Ulefos

What Ulefos does

Ulefos is a Norwegian developer and manufacturer of infrastructure products for water supply (VA-teknikk), street goods (gategods), building and construction (bygg og anlegg), and outdoor environments (utemiljø). The company operates an in-house iron foundry at Ulefoss Jernværk that casts ductile and cast iron products using recycled scrap iron and renewable Norwegian hydropower, producing valves, manhole frames and covers (GULL, SØLV, BRONSE, ULTRA series), ductile pipes, drainage systems (Filcoten), and specialized solutions such as the Lod kjeftsluk for blue-green stormwater and the ReCirc 100% recyclable gasket. Technical differentiators include the Norwegian-developed Esco FLEX valve series (DN200–DN400), inspection-hole features integrated into manhole frames for quality control, and a pressure reduction valve with a patented seat design.

The business model is direct B2B sales to Norwegian municipalities, road authorities (Statens vegvesen), contractors (e.g., NCC), and engineering consultants (e.g., Norconsult) via a quote-based RFQ process. Pricing is project-specific, a standard catalog with NRF article numbers is published for SKUs, and customer advisors provide technical consultation. Distribution is single-country domestic (Norway), with products delivered to construction sites, municipal depots, and contractor locations. The company also operates the Ulefos Smart Water sub-brand for digital water-management solutions.

In January 2026, Ulefos Holding AS merged with Furnes Jernstøperi AS into a jointly owned company called CK Partners AS, anchored in the Cappelen and Kjær owner families, consolidating two domestic ductile iron foundries. The company employs 101–250 people and remains privately held, with no disclosed external funding or public listing.

Name

Ulefos

Legal name

Ulefos AS

Website

https://ulefos.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ulefos is a Norwegian foundry manufacturer of ductile iron infrastructure products — valves, manhole frames, ductile pipes, and stormwater drainage systems — serving Norwegian municipalities, road authorities, contractors, and engineering consultants through direct B2B sales and project-based RFQ pricing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Cast Iron Infrastructure

NAICS

Ferrous Metal Foundries (33151)

akta.pro primary industry

Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Steelmaking (Incl. DRI/HBI-Based) (IMAKABAB)

Keywords

• Water supply infrastructure
• Ductile iron foundry
• Manhole frames covers
• Stormwater drainage products
• Municipal cast iron goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Ulefoss

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Infrastructure Products (VA-teknikk, Gategods, Bygg & Anlegg): Sale of manufactured infrastructure products including valves, manhole frames and covers, ductile iron pipes, drainage systems, and construction components. Products are sold to municipalities, contractors, and engineering consultants via direct B2B sales. Pricing is quote-based for projects; catalog pricing available for standard components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ulefos manufactures and supplies cast iron and ductile iron infrastructure products at its foundry in Ulefoss, Norway, serving four core categories: VA-teknikk (water supply technology including valves, ductile pipes, and fittings), Gategods (municipal street goods including manhole frames, covers, and drainage products), Bygg og Anlegg (building and construction drainage and channel systems), and Utemiljø (outdoor environment solutions). Products are developed for Nordic climate conditions using recycled scrap iron and renewable hydropower.

Product overview

Ulefos is a Norwegian developer and manufacturer of physical infrastructure solutions for water, road, and street environment. The product portfolio consists of four core categories: VA-teknikk (water supply technology) including valves, ductile pipes, and the Ulefos AQ-valve configurator; Gategods (municipal goods) featuring manhole frames and covers in GULL, SØLV, BRONSE, and ULTRA series plus specialized LOD drainage systems; Bygg og Anlegg (building and construction) with Filcoten drainage systems and prefabricated concrete products; and Utemiljø (outdoor environment) including guide lines and park benches. Notable product innovations include the Ulefos Esco FLEX valve series (DN200-DN400) and the Ulefos ReCirc recyclable gasket. The company also offers Ulefos Smart Water for smart water management. All products are developed and produced in Norway at the Ulefoss foundry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ulefos Smart Water: Smart water solutions for digital water management
• Ulefos Esco FLEX
• Filcoten

