MKV

What MKV does

MKV generates revenue primarily through one-time capital equipment sales of custom-built plant systems, supplemented by after-sales service contracts, retrofit and modification services, and spare parts supply. Pricing is project-specific and quote-based with no public disclosure. The firm operates exclusively through direct B2B enterprise sales targeting industrial manufacturers, with no reseller, dealer, or marketplace distribution channels. As a privately held, founder-owned company (Reiner Thoma, Managing Director / Geschäftsführer) with no external investors or venture capital involvement, MKV has pursued qualitative growth since founding, reinvesting in production capacity, certifications, and personnel rather than scaling via external capital.

Name

MKV

Legal name

MKV GmbH Metall- und Kunststoffverarbeitung

Website

https://mkv-anlagen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MKV GmbH is a German specialty industrial engineering firm founded in 1992 that designs, manufactures, and services custom galvanic and surface treatment plant systems for aerospace, PCB, pharmaceutical, and industrial customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Electroplating and Surface Treatment Plant Engineering

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Process Skids & Modular Process Systems (Packaged Units) (IMAHAEAH)

Keywords

• Galvanic plant engineering
• Electroplating systems
• Surface treatment equipment
• Printed circuit board production lines
• Aerospace treatment plants

Headquarters

HQ city

Allersberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Galvanic and Special Plant Manufacturing: Design, construct, manufacture, and assemble custom galvanic and special industrial systems for surface treatment of metals and plastics. Projects range from manual to fully automated systems, including special/custom solutions for aerospace, printed circuit boards, and general surface finishing.
2. After-Sales Service and Maintenance: Worldwide on-site after-sales service, commissioning support, on-site assembly, maintenance with own trained personnel, spare parts supply, and urgent/order services. Revenue generated through service contracts and spare parts supply.
3. Retrofit and Modification Services: Conversion and modification of existing plants of all manufacturers, including quality control and optimization services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MKV designs, constructs, manufactures, assembles, and maintains custom galvanic (electroplating) and special industrial systems for surface finishing of metals and plastics. The company delivers complete project responsibility from planning and engineering through manufacturing, worldwide on-site installation with own personnel, and after-sales service. Offerings span manually controlled plants, fully SPS-controlled automated lines, special/custom solutions, and industry-specific systems for aerospace, printed circuit board production, and pharmaceutical/food-grade electropolishing.

Product overview

MKV GmbH is a manufacturer of custom-designed galvanic and special industrial plants for surface finishing of metals and plastics. The company offers three main plant categories: manually controlled plants, automatically controlled plants, and special/custom plants. Key industry solutions include circuit board production plants (featuring Pattern and Panel Plating, Reverse Pulse Plating Technology, and chemical treatments like ENIG and ENEPIG), aviation systems for aerospace components (including degreasing, etching, hard chrome plating, nickel coatings, and FPI crack detection), and specialized electropolishing systems. The company provides complete project responsibility from planning to commissioning, with worldwide assembly using their own specialized personnel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Galvanic and Special Systems (Galvano- und Spezialanlagen) Custom-designed galvanic and specialized industrial plants for surface finishing of metals and plastics, constructed, manufactured, and assembled from a single source according to customer and process specifications. Built for industrial manufacturers requiring tailored surface treatment solutions.
• Manually Controlled Plants (Manuell gesteuerte Anlagen) Manual plants where workpieces are moved manually or with chain hoist assistance through the system, with bath parameters controlled via hardware controllers. Suited for lower-volume or specialized surface treatment operations.
• Automatically Controlled Plants (Automatisch gesteuerte Anlagen) Fully automated plants where parts are transported by an SPS (PLC) controlled transport cart through the system, with all bath parameters and process steps stored in the SPS. Designed for high-volume and consistent-quality industrial production.
• Special and Custom Plants (Spezial-/Sonderanlagen) Custom-designed special plants that optimally implement individual customer requirements, including technical, safety-relevant, and quality-assuring criteria, with high manufacturing depth from design to assembly. Addresses highly specific industrial process needs that standard systems cannot meet.
• Printed Circuit Board Production Plants (Leiterplattenproduktionsanlagen) Plants for printed circuit board production, including treatment systems for galvanic coating (Pattern and Panel Plating with Reverse Pulse Plating technology) and basket-technique systems for chemical treatment such as ENIG, ENEPIG, and chemical tin. Built for PCB manufacturers requiring high throughput and precision on miniaturized designs.
• Aviation Systems (Luftfahrtanlagen) Specialized systems for the aerospace industry for chemical and galvanic processes including degreasing, etching, pickling, hard chrome plating, nickel coatings, and FPI crack detection for safety-critical components. Built to meet aerospace quality standards (e.g., NADCAP-aligned).
• Crack Detection Systems (Rissprüfanlagen / FPI) FPI (Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection) systems for crack detection on safety-critical and high-load aerospace components, including containers, transport equipment, and UV inspection booths. Handles parts up to 1.25 m diameter with precisely timed chemical inspection steps and custom-designed handling fixtures.
• After-Sales Service and Maintenance Worldwide on-site after-sales service, commissioning support, on-site assembly, preventive maintenance, spare parts supply, and urgent-order services performed by MKV's own trained specialist personnel. Includes reserved capacity for rapid customer response.
• Retrofit and Modification Services Conversion and modification of existing galvanic and surface treatment plants of all manufacturers, including quality control and optimization services. Enables customers to extend the life, throughput, and capability of installed base systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• DNC-AL chemical nickel plant at AHC Munich achieved fivefold capacity increase over the previous installation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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 core.

