Georg Schlegel

What Georg Schlegel does

Georg Schlegel GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer of industrial command devices and control components, founded on April 1, 1945 by Georg Schlegel in Dürmentingen, Germany, and now led by third-generation managing directors Eberhard Schlegel, Christoph Schlegel, and Wolfgang Weber. The company produces a modular portfolio of more than 8,000 products including pushbuttons and signal devices, emergency stop switches, foot switches, industrial enclosures, RFID-based access and authorization systems (Standard, SKS, and TMS variants), a Modular Bus System (MBS) supporting eight major industrial protocols (Profibus, Profinet, CANopen, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, Powerlink, IO-Link, AS-Interface), wireless machine-operation systems built around steute's sWave 868 MHz technology, and proprietary innovations such as the Flexitast display pushbutton (ZBD technology) and 2BSecure hardware protection of USB/Ethernet interfaces. All development, plastics injection molding, galvanizing, assembly, and shipping are conducted in-house at the single Dürmentingen facility, which is currently being expanded by approximately 2,800 square meters (a ~50% increase in usable space, with rooftop photovoltaic) in a project scheduled for completion in fall 2028 — the largest construction project in the company's history.

The company serves machine builders and industrial OEMs worldwide through direct sales from headquarters, owned sales subsidiaries in Austria (Wiener Neustadt, since 1980), Singapore (since 1995), the United States (Cliffside Park, NJ, since 2022), and a joint venture in Guangzhou, China (since 2022, with Southchina Electronics Technology Ltd.), complemented by an authorized representative network covering more than 80 countries across five continents. Its go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales with multi-year, project-based contracts and quote-based pricing tied to specific product configurations and custom engineering work, exemplified by the 2025 launch of a custom HMI operating unit for Liebherr-Werk Biberach's MK mobile construction crane. Revenue is generated almost exclusively through configured hardware sales and custom operator panels; the company holds ISO 9001 (since 1994), VDE (since 1975), CSA (since 1955), UL (since 1980), CE, UKCA, and FCC certifications, and has received over 100 product design awards including German Innovation Awards in 2020 and 2021. There are no external investors, no funding rounds, and no public listing; the company also acquired DUX Schaltgeräte GmbH in Leipzig in 1993 and held an early stake in a New Zealand sales company.

Name

Georg Schlegel

Legal name

Georg Schlegel® GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://schlegel.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Georg Schlegel is a family-owned German manufacturer of industrial command devices, emergency stops, RFID systems, modular bus-network components, and custom HMI panels serving machine builders and industrial OEMs in more than 80 countries from its sole Dürmentingen production facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Control Components

NAICS

Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Switchgear and Switchboard Apparatus Manufacturing (335313), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531)

SIC

Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Electromechanical Components (Relays, Switches, Potentiometers, Encoders) (IMAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Control Cabinets & Power Distribution (Panels, Switchgear for Automation) (IMAHAHAK), Process Safety & Relief Systems (Flare Systems, PRVs, Explosion Protection) (IMAHAEAL), Instrumentation, Controls & Automation (DCS/PLC/SCADA, SIS, Metering) (EUAEAFAC)

Keywords

• Industrial command devices
• Emergency stop switches
• Industrial RFID systems
• Control panel components
• Safety switches manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dürmentingen

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. Industrial Control Components: SCHLEGEL generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of industrial command devices and control components. Products include pushbuttons, emergency stops, enclosures, RFID systems, modular bus systems, foot switches, and wireless solutions. The company sells directly to machine builders and industrial manufacturers worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Georg Schlegel designs and manufactures industrial command and signalling devices, including emergency-stop switches, pushbuttons, selector switches, joysticks, control enclosures, and RFID identification systems. The product range is built around a modular system that lets machine builders and panel builders combine certified safety components and operator-interface elements into customized control stations.

