What Fierthbauer does

Fierthbauer GmbH is a privately held German industrial supplier founded in 1923 and headquartered in Esslingen am Neckar, operating as a value-added B2B distributor and technical service provider for the mobile machinery sector. Its core offering is organized into four product pillars: hydraulics and control technology (Eaton pumps, Bucher controls and seat valves, motors, cylinders, compact aggregates, motor-pump units), fluid technology (hoses, fittings, connection and fastening technology, pipelines and custom parts), driver seat systems (Grammer Actimo/Maximo/Compacto/Primo ranges plus United Seats for agricultural, construction, forklift, bus, and truck applications), and machine sales representing Adler Arbeitsmaschinen. These are layered with technical consulting (hose analysis, circuit diagram creation, subsystem and complete system development, measurement services, Walterscheid tool rental) and logistics consulting (Kanban service, set delivery, RFID and scanner logistics systems, and individual hose labeling).

The business runs a sales-led, hybrid distribution model: field sales representatives cover each product category, complemented by a B2B webshop at webshop.fierthbauer.de for registered customers and digital self-service tools such as the Schlauch-Select hose configurator. Revenue mechanics are one-time product sales supplemented by professional services for technical and logistics consulting, priced in euros on B2B terms with no public pricing. The company serves agricultural machinery, construction equipment, forklift, and commercial-vehicle OEMs primarily in Germany, with named customers and partners including Adler Arbeitsmaschinen, MTS Maschinentechnik Schrode AG, Eaton, Bucher, Grammer, United Seats, and Walterscheid.

Following the effective January 1, 2025 merger with KBW Blickle Hydraulik GmbH, the combined entity now operates under the Fierthbauer GmbH name with an additional Schwenningen branch, and the company is planning a mid-2026 relocation to a new, larger facility in Denkendorf. Managing director is Jochen Brandstetter, and the company remains privately held with no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing.

Name

Fierthbauer

Legal name

Fierthbauer GmbH

Website

https://fierthbauer.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fierthbauer GmbH is a German B2B industrial distributor founded in 1923 that supplies hydraulics, fluid technology, driver seats, and work machines — primarily to agricultural, construction, and commercial-vehicle OEMs — augmented by technical and logistics consulting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Hydraulic Components Distribution

NAICS

Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912), Fluid Power Pump and Motor Manufacturing (333996), Fluid Power Cylinder and Actuator Manufacturing (333995)

SIC

Gaskets, Packg & Sealg Devices & Rubber & Plastics Hose (3050), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Hoses, Tubing & Fittings (Hydraulic/Pneumatic Lines & Connectors) (IMAHAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydraulic, Pneumatic & Fluid Power Systems MRO (Cylinders, Pumps, Valves, Hoses) (TLAKAHAI), Pneumatic Air Preparation & Distribution (FRL assemblies, manifolds, air headers) (IMAHAGAD), Electrical, Electronics & Telematics Aftermarket Parts Distribution (TLAKAOAF)

Keywords

• Hydraulic components supply
• Fluid technology products
• Industrial driver seats
• Agricultural machinery parts
• Construction equipment hydraulics

Headquarters

HQ city

Esslingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hydraulics and Control Technology: Sale of hydraulic components including pumps (Eaton), motors, valves (Bucher), motor-pump units, compact aggregates, cylinders, and accessories. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Fluid Technology: Sale of connection technology, hoses and fittings, mounting technology, pipelines and custom parts, and drive technology.
3. Driver Seat Systems: Sale and installation of driver seats (Grammer, United Seats) for agricultural machinery, construction equipment, forklifts, buses, and trucks, along with accessories and adaptations.
4. Machine Sales: Sales representation for Adler Arbeitsmaschinen through their Regensburg branch, representing the machine distribution business segment acquired in 2014.
5. Technical and Logistical Consulting: Services including hose analysis, hose measurement, circuit diagram creation, development of subsystems and complete systems, measurements and system analysis, measurement equipment rental, and Walterscheid assembly machine rental.
6. Logistics Services: Kanban services, set delivery, RFID logistics systems, scanner logistics systems, and individual hose labeling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fierthbauer GmbH is a German B2B industrial supplier that distributes hydraulic and control technology components (pumps, motors, valves, cylinders), fluid technology products (hoses, fittings, piping, connection technology), and driver seat systems (Grammer, United Seats) for agricultural machinery, construction equipment, forklifts, buses, and trucks. The company also represents Adler Arbeitsmaschinen for machine distribution and provides technical and logistics consulting services including hose analysis, Kanban supply, and RFID logistics.

