Kolos Lifting & Inspection

What Kolos Lifting & Inspection does

Kolos Lifting & Inspection AS is a Norwegian specialist in lifting equipment and inspection services, headquartered in Sola near Stavanger, serving the offshore oil and gas, maritime, renewable energy, subsea, and industrial sectors. The company was formed in 2016 through the merger of K. Lund Offshore Lifting, IB Stavanger, and Otic, consolidating operational roots that date to 1986. Its core offering spans five revenue streams: equipment rental (winches, hoists, cranes), certified inspection and testing services, equipment sales of both proprietary products (the HV3, HV7, HV13, HV20, and HV28 hydraulic winches) and third-party brands (as authorized Norwegian dealer for Ingersoll Rand and Heila Cranes), engineering and custom design services, and full maintenance and repair.

The proprietary Kolos Kontroll platform underpins inspection, certification, and asset documentation workflows, while Active Heave Compensation (AHC) technology is offered as an integrated feature on Heila cranes and Kolos winch solutions. The company holds regulatory certifications that constitute a genuine barrier to entry: D7 certification for SDLA inspection under Havtil's Module P-3.8, KIWA Enterprise of Competence S1 and Independence Type C, ISO 9001/14001/45001, DNV Type Approval, and Achilles prequalifications.

Kolos generated 170 million NOK in 2024 revenue across 70+ customers with 80 full-time employees, distributing exclusively for Ingersoll Rand and Heila Cranes in Norway and combining its own manufactured HV-series winches with a multi-year service contract base. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales complemented by channel partnerships, with strategic diversification underway into offshore wind, fishing, and broader industrial verticals.

Name

Kolos Lifting & Inspection

Legal name

Kolos Lifting & Inspection AS

Website

https://kolos.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kolos Lifting & Inspection AS is a Norwegian specialist in lifting equipment inspection, certification, rental, and manufacturing, serving offshore oil and gas, maritime, renewable energy, and industrial customers from its Sola headquarters near Stavanger.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lifting Equipment Services

NAICS

Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crane & Hoist Installation, Inspection & Maintenance Services (IMAHAJAM), Crane & Hoist Components (Wire Rope, Chain, Drums, Sheaves, Motors, Controls) (IMAHAJAK), Hoists (Electric, Manual & Pneumatic) (IMAHAJAG)

Keywords

• Lifting equipment inspection
• Offshore lifting services
• Hydraulic winch manufacturing
• Crane distribution services
• Lifting equipment certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Sola

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: Rental of certified lifting equipment including winches, hoists, cranes, and other lifting gear. The company maintains an extensive rental fleet for both offshore and onshore operations.
2. Inspection and Certification Services: Certified inspection, testing, and certification services for lifting equipment. Kolos is a certified Enterprise of Competence (S1, Type C) authorized to inspect and certify lifting equipment. Includes SDLA certification services.
3. Equipment Sales: Sale of lifting equipment including proprietary Kolos products (winches, hoists) and reselling of Ingersoll Rand and Heila Cranes products as authorized dealer.
4. Engineering Services: Engineering services including design, calculations, structural analysis, and custom equipment design for lifting operations and subsea applications.
5. Maintenance and Repair Services: Full-service maintenance, repair, and refurbishment services for lifting and handling equipment. Includes aftermarket support and parts stocking.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kolos Lifting & Inspection AS provides inspection, certification, and rental of lifting equipment, complemented by engineering, custom fabrication, testing, and maintenance/repair services. The company manufactures its own HV-series hydraulic winches and acts as the authorized Norwegian dealer for Ingersoll Rand and Heila Cranes product lines. It is a certified Enterprise of Competence (S1, Type C) authorized to inspect, test, and certify lifting equipment under Norwegian regulations.

Product overview

Kolos Lifting & Inspection offers a comprehensive portfolio of lifting solutions centered on equipment rental, inspection, and certification services. The core offering includes their own manufactured hydraulic winches (HV3, HV7, HV13, HV28, HV20) and an extensive rental fleet of winches, hoists, and lifting equipment. As authorized Norwegian dealers for Ingersoll Rand and Heila Cranes, they also supply these brands' hoists, winches, BOP handling systems, and marine cranes (HR650, HR850, HLM/HLRM series, knuckle boom cranes). Kolos Kontroll is their proprietary inspection and certification management system. Services span engineering, custom fabrication, testing, inspection, maintenance, and training, with particular expertise in SDLA (Specially Designed Lifting Accessories) for drilling operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kolos Kontroll: Specialized system developed by Kolos Lifting & Inspection AS to ensure safe and compliant handling of lifting equipment and operations. Supports inspection, certification, and documentation processes.

