What ERO does

ERO GmbH Anlagenbau is a privately held German engineering and manufacturing firm headquartered in Herrnhut, Saxony, that designs and builds custom industrial surface treatment plants and the proprietary control software that runs them. Its core product lines cover dip (galvanizing) plants, plastic galvanizing plants, electroless nickel plating systems, anodizing (Eloxal) plants, pickling and degreasing plants, cathodic dip coating (KTL) plants, spray plants, wastewater treatment (eroCLEAN), water treatment (eroIAKA, eroSOND), and air supply/exhaust systems. The company delivers turnkey industrial works, supporting customers from CAD-based conceptual design through permitting (BImSchG), construction, commissioning, training, and remote maintenance.

Underlying the hardware is an integrated software stack branded under the ero* prefix, including three trolley control variants (eroGAL for self-optimizing throughput, eroFLEX for low-diversity lines, and eroTAKT for cost-efficient mass production), process visualization (eroVIS-ProX), parameter management (eroDAT), production planning (eroPPS), energy efficiency management (eroECO), and access control (eroPWD). This in-house software ecosystem differentiates ERO from generalist plant builders and supports modular configuration for both new plants and retrofits.

ERO generates revenue primarily from one-time sales of custom-engineered plants, components (transport trolleys, chamber filter presses, retardation systems), and software/hardware control upgrades, supplemented by commissioning, training, and remote maintenance services. Pricing is quotation-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base spans enterprise automotive suppliers (Benteler, Finoba Automotive, Tenneco, MTU, Seidel, Welco, CZ Ltilburg), industrial manufacturers (Siemens, Aalberts, SolarWorld, Wiesner-Hager), and dedicated surface treatment job shops (Metallveredlung Kotsch, Heidenauer Galvanik, Fischer Surface). Geographic focus is Germany and Central Europe, supported by WHG certification for water-polluting substance handling valid through 2026.

Name

ERO

Legal name

ERO GmbH Anlagenbau

Website

https://eroanlagenbau.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ERO GmbH Anlagenbau is a German manufacturer of custom industrial surface treatment plants, including electroplating, anodizing, electroless nickel, KTL coating, and wastewater treatment systems, integrated with proprietary control software, serving automotive suppliers and industrial manufacturers primarily in Germany and Central Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Surface Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813)

SIC

Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)

akta.pro primary industry

Electroplating & Metal Finishing (Anodizing/Galvanizing/Passivation) (IMAIAKAE)

Keywords

• Electroplating plant engineering
• Surface treatment equipment
• Industrial wastewater treatment
• Anodizing plant systems
• Cathodic dip coating

Headquarters

HQ city

Herrnhut

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Industrial Plant Sales: Sale of custom-designed surface treatment plants and automation systems including galvanizing, anodizing, chemical nickel plating, phosphating, and cathodic dip painting equipment. Revenue generated from complete plant systems, components, and peripheral equipment. Projects range from individual component upgrades to complete turnkey industrial works.
2. Components and Peripheral Equipment: Sale of components and peripheral equipment for existing plants including transport systems, container technology, process bath care systems, exhaust air components, and water treatment/wastewater treatment equipment. Can include productivity-enhancing retrofits for their own plants or modernization parts for customer-owned equipment.
3. Control Systems and Software: Sale and implementation of proprietary control systems (eroGAL, eroFLEX, eroTAKT, eroDAT, eroVIS-ProX, eroPPS) and energy efficiency system (eroECO). Includes commissioning, training, production accompaniment, remote maintenance and remote analysis services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ERO GmbH Anlagenbau manufactures custom-designed industrial plants and components for electroplating, electroless nickel plating, anodizing, chemical nickel plating, phosphating, cathodic dip painting (KTL), and water/wastewater treatment. The company delivers complete turnkey industrial works including proprietary control systems, energy efficiency modules, and after-sales services from planning through commissioning.

