What Hatecke does

Hatecke GmbH is a fifth-generation, family-owned German boat builder founded in 1903 and headquartered in Drochtersen, Germany, specializing in maritime safety equipment. The company designs, manufactures, and services SOLAS-compliant lifeboats, rescue boats, tender boats, and davit/launching systems for three primary segments: Cargo & Offshore (freefall GFF lifeboats 4.9-9.8 m, conventional GSL lifeboats 5.5-8.5 m, and tanker variants), Cruise (PL-series tender/lifeboats PL 7.6 through PL 14 with up to 270-person capacity, and PEL/PEL R lifeboats up to 462 persons), and Defence (police boats, pinnaces, fire boats, fast rescue boats up to 30 knots). Production is vertically integrated across Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) boat building and steel construction in 9 workshops at the Krautsand facility on the Elbe river, and Hatecke holds pioneering status in free-fall lifeboat design (first certified by the German Sea Occupational Association in 1983) and world records with the PEL 14 platform.

The company operates a dual business model combining one-time capital equipment sales (custom-built boats and davits priced per specification) with recurring aftermarket revenue through global service contracts, spare parts supply, and multi-brand maintenance. Its service network spans 200+ ports via 60+ authorized service partners and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Miami (USA, 2014) and Singapore (2014), all certified under IMO MSC.402(96) for annual and 5-yearly maintenance. Subsidiary Marescape GmbH (2017) extends the platform into onshore/offshore safety services, lifting equipment testing, and crane inspections. Hatecke employs ~300 staff, exports >80% of output, and is described as the world's leading manufacturer of free-fall lifeboats and market leader for lifeboats in cruise shipping, with recent recognition including the Lower Saxony Foreign Trade Award (2024) and Cannes Corporate Media Golden Dolphin Award (2023). Go-to-market is enterprise direct sales to shipyards, cruise lines, offshore operators, and defense agencies, supplemented by the global channel partner network for aftermarket capture.

Name

Hatecke

Legal name

Hatecke GmbH

Website

https://hatecke.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hatecke is a 120-year-old German family-owned boat builder manufacturing SOLAS-compliant lifeboats, rescue boats, tender boats, and davit systems for cargo shipping, cruise lines, offshore operators, and defense agencies worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Safety Equipment & Lifeboat Manufacturing

NAICS

Boat Building (336612), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Life-Saving Appliances & Safety Equipment (Davit Systems, Lifeboats, Firefighting) (IMAJAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Search & Rescue (SAR) & Lifeboats (IMAJADAI), Yacht Tenders & Auxiliary Leisure Craft Manufacturing (IMAJAEAO)

Keywords

• Marine safety equipment
• Lifeboat manufacturing
• Davit launching systems
• Maritime rescue boats
• SOLAS compliant vessels

Headquarters

HQ city

Drochtersen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 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. Boat Manufacturing: Sale of lifeboats, rescue boats, tender boats, and fast rescue boats. Includes freefall lifeboats (GFF series), conventional lifeboats (GSL series), PEL lifeboats, and custom tender boats. Products range from 4.9m to 14.25m in length with capacities from 6 to 462 persons.
2. Davit and Launching Systems: Manufacturing and sale of hook systems, davit systems (FFA, FFB, GSP, DFR), and freefall launching devices with hydraulic recovery capabilities.
3. Service and Maintenance: Global service network with 60+ service partners. Annual and 5-yearly maintenance services under MSC.402(96), repairs, overhauls, and commissioning. Fleet contracts for maintenance at fixed prices in 200+ ports worldwide.
4. Spare Parts: Supply of original spare parts for various brands and types. Fast worldwide shipping with most parts available from stock.
5. Firefighting and PPE Equipment: Maintenance and service of fixed and loose fire protection equipment, SCBA, EEBD, life jackets, survival suits, and gas detectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hatecke designs, manufactures, and services SOLAS-compliant lifeboats (freefall and conventional), fast rescue boats, tender boats, davit/launching systems, and specialised defence vessels for cargo, offshore, cruise, and defence markets. The company operates a vertically integrated production facility in Krautsand, Germany, and supports its installed base through a global service network offering annual and 5-yearly maintenance, repairs, overhauls, and spare parts supply.

