What Nemag does

Nemag B.V. is a Dutch family-owned manufacturer of four-rope mechanical grabs and rope connection systems used for ship loading and unloading of dry bulk cargo. Founded in 1924 in Zierikzee, Zeeland, and now led by the third generation of the founding Grootveld family, the company designs and builds its entire product range at its single headquarters near the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. Its core product portfolio comprises four grab types — NemaX (flagship, patented, for high-density bulk such as iron ore), Clamshell (modular all-rounder), Scissors (compact-material handling), and Orange Peel (scrap, wood chips, irregular materials) — complemented by the Rope Pear Socket and Quick Release Link rope connection systems.

The underlying technology is engineered using Solid Works CAD, FEM structural analysis, and TACTON product configurators, with ongoing co-development under a research partnership with TU Delft on crane-grab interaction simulation. The flagship NemaX achieves roughly 70% fewer moving parts than comparable clamshell grabs, 15% lighter weight, 20% faster opening/closing cycles, and a 30% larger footprint — metrics that translate into documented customer productivity gains of 10–25% and 4x ROI in the first year of deployment.

Nemag monetizes through quote-based hardware sales of customized grabs and connection systems, plus recurring service, spare parts, and lifelong maintenance contracts on installed units. Commercial reach is delivered via two channels: direct enterprise field sales to transshipment terminals, port operators, and material handlers (with free NemaX trial demos at customer terminals), and OEM embedded supply to six major crane manufacturers — Liebherr, Konecranes, Ardelt, Italgru, DHHI, and ZPMC — which resell Nemag grabs as part of their crane systems globally. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; CAPEX is framed as roughly €0.01 per tonne of cargo transferred over a grab's lifespan, with maintenance of €0.02–0.03 per tonne.

Name

Nemag

Legal name

NEMAG IP B.V.

Website

https://nemag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nemag is a Dutch family-owned manufacturer founded in 1924 that designs and builds four-rope mechanical grabs and rope connection systems for loading and unloading dry bulk cargo at transshipment terminals, ports, and material-handling operations worldwide, selling direct and through major crane OEMs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Material Handling Equipment

NAICS

Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging) (IMAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lifting Accessories & Rigging (Slings, Shackles, Hooks, Spreaders) (IMAHAJAI), Loading/Unloading & Transfer Equipment (Telescopic Conveyors, Loaders, Tipplers) (IMAHABAI)

Keywords

• Mechanical grab manufacturing
• Dry bulk handling equipment
• Ship unloader cranes
• Transshipment terminal equipment
• Rope connection systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Zierikzee

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

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

Revenue model

1. Dry Bulk Grabs: Manufacture and sale of four-rope mechanical grabs including NemaX, Clamshell, Scissors, and Orange Peel grabs. Custom solutions for different bulk materials (iron ore, bauxite, coal, aggregates, cereals).
2. Connection Systems: Rope Pear Sockets and Quick Release Links for crane rope connections.
3. Service & Maintenance: Expert support, spare parts delivery, and lifelong service for grabs built. Includes preventive maintenance and repair services.
4. Spare Parts: Replacement parts including bearings, plate materials, closing cables, and wear-resistant components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Nemag manufactures four-rope mechanical grabs for loading and unloading dry bulk cargo from ships, including the NemaX (flagship iron ore grab), Clamshell, Scissors, and Orange Peel variants. The company also produces rope connection systems (Rope Pear Sockets and Quick Release Links) and provides lifelong service, maintenance, and spare parts for the grabs it builds. Its equipment serves transshipment terminals, ports, crane OEMs, and material handlers worldwide.

Product overview

Nemag is a manufacturer of four-rope mechanical grabs and rope connection systems for dry bulk cargo handling. The product portfolio centers on four grab types (NemaX, Clamshell, Scissors, and Orange Peel), each designed for specific material types and crane configurations, complemented by two rope connection solutions (Rope Pear Socket and Quick Release Link). The NemaX represents the flagship innovation with patented symmetrical design and minimal moving parts, while the Clamshell serves as an all-rounder for diverse materials, and specialized grabs address specific applications like biomass, scrap metal, and dense materials. All products are engineered in the Netherlands with a focus on productivity, efficiency, and low maintenance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NemaX: New generation four-rope mechanical grab, the most productive iron ore grab in the world. Features lighter weight, fewer moving parts, faster opening/closing, and improved maintenance characteristics.
• Clamshell Grab
• Scissors Grab
• Orange Peel Grab
• Rope Pear Socket
• Quick Release Link

