Schmidt, Kranz & Co

What Schmidt, Kranz & Co does

Schmidt, Kranz & Co. GmbH, operating as SK Group (Schmidt Kranz Group), is a privately-held, fourth-generation family-owned industrial technology holding headquartered in Velbert-Langenberg, Germany. Founded in 1885 in Nordhausen as a mining machinery manufacturer, the group has evolved into a platform of 62 active companies organized across four core business areas: Hydrogen Solutions, High Pressure Technology, Automation, and Mining & Minerals. The group employs approximately 2,000 people worldwide across 24 countries and operates branded subsidiaries including Maximator (high-pressure components and hydrogen compression), Maximator Hydrogen (complete H2 refueling stations), FEST (PEM electrolysis and process automation), PERFORATOR (drilling technologies), HAZEMAG (a joint venture with CNBM focused on crushing and processing equipment), allmineral (mineral processing), GSES (salt mining and mine services), Nerospec SK (mining digitalization and communication), and Dr. Ecklebe (automation engineering).

The group's technology stack spans the entire hydrogen value chain — from renewable power conditioning (Greenpower-Box), PEM electrolysis (2–5 MW modular units scalable to >50 MW, producing grade 5.0 hydrogen at 37 barg), high-pressure compression (up to 1,000 bar), modular transport (Vernconex swap-container logistics), and refueling station systems (MAX Dispenser for 350/700 bar applications). Outside hydrogen, the group manufactures high-pressure valves, fittings, pumps, and compressors for aerospace, life sciences, automotive, and food/beverage sectors; impact crushers and processing plants for cement, aggregates, and recycling; drilling systems for tunnel and infrastructure projects; and automation/Industry 4.0 solutions.

SK Group's business model combines custom-engineered capital equipment sales with recurring service contracts. Pricing is project-specific (no public catalog) with multi-year contract cadences. The group operates a B2B enterprise field-sales model supplemented by channel partners (Swiss fuel retailers such as AVIA, Coop Mineralöl AG, AGROLA/LANDI) and a CNBM JV for Asian market distribution. Customer segments span hydrogen infrastructure developers, utilities, municipal transport authorities, industrial gas providers, mining operators, cement manufacturers, and system integrators across automotive, aerospace, and life sciences. Reference customers include Infraserv Höchst, ABO Energy, AWG Wuppertal, Wiener Wasserstoff, Strandmöllen AB, Norwegian Hydrogen, CMB.TECH (Antwerp port), and AVIA (Switzerland). Service, maintenance, and hydrogen testing/certification activities generate recurring revenue from the installed base.

Name

Schmidt, Kranz & Co

Legal name

Schmidt, Kranz & Co. GmbH

Website

https://sk-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1885

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

SK Group is a fourth-generation family-owned German industrial holding of 62 companies and ~2,000 employees operating across hydrogen solutions, high-pressure technology, automation, and mining & minerals. It provides PEM electrolysis, compression, and refueling systems alongside high-pressure components, crushing/mineral processing equipment, and industrial automation to enterprise customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Velbert

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial equipment and systems sales: SK Group companies design, engineer, and manufacture industrial equipment (hydrogen electrolyzers, compressors, refueling stations, high-pressure valves/pumps, mining crushers, drilling equipment, automation systems) and sell these as capital goods to industrial customers. Revenue is generated from the sale of custom-engineered systems and standardized product lines. Projects range from component-level purchases to multi-MW integrated hydrogen infrastructure installations.
2. Service, maintenance, and after-sales support: SK Group subsidiaries offer 24/7 service and maintenance for hydrogen infrastructure (tank stations, electrolyzers), ongoing technical support, spare parts supply, and operator training. Service contracts provide recurring revenue from existing installed base.
3. Hydrogen testing and certification services: Through Maximator's testing division, the group offers pressure vessel testing, certification, and quality assurance services as a paid service for third-party customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schmidt, Kranz & Co. (SK Group) is a fourth-generation, family-owned industrial technology group founded in 1885 in Nordhausen, Germany. It operates 62 active companies delivering solutions across four pillars: Hydrogen Solutions, High Pressure Technology, Automation, and Mining & Minerals, serving heavy-industry customers in 24 countries with approximately 2,000 employees and EUR 500 million in revenue.

Product overview

Schmidt, Kranz & Co (SK Group) is a family-owned industrial technology group operating as a platform of independent companies organized across four core business areas: Hydrogen Solutions, High Pressure Technology, Automation, and Mining & Minerals. The portfolio includes branded subsidiaries Maximator (high-pressure components and hydrogen solutions), Maximator Hydrogen (complete hydrogen refueling stations), FEST (PEM electrolysers and process automation), Nerospec SK (mining communication technologies), Dr. Ecklebe (automation solutions), PERFORATOR (drilling technologies), HAZEMAG (crushing and processing equipment), allmineral (processing technology), and GSES (mining services). SK Group offers integrated hydrogen value chain solutions from electrolysis (FEST) through compression and transport (Maximator, Vernconex) to refueling stations (Maximator Hydrogen), alongside industrial equipment for mining, automation, and mineral processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MAXIMATOR: High pressure technology brand; components, units and test stands for high pressure applications including hydrogen solutions for over 20 years
• MAXIMATOR Hydrogen
• FEST
• PERFORATOR
• HAZEMAG
• allmineral
• GSES
• Nerospec SK

Products and services

• Hydrogen Solutions Engineered hydrogen production, processing, and handling systems delivered to industrial enterprises adopting hydrogen energy and process-gas applications.
• High Pressure Technology High-pressure compressors, vessels, and engineered systems for industrial processes requiring high-pressure gas handling and compression.
• Automation Industrial automation and control systems designed to optimize and digitize production processes for manufacturing and process-industry customers.
• Mining & Minerals Equipment and engineered solutions for mining operators and mineral processing facilities covering extraction and materials handling.

