KUHN water experts

What KUHN water experts does

KUHN GmbH Technische Anlagen, operating as 'KUHN water experts,' is a German family-owned manufacturer of mechanical water and wastewater treatment equipment founded in 1926 and headquartered in Höpfingen, Baden-Württemberg. The company designs and builds custom-engineered machinery including Archimedean screw pumps (KWS series), mechanical screens (KHU, KSR, KGR, KST), screenings wash presses (KWP/KWP-P) and spiral conveyors (KSF), grit handling systems, and complete turnkey plant solutions for drinking water (ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, deacidification) and wastewater treatment. Manufacturing, R&D, and an in-house hydraulics laboratory are co-located at the Höpfingen headquarters, supporting a 'KUHN 360' integrated offering that bundles mechanical engineering with electrical engineering, process control (FlowChief), installation, and 24/7 service to eliminate multi-vendor interface risk. Over 2,500 KUHN machines are deployed across municipal utilities in Germany, the USA, Hungary, India, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand.

The company serves primarily municipal water and wastewater operators—including named references such as Kläranlage Groß-Gerau, Kläranlage Aachen-Soers, Ruhrverband, EGLV, ARA Nahetal, Hardheim (a €14.5 million plant), and Stadtwerke Wertheim—with a secondary industrial water-treatment and hydropower niche. Revenue is generated through project-based one-time equipment sales, plant construction, and recurring service contracts; pricing follows milestone payments (30% on order, 60% on delivery, 10% on commissioning for orders above €20,000). Distribution combines a direct technical sales force for the DACH market with channel partners internationally—VULCAN Industries (USA, 50-year relationship) and EBEPLAN (Hungary)—leveraged through German Water Partnership (GWP) and DWA industry-association memberships. The business is controlled by the Kuhn family in its third generation of management (Managing Directors Jürgen Kuhn and Dr. Michael Kuhn) with a structured succession plan (Peter Kuhn and Janis Kuhn), and is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary in June 2026.

Name

KUHN water experts

Legal name

KUHN GmbH Technische Anlagen

Website

https://kuhn-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KUHN GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of custom-engineered mechanical water and wastewater treatment equipment—screw pumps, screens, wash presses, and complete plant systems—serving primarily municipal water utilities worldwide through direct sales and international channel partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Water Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing (334514)

SIC

Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561), Water Supply (4941), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Softener, Filtration & Treatment System Installation (HSAOAAAH), Water Systems & Treatment (Pumps/Boilers/Water Heaters/Filtration) (IMAIABAK)

Keywords

• Wastewater treatment equipment
• Water screw conveyors
• Municipal water treatment
• Mechanical screening systems
• Drinking water plants

Headquarters

HQ city

Höpfingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment Manufacturing: Custom manufacturing of mechanical treatment equipment including screw pumps, screens, screenings handling systems, grit treatment, and conveyors. Equipment is individually produced to customer specifications based on application requirements.
2. Plant Construction and Installation: Complete plant construction services including drinking water and wastewater treatment plant installation. Includes piping, pumps, containers, fittings, filtration systems, reverse osmosis, and deacidification systems. Also covers crane plants, building heating and ventilation.
3. Electrical and Automation Technology: Complete electrical engineering trade services including switchgear with cabling, process control systems with FlowChief, for waterworks, deacidification, water conveyance, and extraction wells.
4. Maintenance and Service: Service department providing maintenance, repair, and emergency services for installed equipment and plants. 24/7 emergency hotline available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

KUHN GmbH manufactures and individually engineers mechanical water and wastewater treatment equipment — including Archimedean screw pumps, screening systems, screenings wash presses, grit handling systems, and conveyor equipment — along with complete turnkey plant construction for drinking water and wastewater applications. The company delivers all services from a single source: design, manufacturing, installation, electrical and automation engineering (including FlowChief process control systems), commissioning, and 24/7 maintenance. Products are custom-built per application requirements and shipped globally to municipal water utilities, wastewater associations, and industrial customers.