Products and services

• NemaX Grab Flagship four-rope mechanical grab optimized for iron ore handling, designed for high-density materials (>1.4 t/m3) with grain size less than 50mm. Patented symmetrical closing design with only 2 sheaves and 70% fewer parts than comparable clamshell grabs, 15% lighter, 20% faster opening/closing, and 30% larger footprint for faster cleanup. Sold to transshipment terminals, ports, and material handlers.
• Clamshell Grab Four-rope mechanical clamshell grab offered as the lightest and most productive clamshell grab in the Nemag portfolio. Suitable for lifting capacities from 20 tonnes up to 85-tonne safe working load with modular design enabling customization and container-shippable assembly for reduced logistics costs.
• Scissors Grab Heavy-duty four-rope mechanical grab designed for dense or compact materials, featuring horizontal closing curve ideal for thin cargo layers and cleaning up. Rotational point is positioned in the center to avoid torsional stresses, and opening/closing ropes are not in contact with abrasive materials. Well-suited for capacities above 35 tonnes safe working load.
• Orange Peel Grab Multi-tine four-rope grab (also known as a cactus grab) designed for handling irregular materials such as scrap metal, wood chips, and other bulky cargo. Available in sizes up to 55 cbm.
• Rope Pear Socket Rope connection system providing fast and safe rope attachment for crane grabs, marketed as the fastest and safest rope connection system for crane operations.
• Quick Release Link Quick-release connection system for rope attachments, enabling fast and safe rope changes during grab operations on cranes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-25% productivity increase
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LiebherrcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLiebherr, a major crane manufacturer, partners with Nemag as OEM customer, integrating Nemag grabs into their crane offerings for ports and material handling applications worldwide.
• KonecranescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKonecranes, a leading crane manufacturer, incorporates Nemag grabs into their product portfolio for dry bulk handling applications at ports and terminals.
• ArdeltcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerArdelt Engineering GmbH, crane manufacturer, integrates Nemag grabs into their ship unloader crane systems.
• ItalgrucoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerItalgru, Italian crane manufacturer, partners with Nemag to offer quality grabs with their crane systems.
• DHHIcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDHHI (Dalian Huarui Heavy Industry), Chinese heavy machinery manufacturer, partners with Nemag for grab integration into their port equipment.
• ZPMCcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerZPMC (Zhenhua Port Machinery Company), a leading port machinery manufacturer, integrates Nemag grabs into their ship unloader crane systems for global port operations.
• TU DelftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaboration with Delft University of Technology for research, testing, and simulation models on crane-grab interaction. Niels de Vries developed simulation models through this partnership, contributing to NemaX product development.
• Technical UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with technical universities for state-of-the-art design tools and research support in grab development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Terex Port Solutions: Global incumbent supplying ship-to-shore cranes, mobile harbor cranes and integrated port equipment, including grab systems — overlaps with Nemag as a bundled port equipment supplier with much broader scale.
• Konecranes: Major crane OEM and Nemag OEM partner that also supplies port and material-handling equipment globally; competes indirectly by offering complete crane-plus-grab packages to terminal operators.
• Cargotec: Parent of MacGregor, Kalmar and Hiab — a broad incumbent in cargo and load handling with global service footprint that competes with Nemag across ports, terminals and marine logistics.
• Liebherr: Global crane manufacturer and Nemag OEM partner; offers its own mobile harbor and ship-unloader cranes with integrated grab solutions, competing for the same terminal-operator customers.

Direct peers

• MacGregor (Cargotec): Marine cargo and load handling specialist within Cargotec, supplying ship-based grabs, cranes and ro-ro equipment for dry bulk carriers and offshore operators — directly competes with Nemag in bulk-cargo handling attachments.
• SMAG (Salzgitter Maschinenbau): German manufacturer of mechanical grabs for bulk cargo handling, the most direct head-to-head competitor to Nemag's four-rope clamshell and specialty grabs in transshipment and port terminals globally.

Regional players

• ZPMC: China's dominant port crane manufacturer and a Nemag OEM partner; primarily competes in Asia-Pacific port builds with bundled crane and grab solutions, often at lower price points.
• DHHI (Dalian Huarui Heavy Industry): Chinese heavy machinery group and Nemag OEM partner; primarily serves Asian port and shipyard markets with cranes and integrated grab equipment at competitive price points.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NemagBV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nemag-b.v.
• Facebookfacebook.com/Nemagdrybulk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Nemag