Echterhoff

What Echterhoff does

Echterhoff is a German family-owned construction company headquartered in Westerkappeln (with a registered office in Osnabrück), operating under the legal name Bauunternehmung Gebr. Echterhoff GmbH & Co. KG. Founded in the 1870s, the company employs 251-500 people and operates exclusively in Germany, serving primarily public infrastructure clients. Its service portfolio spans civil engineering (Ingenieurbau) covering bridges, trough structures, tunnels, water treatment plants, pumping stations, hydraulic structures, towers, and subway expansion; underground construction (Tiefbau) including pipe jacking, tunnel mining, drainage canals, pressure pipelines, siphons, and pipe rehabilitation; industrial and turnkey construction (Industriebau & schlüsselfertiges Bauen) for commercial, residential, and renovation work; and real estate project development (Projektentwicklung). The company is also expanding into flood and coastal protection.

The company's principal technical differentiator is the proprietary ECHTERHOFF Expressbrücke system, a modular bridge construction method combining prefabricated concrete elements with in-situ concrete to replace bridges in days rather than months. Documented outcomes include reducing the B51 Münster construction timeline from 4.5 years to 2.5 years (first bridge in 24 days), cutting Kamener Kreuz traffic restrictions from 228 to 50 days, and achieving zero traffic accidents during construction. Other proprietary components include the Hybridkappe with pre-assembled railing. Echterhoff pursues large-scale public infrastructure contracts through direct enterprise sales, typically via joint ventures (ARGE) with engineering partners such as Hirsch & Lorenz Ingenieurbau GmbH on the Klärwerk Ruhleben VE 5.1 project for Berliner Wasserbetriebe. Pricing is project-based on individually negotiated long-term contracts with public sector clients; no public pricing model exists. Revenue is derived from professional services in civil and industrial construction.

Name

Echterhoff

Legal name

Bauunternehmung Gebr. Echterhoff GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://echterhoff.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1860

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Echterhoff is a family-owned German construction company specializing in civil engineering, bridge construction, underground works, and industrial building for public sector clients. Its proprietary ECHTERHOFF Expressbrücke system enables rapid modular bridge replacement across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Osnabrück

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Infrastructure Construction Services: Echterhoff generates revenue through engineering and construction contracts for infrastructure projects including bridges, tunnels, wastewater treatment facilities, and industrial buildings. Revenue is project-based, typically involving long-term contracts with public sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Echterhoff is a German construction company that delivers civil engineering, underground construction, industrial and turnkey construction, and project development services to public and private clients. Its distinct offering is the proprietary ECHTERHOFF Expressbrücke modular bridge construction system, designed to accelerate bridge delivery. The company also constructs water treatment plants and pumping stations as part of its infrastructure portfolio.

Product overview

Echterhoff is a construction and civil engineering company offering a comprehensive portfolio of infrastructure and building services. The core offerings include Ingenieurbau (civil engineering for bridges, tunnels, trough structures, water treatment plants), Tiefbau (underground construction including pipe jacking and tunnel mining), Spezialtiefbau (specialized foundation engineering), Industriebau & schlüsselfertiges Bauen (industrial and turnkey construction), and Projektentwicklung (project development). The company's proprietary ECHTERHOFF Expressbrücke system represents its signature innovation for rapid bridge construction. These services are delivered as integrated offerings, often in joint ventures (ARGE) with engineering partners for complex infrastructure projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ECHTERHOFF Expressbrücke: Innovative modular bridge construction system enabling rapid bridge replacement in days rather than months, using prefabricated concrete components.

Products and services

• Ingenieurbau (Civil Engineering)
• Tiefbau (Underground Construction) Underground construction services including foundations, utility conduits, and below-grade civil works for public and private infrastructure projects.
• Industriebau & schlüsselfertiges Bauen (Industrial & Turnkey Construction) Construction of industrial facilities delivered on a turnkey basis for commercial and industrial clients in Germany.
• Projektentwicklung (Project Development) End-to-end real estate and construction project development services covering planning, development, and execution for clients.
• ECHTERHOFF Expressbrücke Proprietary modular bridge construction system that enables accelerated bridge delivery for public infrastructure clients.
• Kläranlagen & Pumpwerke (Water Treatment Plants & Pumping Stations) Construction of water treatment plants and pumping stations for public utilities and infrastructure clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• B51 Münster: Construction time reduced from 4.5 years to 2.5 years; first bridge completed in 24 days
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hirsch & Lorenz Ingenieurbau GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024ARGE (Arbeitsgemeinschaft - working joint venture) partnership for Klärwerk Ruhleben VE 5.1 project. While Hirsch & Lorenz handles engineering services and electrical systems, Echterhoff is responsible for excavation pit construction, media pipeline installation, and complex switching work. Partnership formed for Berlin's largest wastewater treatment plant expansion.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hochtief: One of Germany's largest construction companies with broad infrastructure, building, and engineering capabilities and significant international operations. Overlaps with Echterhoff in German infrastructure and civil engineering but operates as a much larger incumbent at global scale.
• Bilfinger: German industrial services and engineering company with construction capabilities. Overlaps with Echterhoff in industrial construction and infrastructure but operates at a larger scale as a publicly listed German industrial services group with broader service offerings.
• Strabag: Major Austrian-headquartered construction group with extensive German operations in infrastructure, tunneling, and bridge construction. Comparable as a broad European incumbent in civil engineering with substantial German-market exposure overlapping Echterhoff's core segments.
• Porr: Austrian construction company with significant German operations in infrastructure and civil engineering. Comparable as a broader European incumbent with German infrastructure presence overlapping Echterhoff's bridge and tunnel markets.

Direct peers

• Max Bögl: Major German construction company with extensive civil engineering, infrastructure, and bridge capabilities, including a well-known modular precast concrete bridge system. Comparable to Echterhoff as a German-headquartered infrastructure contractor with overlapping capabilities in bridge construction, foundation engineering, and large public-sector projects.
• Ed. Züblin AG: German construction firm (Strabag subsidiary) specializing in tunneling, civil engineering, and bridge construction. Highly comparable to Echterhoff as a German infrastructure contractor with bridge and tunnel capabilities serving public-sector clients across Germany.
• Köster Bau: German construction company focused on infrastructure, civil engineering, and tunnel construction. Comparable to Echterhoff as a German infrastructure contractor with overlapping bridge and underground construction capabilities serving public-sector clients.
• Leonhard Weiss: Family-owned German construction company with a strong infrastructure and civil engineering portfolio including bridges, tunnels, and underground construction. Comparable to Echterhoff as a German family-owned infrastructure contractor serving public and private sector clients with similar service breadth.
• Bunte: German construction company specializing in infrastructure, bridge construction, and tunneling. Comparable to Echterhoff as a German infrastructure contractor with similar capabilities in bridge and tunnel construction, serving comparable public-sector clients.

Regional players

• Wayss & Freytag: German construction company (Royal BAM Group subsidiary) focused on tunneling, infrastructure, and foundation engineering. Comparable as a German infrastructure contractor with a regional focus on tunneling and underground construction overlapping Echterhoff's Spezialtiefbau capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClfm4dlitem2xw3HyuvcI1g/featured
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/echterhoff
• Instagraminstagram.com/echterhoff_bau/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Echterhoff