Birn
Birn is a 130-year-old Danish private foundry group operating six subsidiaries across Northern, Central, and Southern Europe that delivers integrated cast iron solutions—design, casting, machining, and surface treatment—to enterprise customers in commercial vehicles, construction equipment, hydraulics, transmissions, and defence.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1896
- HeadquartersHolstebro, Denmark
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Birn does
Birn, legally Vald. Birn A/S, is a Danish private cast iron foundry group founded in 1896 in Holstebro and owned through the Vald. Birn Holding A/S and Vald. Birn Fond foundation structure. It operates six wholly-owned subsidiaries in Denmark (BIRN Holstebro, TASSO Odense, ULDALL Vejen), Germany (BIRN Germany in Müllheim), Sweden (KOCKUMS MASKIN), and Italy (TASSO BERNAREGGI, acquired 2020), employing approximately 750 people and shipping cast iron components to 25 countries.
The core offering is a full-service foundry concept covering design, pattern equipment production, casting on five fully automatic DISAMATIC moulding lines (~45,000 tons annual capacity), CNC machining across 50+ centres, surface treatment, and assembly support. Production is differentiated by proprietary EASYpour AI dosing technology (developed with pour-tech AB), the IBM/Energi Danmark Flex Platform pilot for electricity flexibility, circular-economy recycling inputs (93% recycled materials), and a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) documentation service. Quality and sustainability certifications include IATF 16949, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, and BV Mode II.
BIRN serves enterprise customers across five primary segments: commercial vehicles, construction equipment and material handling, mobile and industrial hydraulics, transmission and machine elements, and defence. Named customers include Scania, Väderstad (agricultural machinery, December 2024 win), BODY BIKE (27-year relationship), and Krones. The group reported EUR 167 million in 2025 revenue (+2.7% year-on-year) and a return to profit of EUR 1.74 million after tax, compared with a EUR 4.7 million loss in 2024. Revenue is generated through quote-based, project-specific contracts with multi-year horizons, sold via direct enterprise field sales led by Chief Sales Officer Peter Frost Jepsen.
Birn firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Birn
- Legal name
- Vald. Birn A/S
- Website
- https://birn.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1896
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Birn is a 130-year-old Danish private foundry group operating six subsidiaries across Northern, Central, and Southern Europe that delivers integrated cast iron solutions—design, casting, machining, and surface treatment—to enterprise customers in commercial vehicles, construction equipment, hydraulics, transmissions, and defence.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Birn industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Cast Iron Foundry
- NAICS
- Iron Foundries (331511), Foundries (3315), Steel Foundries (except Investment) (331513)
- SIC
- Iron & Steel Foundries (3320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Steel Casting (Continuous Casting, Ingots, Semi-Finished Slabs/Billets/Blooms) (IMAKABAD)
Keywords
Where Birn is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Holstebro
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Birn business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cast Iron Components Manufacturing: Custom cast iron components manufactured to customer specifications, serving diverse industries including commercial vehicles, construction equipment, hydraulics, transmissions, and defense. Revenue generated through project-based production from concept to final product.
- Full-Service Foundry Solutions: One-stop-shop services including design, pattern equipment production, casting, machining, surface treatment, and assembly support. Integrated service offering from initial concept to final casting product.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Birn product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Birn is a Northern European cast iron foundry group that designs, produces, and supplies cast iron components and assemblies for industrial customers. Its offering spans raw casting, downstream processing (including machining), assembly, surface treatment, and development partner services delivered from its foundry base in Holstebro, Denmark.
Product overview
BIRN is one of Northern Europe's largest cast iron foundries with roots dating back to 1896, offering comprehensive casting solutions from concept to final product. The company operates as the BIRN Group, a foundry consortium of six distinct brands (BIRN, TASSO, ULDALL, KOCKUMS MASKIN, BIRN Germany, and TASSO BERNAREGGI) unified by a shared mission to unlock the full potential of cast iron. The core product is a full-service foundry offering that includes Design, Pattern Shop, Casting (on five automatic Disamatic moulding lines producing ~45,000 tons annually), Machining (50+ CNC centers), and Surface Treatment. Added-value services include a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) service for carbon documentation and Fast Lane Prototyping for rapid small-series production. The group serves diverse industry segments including Commercial Vehicles, Construction Equipment, Mobile/Industry Hydraulics, Transmission/Machine Elements, and Defence, shipping to 25 countries worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cast iron casting production Core cast iron molding and casting service producing cast iron components for industrial buyers in heavy-industry sectors such as commercial vehicles and construction equipment.
- Processing / machining Post-casting processing service, including CNC machining, supplied to industrial customers that need finished or semi-finished cast iron components rather than raw castings.
- Assembly Sub-assembly and integration service that combines cast iron components with other parts into higher-level assemblies for industrial customers.
- Surface treatment Industrial surface treatment and finishing service applied to cast iron components to meet corrosion, wear, or appearance specifications required by buyers.
- Development partner services Engineering and development collaboration service in which Birn works with industrial customers on the design, material selection, and process optimization of cast iron components prior to and during production.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25% reduction in natural gas consumption through heat recovery technology
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Birn
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Birn technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Birn partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- VäderstadcoreBIRN will supply cast iron solutions to Väderstad, one of Scandinavia's largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery. BIRN's one-stop-shop concept and sustainability focus were key factors in supplier selection.
