HOVA Mechanical Engineering
HOVA Maschinenbau GmbH is a family-owned Austrian manufacturer of custom vacuum lifting devices, crane systems, and manipulators, serving glass, industrial manufacturing, construction, and automotive customers across Europe via direct Austrian sales and channel partners in Turkey, France, and Poland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersAdlwang, Austria
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What HOVA Mechanical Engineering does
HOVA Maschinenbau GmbH is a privately held, family-owned Austrian mechanical engineering company founded in 2003 by Ing. Gerhard Holzner (who had opened an engineering office in 2001) and headquartered in Adlwang, Upper Austria. The company designs, manufactures, and installs custom vacuum lifting devices, crane systems, manipulators, electric rope balancers, magnetic and clamping lifters, and complete turnkey handling systems under the HOVAMAT brand. Product configurations span eight lifter variants (H, HV 90°/180°, V, VD 90°/200°/360°, HVD), plus battery-powered (AKKU) portable units with load capacities up to 1200 kg, all featuring 2-circuit vacuum systems compliant with EN13155. The product portfolio is supported by an in-house engineering bureau (Ingenieurbüro) for consulting, design, and project management, and HOVA holds EN ISO 9001:2015 certification — the first and only Austrian manufacturer of vacuum lifting equipment to do so.
The company's business model centers on quote-based, custom-engineered equipment sales to enterprise industrial B2B customers, with no public pricing. Go-to-market combines direct sales from the Austrian headquarters with three dedicated channel-partner offices: Turkey (since 2012), France via M.E.S. Sarl (since 2018), and Poland via MACSOLUTION. Marketing relies on a six-language website (German, English, French, Turkish, Polish, Ukrainian), active participation in European trade fairs (FENSTERBAU FRONTALE in Nuremberg, BATIMAT in Paris, Glasstec in Düsseldorf), and a multi-platform social presence. Recurring revenue streams include scheduled annual inspections and AM-VO regulatory maintenance, spare parts, repair services, and a battery-powered lifter rental (Leihgeräte) program.
Target verticals are predominantly glass and window fabrication/installation (primary) and general industrial manufacturing (primary), with secondary presence in construction and automotive. The company operates at a small scale of 11–50 employees, with revenue and financials not publicly disclosed. HOVA positions itself as the only Austrian vacuum lifting manufacturer and operates as a European-wide service center for vacuum lifters of all brands — a switching-cost lever beyond its own installed base. The Holzner family holds all central management positions (Gerhard, Daniel, Roland, and Hannelore Holzner), with no disclosed external investors, and the company has progressively scaled capacity via a 2020 production doubling and 2022 office space doubling at its Adlwang facility.
HOVA Mechanical Engineering firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HOVA Mechanical Engineering
- Legal name
- HOVA Maschinenbau GmbH
- Website
- https://hova.at
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- HOVA Maschinenbau GmbH is a family-owned Austrian manufacturer of custom vacuum lifting devices, crane systems, and manipulators, serving glass, industrial manufacturing, construction, and automotive customers across Europe via direct Austrian sales and channel partners in Turkey, France, and Poland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HOVA Mechanical Engineering industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Lifting Equipment and Material Handling
- NAICS
- Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923)
- SIC
- Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hoists (Electric, Manual & Pneumatic) (IMAHAJAG), Crane & Hoist Components (Wire Rope, Chain, Drums, Sheaves, Motors, Controls) (IMAHAJAK), Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing (IMAHAJAN)
Keywords
Where HOVA Mechanical Engineering is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Adlwang
- HQ country
- Austria
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
HOVA Mechanical Engineering business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Lifting Equipment Sales: Sale of custom-designed vacuum lifters, manipulators, crane systems, and specialized lifting equipment. Products are designed, manufactured, and installed according to customer-specific requirements. Revenue is generated through one-time equipment sales with optional ongoing service contracts.
- Rental Equipment: Rental of battery-powered vacuum lifters with load capacities up to 1200 kg for short-term or long-term use. Provides flexible access to equipment without capital purchase, serving construction sites and workshop needs.
- Service, Maintenance & Spare Parts: Annual inspections, maintenance, repairs, and spare parts supply for lifting equipment. Includes mandatory legal inspections per European standards and AM-VO regulations. Also serves as European service center for vacuum lifters of all types.
