Harding Safety AS

What Harding Safety AS does

Harding Safety AS is a Norway-based marine safety equipment company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Rosendal, with a headcount of 11-50 employees. The company specialized in the design, manufacture, and supply of marine safety equipment — primarily lifeboats, davits, rescue craft, and related deck equipment used on commercial vessels, offshore platforms, and naval ships — products that are subject to stringent international maritime safety regulations (e.g., SOLAS) and class society certification. Harding Safety AS expanded through inorganic growth, acquiring Norwegian lifeboat and davit manufacturer Noreq on 2013-06-13 for an undisclosed sum, and received private equity backing from Nordic firm Herkules Capital in July 2013 to support its marine safety operations.

In 2016, Harding Safety AS was acquired by PALFINGER's marine business, ending its status as an independent entity and integrating it into what is now branded as PALFINGER Marine, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PALFINGER AG (a Vienna Stock Exchange-listed company, ticker PAG). As part of PALFINGER Marine, Harding Safety's product portfolio became embedded within a global marine deck equipment business that includes marine and offshore cranes, winches, lifeboats, rescue and tender boats, davits, fenders, and offshore passenger transfer systems. Distribution occurs through PALFINGER's worldwide dealer and service network spanning over 130 countries with 200 dealers and more than 5,000 service points, supplemented by digital platforms PALDRIVE (e-commerce/inventory) and PALDESK (customer support). Revenue mechanics for the broader marine business combine hardware sales (equipment, parts and accessories) with professional services including industrial rope access, lifeboat engine dynamometer testing, and hooks/re-hooking services. The company's customer base spans offshore oil and gas, merchant cargo, passenger and cruise, governmental/naval, offshore wind, and aquaculture segments.

Name

Harding Safety AS

Legal name

PALFINGER AG

Website

https://harding.no

Company type

Public

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harding Safety AS is a Norway-based marine safety equipment manufacturer (founded 2013, Rosendal) specializing in lifeboats, davits, rescue craft, and deck equipment. Acquired by PALFINGER in 2016, it now operates within PALFINGER Marine's global marine safety and offshore equipment business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Safety Equipment

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Life-Saving Appliances & Safety Equipment (Davit Systems, Lifeboats, Firefighting) (IMAJAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Yacht Tenders & Support Craft Manufacturing (IMAJAMAK), Piping, HVAC & Auxiliary Systems Repair (TLAKAKAH)

Keywords

• Marine safety equipment
• Lifeboat systems
• Marine davit solutions
• Offshore lifesaving appliances
• SOLAS-compliant rescue craft

Headquarters

HQ city

Rosendal

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of heavy equipment including cranes, container handling solutions, aerial platforms, marine equipment, and railway systems. Products sold through dealer network globally.
2. Parts and Accessories: Sales of replacement parts and accessories for equipment maintenance and repairs
3. Services: Marine services including industrial rope access services, lifeboat engine dynamometer testing, hooks and re-hooking services, and global marine service footprint
4. Financial Services: Financial services launched to strengthen customer experience, supporting equipment purchases

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Harding Safety AS designs, manufactures, and supplies marine lifesaving and deck safety equipment, including lifeboats, rescue boats, tender boats, davits, fenders, winches, marine and offshore cranes, and offshore passenger transfer systems. The company serves commercial shipping operators, offshore energy platforms, cruise vessels, and governmental maritime fleets through PALFINGER Marine's global dealer and service network. Founded in 2013 in Rosendal, Norway, the company became part of PALFINGER's marine business following its 2016 acquisition.

