What DURST does

DURST Lackier- und Trocknungsanlagen GmbH is a German manufacturer of customized industrial painting and drying systems, headquartered in Saalfeld, Thuringia, with a second production site in Bad Blankenburg established in 2019. The company designs, engineers, manufactures, and commissions complete coating facilities in-house — including modular container-based systems under the proprietary AIRSEC brand (variants AIRSEC 1/2, 16/22, H+, Unit, Sonderbau, and vario), traditional KFZ automotive booths, commercial vehicle cabins up to 5m in cabin height, open-area systems for oversized components, automated continuous-flow lines, rail vehicle systems up to 100m in length, telescoping booths, the Spotmaster folding spray booth, and mobile/stationary extraction units (Atmobil, Vulkano, Dixi, A5-Wand). Core technologies include cross-flow aluminum heat exchangers for energy recovery (over 40% reduction), ATEX-protected motors enabling both water-dilutable and solvent-based coating handling, sectional switching for partial-load energy savings, and DVS ZERT-certified welding to DIN EN 1090-2.

The company generates revenue through project-based sales of custom-engineered systems plus ongoing service, maintenance, retrofit upgrades, and spare parts for both DURST and third-party installations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; systems are individually quoted following direct B2B consultation led by an internal sales organization headed by Vertriebsleiter Steve Hess, with no resellers or e-commerce channels. Customers are primarily European enterprises spanning automotive OEMs and dealerships, commercial vehicle and agricultural machinery manufacturers, steel, system, and crane construction, rail vehicle builders, aerospace, and select craft/small-business segments, with named reference customers including Steinway & Sons, Schaltbau GmbH, Carblast, and BBS Papenburg.

Operationally, DURST serves European markets (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium), manufactures up to 26 systems per year across two sites, and has placed more than 350 systems since the 2004 founding. The company is family-owned by the Hess family, transitioned leadership to second-generation Maria Hess (Managing Director) and Steve Hess (Head of Sales) in 2019-2024, and is a member of VDMA since 2024 and founding member of the regional Saale Wirtschaft e.V. network since 2020. All planning, construction, manufacturing, and assembly is conducted in Germany.

Name

DURST

Legal name

DURST Lackier- und Trocknungsanlagen GmbH

Website

https://durst-lackieranlagen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DURST Lackier- und Trocknungsanlagen GmbH is a German manufacturer that designs, builds, and services customized industrial painting and drying systems — including proprietary AIRSEC modular container systems — for automotive, heavy industrial, rail, aerospace, and craft customers across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Painting Equipment

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid) (IMAHAOAF)

Keywords

• Industrial painting systems
• Painting and drying equipment
• Modular container systems
• Automotive spray booths
• Industrial coating equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Saalfeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Custom Industrial Painting and Drying Systems: Design, manufacture, and installation of customized painting and drying systems. Includes industrial painting systems, container-based AIRSEC systems, large-area systems for oversized parts, automated production line systems, and rail vehicle painting systems. Revenue is generated through project-based sales with custom quotation.
2. Spare Parts and Aftersales Service: Own warehouse of all relevant spare parts enabling short delivery times and minimized downtime. Replacement parts for new and existing systems including third-party systems.
3. Service, Maintenance, and Retrofit: Service technicians provide commissioning, maintenance, and repair. Retrofit upgrades for existing systems including new aggregates, controls, and heat recovery. DVS ZERT certified for welding of steel structures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DURST designs, manufactures, and installs customized industrial painting and drying systems, with its proprietary AIRSEC modular container system as the flagship product line. The portfolio spans automotive spray booths, large-area and automated production line systems for oversized parts (e.g., steel structures, wind turbine towers, rail vehicles), foldable spray booths, mobile and stationary extraction units, and retrofit/modernization services with energy-recovery upgrades.

Product overview

DURST Lackier- und Trocknungsanlagen GmbH offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial painting and drying systems, centered around their proprietary AIRSEC modular container system (including AIRSEC 1/2, AIRSEC 16/22, AIRSEC H+, AIRSEC Unit, and custom Sonderbau configurations). The product range includes KFZ (automotive) painting systems with commercial vehicle cabins, industrial painting systems (free-area, automated continuous-flow, rail vehicle, telescopable), mobile and stationary extraction units (Atmobil, Vulkano, Dixi, A5-Wall), and the Spotmaster collapsible spray booth. All systems are custom-designed with no standardized kits, featuring in-house manufacturing of key components including heat recovery systems, steel construction, extraction systems, and control technology. The company operates from Saalfeld/Saale, Germany with a second production site in Bad Blankenburg, and offers full lifecycle support including service, maintenance, and retrofit solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AIRSEC: Modular painting and drying cabin system - the world's only modular system for painting operations, marketed as flexible, modular and unique. Includes various models: AIRSEC 1/2, AIRSEC 16/22, AIRSEC H+, AIRSEC Unit, and AIRSEC Sonderbau.
• Spotmaster
• Atmobil
• Vulkano
• Dixi
• A5-Wand

