What Helwig Carbon does

Helwig Carbon Products, Inc. is a privately held, vertically integrated American manufacturer of carbon graphite products founded in 1928 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company designs and manufactures carbon brushes (750+ stock parts plus custom-engineered configurations in natural graphite, carbon graphite, silver graphite, copper graphite, and electrographite formulations), brush holders and constant force spring assemblies, Bearing Protection Kits (BPK) for shaft grounding to prevent VFD-induced bearing damage, precision-machined carbon graphite mechanical components (vanes, rotors, seals, bearings, bushings), and the i-BRUSH remote monitoring system. It also operates a 2,500 sq. ft. climate-controlled motor test lab with 150 stock motors for life testing and R&D. The company holds ISO 9001, AAR M-1003, and UL certifications, claims 98% on-time delivery, and serves OEMs, motor repair shops, and industrial operators across aerospace, power tools, locomotive traction, power generation, wind energy, hydro, elevators, medical, and electric vehicle applications.

Helwig monetizes primarily through one-time sales of custom-engineered and stock components via quote-based enterprise pricing for custom work and an e-commerce shop for stock products. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market combines a hybrid of 16 US field sales representatives providing direct technical consultation, an international distributor network spanning 10+ countries, and self-service online purchasing for stock SKUs. Recurring or recurring-adjacent revenue is nascent, primarily through the i-BRUSH remote monitoring platform (i-BRUSH 2.0, Core, Connect) and ancillary motor maintenance products (garnet paper, cooling blowers, filters, DigiScale). Notable enterprise customers include Milwaukee Electric Tool, Robert Bosch, Siemens-Gamesa, GE Renewable Energy, ABB, GE, Westinghouse, Class I/II/III railroads, and major CT scanner manufacturers. The company also offers professional services including custom engineering, prototyping, motor testing, and on-site training (Carbon Brush 101, Shaft Grounding training) through a partnership with Cortela Carbon.

The company remains under private ownership since its 1928 founding, with no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or institutional investment. Distribution spans North America (primary), Central America, South America, Oceania, and Europe. The brand portfolio includes sub-brands i-BRUSH, BPK, BPK-Probe, Helwig Quick Disconnects (HQDs), Helwig Red Top Pad, and Helwig DigiScale.

Name

Helwig Carbon

Legal name

Helwig Carbon Products, Inc.

Website

https://helwigcarbon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Helwig Carbon Products, Inc. is a privately held, vertically integrated American manufacturer founded in 1928 that makes carbon brushes, brush holders, shaft grounding systems, and carbon graphite components for OEMs, motor repair shops, and industrial operators across locomotive, power generation, aerospace, wind, and EV markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Carbon Brushes and Motor Components

NAICS

Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing (335991)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Carbon Fillers (Carbon Black, Graphite) (IMAEAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

DC Motors (Brushed, Brushless DC) (IMAGACAB)

Keywords

• Carbon brush manufacturing
• Brush holder assemblies
• Shaft grounding products
• Carbon graphite components
• Remote condition monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Carbon Brushes: Sale of electrical carbon brushes including stock parts (750+ items) and custom-engineered solutions. Revenue from shunts, wireless, tamped, and riveted brush types for DC motors, generators, AC motors, and fractional HP motors.
2. Brush Holders & Spring Assemblies: Sale of brush holder assemblies including industrial holders, turbine style holders, adjustable slip ring holders, traction holders, cartridge style holders, and constant force springs. Also includes refurbishment services.
3. Bearing Protection Kits (BPK)™ Shaft Grounding: Sale of shaft grounding systems including BPK-IM5, BPK-SB, BPK-AM, and custom solutions. Includes EZ MultiFit brackets and accessories. Provides 10+ year protection per installation.
4. Carbon Graphite Mechanical Components: Precision-machined carbon graphite components including vanes, rotors, endplates, bearings, bushings, seals, steam joints, and segmented rings. Custom engineering and manufacturing services.
5. Motor Maintenance Products: Ancillary products including garnet paper, cooling blowers, replacement filters, tachometers, encoders, and motor accessories.
6. Custom Engineering & Prototyping Services: Engineering services for custom solutions from concept through design completion. Rapid prototyping capabilities with in-house manufacturing, testing, and R&D.
7. Motor Testing & R&D Services: In-house motor test lab services including climate-controlled testing, life testing, grade comparison, and performance testing. Technical support and application engineering.
8. Training & Support Services: On-site training solutions including Carbon Brush 101, Shaft Grounding training, and custom training programs. Site surveys and application support services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Helwig Carbon manufactures and supplies engineered carbon brushes, brush holders, shaft grounding kits, and precision carbon graphite components for industrial electric motors and rotating equipment. The company also produces the i-BRUSH remote carbon brush monitoring system for predictive maintenance, serving OEMs and operators across aerospace, locomotive, power generation, power tools, medical, elevator, and EV industries.