Products and services

• VA-teknikk (Water Supply Technology) Complete range of water supply technology products including valves, fire fittings, ground taps, flange and joint sleeves, ductile pipes, sleeve pipe parts, flange pipe parts, tapping equipment, repair sleeves, and accessories for municipalities and water utilities.
• Gategods (Street/Municipal Goods) Manhole frames and covers in GULL, SØLV, BRONSE, and ULTRA series, dome grates, drains, dykkere, LOD kjeftsluk for local stormwater distribution, airport products, accessories, consoles, and ladders for municipalities and road authorities.
• Bygg og Anlegg (Building and Construction) Building and construction products including Ulefos Filcoten drainage systems, Ulefos design grates, granulatfanger grit catchers, prefabricated concrete manholes, grid grates and steps, covers, guide lines, tree grates and tree protectors for contractors and civil engineering firms.
• Utemiljø (Outdoor Environment) Outdoor environment solutions including guide lines (ledelinjer), park benches, and complete outdoor solutions for public spaces and urban areas.
• Ulefos Smart Water Smart water management solutions for modern water supply networks, integrating digital monitoring and management technology into VA infrastructure products.
• Ulefos Esco FLEX ventilserie (Esco FLEX Valve Series) Norwegian-developed and robust gate valve series with long service life for water supply applications. Available as single valves and valve crossings in dimensions DN200, DN250, DN300 and DN400.
• Ulefos ReCirc pakning (ReCirc Gasket) 100% recyclable gasket for Ulefos Ø650 manhole cover featuring wear-resistant and robust construction as part of a circular economy initiative.
• Ulefos kjeftsluk LOD (LOD Drain) Specialized drain for local stormwater distribution (LOD - Lokal OvervannsDistribusjon). Developed together with Statens vegvesen and Norconsult to direct stormwater from road surfaces to planted rain beds using delay and retention principles.
• Renseplugg FOAM (FOAM Cleaning Plug) Foam rubber cleaning plugs for pressure pipe cleaning. Hygienically sealed with up to 50% compression capability and density of 25 kg per m². Available in diameters from Ø50 to Ø670 for water utility pipe maintenance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Savings of 10-20 million NOK compared to conventional stormwater infrastructure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Furnes Jernstøperi AScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Ulefos Holding AS and Furnes Jernstøperi AS combined operations in a new jointly owned company, CK Partners AS, anchored in the Cappelen and Kjær families. The merger took effect in January 2026.
• Statens vegvesencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Ulefos was invited by Statens vegvesen (Norwegian Public Roads Administration) to co-develop the LOD kjeftsluk (local stormwater distribution) solution. This collaboration resulted in the Ulefos kjeftsluk LOD product, used in the award-winning Bjørnstjerne Bjørnsons gate project in Drammen. The project was a research and development initiative testing blue-green stormwater solutions.
• NorconsultcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architects from Norconsult partnered with Statens vegvesen and Ulefos to develop the LOD stormwater solution for Bjørnstjerne Bjørnsons gate in Drammen, contributing to the design and planning of the blue-green infrastructure.
• Anleggsgartnermester Wikholm ASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubcontractor responsible for establishing approximately 2000 meters of infiltration beds at the Mindemyren project in Bergen, using Ulefos kjeftsluk LOD for local stormwater distribution.
• Drammen kommunecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrammen municipality partnered with Statens vegvesen and Ulefos on the Bjørnstjerne Bjørnsons gate blue-green stormwater project, serving as the municipal client for the innovative LOD solution.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pipelife: Austrian-headquartered European pipe systems manufacturer. Ulefos distributes Pipelife-branded manhole frames and covers, and the two compete in municipal water and drainage infrastructure markets.
• AVK Group: Danish-headquartered manufacturer of valves, hydrants, and fittings for water and gas infrastructure. Comparable to Ulefos's VA-teknikk product line in terms of customer base (utilities/municipalities) and product category.
• ACO Drain: European manufacturer of drainage channels and stormwater management systems. Comparable to Ulefos's Filcoten drainage and LOD stormwater product lines in building and infrastructure applications.
• Furnes Jernstøperi AS: Norwegian foundry producing cast iron manhole frames, covers, and gully products. Furnes is the most direct historical peer to Ulefos and has now been combined with Ulefos into CK Partners AS as of January 2026.
• Uponor: Finnish provider of pipe systems for water supply, heating, and infrastructure. Comparable to Ulefos in serving Nordic municipalities with water and building infrastructure products, though focused on plastic rather than iron systems.
• Hawle Austria GmbH: Austrian manufacturer of valves, hydrants, and fittings for water supply networks. Direct overlap with Ulefos's VA-teknikk valve portfolio and shared focus on European municipal water infrastructure customers.
• Wavin: Dutch manufacturer of plastic pipe systems and drainage solutions for building and infrastructure. Ulefos distributes Wavin-branded manhole products and overlaps in drainage and stormwater management offerings.

Broad incumbents

• McWane: US-based manufacturer of cast iron pipe, fittings, valves, and infrastructure products. Comparable in ferrous foundry capability and product overlap (ductile iron pipes, manhole products, valves) but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Saint-Gobain PAM: French global leader in cast iron pipe systems, manhole covers, and water infrastructure solutions. Overlaps with Ulefos in ductile iron pipes, manhole frames, and covers, but operates at much greater scale across multiple continents.

Emerging players

• VonRoll Casting (VonRoll Casting AG): Swiss manufacturer of cast iron infrastructure products including manhole covers and drainage components. Comparable niche player serving European municipal markets with similar ferrous casting products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Ulefos