Kiel
Kiel (Franz Kiel GmbH) is a German manufacturer of transit seating systems for buses and rail, supplying OEMs and public transportation operators worldwide through wholly-owned subsidiaries and distribution partners across Europe, North America, and Asia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersNördlingen, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Kiel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kiel
- Legal name
- Franz Kiel GmbH
- Website
- https://kiel-sitze.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kiel (Franz Kiel GmbH) is a German manufacturer of transit seating systems for buses and rail, supplying OEMs and public transportation operators worldwide through wholly-owned subsidiaries and distribution partners across Europe, North America, and Asia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kiel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transportation Seating
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Seating and Interior Trim Manufacturing (336360), Motor Vehicle Seating and Interior Trim Manufacturing (33636)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790), Railroad Equipment (3743)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bus & Coach Interior Systems Manufacturing (Seating/Flooring/Accessibility) (IMACADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Automotive Seating Systems Manufacturing (Frames/Mechanisms/Foam/Complete Seats) (IMACAKAA)
Keywords
Where Kiel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nördlingen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices15 records
Markets served
Kiel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Bus Seating Systems: Complete seating systems and custom seating solutions for buses in local, regional, and long-distance transport. Products include individual seats and full seating systems with modern design and innovative extras.
- Rail Seating Systems: Seats and seating systems for trains in local, regional, and long-distance travel, featuring innovative ideas, appealing design, high quality, robustness, and vandalism protection.
- Custom/Special Seating Solutions: Individual customer-oriented seating solutions for special requirements, including Sondersitze (special seats) for both bus and rail applications.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Kiel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kiel manufactures complete seating systems and custom seating solutions for buses and trains used in local, regional, and long-distance public transportation. The company designs, develops, and produces ergonomic, durable, and safety-focused passenger seats, ranging from urban transit seating to premium intercity coach seats, sold primarily to vehicle OEMs and public transport operators.
Product overview
Kiel Seating Solutions is a leading manufacturer of seating systems for commercial vehicles and public transportation. The company offers two core product categories: Bus Seats (Bussitze) for local, regional, and intercity transport, and Rail Seats (Bahnsitze) for train applications. Under these categories, specific seat models are offered including AVANCE X TEC SEAT (premium intercity bus seat), Citos (urban transit), Esos (city buses), Lihok (rail), Simos (metro/suburban rail), Ideo 40, Lifeline 425, Basel, Centra AL, and Match G2 (rail). The portfolio spans from standardized seating systems to fully customized solutions, with products distinguished by premium quality, modern design, maximum ergonomics and safety, lightweight construction for economy, and environmental friendliness through modularity and recyclability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Avance X: Premium seat line featuring TEC SEAT technology for buses with advanced safety and comfort features
- Seating Experience+
Products and services
- Bus Seating Systems (Bussitze) Comprehensive range of bus seating solutions for local public transport (Nahverkehr), regional transport (Regionalverkehr), and long-distance/intercity coach travel (Reiseverkehr), plus special seats (Sondersitze) and minibus seating. Offers standardized and customized seating systems with modern design, maximum ergonomics, safety, lightweight construction, and high modularity/recyclability.
- Rail Seating Systems (Bahnsitze) Seats and seating systems for trains in local, regional, and long-distance travel, featuring innovative design, high quality, robustness, vandalism protection, and maximum ergonomics/safety for passengers.
- AVANCE X TEC SEAT Premium bus seat for intercity and long-distance coach travel, featuring advanced safety and comfort technologies, modern design, and setting new benchmarks for passenger seating. Used by OEMs such as Neoplan for Tourliner and Skyliner models.