Product overview

Helwig Carbon Products, Inc. is a vertically integrated American manufacturer of carbon graphite products serving industrial applications since 1928. The core product portfolio centers on Carbon Brushes (available in over 750 stock parts with custom-engineered options, including wireless/shuntless, tamped, and riveted configurations), Bearing Protection Kits (BPK) for shaft grounding to protect motor bearings from VFD-induced damage, and Brush Holders & Spring Assemblies (including constant force springs for improved brush performance). Supporting products include Carbon Graphite Components (bearings, bushings, seals, vanes, rotors, segmented rings for mechanical applications), the i-BRUSH Remote Monitoring System for continuous brush condition tracking, Collector Shoes & Sliding Contacts for locomotives and EVs, Motor Maintenance Products (garnet paper, cooling blowers, filters), and the DigiScale for measuring spring force. The company also provides custom-engineered solutions and operates an in-house motor test lab for R&D and application testing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• i-BRUSH: Intelligent carbon brush remote monitoring system with integrated sensors for real-time brush condition monitoring.
• Bearing Protection Kit (BPK)
• BPK-Probe
• Helwig Quick Disconnects (HQDs)
• Helwig DigiScale

Products and services

• Carbon Brushes Engineered carbon brushes, including proprietary silver graphite grades, designed for current collection in DC motors, generators, and slip ring assemblies. Sold to industrial OEMs and equipment operators across aerospace, locomotive, power generation, power tools, medical, elevator, and material handling sectors.
• Brush Holders and Assemblies Mechanical brush holders and complete brush holder assemblies that secure carbon brushes against rotating commutators and slip rings in industrial motors and generators.
• BPK (Bearing Protection Kit) Shaft Grounding Shaft grounding kit that protects motor and generator bearings from electrical current damage, reducing premature bearing failures and extending equipment life.
• Carbon Graphite Components Precision-machined carbon graphite components used as wear parts, seals, vanes, and custom engineered parts in industrial applications, manufactured from controlled-grade graphite materials.
• i-BRUSH Remote Carbon Brush Monitoring System IoT-enabled remote monitoring system that delivers 24/7 real-time data on carbon brush wear and condition, enabling predictive maintenance and reducing unplanned downtime on critical motor and generator assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10+ years typical service life for Bearing Protection Kit (BPK)™ shaft grounding products
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cortela CarbonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide online DC Motor and Slip Ring Motor Maintenance training through Cortela.Training platform. Helwig Carbon receives promotional code HELWIGCARBON offering $100 discount to customers enrolling in training modules.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Morgan Advanced Materials: Global manufacturer of carbon brushes, brush holders, and carbon/graphite components for industrial motors, power generation, and rail applications. Closest direct competitor to Helwig with overlapping product portfolio, OEM customer base, and global distribution footprint.
• Mersen: French-listed global specialist in carbon brushes, brush holders, and electrical power transmission components serving motors, generators, rail traction, and power generation. Direct peer with similar product portfolio and comparable customer verticals including OEMs and rail operators.
• Schunk Carbon Technology (Schunk Group): German carbon technology division of the Schunk Group manufacturing carbon brushes, brush holders, and carbon/graphite mechanical components for industrial motors and traction applications. Highly comparable direct peer serving identical industrial customer segments globally.
• Electro Static Technology / AEGIS SGR: US-based specialist in shaft grounding rings (AEGIS) for VFD-induced bearing protection on industrial motors. Direct competitor in the Bearing Protection Kit category that Helwig's BPK product targets, particularly in HVAC, pumps, and industrial drives.
• Toyo Tanso: Japanese manufacturer of specialty carbon and graphite products including carbon brushes for industrial motors, generators, and slip rings. Direct peer with comparable material science capabilities and overlap in power generation, industrial, and transportation markets.
• Cutsforth (formerly Carbon Blade Technology): US-based specialist in carbon brush holders, slip ring maintenance products, and brush monitoring for industrial generators and motors. Direct peer with overlapping brush holder, condition monitoring, and field service capabilities for the same utility, mining, and industrial customer base.
• Inpro/Seal (Waukesha Bearings): US-based manufacturer of bearing protection products including shaft grounding solutions for industrial motors. Direct competitor in motor bearing protection, particularly for VFD-driven motors in industrial process applications.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens: Global industrial conglomerate manufacturing motors, generators, and integrated drive systems across power generation, wind, rail, and industrial automation. Broad incumbent that both purchases carbon brushes for its equipment and competes as a vertically integrated motor supplier.
• ABB: Global industrial conglomerate manufacturing motors, generators, drives, and traction equipment for power, rail, and industrial markets. Helwig explicitly names ABB as a turbine brush customer, illustrating the dual customer/competitor dynamic with broad incumbents.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWEG4YgbK2tGq_loO3548eQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HelwigCarbonProducts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helwig-carbon-products
• Instagraminstagram.com/helwigcarbonproducts
• Xx.com/helwigcarbon

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 Helwig Carbon