KBO

What KBO does

KBO (legal entity K.B.O, trading as KBO Cabine) is a French industrial company founded in 2008 that designs, manufactures, and supplies custom operator cabins, cabin components, climate-control systems, and related maintenance services for forklift trucks, material handling equipment, construction machinery, and agricultural equipment. Its core products include complete rigid cabins, semi-rigid cabins with flexible doors, air-conditioning-equipped cabins, modular cabin supplies (front/rear/roof panels, safety glass glazing, wipers, mirrors, warning lights), and add-on equipment such as safety portals, LED lighting, anti-breakage glass, and cabin pressurization systems. The air-conditioning product line, launched in 2014, delivers 5–7 kW cooling and a 5–10°C temperature differential and is supported by a separate maintenance and repair service. Manufacturing is anchored by a 120-employee production facility in Poland with state-of-the-art equipment, complemented by French headquarters and R&D/distribution near Lyon (Mornant and Saint-Laurent-d'Agny) whose logistics surface was doubled from 700 m² to 1,500 m² in a recent expansion.

KBO monetizes primarily through B2B direct hardware sales to forklift OEMs (Toyota, Still, Mitsubishi, Caterpillar, Hyundai, Linde, Manitou as core accounts; Hyster, Komatsu, Nissan, Unicarriers, Yale as secondary), aftermarket sales through dealer networks, and recurring maintenance contracts and spare parts supply. Pricing is quote-based, not publicly disclosed, and tiered from a basic equipment level to a complete plug-and-play cabin. The company is ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001 certified, CE compliant, holds a 12-month warranty on its cabins, and maintains a brand-specific technical documentation portal. There is no parent company, no disclosed external funding, and no public listing.

Name

KBO

Legal name

K.B.O

Website

https://cabine-kbo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KBO is a French industrial company founded in 2008 that designs and manufactures custom operator cabins, climate-control systems, and related maintenance services for forklift OEMs, material handling, construction, and agricultural equipment across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Equipment Cabin Manufacturing

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713), Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories (3714)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Body & Upfit Manufacturing (Box/Dump/Service/Refuse) (IMACAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Vehicle Body Manufacturing (Emergency/Military/Mobile Clinics) (IMACAGAD)

Keywords

• Custom forklift cabins
• Material handling equipment
• Cabin air conditioning
• Cabin maintenance services
• Industrial operator cabins

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-laurent-d'agny

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cabin supply and manufacturing: Custom cabin manufacturing for various forklift brands including Hyundai, Manitou, Caterpillar, Linde, Toyota, and others. Offers different service levels from minimum equipment to complete plug & play systems.
2. Equipment supplies: Wide range of cabin equipment including lighting, air conditioning, safety equipment, and accessories to optimize operator workspace
3. Maintenance and repair services: Aftermarket maintenance services including climate control maintenance contracts, spare parts supply, and technical support
4. Climate control solutions: Air conditioning installation and maintenance for operator cabins, launched in 2014 as part of service expansion

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KBO designs, manufactures, equips, and maintains custom operator cabins for forklift trucks, construction machinery, and agricultural equipment. The company offers complete rigid cabins, semi-rigid cabins, cabin-integrated air conditioning systems, and a full range of cabin supplies (panels, safety glass, wipers, mirrors, lighting) along with spare parts and maintenance services. Its products serve major OEM brands including Toyota, Still, Mitsubishi, Caterpillar, Hyundai, Linde, and Manitou.