- Turnkey Complete Systems: Design, manufacturing, and installation of complete turnkey lifting systems combining vacuum lifters, crane systems, and rail systems from HOVA's product portfolio into integrated customer solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom quotation-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
HOVA Mechanical Engineering product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HOVA Mechanical Engineering designs, manufactures, and installs custom vacuum lifting devices, crane systems, manipulators, and ergonomic material handling solutions for industrial customers. Its HOVAMAT product line covers vacuum lifters (battery-powered and stationary), slewing and rail crane systems, magnetic and clamping lifters, electric rope balancers, shelf unloading devices, and integrated turnkey handling systems. The company also provides rental equipment, spare parts, maintenance, annual inspections, and engineering consulting services.
Product overview
HOVA Maschinenbau GmbH is an Austrian mechanical engineering company specializing in individualized vacuum lifting technology and crane systems. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio centered on the HOVAMAT brand of vacuum lifters, which handle materials including glass, windows, steel, aluminum, wood, doors, furniture, stone, and plastics. The product range includes battery-powered vacuum lifters (AKKU series), column and wall-mounted slewing cranes, aluminum rail systems, weight-balancing manipulators, magnetic and clamping lifters, electric rope balancers, and shelf unloading devices. The company also provides turnkey complete systems (Komplettanlagen), automation solutions with intelligent controllers, custom special solutions, rental equipment, and engineering consulting services. HOVAMAT PLUS+ represents an intelligent load monitoring system that prevents operator errors. The portfolio is complemented by the HOVA Spezial-Handlinggriff ergonomic control handle and electric chain hoists with variable speed control. All products are manufactured in-house and can be combined into customized integrated systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HOVAMAT: Product brand for vacuum lifters, manipulators, and lifting equipment systems.
- HOVA Maschinenbau
Products and services
- HOVAMAT Vacuum Lifters (Vakuumheber) Vacuum lifters for handling glass, windows, steel, aluminum, wood, doors, furniture, stone, and plastics, available in multiple rotation and configuration variants for industrial manufacturers and installers.
- AKKU Battery-Powered Vacuum Lifters Portable battery-powered vacuum lifters with 2-circuit safety systems for construction sites, workshops, and field deployments requiring capacity up to 1200 kg.
- Kransysteme Crane Systems Lightweight aluminum rail systems and column- or wall-mounted slewing cranes for ergonomic material handling, designed to integrate with HOVA vacuum lifters.
- Manipulatoren Manipulators Industrial manipulators with automatic weight balancing for fast and precise positioning, palletizing, depalletizing, machine loading, press loading, and assembly operations across industries.
- Magnet- & Klemmheber (Magnetic & Clamping Lifters) Ergonomic devices using magnetic or mechanical clamping attachments for lifting, tilting, and rotating ferrous and mechanical-clamped components.
- Seilbalancer Electric Rope Balancers Electric rope balancers with automatic weight balancing via integrated scales, lifting speeds up to 650 mm/s, and individual load capacities up to 600 kg.
- Regalentnahmegerät Shelf Unloading Device Vacuum lifter with integrated electric chain hoist for extracting panels from shelving, used for handling wood, glass, windows, doors, metal, plastics, or stone in storage environments.
- Komplettanlagen Complete Systems Turnkey integrated lifting systems combining HOVA rail systems, slewing cranes, and lifting devices supplied as a single integrated solution to industrial customers.
- Automatisierung Automation Solutions Automated transfer systems and machine integration solutions with intelligent controllers for customized system concepts aimed at increasing production efficiency.
- Sonderlösungen Custom Special Solutions Custom-designed lifting equipment including special clamping grippers, magnetic systems, battery vacuum lifters, and specialized handling solutions engineered for individual customer applications.
- Leihgeräte Rental Equipment Rental service for battery-powered vacuum lifters with 2-circuit safety systems compliant with EN13155, available in various models for short-term or long-term use.
- Service, Wartung & Inspektion (Maintenance, Repair, Annual Inspection) Annual inspections, maintenance, repairs, spare parts supply, conversions, and technical acceptance services for HOVA and third-party lifting equipment; designated European service center for vacuum lifters of all types.
- Ingenieurbüro Engineering Consulting Technical engineering office services including consulting, dimensioning, construction, project management, and budgeting for custom lifting and material handling solutions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Single-operator capability for glass facade installation and heavy material handling
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use HOVA Mechanical Engineering
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
HOVA Mechanical Engineering technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
HOVA Mechanical Engineering partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- M.E.S. Sarl (HOVA France)coreSales representative office established in France in 2018. Contact: [email protected], +33 388727570.
- HOVA TurkeycoreSales representative office established in Turkey in 2012 to serve customers in Turkey and surrounding regions. Contact: [email protected], +90 532 120 60 93.
