Herbert
Herbert is a family-owned German manufacturer, founded in 1905, that supplies tire molds, hydraulic curing presses, tire-building drums, and related tooling to major global tire manufacturers from facilities in Hünfeld and Akron.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1905
- HeadquartersHünfeld, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Herbert does
Herbert is a privately held, family-owned German industrial company founded in 1905 and headquartered in Hünfeld, Germany, with a second production facility in Akron, Ohio, USA. The company designs and builds machinery, molds, and tooling used by tire manufacturers to produce passenger-car, motorcycle, truck, and aircraft tires. Its core products are tire molds, hydraulically curing heating presses (for vulcanization), tire-building machines and drums (including the proprietary XHR extreme-high-range tread and belt drum), bladder molds and presses, transfer rings, post-cure inflators, and mold containers for storage and transport. The portfolio is positioned as a single-source offering for tire vulcanization and assembly.
The business runs on a direct enterprise B2B model, selling custom-engineered capital equipment and tooling to essentially every major global tire manufacturer. Revenue streams consist of hardware sales (machinery, molds, containers, drums) and contract manufacturing / engineering services (large-part turning and milling). Pricing is quote-based rather than list-based, reflecting the custom-engineered nature of each line. Indirect channels include trade-show presence (e.g., the ITEC Show in Cleveland). The company holds ISO 9001:2015 across all entities (Germany and USA), ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management, a Siemens Solution Partner certification (since end of June 2024, formally handed over September 2024), and a 2012 Deutsche Bundesbank Notenbankfähig rating.
Herbert employs approximately 180 people across the group and is led by CEO and managing shareholder Matthias Walter. The 2024 commercial moves — the XHR drum launch co-developed with BPS Engineering, the Siemens partnership, and a long-term order book extending into 2030 — describe a mature Mittelstand supplier extending product depth and automation integration rather than a growth-stage challenger. The June 2025 120th-anniversary event underscores a continuity-oriented operating posture.
Herbert firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Herbert
- Legal name
- Herbert Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://herbert.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1905
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Herbert is a family-owned German manufacturer, founded in 1905, that supplies tire molds, hydraulic curing presses, tire-building drums, and related tooling to major global tire manufacturers from facilities in Hünfeld and Akron.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Herbert industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tire Manufacturing Equipment
- NAICS
- Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)
- SIC
- General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Off-the-Road (OTR) & Heavy Equipment Tires Manufacturing (IMANAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Commercial Truck & Bus Tires Manufacturing (IMANAKAC), Industrial/Solid & Specialty Tires (Forklift, Skid-Steer) Manufacturing (IMANAKAI)
Keywords
Where Herbert is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hünfeld
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Herbert business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Machinery and Mold Sales: Sale of tire manufacturing machinery including tire heating presses, tire molds, tire building machines, tire building drums, bladder molds, bladder curing presses, transfer rings, and containers
- Engineering and Subcontract Manufacturing Services: Subcontract manufacturing including turning and milling of large machine parts, and engineering services for tire manufacturing
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Herbert product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Herbert manufactures and supplies machinery, molds, tire mold containers, tire building drums, and related tooling for the production of tires. Its portfolio covers the full vulcanization workflow, from hydraulic tire heating presses and tire molds to bladder curing presses, transfer rings, post cure inflators, and tire building machines. The company also provides subcontract manufacturing and engineering services, including turning and milling of large machine parts.
Product overview
Herbert is a manufacturer of machinery and molds for the tire industry, operating since 1905. The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio for tire manufacturing centered around vulcanization and tire building equipment. Core offerings include Tire Molds, Tire Curing Presses (hydraulic heating presses for PSR, motorcycle, truck, and aircraft tires), and Tire Building Drums (including the proprietary XHR extreme high range drum with 12-inch diameter range). Supporting products include HERBERT Mold Containers, Post Cure Inflators (PCI), Bladder Molds and Curing Presses, Transfer Rings, and Tire Building Machines. The company also provides subcontract manufacturing and engineering services including turning and milling of large machine parts. Herbert serves all major tire manufacturers globally with production facilities in Germany (headquarters) and the USA.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HERBERT Mold Container: Container system for tire mold storage and handling
- Post Cure Inflator (PCI)
Products and services
- Tire Molds Precision molds used in tire vulcanization for shaping tires during the curing process, supplied to global tire manufacturers for PSR, motorcycle, truck, and aircraft tire production.
- HERBERT Mold Container Containers designed for transporting and storing tire molds, providing protection and organization for tooling used in tire production.
- Tire Curing Presses Hydraulically curing heating presses for vulcanization of PSR, motorcycle, truck, and aircraft tires, available in all types and sizes as part of Herbert's single-source vulcanization portfolio.
- Tire Building Machines Machines used in the tire building process for assembling the various components of a tire prior to vulcanization.
