Klaus Dieterich Schaltanlagenbau

What Klaus Dieterich Schaltanlagenbau does

Klaus Dieterich Schaltanlagenbau GmbH (KD Schaltanlagenbau) is a privately held German custom switchgear and control systems manufacturer founded in 1955 in Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate, and converted to a GmbH in 1977. The company designs, engineers, and manufactures bespoke medium-voltage switchgear (up to 20 kV), low-voltage switchgear (up to 6000 A), PLC-based control systems, and alarm/monitoring/remote control (Fernwirk) systems, primarily for municipal water and wastewater utilities, with select industrial customers in mining, agriculture, and fire protection. Approximately 50+ employees work across planning and manufacturing in a roughly 1,200 sqm production facility that includes in-house enclosure fabrication in stainless steel and aluminum, plus an in-house paint shop that supports full customization beyond standard system cabinets.

The business model is project-based custom manufacturing with no standardized off-the-shelf products. Revenue is generated through three interlocking streams: custom switchgear and control system hardware sales, on-site installation and commissioning services, and complete project documentation. The company operates a direct enterprise field sales motion targeting municipal utilities (Stadtwerke, Zweckverbände), with a secondary OEM motion in which KD supplies switchgear as an embedded component within KSB's broader pump and water infrastructure solutions globally. The Siemens platform is the standard automation technology stack, complemented by ABB, Endress+Hauser, EPLAN, and Nivus components. Direct competitors are largely other specialized German Mittelstand switchgear builders; the company differentiates itself through unusually deep in-house manufacturing, 50+ years of water-sector domain expertise, and proven international project delivery in harsh-climate environments (North Africa, Middle East, Russia, China).

Go-to-market is primarily relationship-driven and tender-based, with public procurement for municipal water projects in Germany and Luxembourg, and embedded OEM delivery through KSB for international projects in Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, Nigeria, Russia, and Iraq. The company is a member of the e-masters network (3,800+ independent European electrical trade businesses), which provides community-led referral and joint service delivery. Managing directors are René Kerth and Björn Dorst; ownership is private with no disclosed institutional investors. No revenue, funding, or acquisition activity is publicly disclosed.

Name

Klaus Dieterich Schaltanlagenbau

Legal name

Klaus Dieterich Schaltanlagenbau GmbH

Website

https://kdschalt.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Klaus Dieterich Schaltanlagenbau GmbH is a German custom switchgear and control systems manufacturer founded in 1955, serving municipal water utilities and industrial water users with bespoke medium- and low-voltage switchgear, PLC automation, and on-site commissioning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Switchgear and Control Systems for Water and Wastewater Infrastructure

NAICS

Switchgear and Switchboard Apparatus Manufacturing (335313)

SIC

Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Low-Voltage Switchboards & Panelboards (LV distribution panels, MCCs, switchboards) (IMAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

SCADA, Instrumentation & Controls Integration for Water/Wastewater Projects (IMAFAGAK), High-Voltage Electrical Systems (Switchgear, Transformers, Protection & Control) (EUAEAFAA)

Keywords

• Custom switchgear manufacturing
• Water wastewater automation
• Medium voltage switchgear
• Low voltage switchgear
• PLC process control systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Pirmasens

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 Switchgear and Control System Manufacturing: Design, engineering, and fabrication of custom medium-voltage and low-voltage switchgear, control panels, and automation systems for water and wastewater utilities. Revenue is project-based, driven by municipal infrastructure contracts.
2. Installation and Commissioning Services: On-site assembly, wiring, commissioning, and acceptance testing services for the company's own products as well as integration with other systems. Services provided domestically and internationally.
3. Documentation and Operating Manual Services: Complete project documentation and operating manuals produced using modern electronic media, including plans in DXF or JPG format and project parts lists in Word or Excel. Provided on CD and in paper form.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Klaus Dieterich Schaltanlagenbau GmbH engineers and manufactures custom medium-voltage (up to 20 kV) and low-voltage (up to 6000 A) switchgear, PLC-based control systems, and remote control (Fernwirk) automation for municipal water supply, sewage treatment, and industrial water infrastructure. The company also delivers complete project execution — including SPS programming, on-site assembly and commissioning, documentation, and international packaging/shipping — for utilities and OEM partners across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.