Product overview

Georg Schlegel is a leading manufacturer of command devices and operator controls for industrial automation. The company produces a comprehensive modular product portfolio including command and signal devices (Befehls- und Meldegeräte), emergency stop switches (Not-Halt/Not-Aus), built-in sockets (Einbaubuchsen), industrial housings (Gehäuse), RFID systems (Standard, SKS, TMS variants), wireless systems (Funksysteme), foot switches (Fußtaster), and industrial network modules (Industrielle Netzwerke). All products are 'Made in Germany' at the Dürmentingen facility. Products are designed as a modular kit system where elements are perfectly coordinated for versatile combination. The portfolio includes specialized solutions like Flexitast (ZBD display button), 2BSecure (interface protection), proboxx (wireless housing), and Shortron connect (M12-connected devices), alongside custom solutions for customer-specific requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Command and signalling devices
• Emergency-stop and safety switches
• Control enclosures and command stations
• Industrial RFID identification systems
• sWave wireless switch systems
• Flexitast modular actuation systems

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ design awards received for product design excellence
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southchina Electronics Technology LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Joint venture partner for SCHLEGEL ELECTRONICS (Guangzhou) Ltd, established in 2022. This partnership enables SCHLEGEL to serve the Chinese market with own inventory and local support. The joint venture represents SCHLEGEL's commitment to the Chinese market, building on 40+ years of presence through Hong Kong partners and distributors in Shanghai and Beijing.
• steutecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for sWave wireless technology integrated into the proboxx enclosure series. STEUTE provides the established sWave wireless technology (868 MHz) featuring Listen Before Talk transmission monitoring, energy-efficient operation, and reliable data transmission over distances up to 450m outdoors. This enables SCHLEGEL to offer wireless machine operation solutions.
• Liebherr-Werk Biberach GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partnership for operator control units in Liebherr MK mobile construction cranes. SCHLEGEL developed custom control panels integrating cabin lighting, generator control, wiper systems with rain sensors, and audio amplification. Early involvement in prototype phase enabled parallel refinement of electronic, constructive, and practical requirements. Liebherr representatives noted 'reliable, partnership-based contact and direct on-site support enabled fast and practical solutions.'
• JKLM ArchitektenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitectural firm from Biberach engaged for the design and planning of the new facility expansion at the Dürmentingen headquarters. JKLM previously handled planning for the 2014 extension building, and the new construction will architecturally mirror that building for a harmonious overall appearance.
• Fritschle GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction company from Uttenweiler contracted for the rough construction work of the new facility expansion. Fritschle previously constructed the extension building in 2014, and has been selected again for the company's largest construction project in its history.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EAO AG: Swiss-headquartered manufacturer of industrial command devices, pushbuttons, emergency stops, and HMI components. Closest functional competitor to Schlegel's Befehls- und Meldegeräte line, serving the same machine-builder customers with overlapping modular product philosophy.
• Pilz GmbH & Co. KG: German safety automation specialist with overlapping emergency stop, safety relay, and operator control offerings. Comparable family-owned mid-market industrial safety player serving the same European machine-builder base.
• steute Technologies: German specialist in industrial switchgear and wireless command devices; technology partner supplying sWave wireless technology embedded in Schlegel's proboxx enclosure. Directly comparable German mid-market peer with overlapping foot switch and wireless product lines.
• Schmersal Group: German specialist in machine safety — emergency stop devices, safety switches, and safety relay modules. Direct competitor in the Not-Halt/Not-Aus category and in safety-critical machine controls for industrial OEMs.
• Bernstein AG: German industrial safety switch and enclosure specialist with overlapping emergency stop, position switch, and operator interface lines. Comparable family-influenced mid-market industrial controls competitor serving European machine OEMs.
• Banner Engineering: US-headquartered industrial automation manufacturer with strong presence in operator interfaces, safety, and wireless industrial controls. Comparable product overlap in pushbuttons, safety devices, and wireless industrial I/O for machine builders.
• IDEC Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of industrial command devices, pushbuttons, switches, and safety products with global distribution. Closest direct comparable in product breadth (switches, E-stops, terminals) and modular HMI approach, serving machine builders worldwide.
• RAFI Group: German family-owned manufacturer of pushbuttons, signal lamps, HMI systems, and electromechanical components. Directly comparable in heritage, German mid-market positioning, custom-solution capability, and customer overlap with industrial machine builders.

Broad incumbents

• Eaton Corporation: Global industrial conglomerate whose Electrical Americas and Industrial Control divisions compete in pushbuttons, E-stops, and operator interface products. Substantially larger and broader portfolio, but directly competes for the same machine-builder sockets Schlegel targets.
• Phoenix Contact: Large German manufacturer of industrial connectivity, automation, and interface solutions. Overlaps with Schlegel in industrial networking (bus systems), M12 connectivity, and operator interface products, but operates at much greater scale across a broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SchlegelGeorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/GeorgSchlegel.GmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georg-schlegel-gmbh-co-kg
• Instagraminstagram.com/georg.schlegel

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Georg Schlegel