Merlett Group

What Merlett Group does

Merlett Group operates as a brand within Continental AG's ContiTech division (ContiTech Deutschland GmbH), specializing in the manufacture of thermoplastic and rubber industrial hoses for European B2B markets. The company produces a portfolio of flexible hose solutions built on proprietary manufacturing processes, including the Armorvin single-pass extrusion of molten PVC around a pre-formed steel spiral, the Vacupress thermoplastic suction-and-transfer construction (available in transparent form), and braided textile hose techniques using opposing polyester yarn reels. Core product series span Vacupress, Armorvin, America, Spiraled Air, Superflex, Texitile Hose, Jamaica Layflat, and Spiral Guard, with specialized variants targeting food-and-beverage (Nevada PHF, Vacupress Eno Phf, Vacupress Food, Armorvin Total Pu Oil TPHF), aquaculture (certified Live Fish Transport Hoses), woodworking, and abrasive-material applications. Certifications include ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 at the Italian headquarters.

Merlett serves six primary end-verticals — agriculture, general industry, transports, nautical, building/construction, and food industry — across 12 European countries (Italy, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Benelux, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland). The company sells exclusively through a B2B channel-partner model, operating the Industrial Fluid Solutions Partner Portal for distributors and leveraging Continental's broader global industrial distribution network. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Revenue and customer-level financials are not separately reported; results consolidate within Continental AG. The company positions itself as a market leader in thermoplastic flexible hoses across most served markets and combines localized country websites with trade-fair presence (e.g., Enomaq 2023) and a LinkedIn/YouTube social presence under the Continental Industry brand.

The business is wholly owned by Continental AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange ticker: CON), a publicly listed diversified industrial conglomerate; Merlett operates as a brand-level entity under ContiTech Deutschland GmbH with no independent capital structure, no disclosed management team, and no standalone fundraising activity. End-customers are reached via regional offices (e.g., Nurmijarvi, Finland; Wijchen, Netherlands) and a long tail of distributors, with no large anchor end-customer concentration disclosed.

Name

Merlett Group

Legal name

ContiTech Deutschland GmbH

Website

https://merlett.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Merlett Group operates as a Continental/ContiTech brand manufacturing thermoplastic and rubber industrial hoses for European B2B customers across agriculture, industry, transport, nautical, construction, and food sectors, sold exclusively through an Industrial Fluid Solutions distributor partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Hoses

NAICS

Rubber and Plastics Hoses and Belting Manufacturing (326220), Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912)

SIC

Gaskets, Packg & Sealg Devices & Rubber & Plastics Hose (3050), Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Hoses & Tubing (Rubber/Elastomer) (IMANALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hoses, Tubing & Fittings (Hydraulic/Pneumatic Lines & Connectors) (IMAHAGAH)

Keywords

• Industrial hose manufacturing
• Thermoplastic hose production
• Rubber hose solutions
• Industrial fluid handling
• Flexible hose systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Varese

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Hose Sales: B2B sales of thermoplastic and rubber industrial hoses to distributors, end users in agriculture, industry, transport, nautical, construction, and food sectors. Products sold through channel partner network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Merlett Group manufactures and sells thermoplastic and rubber industrial hoses, including reinforced PVC and polyurethane hoses with steel spiral or braided textile reinforcement. Products are designed for suction, delivery, and transfer of liquids, gases, and bulk materials across agriculture, general industry, transport, nautical, construction, and food and beverage processing applications. Specialized variants serve food-grade, winery/brewery/olive oil, aquaculture (live fish transport), woodworking, and oil/abrasive material handling.