Product overview

KUHN GmbH offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial water and wastewater treatment solutions organized as individual machines and complete plant systems. The core product line includes screw pumps (KWS), screens (KHU-B XL, KGR, KST), screenings handling systems (KSF conveyors, KWP wash presses), combined systems, grit handling, and conveyor equipment. These machines are complemented by electrical and automation technology including FlowChief process control systems, and complete turnkey plant solutions for drinking water treatment (ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, deacidification) and wastewater treatment. KUHN provides all services from a single source — design, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance — under the tagline 'water experts – world wide.' The company also offers specialized tools like the Stauverlust-Rechner head loss calculator and maintains subsidiaries including KUHN PSA GmbH. All products are manufactured in Germany (Höpfingen) with individual customization to avoid interface problems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Screw Pumps (KWS / Wasserförderschnecken) Archimedean screw pumps for water and wastewater lifting applications, used for pumping water, sewage, and in hydropower generation. Designed for municipal and industrial applications.
• Screens (KHU-B XL, KSR, KGR, KST) Mechanical screening equipment for wastewater treatment including coarse screens, fine screens, multi-screen systems (KHU-B XL), filter stage screens (KSR), hinged screens (KGR), and drum screens (KST) for different flow capacities.
• Screenings Handling Systems (KSF, KWP, KWP-P) Complete systems for screenings treatment including KSF twin-shaft spiral screw feeders and KWP/KWP-P Premium wash presses that wash, dewater, and compress screened materials for wastewater treatment plants.
• Combinated Systems (Kompaktanlagen) Compact, integrated treatment systems combining multiple processes in space-saving configurations for industrial water technology applications.
• Grit Handling Systems (Sandbehandlung) Grit washing and treatment systems for removing and processing sand and grit from wastewater, including complete grit handling equipment for municipal treatment plants.
• Conveyor Systems (Förderer) Material handling conveyor systems including spiral conveyors for transporting screenings, grit, and other materials within treatment plants.
• Electrical & Automation Technology (KUHN Elektrotechnik) Electrical engineering and automation solutions including switchgear, cabling, process control systems (FlowChief), and instrumentation for complete plant control in water and wastewater treatment facilities.
• Drinking Water Treatment Plants (Trinkwasser) Complete drinking water treatment plants and systems including pipelines, pumps, containers, fittings, filtration systems (ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis), deacidification, activated carbon filtration, and chemical dosing stations for municipal water supply.
• Wastewater Treatment Plants (Abwasser) Complete wastewater treatment plants and systems for municipal and industrial applications including mechanical and biological treatment processes, sewage sludge treatment, and complete plant and machine technology installation.
• KUHN Services (Installation, Maintenance, 24/7 Support) Comprehensive service offerings including installation, commissioning, maintenance, repair, and 24/7 emergency support for KUHN equipment and third-party systems, delivered by an in-house service department with dedicated emergency hotline.
• Flow Measurement Systems (KUHN Durchflussmessungen) Flow measurement technology and solutions for monitoring water and wastewater flow rates in treatment systems, integrated into KUHN plant deliveries.
• Component Manufacturing (KUHN Komponentenfertigung) Custom component manufacturing services for specialized parts and equipment used in water and energy systems, leveraging in-house production capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,500 machines in operation worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VULCAN IndustriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2025American partner celebrating 50th anniversary in 2025. Long-standing distribution partnership for KUHN products in the USA market. KUHN's 2,000th washing press shipped to VULCAN for installation in Irvine, California, replacing an older KUHN KWP after long service life.
• EBEPLANcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Hungarian partner company that assisted with installation, assembly, and commissioning of first KUHN KWS Archimedean screw pump delivered to Hungary in 2024 for sewage treatment plant in Veszprém.
• German Water Partnership (GWP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKUHN Managing Director Dr. Michael Kuhn serves on the GWP board. Partnership enables participation in international business trips (Mexico, India), feasibility studies, and market development initiatives. GWP facilitates connections with water ministries and municipal authorities in target markets.
• DWA (German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association membership. Hosted Federal Advisory Council meeting at company premises. Active engagement in developing industry standards and concepts for future water treatment requirements including EU Urban Wastewater Directive implementation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Water Technologies: Global EPC and equipment provider for municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment. Competes with KUHN on turnkey plant delivery including drinking water (ultrafiltration, RO, deacidification) where KUHN is a niche provider.
• Sulzer: Swiss-headquartered global pump and rotating equipment manufacturer with significant water and wastewater applications. Competes with KUHN on pumping equipment for municipal lift stations and broader water infrastructure projects.
• ANDRITZ Group: Austrian multinational supplying pumps, screens, and complete water/wastewater treatment plants globally. Competes with KUHN on larger municipal tenders and has substantially larger scale and balance sheet.
• Xylem: US-listed global water technology major with a portfolio spanning pumps, treatment equipment, and digital water solutions. Competes against KUHN in municipal tenders where digital/IoT bundling is increasingly required.

Direct peers

• Invent Umwelt- und Verfahrenstechnik: German engineering company specializing in mechanical and biological wastewater and sludge treatment technology. Direct peer in mid-sized DACH municipal-wastewater EPC and equipment supply.
• Börger GmbH: German manufacturer of rotary lobe pumps and macerators for wastewater, biogas, and industrial applications. Direct peer in custom-engineered pumping equipment for municipal and industrial water markets with comparable scale and family-owned structure.
• HUBER SE: German manufacturer of mechanical water and wastewater treatment equipment (screens, grit handling, sludge treatment) headquartered in Berching. Most direct competitor in the DACH market with very similar product architecture and municipal customer base.
• Landia A/S: Danish manufacturer of submersible mixers, aerators, and pump systems for wastewater treatment plants. Direct peer in municipal pumping and mixing equipment with comparable niche-manufacturer positioning.
• WAMGROUP S.p.A. Italian-headquartered manufacturer of screw conveyors, feeders, and bulk-solid handling equipment with wastewater screening and grit handling overlap. Comparable custom-engineering business model serving industrial and municipal customers.
• SPIRAC (Spirol Group): UK/Swedish-headquartered manufacturer of screw conveyors, screenings handling, and grit treatment equipment for wastewater plants. Direct overlap with KUHN's KSF, KWP, and grit-handling product families globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xxing.com/pages/kuhngmbhtechnischeanlagen
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kuhn.GmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kuhn-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/kuhn__de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 KUHN water experts