Product overview

K.B.O (KBO Cabine) is a French company specializing in complete cabin solutions for forklift trucks and material handling equipment since 2008. The company operates a platform-plus-services model consisting of: (1) Core cabin products including rigid cabins, semi-rigid cabins, and cabins with integrated air conditioning; (2) Cabin supplies including front/rear/roof panels, safety glass, wipers, mirrors, and warning lights; (3) Equipment add-ons including safety portals, LED lighting, anti-breakage glass, and pressurization; (4) Air conditioning systems with 5-7 kW capacity; (5) Maintenance and documentation services. All products are CE certified with 1-year warranty. The company serves all major forklift brands including Toyota, Caterpillar, Linde, Hyundai, Manitou, Still, Mitsubishi, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Complete Rigid Cabin (Cabine rigide complète) Complete rigid cabin for forklift trucks offering high quality and performance for operator safety and comfort. Designed without drilling for maximum visibility and optimized integration with host equipment.
• Semi-Rigid Cabin (Cabine semi-rigide) Semi-rigid cabin with flexible left and right doors for forklift trucks, providing a balance of protection and accessibility for operators.
• Rigid Cabin with Air Conditioning (Cabine rigide avec climatisation) Complete rigid cabin equipped with hot/cold air conditioning system for optimal working comfort in all weather conditions. Combines rigid cabin structure with integrated climate control.
• Cabin Air Conditioning System (Climatisation de cabines) Air conditioning system for operator cabins with 5-7 kW cooling capacity delivering a 5-10°C temperature differential. Designed for retrofit and OEM integration on forklifts, construction, and agricultural machinery to improve operator comfort and productivity.
• Cabin Equipment and Supplies (Equipement et fournitures de cabines) Custom cabin supplies and equipment including front panels, rear panels, roof panels, safety glass windows, wiper systems, mirrors, warning lights, LED exterior lighting, safety portals, and anti-breakage safety glass for optimizing the operator work environment.
• Cabin Maintenance Services (Entretien et maintenance de cabines) Maintenance and servicing for cabins including assembly assistance, training, technical documentation, spare parts catalog, and 12-month warranty coverage. Supports customers throughout the product lifecycle.
• Air Conditioning Maintenance Services (Entretien et maintenance de climatisation) Technical follow-up, maintenance contracts, and repair services for cabin air conditioning systems to ensure long-term performance and reliability, including for construction and agricultural machinery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Temperature difference of 5-10°C with air conditioning systems
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Toyota Material HandlingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBO supplies custom cabin solutions for Toyota forklift trucks as part of the company's strategy to work with all major forklift brands. The partnership enables Toyota customers to access KBO's cabin customization and air conditioning services.
• Still (Forklift Trucks)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBO provides cabin solutions for Still forklift trucks, with the company logo displayed prominently on KBO's partner brands section, indicating a significant commercial relationship.
• Mitsubishi Forklift TruckscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCabin solutions supplied for Mitsubishi forklift trucks, featured in KBO's brand portfolio.
• CaterpillarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBO provides cabin solutions for Caterpillar material handling and construction equipment, listed among key partner brands.
• HyundaicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCabin supply partnership for Hyundai forklifts, with the company explicitly mentioning working with Hyundai among their major brand partnerships.
• LindecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBO supplies cabins for Linde forklift trucks as part of their multi-brand strategy, with catalogs available by brand.
• ManitoucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for cabin solutions on Manitou material handling equipment, explicitly listed as one of the major brands KBO works with.
• HysterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCabin solutions available for Hyster forklifts, listed in the documentation section for brand selection.
• KomatsuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDocumentation available for Komatsu equipment in the technical documentation portal.
• NissanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCabin solutions for Nissan forklifts, available through brand-specific documentation.
• UnicarriersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCabin solutions available for Unicarriers equipment through the documentation system.
• YaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for cabin solutions on Yale forklifts, documented in the brand selection system.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Grammer AG: German manufacturer of operator seats, headrests, and interior systems for commercial vehicles, agricultural, and construction equipment. Grammer competes with KBO for the cab interior comfort wallet at the same OEM customers (Linde, Still, etc.).
• Modine Manufacturing: U.S. thermal management specialist serving commercial vehicles, off-highway, and industrial markets with HVAC and cooling solutions. Modine is a broader incumbent but competes in the same vehicle cabin and equipment cooling space as KBO's AC business.
• Webasto SE: Large German automotive supplier specializing in roof systems, HVAC, and thermal management for commercial and off-highway vehicles. Webasto is a much broader incumbent than KBO but competes directly in the cabin climate control subsystem KBO integrates.
• Thermo King: Trane Technologies subsidiary and global leader in transport refrigeration and HVAC for trucks, buses, and off-road equipment. While focused on transport refrigeration, Thermo King overlaps with KBO's cabin and equipment climate control solutions at industrial vehicle OEMs.
• Eberspächer: German supplier of HVAC, climate control, and exhaust technology for commercial vehicles, buses, and specialty vehicles. Comparable to KBO's cabin AC and pressurization offerings but operates at much larger scale across the commercial vehicle market.

Direct peers

• Sauer Bibus GmbH: German manufacturer of complete operator cabs for construction, agricultural, and material handling equipment. Sauer Bibus is the closest direct comparable to KBO in Europe, serving overlapping OEM customers with similar custom-cab and HVAC-integrated offerings.
• Ideal Cab Co. U.S.-based manufacturer of custom operator cabs and enclosures for heavy equipment including forklifts, construction, and agricultural machinery. Ideal Cab competes in the same niche as KBO with a comparable custom-cab, integrated-HVAC, and service model for OEM customers.
• Bergstrom Inc. U.S. manufacturer of no-idle HVAC and climate control systems specifically for commercial trucks, off-road, and military vehicles. Bergstrom overlaps directly with KBO's cabin air conditioning business and competes for the same OEM thermal-management wallet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ThemesAxiom
• Facebookfacebook.com/KboCabines
• Instagraminstagram.com/axiom_themes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/k-b-o

Compliance3 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 KBO