What PASS does

PASS GmbH & Co. KG is a fourth-generation, family-owned German automotive supplier founded in 1920, headquartered in Schwelm, Germany. The company specializes in media-carrying pipe systems (medienführende Systeme) for vehicles, producing elastomer hoses, plastic pipes, metal piping, and assembled ready-to-install systems. Its four product categories — Thermal Management, Fluid Management, Emission Control, and Chassis Parts — serve applications including fuel, coolant, oil, and air transport; exhaust and crankcase ventilation; and NVH reduction in vehicle interiors.

The company operates with high vertical integration, controlling the value chain from in-house rubber compounding and material development through extrusion, injection moulding, PU foam production, metal processing, and full system assembly. Since 2020, PASS has extended into electronic components development. It serves all vehicle drivetrain types — combustion, hybrid, battery-electric, and fuel cell — using the same core product portfolio. Major customers include VW Group, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tesla, with production facilities in Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, and Mexico, employing approximately 4,500 people globally.

Revenue is generated through long-term contractual supply agreements for series production, with per-component pricing negotiated directly with automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. The company holds IATF 16949 automotive quality, ISO 14001 environmental, and ISO 50001 energy management certifications. PASS remains privately held with no external institutional investors or venture/PE funding.

Name

PASS

Legal name

PASS GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://pass.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

PASS is a fourth-generation, family-owned German automotive supplier founded in 1920, designing and manufacturing custom media-carrying pipe systems (rubber, plastic, metal, PU foam) for major OEMs including VW, Ford, Mercedes, BMW, JLR, and Tesla across six global production locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Components Manufacturing

NAICS

Rubber and Plastics Hoses and Belting Manufacturing (326220), Plastics Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing (326122)

SIC

Gaskets, Packg & Sealg Devices & Rubber & Plastics Hose (3050)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive Refrigerant Lines, Hoses & Thermal Plumbing (IMACALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Hoses & Tubing (Rubber/Elastomer) (IMANALAA), Hoses, Tubing & Fittings (Hydraulic/Pneumatic Lines & Connectors) (IMAHAGAH)

Keywords

• Automotive pipe systems
• Media-carrying systems
• Rubber compounding
• Fluid management components
• Automotive OEM supplier

Headquarters

HQ city

Schwelm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Automotive Components Manufacturing: PASS generates revenue by designing, manufacturing, and supplying custom media-carrying pipe systems and components to automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. Revenue is generated through long-term contractual supply agreements for series production, with pricing negotiated per component and volume.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

PASS designs, manufactures, and supplies media-carrying pipe systems and components for the global automotive industry. The company produces elastomer hoses, plastic pipes, metal lines, PU foam components, and fully assembled ready-to-install systems used in thermal management, fluid management, emission control, and chassis applications across combustion, hybrid, battery-electric, and fuel cell vehicles.