Product overview

Hatecke is a German boat building company offering a comprehensive portfolio of maritime safety products. The core portfolio consists of lifeboats (freefall and conventional), fast rescue boats, and davit/launching systems across Cargo & Offshore, Cruise, and Defence market segments. The Cruise segment is anchored by the PL-series of tender/lifeboats (PL 7.6 through PL 14), while the PEL lifeboat line serves higher-capacity requirements. Complementing the product portfolio is a global after-sales service network covering LSA installation, commissioning, annual/5-yearly maintenance (MSC.402(96)), repairs, overhaul, and training, coordinated through a service portal and supported by over 60 service stations worldwide. The subsidiary Marescape GmbH handles onshore and offshore safety services. The company operates as a fifth-generation family business based in Drochtersen, Germany, with 300 employees and 9 workshops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Freefall Lifeboats (GFF) Freefall lifeboats for dry-cargo, tanker, offshore, Polar Code, and defence applications. Length ranges from 4.9 m to 9.8 m with capacity from 12 to 50 persons.
• Conventional Lifeboats (GSL) Conventional lifeboats available in dry-cargo or tanker versions. Length from 5.5 m to 8.5 m with capacity from 40 to 90 persons.
• Fast Rescue Boats (FRB) Fast rescue boats for cargo, cruise, and defence sectors. Length from 4.0 m to 8.0 m with capacity from 6 to 15 persons. Available with inboard motor with water jet or Z-drive, or outboard motor.
• Launching Devices / Davit Systems Davit systems including FFA (free-fall launching device with hydraulic boat recovery), FFB (free-fall ramp/slide without recovery), GSP (launching device/davit for GSL/PEL boats, SWL 4-18t), and DFR (davit for fast rescue boats, SWL 1.6-3.8t). Applications span cargo, ferry, offshore, and defence.
• Tenderboat Type PL 7.6 Tender boat with length 7.6 m and width 2.5 m. Tender boat capacity 15 persons; lifeboat capacity 38 persons.
• Tenderboat Type PL 9.7 / PL 9.7 neo Tender boat with length 9.7 m and width 4.4 m. Tender boat capacity 110 persons; lifeboat capacity 150 persons.
• Tenderboat Type PL 11 / PL 11 neo Tender boat with length 11.2 m and width 4.4 m. Tender boat capacity 120 persons; lifeboat capacity 150/170 persons.
• Tenderboat Type PL 14 Tender boat with length 14.25 m and width 5.9 m. Tender boat capacity 230 persons; lifeboat capacity 270 persons.
• Lifeboats Type PEL / PEL R Lifeboats with length from 8.5 m to 14.0 m and capacity from 150 to 462 persons. PEL 14 holds world records for capacity and efficiency.
• Police Boats Specialised operational boats for police and law enforcement authorities, built to withstand demanding conditions.
• Search & Rescue Boats (Pinnaces, Fire Boats) Search and rescue boats including pinnaces and fire boats. Capacity 3 to 16 persons; speed up to 30 knots.
• LSA (Lifesaving Appliances) Service Comprehensive service covering installation, commissioning, testing, annual and 5-yearly maintenance per MSC.402(96), repairs, overhaul, load testing, and training. Supported by a network of over 60 service stations worldwide.
• Offshore Service Worldwide service activities for offshore sectors, including certification, repairs, and spare part sales for life- and rescue boats, davit systems, and related equipment.
• Spare Parts Supply Supply of original spare parts for various brands and types, with fast worldwide shipping. Most parts available from stock.
• Service Portal Online exchange platform for authorised service stations to coordinate service operations, access documentation, and manage spare parts.

Quantifiable outcome

• World's leading manufacturer of free-fall lifeboats
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Marescape GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Founded in 2017 as a one-stop provider for all safety services in onshore and offshore sectors. Specializes in LSA, FFE, and PPE activities. Located in Dornbusch, Germany with OPITO and GWO certified technicians.
• Hatecke Service USA LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2014Wholly-owned subsidiary founded in 2014 to serve the growing after-sales market in North America. Provides service, maintenance, and spare parts support for Hatecke products in the region.
• Hatecke Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2014Wholly-owned subsidiary founded in 2014 to meet growing demand in Asian markets. Handles service operations and support for Southeast Asian customers.
• Global Service Partners (60+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized service partner network spanning 200+ ports worldwide. Partners trained and certified under MSC.402(96) to service HATECKE products. Includes multibrand service capabilities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fassmer: German shipyard and lifeboat manufacturer producing free-fall and conventional lifeboats, fast rescue craft, and davit systems. Most direct head-to-head competitor to Hatecke, especially in the cruise and offshore segments and as a fellow German specialist.
• Viking Life-Saving Equipment: Norwegian-based global manufacturer of lifeboats, liferafts, evacuation systems, and marine safety equipment with worldwide service network. Closest competitor to Hatecke in free-fall lifeboats and cruise ship safety equipment supply.
• Schat-Harding: Historic Norwegian/Danish brand for lifeboats, davits, and release hooks, now operating under the Survitec Group umbrella. Direct competitor in davit systems and lifeboats with strong installed base in the global merchant fleet.
• DSB Group: Danish group of marine safety and service companies, with heritage in lifeboats and lifesaving equipment and an active service network. Overlaps with Hatecke's service and LSA offerings, particularly in Northern Europe.
• Noreq: Norwegian manufacturer of lifeboats, rescue boats, and davit/launching systems for offshore, cargo, and cruise markets. Overlaps with Hatecke's GFF and GSL lifeboat lines and shares a similar mid-sized specialist profile.
• Palfinger Marine: Austrian-headquartered marine division of Palfinger producing davits, lifeboat and rescue boat launch systems, and deck handling equipment. Direct competitor in the davit and launching-device segment that Hatecke addresses with its FFA, FFB, GSP, and DFR systems.
• RFD (Survitec): Australian-origin manufacturer of liferafts, lifeboats, and marine evacuation systems, now part of Survitec. Comparable to Hatecke in producing davit-launched lifeboats and serving cruise, offshore, and defense customers globally.
• Survitec Group: UK-headquartered marine safety group encompassing Schat-Harding, RFD, DSB, and other historic lifeboat and liferaft brands. Direct competitor across lifeboats, davits, and global servicing, and a much larger-scale player.

Emerging players

• Lalizas: Greek manufacturer and distributor of marine safety equipment including lifejackets, liferafts, and small craft. Broader and more retail-leaning portfolio than Hatecke, but competes in safety equipment supply and spare parts for commercial vessels.
• Plastimo: French marine safety and equipment brand covering lifejackets, harnesses, liferafts, and small craft accessories. Adjacent competitor in the safety equipment and PPE categories where Hatecke's Marescape subsidiary also operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fb.hatecke
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hatecke
• Instagraminstagram.com/insta.hatecke

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Hatecke