAL to Pantone color matching), supplemented by grinding, polishing, sand/glass bead blasting, and assembly services. Customers in precision engineering, medical technology, aerospace, automation, valve technology, and fire protection ship workpieces for treatment, with quote-based per-job pricing.

Product overview

Heyer GmbH Oberflächentechnik is a certified surface treatment company offering a comprehensive portfolio of galvanic and industrial coating services. The core offerings comprise 13 main processes (Hauptverfahren): pickling/passivation, copper alloy burning, chemical nickel, chromating, electropolishing, anodizing, industrial painting, cleaning/degreasing, black chrome, pad printing, chrome plating, nickel plating, and zinc plating. These are complemented by four supplementary services (Ergänzende Arbeiten): assembly, sandblasting, grinding, and polishing. Together, the main processes and supplementary services provide customers with complete surface finishing solutions from a single provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Galvanotechnik / Electroplating (Verchromen, Vernickeln, Verzinken, Schwarzverchromen) Electrochemical deposition of metallic coatings (chrome, nickel, zinc, black chrome) onto customer workpieces using electrolytic baths. Used for corrosion protection, decorative finishing, wear resistance, electrical conductivity, solderability, and surface repair on steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, and aluminum parts for industrial OEM customers.
• Chemisch Nickel (Electroless Nickel Plating) Chemical nickel-phosphorus alloy coating with excellent layer thickness distribution on complex geometries. Provides high chemical resistance and superior wear/corrosion properties; hardness can exceed 1000 HV after tempering. Used by industrial customers requiring uniform coatings on intricate parts.
• Eloxieren (Anodizing) Electrolytic surface treatment that converts the outer layer of aluminum into a dense, hard oxide layer for corrosion and wear protection while retaining metallic gloss. Includes sulfuric acid anodizing, chromic acid anodizing, and color anodizing in red, blue, and black for industrial aluminum parts.
• Elektropolieren (Electropolishing) Electrochemical polishing that smooths and brightens metal surfaces at the microscopic level while preserving macro structures. Provides edge deburring, metallic purity, chemical passivity, and high corrosion resistance on stainless steel and other metals for industrial OEMs.
• Chromatieren (Chromating) Creation of chromium compound layers using acidic or alkaline solutions containing hexavalent or trivalent chromium. Converts the natural oxide layer into a chromate layer that seals pores and hardens the surface for industrial corrosion protection.
• Brennen von Kupferlegierungen (Burning of Copper Alloys) Burning of copper and copper alloys in concentrated nitric/sulfuric acid mixtures to remove heat discoloration, scale, casting skins, and oxides. Includes three variants: Vorbrennen (pre-burning), Glanzbrennen (bright burning), and Mattbrennen (matte burning) for industrial copper-based components.
• Beizen und Passivieren (Pickling and Passivation) Pickling and passivation service for stainless steel workpieces. Removes scale and heat discoloration, and creates a decorative metallic finish with full corrosion resistance for industrial customers in precision engineering and related sectors.
• Industrielackierung (Industrial Painting / Lackieren) Industrial coating and painting service covering top coats, texture coatings, and color matching from RAL to Pantone. Provides decorative and protective color finishes on metal workpieces for industrial customers.
• Reinigen & Entfetten (Cleaning and Degreasing) Pre-treatment cleaning and degreasing service that prepares metal surfaces for subsequent surface treatment processes, ensuring coating adhesion and finish quality for industrial customers.
• Schwarzverchromen (Black Chrome Plating) Independent black chrome plating process for decorative coatings, primarily used in the optical industry and decorative applications. Technically demanding, with specific geometry requirements on customer parts.
• Tampondruck (Pad Printing) Pad printing for applying images and text onto various surfaces, used as a marking or branding service complementing surface finishing for industrial customers.
• Verchromen (Chrome Plating) Chromium electroplating producing silver-like blue-white metallic deposits available in matte, satin, or black finishes. Highly resistant to many gases, acids, alkalis, and salts; chemically passive with strong atmospheric corrosion resistance for industrial parts.
• Vernickeln (Nickel Plating) Nickel plating primarily used for corrosion protection of brass, copper, and stainless steel parts; also serves as an intermediate layer in decorative chrome plating and provides electrical conductivity, solderability, wear resistance, surface repair, and diffusion-barrier functionality for industrial customers.
• Verzinken (Zinc Plating) Galvanically deposited zinc coatings with bluish-white metallic appearance, primarily used for atmospheric corrosion protection of steel and other substrates in industrial applications. Color is determined by electrolyte composition and post-chromatizing.
• Montage (Assembly) System and assembly work to complete the service package and reduce costs for customers. In-house configuration eliminates unnecessary transport and provides optimal semi-finished or finished products for industrial OEM customers.
• Strahlen (Sandblasting / Glass Bead Blasting) Pressure-applied abrasive blasting using sand or glass bead media for roughening, cleaning, derusting, descaling, and polishing of metal surfaces. Glass bead blasting produces less rough finishes for VA steel, aluminum, and other metals; also applied to antique wood furniture.
• Schleifen (Grinding) Material-removing grinding process using individual abrasive grains to prepare steel, aluminum, and non-ferrous metal surfaces for subsequent coating treatment; also serves as final finishing for stainless steel products for industrial customers.
• Polieren (Polishing) Polishing that levels out unevenness, grooves, and scratches without removing material from the surface, using pressure and heat to create high-gloss surfaces on metals for industrial OEM customers.