Products and services

• Equipment Rental Fleet Extensive rental park of winches, hoists, cranes, and other lifting equipment available for both onshore and offshore operations, serving enterprise customers in oil & gas, marine, subsea, and industrial sectors.
• Inspection and Certification Services Certified inspection, testing, and certification services for lifting equipment, performed under Kolos' Enterprise of Competence (S1, Type C) authorization from KIWA, including SDLA certification, with compliance to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and NORSOK R-002 standards.
• Engineering Services Tailored engineering solutions covering lifting equipment design, structural analysis, calculations, and custom equipment design, supporting complex projects from concept to execution in demanding offshore and subsea environments.
• Testing Services Dedicated test department performing thorough testing on lifting gear from small components to large complex systems, using modern test rigs and precision measuring instruments with full documentation.
• Maintenance and Repair Services Full-service maintenance, repair, and refurbishment for all types of lifting and handling equipment, with stock of critical parts and aftermarket support, including Ingersoll Rand authorized workshop services.
• Kolos HV3 Hydraulic Winch Hydraulic winch designed and manufactured by Kolos for demanding offshore and industrial lifting operations; part of the proprietary HV-series product line.
• Kolos HV7 Hydraulic Winch Hydraulic winch in Kolos' own manufactured lineup designed for offshore and industrial lifting applications.
• Kolos HV13 Hydraulic Winch Hydraulic winch manufactured by Kolos, available with Hagglund or gear configurations for specialized lifting operations.
• Kolos HV20 Winch Compact high-performance lifting winch integrated with a 280-ton linear winch, developed for critical offshore operations including anchor handling and riser pull-in packages; DNV third-party verified for NORSOK R-002 compliance.
• Kolos HV28 Hydraulic Winch Hydraulic winch in Kolos' own manufactured lineup for offshore and industrial lifting applications.
• Ingersoll Rand Hoists, Winches, and BOP Handling Systems Authorized Norwegian dealer offering for Ingersoll Rand air, electric, hydraulic, and manual chain hoists (125 kg to 100 tons), air/electric/hydraulic and Man Rider winches, and Liftchain Air and Hydraulic BOP Handling Systems (25 to 250 tons, DNV/ABS compliant), serving drilling rigs, subsea operations, mining, construction, and heavy industry.
• Heila Cranes (Marine and Offshore) Authorized Norwegian representative offering for Heila marine and offshore cranes, including knuckle/telescopic boom cranes (up to 1500 ton-meter), the HLM fully foldable telescopic series (3 tm to 120+ tm), the HLRM knuckle boom series (80 tm to 1,000+ tm), and the HR650/HR850 AHC-equipped offshore cranes; used for cargo handling, RIB operations, fishing vessels, and demanding offshore lifting.
• Kolos Kontroll Specialized proprietary system developed by Kolos to ensure safe and compliant handling of lifting equipment and operations, supporting inspection, certification, and documentation processes to help clients maintain full control over their assets and regulatory requirements.
• SDLA (Specially Designed Lifting Accessories) Critical lifting accessories for drilling and well operations including elevators, elevator links (bails), handling tools, running tools, hanger tools, lifting nipples, lifting caps, and lifting subs, requiring D7 certification and compliance with NORSOK R-002, R-003, and API Spec 8C standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Full traceability and compliance documentation for all lifting equipment lifecycle
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• KranTeknisk Forening (KTF)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic partnership with Norway's leading professional association for safe lifting operations. Starting fall 2025, KTF offers physical courses from Kolos' facilities in Stavanger, covering topics including safe lifting operations, regulatory compliance, equipment handling and inspection. Kolos provides training rooms, practical areas, equipment storage, and local instructor expertise.
• Ingersoll RandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKolos is the authorized Norwegian dealer and workshop for Ingersoll Rand lifting equipment. The partnership provides Kolos customers access to Ingersoll Rand's range of hoists, winches, and BOP handling systems. Kolos provides certified service, genuine products, and full warranty support for Ingersoll Rand equipment in Norway.
• Heila CranescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKolos serves as Heila Cranes' representative in the Norwegian market, providing direct access to Heila's marine and offshore crane products with local support and technical expertise. The partnership includes new crane sales, rental solutions, and service support. Heila has delivered cranes worldwide since 1978 and is a benchmark for reliability in the marine industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Applus+: Global TIC and industrial inspection company with significant energy and offshore service exposure. Comparable to Kolos' certified inspection, non-destructive testing, and equipment certification activities, but operating across many geographies.
• National Oilwell Varco (NOV): Global provider of equipment and components for oil & gas drilling, completion, and production, including BOP handling and lifting systems for offshore rigs. Broad incumbent competing with Kolos in supplying certified offshore lifting equipment to major operators.
• Cargotec (Hiab / Kalmar / MacGregor): Finnish global provider of load-handling solutions including marine cranes (MacGregor) and on-road load handling (Hiab). Comparable in marine/offshore crane scope, though serving global markets at much larger scale than Kolos.
• Konecranes: Global leader in industrial cranes, hoists, and lifting solutions, including service and inspection. A scaled incumbent whose product portfolio overlaps Kolos' Ingersoll Rand-distributed hoists and winches across industrial customer segments.
• TÜV SÜD: Global testing, inspection, and certification body with industrial and energy sector services. Comparable in the certification, NDT, and standards-compliance work that Kolos performs under KIWA and NORSOK frameworks.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) company serving oil & gas, marine, and industrial clients. Overlaps with Kolos' certified inspection and SDLA/D7 compliance activities at much larger scale and global footprint.

Direct peers

• Mørenot: Norwegian manufacturer and supplier of lifting, rigging, and mooring equipment with services for offshore and onshore customers. Directly comparable to Kolos in product scope (lifting gear, slings, chains, wire rope) and Norwegian offshore customer base.
• IKM Gruppen: Norwegian industrial services group providing inspection, maintenance, and engineering across offshore, subsea, and industrial sectors. Comparable to Kolos' inspection/certification arm and West Norway offshore customer base.
• TTS Offshore Solutions (now part of TTS-NMH): Specialist in offshore cranes and marine deck machinery with deep Norwegian roots and global offshore customer base. Closely aligned to Kolos' Heila-distributed offshore crane offering and proprietary winch engineering.

Emerging players

• Liftech Consultants: Specialist consultancy focused on offshore lifting equipment, rigging engineering, and inspection standards. Niche overlap with Kolos' engineering and inspection services for offshore cranes and lifting gear, though Liftech is engineering-led without equipment sales/rental.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@KolosLifting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kolos-lifting-inspection-as
• Facebookfacebook.com/kolos.no

Compliance8 records

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 Kolos Lifting & Inspection