Product overview

PALFINGER offers a comprehensive portfolio of lifting solutions and equipment organized into distinct product categories. The core offerings include Knuckle Boom Cranes and specialized cranes (Material Handling, Epsilon Timber Loaders, Epsilon Refuse Loaders, Service Cranes) for construction, forestry, and waste management applications. Container Handling Solutions encompass Hooklifts, Cable Hoists, and Container Delivery Units. The aerial platforms category includes Bucket Trucks with 34-45 ft working heights. Material handling is supported by Liftgates and Truck-Mounted Forklifts. Specialty vehicles include Mechanics Trucks (Class 3-7 chassis with 3,200-14,000 lb cranes). Marine operations are served by Marine and Offshore Cranes, Winches, Lifeboats, Davits, and Fenders. Railway Systems address rail-specific needs. The portfolio is complemented by digital platforms PALDRIVE (inventory/e-commerce) and PALDESK (customer service), enabling customers to browse turn-key inventory and access support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PALDRIVE: Inventory and equipment platform for truck-mounted equipment
• PALDESK
• Epsilon Timber Loaders
• Epsilon Refuse Loaders
• PAL Pro

Products and services

• Lifeboats, Rescue, and Tender Boats SOLAS-compliant lifeboats, rescue boats, and tender boats for maritime safety, crew evacuation, and personnel transfer on commercial vessels and offshore platforms.
• Davits Davit systems for launching and retrieving lifeboats, rescue boats, and related equipment on vessels and offshore platforms.
• Fenders Marine fenders for vessel protection during mooring operations.
• Marine and Offshore Cranes Deck cranes for marine and offshore applications including offshore wind, oil and gas, merchant cargo, and offshore passenger operations.
• Marine Winches Marine winches for lifting, pulling, and mooring operations on vessels.
• Offshore Passenger Transfer System Offshore passenger transfer systems for safe movement of personnel between vessels and offshore installations.
• Lifeboat Engine Dynamometer Test Stand Service Marine service for testing and certifying lifeboat engine performance on lifeboat installations.
• Industrial Rope Access Services Industrial rope access services for inspection, maintenance, and repair of marine and offshore assets.
• Hooks and Re-Hooking Services Hooks and re-hooking services for lifeboat and davit release and retrieval systems during periodic inspection and recertification.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TTS Group ASA: Norwegian provider of marine deck equipment and cargo handling systems including hatch covers and shipboard cranes — overlapping marine deck equipment product set with Harding Safety AS.
• MacGregor: Marine cargo and load handling specialist (part of Cargotec), with offshore and shipbuilding deck machinery — comparable as a broader marine equipment incumbent with overlapping deck hardware portfolio.
• PALFINGER Marine: PALFINGER's wholly-owned marine business (parent of/sister to Harding Safety AS), providing marine deck equipment, offshore cranes, winches, lifeboats, and davits — directly overlapping marine safety equipment product portfolio.

Regional players

• Umoe Mandal: Norwegian shipyard building specialized vessels including offshore and high-speed craft — comparable Norwegian marine industrial peer in adjacent vessel-build and offshore segments.
• Nishi-F: Japanese manufacturer of lifeboats and marine safety equipment — comparable lifeboat specialist primarily serving Asian shipyards and shipowners.

Direct peers

• Hatecke: German lifeboat and davit manufacturer offering free-fall lifeboats and release systems — closely comparable niche marine safety equipment specialist.
• Viking Life-Saving Equipment: Marine safety equipment specialist (now part of Survitec) providing lifeboats, davits, and evacuation systems — directly comparable product range and customer base to Harding Safety AS.
• Fassmer: German manufacturer of lifeboats, davits, rescue boats, and other marine safety equipment — a directly comparable lifeboat and davit specialist serving shipyards and shipowners globally.
• Survitec Group: Global marine safety and survival equipment provider (successor to Umoe Schat-Harding), offering lifeboats, davits, and survival services — directly comparable to Harding Safety AS in lifeboats/davits and global safety service coverage.

Emerging players

• Jiangsu Haian Marine Equipment: Chinese manufacturer of marine lifesaving equipment including lifeboats and davits — emerging low-cost competitor in marine safety appliances.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PALFINGERAG
• Facebookfacebook.com/palfingerglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/noreq
• Instagraminstagram.com/palfingerag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harding Safety AS