Products and services

• AIRSEC Container Painting Systems Proprietary modular container-based painting and drying system with freely placeable modules from 10m² to 170m², relocatable within one week, for industrial customers needing flexible painting solutions.
• KFZ Automotive Painting Systems Complete automotive painting systems including preparation workplaces, combined painting and drying cabins, and finishing stations covering all steps of vehicle coating for car dealerships and OEMs.
• Commercial Vehicle Cabins Painting cabins for trucks and vans with up to 5m cabin height, featuring connected dryers, foldable lids for crane loading, section switching, and multi-stage lighting systems for commercial vehicle manufacturers.
• Industrial Painting Systems Custom-designed industrial painting systems including combined painting and drying systems, open-area systems for oversized components, automated continuous-flow systems, overhead conveyor systems, crane loading systems, and movable work platforms for heavy industrial manufacturers.
• Rail Vehicle Painting Systems Section-switchable painting systems up to 100m in length, designed for railway vehicles with adjustable platforms for comfortable and precise work on all vehicle areas for rail vehicle manufacturers and operators.
• Spotmaster (Collapsible Spray Booth) Foldable, space-saving booth solution mounted to hall ceilings. Walls retract upward automatically and transform into EX-protected workspace in seconds with pre-conditioned supply air, targeting small workshops and craft businesses with limited floor space.
• Atmobil (Mobile Extraction Unit) Mobile extraction unit with minimal width positioned with suction motor directly behind the work surface. Features quick filter replacement and ATEX-protected motors for water-dilutable and solvent-based coatings, designed for mobile use with minimal space requirements.
• Vulkano (Multi-Purpose Extraction) Versatile mobile extraction system suitable for recirculation mode with optional double or triple filtration, combinable with Spotmaster for collapsible spray booth setups.
• Dixi (Stationary Small Parts Booth) Compact stationary spray stand for small parts and wheel coating, with optional turntable or wheel mount and integrated lighting.
• A5-Wand (Stationary Extraction Wall) Largest extraction wall system with up to 6m² extraction area and air volumes up to 12,000 m³/h, expandable field system for large components with up to three-stage filtration.
• Retrofit & Modernization Upgrading of existing painting and drying systems with new aggregates, heating, and control technology, including heat recovery installation and frequency converter upgrades to reduce energy consumption for customers with legacy equipment.
• Heat Recovery Systems (Cross-Flow Heat Exchangers) Cross-flow heat exchangers using aluminum plates for efficient heat transfer without additional transfer media, achieving over 40% energy savings. Includes summer registers to prevent unwanted heating in warm seasons.
• Spare Parts and Aftersales Service In-house warehouse of all relevant spare parts enabling short delivery times and minimized downtime for new and existing DURST systems as well as third-party systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40% energy consumption reduction through heat recovery systems
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Steinway & SonscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cooperation between DURST and Steinway & Sons resulted in a newly built coating center in Hamburg for painting piano wings. The facility houses four painting booths, two preparation rooms, one grinding room, and two drying rooms with 110,000 m³/h total air capacity. Special exhaust air treatment was required due to the Hamburg city center location, reducing solvent emissions to an unprecedented level.
• VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau)minorOthers · 1 January 2024DURST became a member of the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) in 2024. Steve Hess, Sales Manager, explained the decision for further company development. The VDMA serves as an information and exchange network, enabling DURST to present its plant technology more innovatively and broadly to customers.
• Saale Wirtschaft e.V.minorOthers · 1 January 2020DURST is a founding member of the Saale Wirtschaft e.V. regional business network since 2020. The company engages in the Digitalization specialist group with goals of regional economic strengthening, skilled worker recruitment and retention, and continuous development of regional value creation. 'Innovation in the network for a strong region.'
• Schaltbau GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDURST developed a special AIRSEC modular system for Schaltbau GmbH in Aldersbach, creating a clean separated work area within an existing factory hall. Seven AIRSEC modules form the painting and drying cabin surrounded by preparation modules. A special feature is the ability to separate modules in the future and relocate them, avoiding lengthy disassembly and reassembly.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dürr AG: Germany's largest industrial painting and finishing systems manufacturer serving automotive OEMs and industrial customers worldwide. Direct competitor in industrial painting booths, drying systems, and paint application equipment, with overlapping product categories in automotive and industrial painting.
• Geico S.p.A. Italian manufacturer of industrial painting systems, paint finishing lines, and pretreatment systems, with strong presence in automotive and general industrial segments. Closely comparable in product offering (industrial painting lines, drying systems) and customer base (automotive OEMs).
• ITW Gema: Swiss-based manufacturer of powder coating equipment and surface finishing systems serving automotive, industrial, and general finishing customers. Comparable in providing application booths, recovery systems, and finishing line automation.
• Eisenmann (now part of Dürr): Formerly independent German industrial painting and finishing systems manufacturer, now integrated into Dürr AG. Historically a direct competitor to DURST in automotive painting lines and conveyor-based finishing systems.
• SAMES KREMLIN (SAMES): French manufacturer of industrial spray painting equipment, including airless, electrostatic, and powder spray systems, plus complete painting line solutions. Directly comparable in spray painting and finishing equipment for industrial applications.

Broad incumbents

• J. Wagner GmbH: German family-owned manufacturer of surface coating technology including industrial spray systems, powder coating equipment, and decorative finishing solutions. Comparable as a broader industrial coating equipment supplier, though more diversified across decorative and DIY segments.
• Graco Inc. U.S.-based manufacturer of fluid handling equipment including industrial spray finishing systems, protective coating equipment, and paint circulation systems. Comparable in spray and finishing equipment for industrial customers, though broader in fluid handling.

Others

• Höcker Polytechnik GmbH: German manufacturer of industrial extraction and filter systems including painting booth exhaust and material handling. Comparable as an adjacent supplier of extraction systems that complement industrial painting installations like those made by DURST.

Regional players

• SATA GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of professional spray guns and paint application equipment, primarily for automotive refinish and industrial coating markets. Comparable in coating application equipment and German industrial customer base, though focused on spray guns rather than full booth systems.

Emerging players

• Salico S.p.A. Italian manufacturer of industrial painting lines and finishing systems serving automotive, furniture, and general industrial markets. Comparable in industrial painting systems with strong European mid-market focus similar to DURST.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MaxHeidrich84
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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/durst-lackieranlagen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 DURST