• GEMÜ Gebr. Müller Apparatebau GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMKV designed and built a fully automated electropolishing system for GEMÜ at their Kupferzell facility, completed in 2018. The plant handles GEMÜ's diverse product portfolio of valves and automation components for sterile pharmaceutical and food processing applications. The system features 3-fold cascade rinsing, fresh water treatment, wastewater treatment, and integrated air supply systems. GEMÜ is a world market leader in valve, process, and control technology for sterile processes.
• AHC Oberflächentechnik GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMKV designed and constructed a DNC-AL chemical nickel plant for AHC at their Munich Heimstetten site (2014-2015), achieving a fivefold capacity increase. AHC operates 19 sites across Europe with 900 employees. MKV and AHC work closely together on modifications and new developments at various AHC sites. AHC's product line for the automotive industry and mechanical engineering includes high-volume chemical nickel coating of aluminium components.
• Aerotech Peissenberg GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMKV built a custom FPI crack inspection plant for Aerotech Peissenberg, a leading aerospace supplier specializing in Class A1 turbine components. The plant (on ~220 m² floor space, ~5 m height) handles components up to 1.25 meters in diameter, more than tripling inspection capacity in three-shift operation. The plant includes electrostatic spray coating, emulsion and stop bath treatment, rinsing, UV inspection cabins, and full documentation for traceability.
• Rolls-Royce and Pratt & WhitneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMKV manufactured multiple treatment plants for aerospace components for Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney, including cleaning, descaling, and nickel plating systems that meet the stringent quality demands of aerospace components.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Schmid Group: Schmid is a German-based equipment manufacturer specializing in PCB and surface-finishing production systems, including horizontal and vertical plating lines. Directly comparable to MKV in the PCB plating equipment segment with overlapping customer base in circuit board manufacturing.
• Process Automation GmbH: Process Automation (now part of KUKA/Aalberts) supplies automated surface-treatment and electroplating systems for industrial customers. Comparable to MKV as a German-based supplier of automated plating and surface-finishing equipment with overlapping industrial customer base.
• Bohncke GmbH: Bohncke designs and manufactures galvanic and surface-finishing plant systems, including automated electroplating equipment. Directly comparable to MKV as a similarly structured German specialty OEM of custom surface-treatment plants.
• Hans Hollatz GmbH: Hans Hollatz is a long-established German manufacturer of galvanic and surface-finishing plants. Closely comparable to MKV as a similarly sized German Mittelstand specialist in custom galvanic plant engineering serving overlapping customer segments.
• RENA Technologies GmbH: RENA designs and manufactures wet-chemical process equipment for surface treatment, semiconductors and medical devices. Directly comparable to MKV as a mid-sized German-based supplier of wet-processing and plating systems with similar customer segments (industrial surface finishing, electronics, medical).
• Technic Inc.

Broad incumbents

• Atotech (MKS Instruments): Atotech, now part of MKS Instruments, is a global leader in plating chemistry and surface-finishing equipment serving PCB, automotive and general metal finishing. Comparable to MKV because it competes directly in plating plant technology and chemistry for PCB and industrial surface treatment, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Aalberts Surface Technologies (Holtec): Aalberts' Surface Technologies division operates heat-treatment and surface-finishing service centers across Europe. Comparable to MKV because it operates large-scale surface-treatment infrastructure and is a major customer/partner in the industrial coating ecosystem, though it is primarily a service operator rather than an equipment OEM.
• Dürr AG (formerly Eisenmann): Dürr (including the former Eisenmann surface-treatment business) is a large industrial plant engineering group with a substantial automotive and industrial surface-treatment division. Comparable to MKV as a turnkey supplier of surface-treatment plants, particularly to automotive OEMs, but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.

Regional players

• Galvatek Oy: Galvatek is a Finnish supplier of surface-treatment and anodizing plant solutions primarily serving Nordic and European customers. Comparable to MKV as a European specialty OEM of custom surface-finishing plants with a similar mid-sized, custom-engineered business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MKVGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mkv-gmbh

Compliance3 records

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 MKV