Named customers21 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature15 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Walter Becker GmbH & Co. KG Oberflächentechnik: Walter Becker is a German mid-sized specialty electroplating and surface treatment company serving industrial customers with processes similar to Heyer's galvanotechnik portfolio. Direct peer in the German Mittelstand galvanics landscape with comparable size, process mix, and B2B customer profile.
• MUNK GmbH Oberflächentechnik: MUNK is a German industrial electroplating company providing chrome, nickel, zinc and other galvanic coatings. Direct peer in the German specialty galvanics market with comparable process portfolio and customer profile.
• Krauss Oberflächentechnik GmbH: Krauss Oberflächentechnik is a German industrial surface treatment specialist offering electroplating, anodizing, and related coating services. Direct peer operating in the same Mittelstand segment with overlapping process portfolio and customer base in German precision manufacturing.
• Bohmeyer Oberflächentechnik GmbH: Bohmeyer is a German industrial surface treatment company offering galvanotechnik, anodizing, and complementary finishing processes. Comparable to Heyer as a Mittelstand specialty coater serving German industrial manufacturers with similar B2B service model.
• Galvano Weisweiler: Galvano Weisweiler is a German specialty galvanics company providing chrome, nickel, zinc plating and related surface treatments to industrial customers. Direct competitor to Heyer in the German specialty electroplating market with similar process orientation and customer base.
• Friedrich Perlwitz GmbH & Co. KG: Friedrich Perlwitz is a German industrial galvanics company providing chrome, nickel, zinc, and tin plating as well as anodizing services. Direct peer in the German specialty electroplating segment with similar Mittelstand customer orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Aalberts Surface Technologies: Aalberts Surface Technologies (formerly Impreglon) is a large European industrial surface treatment group offering electroplating, anodizing, and coating services across many sites. Comparable to Heyer in core processes but vastly broader in scale, geographic reach, and customer portfolio, serving as a broad incumbent benchmark for the same services Heyer provides.

Others

• Dörken MKS-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG: Dörken MKS-Systeme is a German coatings manufacturer producing industrial paints and surface treatment chemistry. Adjacent participant in the surface treatment value chain rather than a direct service competitor to Heyer, but useful as a chemistry/coatings ecosystem reference.
• SurTec International (Aalberts): SurTec is a chemical supplier specializing in surface treatment chemistry (cleaning, pre-treatment, plating baths). Not a direct coater but supplies the proprietary chemistries and processes that galvanics shops like Heyer use in their baths.

Regional players

• Rübig GmbH & Co KG: Rübig is an Austrian industrial surface treatment company offering nitrocarburizing, galvanotechnik, and specialty coatings primarily serving Central European industrial customers. Comparable in process orientation but primarily serves Austria/southern DACH rather than Northern Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Heyer