Quantifiable outcome

• PEM electrolyzer modules of 2–5 MW, scalable to >50 MW with high-purity hydrogen output (5.0 grade) at up to 37 barg pressure
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• China National Building Materials Group (CNBM) — HAZEMAG Joint VenturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001HAZEMAG Group is a joint venture between Schmidt Kranz Group and the Chinese state-owned enterprise China National Building Materials Group (CNBM). Established through the acquisition of HAZEMAG in 2001, the JV combines SK Group's engineering expertise with CNBM's market access in China and the broader Asian construction and mining equipment market. HAZEMAG is known for inventing the impact crusher and serves cement, aggregates, mining, and recycling industries globally.
• VernconexcoreTechnology or IntegrationVernconex is a technology partner providing the Vernconex swap-container system for hydrogen transport, capable of storing up to 300 kg H2 on a standard swap-body trailer. This solution enables scalable and efficient hydrogen logistics, integrated into SK Group's broader hydrogen infrastructure offering.
• Hydrogen International Institute / SK Advanced Training Technologies (ATT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSK ATT (Advanced Training Technologies) operates the Hydrogen International Institute, providing manufacturer-independent, practice-oriented training and qualification solutions across the entire hydrogen topic field. This supports SK Group's workforce development and positions the group as a leader in hydrogen human capital development.
• IGAS EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a hydrogen industry partner on the SK Group hydrogen website, indicating a commercial/go-to-market partnership in the energy sector.
• Fokus Zukunft (Climate offset partner)minorOthersSK Group works with Fokus Zukunft to purchase internationally recognized climate protection certificates for CO2 offsetting of unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions. Fokus Zukunft offers a broad selection of high-quality projects contributing to sustainable climate protection.
• Webflow (Website hosting)minorOthersSK Group's main website (sk-group.com) is hosted on Webflow's platform. The data privacy page lists Webflow as the primary external hosting provider for the website.
• IONOS SE (Hosting and IT infrastructure)minorOthersIONOS SE provides hosting for SK Group's hydrogen website (hydrogen.sk-group.com) and the whistleblower portal (hinweise.sk-group.com). IONOS is also listed as a hosting partner for the main SK Group website (as a secondary hosting provider alongside Webflow).
• Microsoft (Microsoft Teams)minorOthersSK Group uses Microsoft Teams for video conferencing, online meetings, webinars, and internal communication. The company has signed a data processing agreement with Microsoft under EU Standard Contractual Clauses for data protection compliance.
• Slack Technologies (Slack messaging)minorOthersSK Group uses Slack for internal business communication. The company has signed an order processing agreement with Slack under GDPR Article 28. Data transfers to the USA are based on EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
• LinkedIn (Social media)minorOthersSK Group maintains a LinkedIn company page for corporate communications and employer branding. LinkedIn is listed in the privacy policy as a social media platform where SK Group has a public profile.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ITM Power: UK-based PEM electrolyzer manufacturer focused on green hydrogen production systems. Direct comparable to FEST's Green Electrolyser product line with overlapping target customers in industrial decarbonization and mobility refueling.
• Epiroc: Swedish mining and infrastructure equipment manufacturer (demerged from Atlas Copco). Directly comparable to HAZEMAG, PERFORATOR, and Nerospec SK for crushing, drilling, and underground mining communication technologies serving similar mining and quarry customers.
• McPhy Energy: French hydrogen equipment manufacturer producing alkaline and PEM electrolyzers plus refueling stations. Comparable mid-cap peer to SK Group's integrated hydrogen offering, focused on industrial and mobility applications in Europe.
• Metso: Finnish industrial company specializing in mineral processing and aggregates equipment. Directly comparable to allmineral and HAZEMAG product lines for crushers, screens, and processing plants serving cement, aggregates, and mining customers globally.
• Nel ASA: Norwegian pure-play hydrogen technology company producing PEM electrolyzers and hydrogen refueling stations. Directly comparable to SK Group's Maximator Hydrogen and FEST subsidiaries as both offer end-to-end hydrogen production and dispensing infrastructure.
• thyssenkrupp nucera: German electrolyzer specialist (formerly thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers) offering large-scale alkaline and PEM electrolysis. Comparable to FEST's modular PEM electrolyzer business with similar industrial customer focus on green hydrogen at scale.

Broad incumbents

• MAN Energy Solutions: German manufacturer of large-bore engines, turbomachinery, and compressors including hydrogen compression systems. Comparable to Maximator's high-pressure compression and hydrogen business, particularly for industrial-scale and maritime hydrogen applications.
• Siemens Energy: Global energy technology incumbent with a broad hydrogen portfolio including PEM electrolysis (Silyzer) and grid-scale energy solutions. Larger, publicly listed, and competes with SK Group's full hydrogen value chain offering as part of a much wider portfolio.
• Atlas Copco: Swedish industrial group with leading positions in compressors, high-pressure equipment, and mining/construction tools. Comparable to SK Group's Maximator (high-pressure), HAZEMAG (mining crushing), and PERFORATOR (drilling) product lines, but operates at much larger scale with broader product portfolio.
• Cummins / Accelera: US-based global power technology company with Accelera hydrogen business covering PEM electrolyzers and fuel cell systems. Comparable to SK Group's hydrogen portfolio but with much larger corporate resources and broader mobility/industrial customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schmidt-kranz-&-co.-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schmidt, Kranz & Co