- Post Cure Inflator (PCI) Equipment for post-treatment of tires after vulcanization, used to finalize tire geometry and quality characteristics.
- Tire Building Drums Drums used in tire building machines for assembling tire components, including the proprietary XHR extreme high range tread and belt drum with 12 inches of diameter range.
- Bladder Molds Molds for curing tire bladders used in the vulcanization process as part of Herbert's complete vulcanization tooling portfolio.
- Bladder Curing Presses Presses specifically designed for curing tire bladders, complementing Herbert's range of vulcanization and bladder equipment.
- Transfer Rings Components used in tire building and vulcanization processes for material transfer between production stages.
- Subcontract Manufacturing and Engineering Services Contract manufacturing and engineering services including turning and milling of large machine parts, supplied to industrial customers needing specialized heavy machining capacity.
Quantifiable outcome
- 120+ years of industry experience providing reliable equipment to tire manufacturers
Companies that use Herbert
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Herbert technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Herbert partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SiemenscoreSince end of June 2024, HERBERT Maschinen- und Anlagenbau became official Siemens Solution Partner in Automation Drives. This partnership required strict certification every 2-3 years and provides deep know-how in Siemens products, systems and applications. The partnership enables optimized customer solutions and is listed in the Siemens Partner Finder.
- BPS EngineeringcoreHERBERT presented the XHR (extreme high range) belt and tread drum together with BPS Engineering at the ITEC Show. BPS manufactured the drum at their facility in Greenback while Herbert collaborated on development.
- DHBW StuttgartminorHERBERT sponsors DHBW Stuttgart students with parts for racing cars constructed and built by students. Ongoing sponsorship relationship for educational support.
- Bimatec-SoraluceminorSponsored the 120-year celebration with Spanish wine and ham products
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Herbert competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kobe Steel: Large Japanese industrial conglomerate whose machinery business includes tire and rubber processing equipment. Comparable via tire machinery offering, though tire manufacturing is one segment within a much broader industrial portfolio.
Direct peers
- McNeil & NRM: US-based manufacturer of tire curing presses and related rubber processing equipment. Direct overlap with Herbert's tire curing/heating press product line, particularly relevant for North American tire OEM customers.
- HF Mixing Group: German manufacturer of tire curing presses and mixing equipment for the rubber industry. Directly competes with Herbert's tire heating / curing presses, with overlapping tire OEM customers.
- Troester: German-headquartered specialist in rubber and tire extrusion equipment. Comparable as a precision German engineering supplier to global tire manufacturers, with adjacent (rather than fully overlapping) product scope to Herbert's vulcanization tooling.
- VMI Group: Dutch-based leading manufacturer of tire building machines and rubber processing equipment. Directly comparable to Herbert's tire building machines and drums product line, serving the same global tire OEM customer base.
- Comerio Ercole: Italian manufacturer of calendering and rubber processing equipment for the tire industry. Comparable niche European specialist serving tire OEMs with complementary (pre-vulcanization) process equipment.
- Mesnac: Chinese integrated supplier of tire manufacturing equipment covering mixing, extrusion, building, and curing. Comparable as a one-stop-shop supplier to global tire OEMs but with broader scale and lower-cost positioning than Herbert.
Emerging players
- Pelmar Engineering: Israel-based supplier of used, rebuilt, and new tire manufacturing equipment plus engineering services. Partially comparable to Herbert as a tire-industry equipment provider, but with a stronger focus on second-hand and refurbishment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Herbert social profiles
Digital presenceHerbert compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Herbert financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Herbert leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Herbert subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Herbert funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Herbert 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 Herbert
What does Herbert do?
Herbert manufactures and supplies machinery, molds, tire mold containers, tire building drums, and related tooling for the production of tires. Its portfolio covers the full vulcanization workflow, from hydraulic tire heating presses and tire molds to bladder curing presses, transfer rings, post cure inflators, and tire building machines. The company also provides subcontract manufacturing and engineering services, including turning and milling of large machine parts.
Is Herbert a public or private company?
Herbert is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Herbert founded?
Herbert was founded in 1905. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Herbert based?
Herbert is headquartered in Hünfeld, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Herbert make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Machinery and Mold Sales are the primary driver. The others are engineering and Subcontract Manufacturing Services.
Who are Herbert's main competitors?
Kobe Steel is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are McNeil & NRM, HF Mixing Group, Troester, VMI Group, Comerio Ercole and Mesnac. Pelmar Engineering is listed as an emerging player.
Does Herbert have an API?
No public API is recorded for Herbert.
What industry is Herbert in?
Herbert's product category is Tire Manufacturing Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAKAD, Off-the-Road (OTR) & Heavy Equipment Tires Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMANAKAC, Commercial Truck & Bus Tires Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 3339 and its SIC code is 3560.