- MACSOLUTION Sp. z o.o. (HOVA Poland)coreSales representative office serving Poland. Contact: [email protected], +48 683778081.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
HOVA Mechanical Engineering competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Konecranes: Global leader in cranes, hoists, and material handling solutions. Operates broadly in industrial lifting equipment including crane systems that overlap with HOVA's slewing cranes and rail systems, though Konecranes does not specialize in vacuum lifting technology.
- Demag (Konecranes): Industrial crane and hoist brand under Konecranes offering overhead cranes, hoists, and material handling components. Comparable in crane systems and lifting components serving industrial customers, though at much larger scale and broader portfolio than HOVA.
Direct peers
- Schmalz: German-based global market leader in vacuum automation and material handling. Directly comparable as a vacuum lifter and ergonomic handling system manufacturer serving glass, metal, wood, and packaging industries with overlapping product categories (vacuum lifters, crane systems, clamping technology).
- AERO-LIFT Vakuumtechnik: German vacuum lifting technology specialist offering vacuum tube lifters, crane systems, and jib cranes. Comparable mid-sized European manufacturer with similar product depth in vacuum-based material handling and custom Sonderlösungen.
- TAWI: Swedish manufacturer of vacuum lifters, hoists, and cranes for ergonomic material handling. Highly comparable product portfolio across vacuum lifters, crane systems, and lifting aids targeting similar industrial customers in glass, manufacturing, and logistics.
- Anver Corporation: US-based vacuum lifter and material handling equipment manufacturer. Comparable vacuum lifting product line including battery-powered and pneumatic vacuum lifters, jib cranes, and custom engineered solutions for similar industrial applications.
- Binar Quick-Lift: Swedish intelligent lifting solutions company offering pneumatic and electronic lifting manipulators. Comparable in ergonomic handling equipment and custom-engineered lifting solutions for industrial assembly and manufacturing.
Emerging players
- Vacuworx: US-based vacuum lifting systems manufacturer focused on heavy-duty applications in construction, oil & gas, and pipeline industries. Comparable vacuum lifting technology but differentiated toward heavier industrial/lifting applications versus HOVA's lighter industrial/factory use cases.
- Piab: Swedish vacuum technology company offering vacuum pumps, grippers, and end-of-arm tooling. Adjacent in vacuum technology but focused more on components and automation integration than complete lifting systems; serves overlapping industrial customers.
- Schaefer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau: German-based custom engineering and special machine manufacturer offering automation and handling solutions. Comparable as a regional custom-engineered industrial handling solutions provider with similar customer segments in German-speaking markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
HOVA Mechanical Engineering social profiles
Digital presenceHOVA Mechanical Engineering financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HOVA Mechanical Engineering leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
HOVA Mechanical Engineering funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HOVA Mechanical Engineering M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HOVA Mechanical Engineering
What does HOVA Mechanical Engineering do?
HOVA Mechanical Engineering designs, manufactures, and installs custom vacuum lifting devices, crane systems, manipulators, and ergonomic material handling solutions for industrial customers. Its HOVAMAT product line covers vacuum lifters (battery-powered and stationary), slewing and rail crane systems, magnetic and clamping lifters, electric rope balancers, shelf unloading devices, and integrated turnkey handling systems. The company also provides rental equipment, spare parts, maintenance, annual inspections, and engineering consulting services.
Is HOVA Mechanical Engineering a public or private company?
HOVA Mechanical Engineering is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was HOVA Mechanical Engineering founded?
HOVA Mechanical Engineering was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is HOVA Mechanical Engineering based?
HOVA Mechanical Engineering is headquartered in Adlwang, Austria, in the Europe region.
How does HOVA Mechanical Engineering make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Lifting Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are rental Equipment, service, Maintenance & Spare Parts and turnkey Complete Systems.
Who are HOVA Mechanical Engineering's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Konecranes and Demag (Konecranes). Direct peers are Schmalz, AERO-LIFT Vakuumtechnik, TAWI, Anver Corporation and Binar Quick-Lift. Emerging players are Vacuworx, Piab and Schaefer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau.
Does HOVA Mechanical Engineering have an API?
No public API is recorded for HOVA Mechanical Engineering.
What industry is HOVA Mechanical Engineering in?
HOVA Mechanical Engineering's product category is Industrial Lifting Equipment and Material Handling. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHABAE, Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial), with a secondary code of IMAHAJAG, Hoists (Electric, Manual & Pneumatic). Its NAICS code is 333923 and its SIC code is 3537.