What Blain Hydraulics does

Blain Hydraulics GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer founded in 1971 in Heilbronn, specializing exclusively in hydraulic elevator components. The company designs and produces control valves (EV, KV, SEV, EV40, GV series), safety valves (L10/L20 UCM, R10/RSL pipe rupture, KSB piston safety), power units (B.E.T. PU 60–750), and a broad accessory portfolio, with the EV100 valve serving as the flagship product for over five decades. Manufacturing is hand-cast in-house at the Heilbronn facility, and the company holds ISO 9001, CSA, EN81, and ASME certifications, with self-claimed status as the world's largest manufacturer of elevator control valves by production capacity and an installed base of more than 1 million valves across 75+ countries.

The company sells primarily through direct enterprise field sales supported by country-specific account managers and wholly-owned subsidiaries in the USA (Springfield, MI), India (Ahmedabad), and Turkey (Istanbul). Revenue is generated from hardware sales of valves, power units, and accessories, supplemented by paid training and multilingual webinar services. Customers span residential elevator manufacturers, commercial elevator companies, industrial/cargo elevator builders, and modernization contractors — none of which are publicly named as specific logos. Pricing is quote-based through enterprise account managers with multi-year contracts; no public list pricing is disclosed.

Blain has pursued inorganic and product-led growth since 2011, including a joint venture with YASKAWA for VVVF valve technology, acquisitions of Blain India (2015) and channel partnerships in Brazil, plus the establishment of US and Turkish subsidiaries in 2018. The most recent product platform shift introduced Wi-Fi-enabled smart valves (SEV, EV40) in 2019, positioning the company at the entry point of connected elevator componentry. The company is led by CEO Anja Blain (since 2005) and remains entirely privately held by the Blain family with no external investors or funding rounds disclosed.

Name

Blain Hydraulics

Legal name

Blain Hydraulics GmbH

Website

https://blain.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Blain Hydraulics is a family-owned German manufacturer of hydraulic elevator control valves, safety valves, and power units, serving elevator OEMs, service companies, and contractors across 75+ countries via direct enterprise sales and wholly-owned subsidiaries in the USA, India, and Turkey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912), Fluid Power Pump and Motor Manufacturing (333996)

akta.pro primary industry

Valves & Cartridge Valves (Directional, Pressure, Flow Control) (IMAHAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydraulic Power Units & Systems (HPUs, Manifolds, Integrated Circuits) (IMAHAGAB), Proportional & Servo Hydraulics (Electrohydraulic Valves, Servo Systems) (IMAHAGAF)

Keywords

• Hydraulic elevator valves
• Elevator safety valves
• Elevator power units
• VVVF control valves
• Pipe rupture valves

Headquarters

HQ city

Heilbronn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hydraulic Elevator Valves: Core revenue stream from manufacturing and selling hydraulic elevator control valves including EV series, KV series, SEV smart valves, and EV40 VVVF valves. Valves are hand cast in-house to ensure highest quality and performance.
2. Safety Valves and Components: Sale of safety-critical components including pipe rupture valves (R10, RSL), UCM valves (L10, L20), piston safety devices (KSB), and related accessories.
3. Power Units (Aggregates): Custom-manufactured hydraulic elevator power units combining Italian pumps and motors with Blain control valves. Available in sizes from 60L to 750L tank capacity.
4. Training and Webinar Services: Professional training services including online webinars in multiple languages (English, German, Spanish, Turkish, Hindi) covering valve selection, maintenance, hydraulic elevator technology, and smart valve configuration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blain Hydraulics designs, casts, and manufactures hydraulic elevator control valves, safety valves, and integrated power units for global elevator OEMs, service companies, and contractors. All valves are hand cast in-house at the Heilbronn facility, with product families spanning mechanical (EV/KV), servo-electronic (SEV), and VVVF (EV40) control technologies, plus EN81/ASME-compliant safety components and custom B.E.T. power units combining Italian pumps and motors with Blain valves.

Product overview

Blain Hydraulics is a specialized manufacturer of hydraulic elevator components offering a comprehensive product portfolio. The core offering consists of control valves (KV Series for compact applications, EV Series flagship valves in multiple sizes, SEV servo-electronic valve with Wi-Fi connectivity, EV40 VVVF smart valve, and GV valve for cargo applications), safety valves (L10/L20 UCM valves, R10/RSL pipe rupture valves, KSB piston safety device), power units (B.E.T. series PU 60-750), and accessories (BV ball valve, HP hand pump, TH tank heater, MRL-H maintenance unit, HX/MX down valves, MD levelling drive, Smart Panel interface). The EV100 valves have been the industry standard for over five decades since 1971. Products are handcrafted in-house in Germany with ISO 9001 certification, and the company has expanded into modernization solutions with smart, Wi-Fi-enabled valve technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings up to 30% with SEV smart valve technology
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Blain India (acquisition)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Expanded presence in India through acquisition/integration of Blain India to serve the growing Indian elevator market with local manufacturing and support capabilities.
• Brazilian PartnershipminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2015Partnership with a Brazilian company to increase presence and influence in the Brazilian and South American hydraulic elevator market.
• YASKAWAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Joint venture partnership to develop the EV4 (VVVF control valve). YASKAWA provided variable frequency drive technology that was integrated with Blain's hydraulic valve expertise to create energy-efficient elevator control solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Eaton: Major diversified industrial manufacturer with a substantial hydraulics business (Vickers, Char-Lynn brands) covering valves, pumps, motors, and integrated power units. Comparable to Blain in fluid power valves and motion control systems.
• Parker Hannifin: One of the largest hydraulic component manufacturers worldwide, producing directional/pressure/flow control valves, proportional valves, and integrated hydraulic systems. Overlaps with Blain's elevator control valve range from a broad industrial base.
• Bosch Rexroth: Global leader in factory automation, hydraulics, and fluid power including proportional and servo valves. Competes with Blain in elevator-grade hydraulic valves but as part of a vastly larger portfolio across many industrial applications.

Direct peers

• Bucher Hydraulics: Bucher Hydraulics (division of Bucher Industries) manufactures hydraulic components and systems with elevator hydraulics among its key segments. Most direct comparable to Blain in elevator-specific hydraulic valves, cylinders, and power packs.
• Atos: Italian-based specialist in hydraulic proportional, servo, and directional control valves. Directly comparable to Blain's SEV/EV40 lines, with similar technology positioning in electrohydraulic valves for motion control.

Emerging players

• Moog Inc. Specialist in high-performance servo valves, electrohydraulic actuators, and motion control. Comparable to Blain's servo-electronic and VVVF valve offerings, with deeper motion-control software capabilities and broader industrial reach.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Blain Hydraulics