Product overview

PASS is a fourth-generation family-owned company providing complete media-carrying pipe systems for the automotive industry. The company operates as both a component manufacturer and system integrator, offering four integrated product categories: Thermal Management (cooling and heating systems for all vehicle types including BEV and fuel cell), Fluid Management (fuel, oil, coolant, and air transport systems), Emission Control (exhaust gas handling and particulate filter systems), and Chassis Parts (NVH reduction components including steering boots, bump stops, and ventilation lines). PASS produces elastomer hoses, plastic pipes, metal piping, and assembled systems using its high vertical integration from rubber compounding to ready-to-install piping systems. The company supplies major automotive manufacturers including VW Group, Ford, Mercedes, and BMW, with global production across 6 locations on 3 continents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thermal Management Thermal management systems for vehicles with all drive types including combustion engines, hybrid, battery-electric (BEV), and fuel cell vehicles. Includes coolant and heating piping systems for optimal thermal efficiency.
• Fluid Management High-quality media-carrying pipe systems for automotive fluid transport including fuel, water, air, and oil. Features elastomer hoses (single and multi-layer), plastic pipes, metal piping, and valve/connecting elements.
• Emission Control Pipe systems, elements, and valves for reducing hazardous emissions and achieving optimal exhaust gas values. Includes differential pressure lines for particulate filters and activated carbon filter pipe systems.
• Chassis Part Components for noise reduction and enhanced vehicle comfort. Includes steering boots, bump stops, plugs, mounts, and headlight ventilation lines that reduce NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) in vehicle interiors.
• Sensor Cleaning and Washing Valve Block Modular valve block for sensor cleaning with variable number of outputs and multifunctional output circuits. Used for windscreen washing systems and sensor cleaning.
• Fuel Pipe Systems Fuel pipe systems for engine fuel supply with requirements for pressure, crash safety, temperature, and emissions reduction.
• Oil Pipes Oil pipes for transporting engine oil for lubrication of exhaust gas turbochargers from the engine oil circuit and back.
• Coolant Piping Coolant pipe systems for carrying cooling medium from the coolant circuit to the exhaust gas turbocharger and back. Also includes coolant piping for BEV systems and fuel cell vehicles.
• Differential Pressure Lines Differential pressure lines for Otto and Diesel particulate filters transmitting the particulate filter overpressure onto the pressure sensor.
• Activated Carbon Filter Pipe Systems Activated carbon filter pipe systems for releasing activated carbon and feeding collected fuel back to the engine.
• Steering Boot Steering boot for acoustic and physical sealing of the vehicle interior, providing noise isolation between vehicle cabin and engine compartment.
• Electronic Components Electronic components developed since 2020, expanding PASS's portfolio beyond traditional mechanical media-carrying systems into electronics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero-defect quality target achieved through systematic quality planning during project phase
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• German Red Cross (DRK)minorOthersPASS has established a partnership with the German Red Cross (DRK) to provide a company kindergarten (Betriebskindergarten) in close proximity to their Schwelm location. The partnership provides a fixed quota of childcare places for employees' children, with the company subsidizing parental fees. This initiative supports work-life balance and is part of PASS's employee retention and benefits strategy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Norma Group: Norma Group is a smaller, focused supplier of engineered connecting technology (clips, clamps, hose connectors) for automotive and industrial customers — adjacent to PASS's metal-tube and connector assembly business.

Direct peers

• Cooper Standard: Cooper Standard is a focused Tier-1 automotive supplier of sealing, fuel and fluid delivery, and NVH systems, competing head-to-head with PASS in fluid-management hoses and chassis sealing for global OEMs.
• Gates Industrial: Gates manufactures industrial and automotive hoses and belts, with overlapping capabilities in reinforced multi-layer elastomer hoses and a global OEM customer base comparable to PASS's automotive hose portfolio.
• Hutchinson: Hutchinson (a TotalEnergies subsidiary) is a global specialist in rubber, elastomer, and fluid-management systems for the automotive industry, with overlapping product lines in media-carrying hoses, sealing, and NVH components — directly comparable to PASS's portfolio.
• Trelleborg AB: Trelleborg's automotive business supplies polymer-based sealing, damping, and hose solutions to global OEMs, with comparable material expertise in elastomers and a similar Tier-1 system-supplier positioning.
• TI Fluid Systems: TI Fluid Systems is a pure-play supplier of automotive fluid handling (fuel, coolant, brake, and powertrain lines) — a near-direct comparable to PASS's fluid management and thermal management product categories.
• Sumitomo Riko: Sumitomo Riko is a Japanese rubber and polymer specialist supplying automotive anti-vibration, hose, and sealing products, with comparable material-science depth and Tier-1 OEM customer relationships across ICE and electrified powertrains.

Broad incumbents

• Continental AG: Continental is a large, diversified automotive supplier whose ContiTech division covers industrial and automotive hose, fluid handling, and sealing — a broader portfolio that overlaps with PASS's media-carrying systems as one segment of a much larger business.
• Parker Hannifin: Parker Hannifin's Motion & Control Technologies include fluid connectors, hoses, and fittings supplied across industrial and mobile/automotive applications — a broad incumbent with overlapping hose and fitting capabilities.
• Eaton: Eaton's Vehicle Group produces fluid power, hose, and connector products serving commercial and passenger vehicle OEMs. While much larger and more diversified, Eaton overlaps with PASS in hose and fluid-routing components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pass-gmbh-co-kg

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries6 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 PASS