Tornado

What Tornado does

Tornado Antriebstechnik GmbH is a Berlin-based German manufacturer of gearboxes, geared motors, and integrated drive solutions, tracing its origins to Dr. Max Levy GmbH founded in 1897. The company designs and builds worm gearboxes (TD series up to 2,000 Nm), helical/spur gearboxes (TS series up to 180 Nm), and fully customized drive systems (TW, TY, TC series) for OEM customers in stair lifts, industrial doors, stage technology, elevators, material handling, and general industrial machinery. Through its 2020 acquisition of US-based ASI Drives, Tornado also supplies differential drives (MARK series) and wheel drives (STORM, THUNDER, CYCLONE, LIGHTNING) for material handling and mobile robotics applications up to 600 tons.

Tornado operates an 8,000 m² production facility in Berlin-Reinickendorf equipped with CNC machining centers, Halter automated robot cells, in-house tool shop, and a climate-controlled quality metrology room. Annual capacity reaches up to 200,000 drives, with over 800 units assembled daily on semi-automatic lines. The company maintains ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2009, and OHSAS 18001:2007 certifications and designs products for international markets including UL/CSA, 60 Hz, and 110 V configurations for North America.

The business model is sales-led, direct-to-OEM engineering, with 100% of drive solutions tailored to customer specifications from concept through serial production. Pricing is project-based and handled through direct sales inquiry, typically under multi-year supply contracts with leading OEMs. Revenue is generated primarily from one-time hardware sales (gearboxes, geared motors, door operator systems including SD/SW, RDA/CD, VDA, SDA series, and TST/V7E/PIC control systems) with recurring aftermarket spare parts and technical services for installed drives. With ~140 employees and annual revenue of approximately €28–30 million, Tornado exports more than 80% of output and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ACCEDIA Group of Companies.

Name

Tornado

Legal name

Tornado Antriebstechnik GmbH

Website

https://tornado-drives.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Tornado Antriebstechnik GmbH is a Berlin-based German manufacturer of customized gearboxes, geared motors, and integrated drive solutions, serving global OEMs in stair lifts, industrial doors, stage technology, and mobile robotics, exporting over 80% of production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Gearboxes and Drive Systems

NAICS

Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Mechanical Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (333613)

SIC

Screw Machine Products (3451)

akta.pro primary industry

Gearmotors, Gearboxes & Speed Reducers (IMAGACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Linear Motion & Mechanical Power Transmission (Ball/roller screws, linear guides, bearings, couplings) (IMAHAGAM), Axle, Differential & Final Drive Manufacturing (Front/Rear/E-axle housings) (IMACAHAG), Material Handling & Industrial Lift Vehicle Manufacturing (Forklifts/Telehandlers/Reach Stackers) (IMACAFAD)

Keywords

• Industrial gearboxes
• Geared motors
• Drive solutions
• Stair lift drives
• Industrial door operators

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

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. Gearbox and Geared Motor Sales: Tornado designs, manufactures, and sells gearboxes, geared motors, and integrated drive solutions as physical hardware products. Revenue is generated from one-time product sales with varying customization levels — from standard catalog products (TD series, TS series) to fully bespoke solutions (TW, TY, TC series). Products range from individual gearboxes to complete drive kits including controllers, accessories, and mounting hardware.
2. Aftermarket / Spare Parts & Services: Given the company's established OEM customer base (global stair lift market leaders), recurring revenue likely flows from spare parts, replacement units, and technical support services for installed drives over their operational lifetime.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tornado Antriebstechnik GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells gearboxes, geared motors, and integrated drive solutions used by OEMs in stair lifts, industrial doors, stage technology, and general industrial machinery. Products span standard catalog series (TD worm gearboxes, TS helical gearboxes), fully customized special gearboxes (TW, TY, TC series), complete door operator systems, and control electronics. Following the 2020 acquisition of ASI Drives, the portfolio also includes differential and wheel drives for mobile robotics and material handling.

