Max Iron

What Max Iron does

Max Iron GmbH is a Cologne, Germany-headquartered industrial manufacturer specializing in cast-iron counterweights for the global heavy equipment industry. Founded in 2011 and managed by Jinjin Zhu (Geschäftsführer), the company produces counterweights in grey iron (grades HT100–HT300 / GG10–GG30) and ductile iron for crawler and mobile cranes, excavators, and loaders. Operations are anchored by a production facility in China with 200,000 tons of annual capacity, equipped with advanced melting, molding, blasting, coating, and painting systems marketed as environmentally responsible. The registered entity (HRB 84213, Amtsgericht Köln; VAT DE299982321) is a privately held GmbH with 101–250 employees.

The commercial offering comprises three lines: (i) cast-iron counterweights sold as engineered components to heavy equipment OEMs, (ii) steel mats and plates for construction job sites with customized painting and logo branding, and (iii) crane rental and trading services — primarily overhauled used cranes with rent-to-purchase options and customer-spec repainting. Go-to-market is direct enterprise B2B field sales to crane and machinery manufacturers, with documented long-term cooperation with Sennebogen, Tadano, and LIEBHERR. Revenue mechanics are primarily one-time product sales on a quote-based pricing model (pricing is not publicly disclosed), supplemented by transaction-based crane rental/trading income.

Revenue concentration is implicitly narrow: three named Tier-1 OEM customers anchor the customer base in a single vertical (heavy equipment manufacturing), with Europe as the primary stated market and international markets as secondary. The company relies on its website (max-iron.com) and direct email inquiries as the primary commercial channels, with no observable digital marketing footprint, no app presence, no API or AI/ML capabilities, no published certifications, and no disclosed patents, funding rounds, or M&A activity. Max Iron's defensibility rests on foundry scale, OEM qualification relationships, and metallurgy-based product fit rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Max Iron

Legal name

Max Iron GmbH

Website

https://max-iron.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Max Iron GmbH, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Cologne, manufactures cast-iron counterweights (grey and ductile iron) for crawler/mobile cranes, excavators, and loaders at a 200,000-ton-capacity Chinese foundry, supplying Tier-1 heavy-equipment OEMs such as Sennebogen, Tadano, and LIEBHERR alongside steel mats and crane rental services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Counterweights and Heavy Equipment Components

NAICS

Iron Foundries (331511), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Crane & Hoist Components (Wire Rope, Chain, Drums, Sheaves, Motors, Controls) (IMAHAJAK)

Keywords

• Cast iron counterweights
• Heavy equipment components
• Steel mats plates
• Crane manufacturing parts
• Industrial iron casting

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

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. Counterweight Product Sales: Sale of cast-iron counterweights (grey iron HT100-H300 and ductile iron) for heavy machinery including crawler/mobile cranes, excavators, and loaders. Primary revenue stream with annual production capacity of 200,000 tons.
2. Steel Mats and Plates: Production and sale of reliable steel mats for demanding job sites worldwide, including customized painting and logo branding options.
3. Crane Rental and Trading: Flexible crane rental with rent-to-purchase options. Company primarily offers used cranes that are carefully overhauled and repainted in customer's preferred color. Combines product sales with service revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Max Iron produces cast-iron counterweights (grey iron HT100 to HT300 / GG10 to GG30, and ductile iron) for crawler and mobile cranes, excavators, and loaders. It also manufactures steel mats and plates for demanding construction job sites and offers crane rental and trading services, including overhauled used cranes with rent-to-purchase options. Production is conducted at a China facility with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons.

Product overview

Max Iron is an industrial manufacturing company offering a portfolio of three core product lines: cast-iron counterweights (produced from grey iron grades HT100-H300 and ductile iron) for heavy equipment manufacturers; steel mats and plates for construction job sites; and crane rental and trading services with rent-to-purchase options. The company operates a production facility in China with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons and serves international markets, particularly Europe, with long-term partnerships with Sennebogen, Tadano, and LIEBHERR.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Counterweights High-quality cast-iron counterweights produced using casting grey iron (HT100 to HT300 / GG10 to GG30) and ductile iron for heavy machinery such as crawler and mobile cranes, excavators, and loaders. Sold to heavy equipment manufacturers worldwide.
• Steel Mats and Plates Reliable steel mats for demanding job sites worldwide, with customized painting and logo branding options to match project and company identity requirements.
• Crane Rental and Trading Flexible crane rental with rent-to-purchase options, primarily offering used cranes that are carefully overhauled and repainted in the customer's preferred color.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stahl CraneSystems: German-based manufacturer of crane and hoist systems and components for industrial material handling. Comparable to Max Iron because both serve the European crane OEM market with engineered cast/machined components and modular lifting systems.

Broad incumbents

• Liebherr: Global manufacturer of crawler cranes, mobile cranes, and earthmoving equipment that produces counterweights and major components in-house. Comparable to Max Iron because Liebherr is both a customer and a vertically integrated producer of cast-iron counterweights for the same product family.
• Konecranes: Finland-headquartered global manufacturer of industrial cranes, port cranes, and lifting equipment. Comparable to Max Iron because Konecranes' heavy industrial and port crane lines require large cast-iron counterweight blocks that historically are sourced from specialized foundries like Max Iron.
• Palfinger: Austrian global manufacturer of loader cranes, telescopic handlers, and lifting equipment. Comparable to Max Iron because Palfinger's knuckle-boom and loader cranes use iron counterweight castings and the company competes in the same European crane ecosystem.
• Sennebogen: German manufacturer of crawler cranes, material handlers, and telescopic cranes. Comparable to Max Iron as a named long-term customer that also produces counterweights in-house and competes for share of wallet on cast-component supply.
• Terex Corporation: US-based diversified heavy equipment manufacturer producing crawler cranes, mobile cranes, and aerial work platforms. Comparable to Max Iron as a major OEM buyer of cast-iron counterweights for crawler cranes, rough-terrain cranes, and Genie lift equipment.
• Manitowoc Company: US manufacturer of crawler cranes (Crawler, Potain, and Grove brands) and lifting solutions. Comparable to Max Iron as a crawler-crane OEM that requires large cast counterweights for lattice-boom crawler models.
• Tadano: Japanese global crane manufacturer (including Demag and Grove brands) producing crawler, mobile, and all-terrain cranes. Comparable to Max Iron as a named long-term customer that integrates or sources cast-iron counterweights for its heavy-lift crane platforms.

Regional players

• Hiab (Cargotec): Finland-based manufacturer of truck-mounted loader cranes, demountable systems, and material handling equipment. Comparable to Max Iron as a Europe-headquartered heavy equipment manufacturer that uses cast counterweights in its crane and hooklift product portfolio.

Emerging players

• Waupaca Foundry: US-based iron foundry producing gray and ductile iron castings for heavy equipment, construction, and machinery markets. Comparable to Max Iron as a direct iron-foundry peer producing similar cast grades (gray/ductile) for OEMs serving overlapping end applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/max-iron

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Max Iron