Product overview

Fierthbauer GmbH is a German industrial supplier offering a comprehensive portfolio of hydraulic and fluid technology products combined with technical and logistics consulting services. The core offerings are organized into four main product categories: Hydraulik & Steuerungstechnik (hydraulic and control technology including pumps, motors, valves, and cylinders from brands like Eaton and Bucher), Fluidtechnik (fluid technology including hoses, fittings, and piping), Fahrersitzsysteme (driver seat systems from Grammer and United Seats), and Maschinenvertrieb (machine sales representing Adler Arbeitsmaschinen). These are complemented by consulting services including technical consulting (hose analysis, system development, measurements) and logistics consulting (Kanban, RFID systems, set delivery). The company also provides digital tools including the Schlauch-Select app for hose selection and an e-commerce webshop for product ordering. Fierthbauer operates primarily in the agricultural machinery, construction equipment, and industrial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydraulik & Steuerungstechnik

Quantifiable outcome

• Customers report smaller warehouse inventories, shorter process times, and reduced administrative effort through logistics services

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KBW Blickle Hydraulik GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Effective January 1, 2025, Fierthbauer GmbH and KBW Blickle Hydraulik GmbH officially merged. The combined entity operates under the Fierthbauer GmbH name, bringing together decades of experience and pooled resources to offer more comprehensive services, better service, and innovative solutions to customers.
• Adler ArbeitsmaschinencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFierthbauer serves as the exclusive contact partner for Adler Arbeitsmaschinen in their sales territory. The relationship involves sales representation and distribution of Adler work machines, supported by dedicated sales staff in the Regensburg branch.
• EatonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier partnership for hydraulic pumps. Eaton pumps are listed as a product category in Fierthbauer's hydraulics portfolio.
• Bucher HydraulicsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier partnership for control technology and seat valves. Bucher products are offered as part of the hydraulic and control technology product range.
• GrammercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor supplier of driver seats for agricultural machinery, construction equipment, forklifts, buses, and trucks. Fierthbauer offers the complete Grammer product range including Actimo, Maximo, Compacto, and Primo series.
• United SeatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlternative driver seat brand offered alongside Grammer, serving agricultural machinery sector with additional seating options.
• KBW-Blickle GmbH (Schwenningen branch)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond location of the Fierthbauer group serving as a branch office and partner company. Website link redirects to kbw-blickle.de.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HYDAC International: Large German-headquartered fluid power, hydraulics, and filtration specialist. Broader portfolio and global scale, but significant overlap with Fierthbauer's hydraulics, fluid technology, and cylinder business lines in the German market.
• Linde Hydraulics (Weber-Hydraulik successor entities): Austrian/German hydraulic component manufacturers including pumps, motors, valves, and cylinders. Comparable in hydraulics product mix but with their own direct sales channels for larger OEM accounts in the same mobile machinery segments Fierthbauer serves.
• Bosch Rexroth: Global German powerhouse in hydraulics, pneumatics, and motion control. While a manufacturer/supplier rather than distributor, its direct sales channel competes with specialty distributors like Fierthbauer for large hydraulic system accounts in mobile and industrial machinery.
• Eaton (Hydraulics division): Global manufacturer whose hydraulic pumps and components Fierthbauer distributes. Its direct OEM sales force competes for the same large accounts; Eaton's authorized-distributor model is how Fierthbauer accesses mid-market customers.

Direct peers

• HANSA-FLEX: Germany-based hydraulic hose and fluid systems specialist with national service network and field-based hose assembly. Highly comparable B2B distributor model focused on hydraulic and pneumatic components, with similar value-add services and aftermarket positioning.
• HAWE Hydraulik SE: German manufacturer of hydraulic components (valves, pumps, cylinders, power units) with overlapping product categories to Fierthbauer's hydraulics portfolio. Comparable medium-sized industrial hydraulics specialist serving similar German construction/agricultural machinery OEMs.
• Argo-Hytos Group: European-headquartered manufacturer of hydraulic and lubrication filtration, fluid technology, and tank systems. Overlaps with Fierthbauer's fluid technology and hydraulics offering and serves similar mobile machinery and industrial customers in Europe.
• Stauff (Walter Stauffenberg GmbH & Co. KG): German manufacturer and distributor of hydraulic accessories including hose fittings, clamps, pipe clamps, and fluid power components. Overlapping product portfolio (hose fittings, clamps, fluid technology) directly competes with Fierthbauer's Fluidtechnik division.

Others

• Bucher Hydraulics: Swiss manufacturer of hydraulic valves, pumps, and control systems. A current Fierthbauer supplier (Bucher seat valves), but its direct distribution channels compete with specialty distributors for mid-sized OEM customers in mobile machinery.
• Walterscheid (GKN Walterscheid): German manufacturer of drive technology, hydraulic hoses, fittings, and assembly tooling. A supplier-partner relationship with Fierthbauer (assembly machine rental) and adjacent product portfolio overlap, particularly in hose and connection technology for agricultural and construction machinery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Fierthbauer