Product overview

Tornado Antriebstechnik GmbH is a manufacturer of gearboxes, geared motors, and integrated drive solutions founded in 1897. The product portfolio comprises three main categories: Standard Product Lines (TD Series worm gear motors up to 2,000 Nm and TS Series helical gearboxes up to 180 Nm), Custom/Special Products (TW, TY, and TC Series for stair lifts, curved lifts, and customized applications), and Door Automation Solutions (SD/SW sectional door operators, RDA/CD roller shutter drives, VDA high-speed door operators, SDA non-balanced door operators, and comprehensive control systems including TST FUZ2, TST FUF2, V7E, and PIC series). Since 2020, Tornado also offers ASI Drives products through sister company acquisition, including MARK differential drives (400, 500, 600) and wheel drives (STORM, THUNDER, CYCLONE, LIGHTNING series) for material handling and mobile robotics applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TD Series Worm Gearboxes / Geared Motors (TD 1.5, TD 2.5, TD 4.5, TD 10)

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 200,000 drives manufactured per year with over 800 assembled daily
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Füchse Berlin (Handball Club)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Tornado is the official partner of Füchse Berlin handball club for the 2025/26 season. Füchse Berlin, founded in 1891 and based in Berlin, plays at the Max-Schmeling-Halle and competes in the Handball Bundesliga and EHF European League. The partnership is built on shared values of performance, precision, teamwork, and resilience. It provides brand visibility and community engagement for Tornado in its home market.
• ASI DrivescoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020ASI Drives (Montgomeryville, PA, USA) designs, engineers, and assembles custom gear drives including differential drives (MARK 400/500/600) and wheel drives (STORM/THUNDER/CYCLONE/LIGHTNING series). Tornado acquired ASI Drives through Accedia GmbH in 2020 to expand its portfolio for electric drive applications. ASI operates as a sister company to Tornado, extending the product range and serving the North American market.
• ABB Training Center GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Tornado participates in a joint training/education partnership with ABB Training Center GmbH & Co. KG for apprenticeship programs (Zerspanungsmechaniker/in, Mechatroniker/in, Industriekaufmann/-frau). This partnership provides structured vocational training combining Tornado's practical environment with ABB's training infrastructure. Currently six trainees in three years of training are employed at Tornado.
• Girlsatec (State of Berlin / ABB Training Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTornado participates in the Girlsatec project, a joint initiative of the State of Berlin and the ABB Training Center. Under the patronage of the Senator for Integration, Labor, and Social Affairs, the program encourages girls and young women to explore industrial and technical professions during career orientation. Tornado supports this diversity initiative in technical trades.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bauer Gear Motor: Bauer Gear Motor (part of Altra Industrial Motion) specializes in internal and external gear motors and is a direct peer in the industrial geared motor space. Its focus on energy-efficient, customized drive solutions overlaps with Tornado's TS and TD product positioning.
• SEW-Eurodrive: SEW-Eurodrive is one of the world's largest German manufacturers of drive technology, gearmotors, gear units, and drive electronics. It is the most direct large-scale peer to Tornado, sharing the German engineering heritage, OEM-direct sales model, and broad industrial gearbox portfolio.
• Bonfiglioli: Bonfiglioli is an Italian manufacturer of gearmotors, drive systems, and planetary gearboxes serving industrial automation, mobile machinery, and wind energy. It is highly comparable to Tornado in product range, customization capabilities, and OEM-direct distribution model.
• Nord Drivesystems: Nord Drivesystems is a German family-owned manufacturer of geared motors, industrial gear units, and variable frequency drives. It directly competes with Tornado in worm, helical, and bevel gearboxes, with a similar focus on industrial applications and a strong global export footprint.
• Wittenstein: Wittenstein is a German manufacturer of high-precision gearboxes, planetary gearheads, and mechatronic drive systems. While focused on higher-precision and servo applications, it is comparable to Tornado as a German engineering-led gearbox specialist with a strong customization model.
• Stöber Antriebstechnik: Stöber is a German manufacturer of precision gearboxes, geared motors, and servo drive technology. It is comparable to Tornado as a mid-sized German gearbox specialist with strong customization capabilities and direct OEM sales across industrial applications.
• Watt Drive (WATT Antriebstechnik): WATT Drive is an Austrian manufacturer of gear motors, gear units, and frequency inverters serving industrial automation, intralogistics, and machine building. It is a comparable mid-sized European gearmotor specialist with similar product range and OEM-direct distribution.

Regional players

• Demag Cranes (Terex/Demag): Demag is a German/European manufacturer of industrial drive technology and crane components, including geared motors and wheel block drives. It is comparable to Tornado's industrial door and material handling drive offerings, though it primarily serves crane and hoist applications.

Broad incumbents

• Brevini Riduttori (Regal Rexnord): Brevini, part of Regal Rexnord, is a manufacturer of planetary gearboxes, gearmotors, and industrial power transmission products. As part of a large US-based industrial group, it is a broad incumbent competitor to Tornado in industrial gearboxes and drive systems.
• Siemens (Flender): Siemens, through its Flender business, is a global leader in mechanical drive systems including helical, planetary, and worm gear units. It is a broad incumbent that competes across all of Tornado's product categories but at much larger scale and as part of a broader industrial portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tornado-antriebstechnik-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Tornado