- IBMcorePartnership to regulate foundry electricity consumption through Flex Platform. IBM developed the green technological solution in collaboration with Energi Danmark to enable intelligent adaptation of electricity consumption.
- Energi Danmark (Andel Energi)corePartnership with IBM and BIRN to implement Flex Platform for power regulation pilot project. Collaboration aims to relieve the electricity grid and ensure better balance through energy consumption optimization.
- pour-tech ABcorePartnership to implement EASYpour® AI technology for optimizing dosing of molten iron from casting machines into molds. pour-tech AB is the global market leader in automatic pouring solutions.
- DISAcore50-year partnership developing casting technology side by side. BIRN is one of the largest and most flexible iron foundries in the Nordic region partly due to this collaboration with DISA on casting technology.
- KronesminorInternational apprenticeship exchange partnership between BIRN and Krones in Flensburg, Germany. Apprentices are exchanged across national borders as part of the Metal Industry Training Committee's international initiative.
- BODY BIKEcore27-year partnership supplying flywheel, crank and pedal arms for all BODY BIKE spinning bikes. BIRN has played a key role in developing bikes through expertise and innovative solutions, with ULDALL also involved in prototype development.
- Metal Industry Training CommitteeminorInitiative focused on strengthening apprentices' professional and personal development through placements abroad. BIRN participates in international apprenticeship exchange programs.
- ErhvervsForum HolstebrominorOrganizer of Sustain Week where companies, researchers, and specialists gather to develop innovative sustainable solutions. BIRN participates to find alternative materials and technologies for iron and steel scrap recycling.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Birn competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Grede Holdings: Major US-based iron foundry producing ductile, gray, and CGI castings for commercial vehicle, construction, and industrial markets. Comparable integrated foundry model serving similar OEM end-markets as BIRN.
- Waupaca Foundry: One of the largest iron foundries in North America producing gray and ductile iron castings for automotive, commercial vehicle, and industrial customers. Highly comparable to BIRN in scale, customer mix, and integrated casting/machining capabilities.
- Neenah Foundry / Metaltek International: Specialty iron and steel casting producer serving heavy industrial, pumps/valves, and machinery markets. Comparable in product breadth across iron casting grades and integrated machining capability.
- Siempelkamp Foundry: German large-format iron foundry serving heavy machinery, marine, and energy markets. Closest European geographic peer to BIRN with similar high-tonnage casting capability and industrial OEM customer base.
- Eisenwerk Erla (voestalpine): Austrian/German iron foundry producing cast iron components for commercial vehicles and machinery. Highly comparable European competitor serving overlapping truck and industrial OEM customers.
Others
- DISA (Norican Group): Manufacturer of DISAMATIC moulding lines used by BIRN. 50-year technology partnership cited in BIRN's materials, making DISA both a key supplier and a comparable foundry-equipment ecosystem player.
- Vesuvius plc: Global supplier of foundry consumables and refractory solutions for iron and steel foundries. Comparable industry exposure to BIRN's foundry customers though as a materials supplier rather than a foundry operator.
- ASK Chemicals (now ASK Chemicals GmbH): Global supplier of foundry consumables (binders, coatings, feeders) to iron foundries including BIRN. Adjacent ecosystem participant enabling iron casting operations rather than a direct competitor.
Emerging players
- Nelcast Limited: Indian iron foundry producing castings for commercial vehicles, railways, and industrial machinery. Emerging cost-competitive peer operating in lower-cost geography serving similar end-markets globally.
- Scania (as customer-supplier adjacency): Major commercial vehicle OEM and BIRN's longest-standing customer. While not a competitor, Scania's vertical integration trend represents the adjacent direction BIRN's customers could move.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Birn social profiles
Digital presenceBirn compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Birn financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Birn leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Birn subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Birn funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Birn 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 Birn
What does Birn do?
Birn is a Northern European cast iron foundry group that designs, produces, and supplies cast iron components and assemblies for industrial customers. Its offering spans raw casting, downstream processing (including machining), assembly, surface treatment, and development partner services delivered from its foundry base in Holstebro, Denmark.
Is Birn a public or private company?
Birn is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Birn founded?
Birn was founded in 1896. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Birn based?
Birn is headquartered in Holstebro, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Birn make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Cast Iron Components Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are full-Service Foundry Solutions.
Who are Birn's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Grede Holdings, Waupaca Foundry, Neenah Foundry / Metaltek International, Siempelkamp Foundry and Eisenwerk Erla (voestalpine). Others are DISA (Norican Group), Vesuvius plc and ASK Chemicals (now ASK Chemicals GmbH). Emerging players are Nelcast Limited and Scania (as customer-supplier adjacency).
Does Birn have an API?
No public API is recorded for Birn.
What industry is Birn in?
Birn's product category is Industrial Cast Iron Foundry. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKABAD, Steel Casting (Continuous Casting, Ingots, Semi-Finished Slabs/Billets/Blooms). Its NAICS code is 331511 and its SIC code is 3320.