What Knott does

KNOTT spol. s r.o. is a Slovak custom manufacturer of braking systems, axles, and airport ground support equipment, established in Modra in August 1991 as part of the KNOTT-Holding GmbH group. The company organizes its operations around three core product lines: Trailer Technology (braked and unbraked axles, overrun brakes, coupling heads, drawbars, and trailer accessories), Industrial Brakes (braking systems for construction and agricultural machinery, forklift trucks, and specialized vehicles), and Airport Technology (baggage dollies, container dollies, universal steerable chassis, and container storage racks). Its technical stack includes a series design department (established 1999), a development design department (established 2005), Solid Edge 3D CAD tooling, and an in-house accredited testing laboratory with Europe-wide validity that supports customer-specific development from early engineering stages.

The business is predominantly a hardware manufacturer, with revenues generated through unit sales of OEM components, customized braking solutions, and aftermarket spare parts and accessories via an e-commerce shop and an authorized service partner network. Pricing is unit-based, with spare parts ranging from approximately €1 to €916 per item, and trailer servicing offered as a paid professional service. The company is privately held as a subsidiary of KNOTT-Holding GmbH, with no public listing, no venture funding, and no external capital structure; ownership and control reside within the German parent group, which operates production facilities in eight countries and maintains representation across Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. In 2025 the company reported turnover of €26 million with 240 employees, serving trailer manufacturers, industrial equipment OEMs, and airport operators as primary customer segments.

Name

Knott

Legal name

KNOTT spol. s r.o.

Website

https://knott.sk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

KNOTT is a Slovak custom manufacturer of braked and unbraked axles, industrial brakes, and airport ground support equipment, serving trailer OEMs, construction and agricultural machinery manufacturers, and airport operators across Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Modra

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Trailer Technology Products: Production and sale of braked or unbraked axles and overrun brakes for trailers and trailer accessories, including drawbar heads, stabilizer coupling heads, and related components.
2. Industrial Brakes: Production of industrial brakes for construction and agricultural machinery, forklift trucks, and specialized vehicles.
3. Airport Ground Support Equipment: Production of airport ground support equipment including baggage dollies, container dollies, universal steerable chassis, container/pallet dollies, and container storage racks.
4. Spare Parts and Accessories: Sale of spare parts and accessories through e-shop and authorized service partners, including replacement parts for axles, overrun brakes, and braking systems.
5. Servicing of Trailers: Trailer servicing including brake system adjustment, replacement of worn parts, axle and overrun brake reconditioning, electrical installation repairs, and axle geometry inspection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KNOTT is a custom manufacturer of braked and unbraked axles and overrun brakes for trailers, industrial brakes for construction, agricultural machinery, forklifts, and specialized vehicles, and airport ground support equipment such as baggage and container dollies and container storage racks. The company also distributes spare parts, trailer accessories, trailer servicing, and custom design and development through its in-house engineering team.

Product overview

KNOTT is a custom manufacturer producing three core product lines: Trailer Technology (braked/unbraked axles, overrun brakes, trailer accessories), Industrial Brakes (for construction, agricultural machinery, forklifts, specialized vehicles), and Airport Technology (baggage dollies, container dollies, container storage racks). The company also offers spare parts, trailer accessories, and services including trailer servicing and custom design & development. The product portfolio is organized as a unified manufacturing operation with an e-shop for spare parts and accessories sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trailer Technology (Prívesová technika) OEM production of braked and unbraked axles and overrun brakes for trailers, plus trailer accessories including coupling heads, drawbars, and suspension components, supplied to trailer manufacturers and aftermarket customers.
• Industrial Brakes (Priemyselné brzdy) OEM production of industrial brakes for construction machinery, agricultural equipment, forklift trucks, and specialized vehicles.
• Airport Technology (Letisková technika) OEM production of airport ground support equipment including baggage dollies, container dollies, universal steerable chassis, container/pallet dollies, and container storage racks for airport operators and ground handling companies.
• KNOTT Spare Parts (Náhradné diely KNOTT) Aftermarket replacement parts for KNOTT products including axle parts, overrun brake parts, brake rods and levers, trailer couplings, and towing eyes, sold through the KNOTT e-shop and authorized service partners.
• Trailer Accessories (Príslušenstvo k prívesom) Trailer accessories sold through the KNOTT e-shop including loading skids, mudguards, support wheels and jacks, lighting and electrical installation, securing elements and locks, winches, boat trailer parts, horse trailer parts, nets and cargo securing, stickers and reflective elements, and wheels and rims.
• Servicing of Trailers

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• KNOTT-Holding GmbHcoreOthersKNOTT spol. s r.o. is part of the KNOTT-Holding GmbH group. Other production facilities are located in Germany, Italy, Great Britain, USA, Poland, Hungary, and Romania. The group is represented all over Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BPW Bergische Achsen: German manufacturer of trailer axles, brake systems, and running gear components. Direct competitor in braked/unbraked axles and overrun brakes for European trailer OEMs.
• SAF-Holland: Listed manufacturer of trailer axles, suspensions, fifth wheels, couplings, and kingpins. Overlaps directly with KNOTT on trailer running gear and coupling components for commercial vehicle OEMs.
• Tuthill Corporation: Industrial brake manufacturer serving material handling, construction, agricultural, and specialized vehicle applications. Direct comparable to KNOTT's industrial brakes product line for forklifts and construction/agricultural machinery.
• JOST Werke: Manufacturer of fifth wheel couplings, landing gears, and trailer components. Direct comparable to KNOTT's drawbar heads, coupling heads, and trailer accessory portfolio.
• AL-KO Vehicle Technology: European trailer axle, brake, and chassis component manufacturer with overlapping trailer technology and chassis product lines. Closest direct comparable on trailer brake systems and axles for European OEMs.
• Cortec (formerly part of WABCO/Frenelsa): Spanish manufacturer of trailer brake systems and axles with similar product breadth to KNOTT. Comparable European trailer technology competitor with similar customer base of trailer OEMs.
• Haldex: Commercial vehicle brake systems and air management supplier with trailer brake, actuator, and EBS product lines. Direct comparable to KNOTT's brake components for trailers and industrial vehicles.

Regional players

• Dexter Axle: North American manufacturer of trailer axles, brakes, and related components. Comparable product portfolio to KNOTT's trailer technology line but primarily serving the US/Canadian trailer OEM market.

Broad incumbents

• Knorr-Bremse: Global leader in braking and other systems for commercial vehicles and rail. Overlaps with KNOTT on industrial and commercial vehicle brake systems but at a vastly larger scale across a broader portfolio.
• WABCO (ZF Friedrichshafen): Global supplier of braking systems, EBS, and air management for commercial vehicles, now part of ZF. Competes with KNOTT at the system level in trailer and commercial vehicle braking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Knott