What Kohlstadt does

Kohlstädt GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of custom industrial enclosures and human-machine interface (HMI) components, founded in 1976 by Manfred Kohlstädt in Vlotho, Germany, and now led by Thomas Kohlstädt as Managing Partner. The company operates from a single 20,000 m² production site employing approximately 330 people, producing sheet metal enclosures, membrane keyboards, front foils, touch integration modules, and glass-based operator interfaces. It produces from piece number 1 through series production and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 50001:2018, ISO 13485:2016, DIN EN 17460, and TL A-0023 certifications, qualifying it for medical, rail, and defense supply chains.

The technology stack is vertically integrated under one roof: Trumpf laser/punch combinations, HSC milling centers, MAG/WIG/laser welding, in-house electrolytic anodizing with 500 kg batch capacity, screen printing up to 1020 x 1410 mm, and clean-room optical bonding (LOCA up to 27", OCA up to 42"), plus ESD-protected assembly. Notable proprietary capabilities include a hybrid construction (Hybridbauweise) that combines precision-milled front plates with sheet metal bending to reduce material waste, and the only in-house anodizing plant among comparable regional suppliers. Reference production volumes include 25,000+ medical Infusomat keyboards annually, up to 500 LNG dispensers per year, and several thousand train cockpit elements installed in trains worldwide.

The business model is B2B custom contract manufacturing: revenue is generated from one-time orders for designed-to-specification enclosures and assemblies plus professional services for surface treatment, with no public pricing or e-commerce channel. Sales are executed through a regional field sales force covering D-Süd/A/CH, West, Nord, Hausgebiet, and Mitteldeutschland, supported by a technical sales team that engages customers from the concept phase. Disclosed annual revenue is €31.5 million, with the customer base spanning medical technology, energy (wind, EV charging, LNG), transport and traffic (rail, maritime), food industry, mechanical and plant engineering, and — most recently — defense.

Name

Kohlstadt

Legal name

Kohlstädt GmbH

Website

https://kohlstaedt.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kohlstädt GmbH is a German family-owned manufacturer of custom industrial enclosures, membrane keyboards, touch systems, and HMI components, serving enterprise customers across medical, energy, transport, food, mechanical engineering, and defense verticals primarily in Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Enclosures and HMI Components Manufacturing

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411), Electronic Computer Manufacturing (334111), Machinery Manufacturing (333)

SIC

Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Control Panels & Enclosures (Panel Building, MCCs, Integration) (IMAGABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Embedded & HMI Electronics Manufacturing (Industrial PCs, HMIs, Panel PCs) (IMAGAGAD), Industrial Panel PCs & HMI Terminals (HDACALAE), Enclosures, Boxes & DIN-Rail Hardware (junction boxes, cabinets, panel enclosures, DIN rail, gland plates) (IMAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Custom industrial enclosures
• Membrane keyboards manufacturing
• HMI components
• Sheet metal fabrication
• Industrial surface treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Vlotho

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Industrial Enclosures and HMI Components: Custom manufacturing of industrial enclosures, operating units, sheet metal parts, and HMI components. Production from piece number 1 to series production. Revenue generated from design, engineering, manufacturing, and assembly services.
2. Surface Treatment Services: Anodizing, powder coating, painting, galvanic coating, and passivation services for aluminum and steel components.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kohlstadt manufactures custom industrial enclosures and human-machine interface (HMI) components, including membrane keyboards, front foils, touch-integrated panels, glass operator interfaces, and sheet metal parts. Production runs from piece number 1 to series volume, with in-house capabilities covering construction, laser cutting, punching, bending, welding, HSC milling, anodizing (Eloxal), screen printing, optical bonding, and assembly on a single 20,000 m² site.

Product overview

Kohlstadt is a specialist manufacturer of custom industrial enclosures and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) components. Their core product portfolio centers on Industriegehäuse (industrial enclosures) and Folientastaturen (membrane keyboards/input systems), complemented by Frontfolien (front foils), Glastechnologien (glass technologies), and Touchintegration (touch integration). Supporting services include sheet metal processing, screen printing, in-house anodizing, surface treatments, assembly, construction/project engineering, and logistics. The company produces from piece number 1, offering fully customized solutions primarily serving the energy, food, medical, transport, machinery, and defense industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Enclosures (Industriegehäuse) Custom-manufactured industrial enclosures and housings produced from sheet metal, including switch cabinets (Schaltschränke), PC and operator enclosures (PC- und Bediengehäuse), 19-inch enclosures, front panels (Schilder/Frontplatten), drawing parts (Zeichnungsteile), welded constructions (Schweißkonstruktionen), and modified standard enclosures. Designed for OEM customers in medical, energy, transport, food, mechanical engineering, and defense.
• Membrane Keyboards and Input Systems (Folientastaturen / Eingabesysteme) Custom membrane keyboards and input systems including LED-illuminated keyboards, EL-foil illuminated keyboards, PCB keyboards, short-travel keyboards, and dome keyboards. Sold as standalone input products for industrial OEM applications.
• Front Foils and Design Foils (Frontfolien / Designfolien) Custom-designed front foils and design foils for industrial interfaces, available in polyester and polycarbonate materials with various surface finishes, sold as standalone overlay components.
• Touch Integration (Touchintegration) Integration of touch screen technologies into enclosures and front panels using OCA bonding, LOCA liquid bonding, and air gap bonding in a clean room environment. Sold as a standalone touch integration service for OEM customer products.
• Glass Technologies (Glastechnologien)
• Assembly Services (Assemblierung)
• Construction and Project Engineering (Konstruktion und Projektierung)
• Logistics Services (Logistik)

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced material waste through hybrid construction
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TouchNetixcoreTechnology or IntegrationTouchNetix is a global market leader in innovative touch technology experiences. Partnership enables implementation of demanding customer projects with flexibility, quality, and long-term industrial availability that convinces customers from many industries.
• OWL MaschinenbauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network of partners and experts in Ostwestfalen-Lippe. Regular exchange provides customers with current solutions, innovative ideas, and highest quality through combined expertise, proven experience, and modern approaches.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Phoenix Mecano: Swiss-listed industrial enclosures and electromechanical components group owning Bopla, Rose, Dewert and others. Operates broadly in the same enclosures / HMI space through multiple brands.
• Rittal: Large German industrial enclosure manufacturer (part of Friedhelm Loh Group). Overlaps on enclosures, control cabinets, and panel PCs but at significantly larger scale and with broader catalog offerings.

Direct peers

• Schurter: Swiss/German manufacturer of input systems, HMI components, and enclosures for industrial and medical applications. Overlaps directly on membrane keyboards, touch integration, and certified medical/industrial production.
• Hoffmann + Krippner: German specialist in membrane keyboards, touch systems and HMI input devices. Most directly comparable to Kohlstädt on input-systems and HMI offering, with similar custom low-volume positioning.
• Bopla Gehäuse Systeme (Phoenix Mecano): Custom and standard industrial enclosures, panel PC housings, and HMI terminals. Closely comparable on custom enclosure / HMI positioning, with similar German Mittelstand service profile.
• OKW Gehäusesysteme: Manufacturer of standard and customized plastic/aluminum enclosures plus HMI solutions. Comparable product range for industrial enclosures and operating units, with stronger catalog positioning.
• Fischer Elektronik: German maker of enclosures, heatsinks, and HMI components including touch systems. Directly comparable on integrated enclosure + HMI electronics manufacturing for industrial customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Kohlstadt