Product overview

Klaus Dieterich Schaltanlagenbau (KD Schaltanlagenbau) is a custom switchgear and control systems manufacturer founded in 1955, operating from Pirmasens, Germany. The company does not sell standardized off-the-shelf products; instead, it engineers and manufactures bespoke electrical switchgear, automation, and control systems tailored to each customer's specifications. The core product portfolio spans medium-voltage switchgear (up to 20 kV), low-voltage switchgear (up to 6000 A), conventional and PLC-based control systems, alarm/monitoring/remote control (Fernwirk) systems, industrial HVAC, and special desert-grade motor starters (150–220 kW) for outdoor water infrastructure. These products are offered alongside complementary service modules: in-house manufacturing with quality control, assembly and commissioning, documentation, and international packaging and shipping. The company serves municipal water/wastewater utilities, agricultural irrigation projects, and industrial clients across Germany, Luxembourg, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, Nigeria, Russia, and Iraq, with Siemens as the primary automation technology platform. Key long-standing partners include KSB (pumps), Siemens, ABB, Endress+Hauser, and EPLAN. The company is also a member of the e-masters network of independent electrical trade businesses across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medium-Voltage Switchgear (up to 20 kV)

Named customers21 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• e-masterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKlaus Dieterich Schaltanlagenbau is a member of the e-masters network, a community of over 3,800 independent electrical trade businesses in Europe with more than 40 years of experience. The partnership provides collective branding, shared services, and referral channel benefits.
• KSBcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKSB is a major global manufacturer of pumps and valves. KD Schaltanlagen supplies switchgear, control panels, and motor starters as OEM components in KSB's water and wastewater project solutions. Extensive joint projects documented across Libya, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Germany, and China.
• SIEMENScoreTechnology or IntegrationKD Schaltanlagen specializes in Siemens control components and PLCs for process automation and remote control (Fernwirktechnik) applications. Siemens components are the primary technology platform used in the company's automation solutions.
• Stadtwerke PirmasensminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal municipal utility and customer of KD Schaltanlagen for water infrastructure projects in Pirmasens.
• EVS (Entsorgungsverband Saar)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEVS is the waste disposal association of Saarland and a regular customer for sewage treatment plant projects.
• Stadtentwässerung KaiserslauternminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal drainage authority in Kaiserslautern and customer for wastewater infrastructure projects.
• ElektroGrosshandel FouquetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorElectrical wholesale partner for component procurement.
• WVE GmbH KaiserslauternminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWater utility in Kaiserslautern and customer for water infrastructure projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights11 records

Broad incumbents

• ABB Ltd: One of the world's largest switchgear and electrical equipment manufacturers, supplying MV/LV switchgear, drives, and automation to water and industrial customers. Overlaps with KD on switchgear and SCADA but as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Siemens AG: Primary automation technology platform used by KD (Siemens PLCs, remote control/Fernwirktechnik). Competes as an integrated switchgear + automation supplier to municipal water utilities across Europe.
• Schneider Electric SE: Major LV/MV switchgear and water/utility automation provider (EcoStruxure, Altivar, Sepam) that targets the same municipal water tenders as KD, including in Germany and the Middle East.
• Sulzer Ltd: Global pump and rotating equipment supplier with a substantial water/wastewater business and embedded electrical/control capabilities, comparable to KSB as both a partner and competitor for water infrastructure projects.
• Eaton Corporation plc: Global manufacturer of LV and MV switchgear, motor control and power distribution products with strong water/wastewater references. Comparable to KD on switchgear products but at vastly larger scale.
• Xylem Inc. US-headquartered water technology major (Flygt, Wedeco, Evoqua) that sells pumps and integrated control/SCADA into municipal water — overlapping with KD's water-utility customer base though at much larger scale.

Others

• Rittal GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of enclosures and power distribution cabinets that supplies the same switchgear ecosystem KD operates in; comparable as an upstream supplier of the stainless-steel/enclosure capability KD touts as differentiator.
• Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of connection technology, PLCs and surge protection commonly used in water/wastewater control cabinets. Adjacent/ecosystem participant rather than a direct cabinet manufacturer.

Direct peers

• KSB SE & Co. KGaA: Global pump and valve manufacturer that is both KD's largest OEM partner and also produces its own switchgear/control panels for water projects. Most directly comparable because the two firms co-bid and co-deliver the same water/infrastructure tenders worldwide.
• WAGO Kontakttechnik GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of automation components, controllers (PFC200) and I/O systems widely used in water/wastewater SCADA. Comparable mid-sized German specialist competing for the same municipal automation scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/klaus-dieterich-schaltanlagenbau-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 →

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