Product overview

Merlett Group, operating under Continental's industrial hoses division, offers a comprehensive portfolio of thermoplastic and rubber industrial hoses for diverse applications. The core product lines include Thermoplastic Hoses (leadership position in agriculture, general industry, transports, nautical, building, and food industries) and Rubber Hoses (designed for wide variety of industrial and commercial applications). Product series include Vacupress (thermoplastic suction/transfer hoses), Armorvin (steel wire reinforced PVC hoses), America (PVC spiral hoses), Spiraled Air (air transport), Superflex (polyurethane hoses), Texitile Hose (braided hoses), Jamaica Layflat (flat hoses), and Spiral Guard (protective covers). The company also offers specialized solutions for fish farming/aquaculture, food/beverage processing (wine, beer, olive oil industries), and woodworking applications. The product portfolio spans multiple material types (PVC, polyurethane), reinforcement methods (spiral, braided), and certifications for various industrial standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vacupress Series: First true thermoplastic suction and transfer hose, including transparent versions
• Armorvin Series
• America Series
• Superflex Series
• Jamaica Layflat Series
• Superflex PU AllRounDuct
• Nevada PHF
• Vacupress Eno Phf
• Armorvin Total Pu Oil TPHF

Products and services

• Thermoplastic Hoses

Quantifiable outcome

• 28,000+ trade visitors and 1,059 brands from 20 countries at Enomaq 2023 trade fair

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Continental GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMerlett operates as a brand under ContiTech Deutschland GmbH (Continental Industry), part of the Continental Group. As a technology partner, Continental offers products and systems combining rubber and plastic with metal or fabric, creating future-oriented solutions in cooperation with electronic components.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Parker Hannifin Corporation: Parker Hannifin operates a global industrial hose and fluid handling division (Parflex, Parker Industrial Hose) serving the same industrial, automotive, and chemical processing end markets; as a much larger diversified motion and control technologies company, it is a broad incumbent overlapping with Merlett's hose portfolio.
• Eaton Corporation: Eaton's Industrial Hose and Fluid Handling division produces hoses and fittings for oil & gas, chemical, food, and industrial applications; as a diversified power management company, it competes in industrial hoses as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Saint-Gobain (Fluid Systems / Tygon): Saint-Gobain's Fluid Systems division produces specialty polymer hoses and tubing for food & beverage, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications — comparable in food-grade certified hose technology and specialty thermoplastic constructions.

Direct peers

• Kuriyama of America: Kuriyama manufactures PVC, polyurethane, and rubber industrial hoses including suction, discharge, and transfer hoses for agriculture, construction, food, and general industry — directly comparable product breadth with similar thermoplastic and rubber hose categories.
• Gates Industrial Corporation: Gates is a major manufacturer of industrial and hydraulic hoses, belts, and fluid transfer products serving agriculture, construction, automotive, and industrial end markets globally — directly comparable to Merlett's product breadth and B2B distribution model.
• Trelleborg AB: Trelleborg's Engineered Products segment manufactures industrial polymer and rubber hoses for material handling, fluid transfer, and industrial applications across similar end markets (marine, agriculture, construction, food), making it a direct comparable in thermoplastic and rubber industrial hose production.
• Semperit AG Holding: Semperit's Industrial Solutions segment produces rubber and polymer industrial hoses for material handling, food processing, and chemical applications — a European-headquartered competitor with overlapping product portfolio and customer base in industrial and food-grade hose markets.

Others

• HEXPOL AB: HEXPOL is a global manufacturer of rubber compounds and engineered polymer products serving hose and belt manufacturers as an upstream supplier; adjacent because it supplies the rubber compounds used in industrial hose production rather than competing directly in finished hose manufacturing.

Emerging players

• Hanna Rubber: Hanna Rubber is an Australian-based industrial hose manufacturer and distributor specializing in rubber and PVC hoses for mining, agriculture, and industrial applications; a regional player with overlapping product focus but different geographic footprint.
• Dixon Valve & Coupling Company: Dixon manufactures and distributes industrial hoses, fittings, and couplings for fluid handling across chemical, food, petroleum, and industrial markets; comparable through its industrial hose and fitting portfolio but stronger on fittings than hose manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ContinentalIndustry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merlett-tecnoplastic-spa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Merlett Group