Companies that use Kiel
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kiel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Kiel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Jiangsu ARSALE KIEL Seats Co., Ltd. (China)coreJoint venture established in 2020 in Changzhou, China to serve the Asian market with local production capabilities
- Metro Transit Sales (USA)minorDistribution partner in Minneapolis, USA for transit sales in the North American market
- KIEL Macedonija D.O.O.E.L.coreSubsidiary established in 2017 in Tetovo, Macedonia for regional production and manufacturing
- Kiel N.A., L.L.C (USA)coreSubsidiary established in 2009 in Bellwood, Illinois, USA to serve the North American market
- Franz Kiel B.V. (Netherlands)coreSubsidiary established in 2000 in Rijen, Netherlands to serve the Benelux market
- Kiel Polska Sp. z o.o.coreSubsidiary established in 1997 in Nowy Tomysl, Poland to serve the Polish market with local manufacturing and support
- FKT Koltuk Sistemleri A.Ş. (Turkey)coreSubsidiary established in 1996 in Bursa, Turkey to serve the Turkish and regional markets with local production and customer support
- EMAR MANUFACTURAS METÁLICAS, S.A. (Spain)minorCooperation partner in Spain for local production and market coverage
- C&G Kiel Italia (Italy)minorCooperation partner in Italy for local market presence
- McConnell (Australia)minorDistribution partner in Australia for the Australian market
- Polyrit (Israel)minorDistribution partner in Israel for the Israeli market
- Dr. Mauric GmbH (Austria)minorDistribution partner in Austria for the Austrian market
- Werner Nüchterlein (Nordic Countries)minorRepresentative for Nordic countries covering Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kiel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Grammer AG: German-headquartered manufacturer of commercial vehicle seating, headrests, armrests, and interior systems for buses, trucks, and rail. Most direct global comparable to Kiel given overlapping bus/coach/rail customer base and premium OEM positioning.
- Geven S.p.A. Italian manufacturer of seating for rail, metro, and high-speed trains with significant European OEM penetration. Closely comparable to Kiel's rail seating business (Bahnsitze) and competes for the same Stadler/Bombardier/Siemens contracts.
- Freedman Seating Company: US-based manufacturer of bus and paratransit seating, with growing presence in transit and motorcoach markets. Comparable North American peer for Kiel's US subsidiary operations.
- FISA (Fabbrica Italiana Sedili Auto): Italian seating manufacturer with focus on rail and urban transit seating for European markets. Direct competitor in the European rail seating category where Kiel operates.
- USSC (U.S. Seating Corporation) / UES (USSC Group): US manufacturer of bus and rail passenger seating with installations across North American transit agencies. Comparable to Kiel in the North American bus/rail seating category.
- Lazzerini S.r.l. Italian maker of bus seating solutions for city, intercity, and coach applications. Direct overlap with Kiel's Bussitze portfolio and similar European OEM customer base.
- Recaro (Adient rail & commercial): German seating brand with strong presence in premium bus, coach, and rail seating — directly overlaps Kiel's premium long-distance coach and rail seat ranges (e.g., AVANCE X tier).
- Compin (Compin Industries): French seating specialist for rail, metro, and bus applications. Comparable to Kiel's European rail and bus seating business and competes for similar transit-operator contracts.
Broad incumbents
- Adient plc: Global leader in automotive seating with a broader passenger vehicle focus but adjacent commercial-vehicle presence. A larger incumbent operating adjacent to Kiel's commercial-vehicle seating niche.
- FORVIA (Faurecia): Major Tier-1 automotive supplier with seating and interior systems business serving commercial vehicle OEMs globally. Wider portfolio than Kiel but competes on bus/rail seating components.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Kiel social profiles
Digital presenceKiel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Kiel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kiel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kiel subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries12 records
Kiel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kiel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kiel
What does Kiel do?
Kiel manufactures complete seating systems and custom seating solutions for buses and trains used in local, regional, and long-distance public transportation. The company designs, develops, and produces ergonomic, durable, and safety-focused passenger seats, ranging from urban transit seating to premium intercity coach seats, sold primarily to vehicle OEMs and public transport operators.
Is Kiel a public or private company?
Kiel is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Kiel founded?
Kiel was founded in 1945. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kiel based?
Kiel is headquartered in Nördlingen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Kiel make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Bus Seating Systems are the primary driver. The others are rail Seating Systems and custom/Special Seating Solutions.
Who are Kiel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Grammer AG, Geven S.p.A., Freedman Seating Company, FISA (Fabbrica Italiana Sedili Auto), USSC (U.S. Seating Corporation) / UES (USSC Group), Lazzerini S.r.l., Recaro (Adient rail & commercial) and Compin (Compin Industries). Broad incumbents are Adient plc and FORVIA (Faurecia).
Does Kiel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kiel.
What industry is Kiel in?
Kiel's product category is Public Transportation Seating. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACADAJ, Bus & Coach Interior Systems Manufacturing (Seating/Flooring/Accessibility), with a secondary code of IMACAKAA, Automotive Seating Systems Manufacturing (Frames/Mechanisms/Foam/Complete Seats). Its NAICS code is 336360 and its SIC code is 3790.