Product overview

ERO GmbH Anlagenbau is a system provider for surface treatment plants and components, offering turnkey solutions for galvanizing, anodizing, burnishing, phosphatizing, coating, water treatment, wastewater treatment, and ventilation. The product portfolio consists of core process plants (Tauchanlagen, Kunststoffgalvanisieranlagen, Chemisch-Nickel-Anlagen, Anodisieranlagen, Beizanlagen, KTL-Anlagen, Sprühanlagen, Abwasseranlagen, Wasseraufbereitungsanlagen, Zu- und Abluftanlagen) complemented by proprietary control software modules (eroVIS-ProX for visualization, eroDAT for parameter management, eroPPS for production planning, eroGAL/eroFLEX/eroTAKT for trolley control, eroECO for energy efficiency). The modular architecture allows customers to select both plant types and control systems independently, with all modules designed to interoperate within the ERO ecosystem. Components including transport trolleys, process bath care systems, and filtration equipment are available separately for existing plant upgrades.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• eroECO: Energy efficiency system for plant engineering, combining economic and ecological considerations through intelligent measures in plant conception and operation.
• eroPPS
• eroDAT
• eroVIS-ProX
• eroGAL
• eroFLEX
• eroTAKT
• eroCLEAN
• eroIAKA
• eroSOND

Products and services

• Tauchanlagen (Dip Plants) Custom-built dip/tank plants for surface treatment including galvanizing, with portal or hanging transport configurations suitable for both drum and frame applications. Designed for industrial surface treatment operations.
• Kunststoffgalvanisieranlagen (Plastic Galvanizing Plants) Plants for ABS plastic electroplating including chrome sulfuric acid etching, palladium seeding, chemical nickel priming, and copper-nickel-chrome coating systems for plastic component manufacturers.
• Chemisch-Nickel-Anlagen (Electroless Nickel Plating Plants) Electroless nickel plating systems with one to three-dimensional workpiece movement, online process medium analysis, selective internal nickel plating capability, and precision dosing systems for chemical nickel plating operations.
• Anodisieranlagen / Eloxal (Anodizing Plants) Plants for electrolytic oxidation of aluminum including GS and GSX anodizing, hard anodizing, electrolytic or organic coloring, and chemical brightening with nanometer-precision pore coloring for aluminum processing industries.
• Beizanlagen / Entfettungsanlagen (Pickling / Degreasing Plants) Cleaning, degreasing and pickling plants for automotive supplier parts with barcode-identified work carriers and completely enclosed emissions containment for surface preparation operations.
• KTL-Anlagen (Cathodic Dip Coating Plants) Cathodic electrophoretic coating plants with ultrafiltration, deionized water rinsing, dual-secured barrier water systems, and 400V operation capability for corrosion-resistant coatings.
• Sprühanlagen (Spray Plants) Conventional multi-chamber continuous spray plants and mobile spray booth systems (eroVBA) for users with lower coating volumes or limited space, supporting various pretreatment processes.
• Abwasseranlagen - eroCLEAN (Wastewater Treatment Plants) Wastewater treatment plants for process rinse waters, spent electrolytes and concentrates including chromate reduction, cyanide oxidation, complex separation, heavy metal precipitation, flocculation and neutralization for surface treatment facilities.
• Wasseraufbereitungsanlagen - eroIAKA, eroSOND (Water Treatment Plants) Ion exchanger circulation systems (eroIAKA) for deionized water production and special treatment systems (eroSOND) for mercury elimination, LHKW elimination, and drinking water treatment.
• Zu- und Abluftanlagen (Air Supply and Exhaust Plants)

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy cost optimization for electricity and gas
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WOBEK Oberflächenschutz GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for spray coating systems. Collaborated with ERO GmbH to develop a completely new concept for pretreatment systems with movable spray cabin (eroVBA) for users with lower production volumes or limited space.
• Dr.-Ing. Oehler GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for spray coating systems. Collaborated with ERO GmbH and WOBEK to develop innovative movable spray cabin pretreatment system (eroVBA).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rösler Oberflächentechnik: Rösler is a German mid-sized manufacturer of mass-finishing, shot-blasting, and surface treatment equipment, with proprietary process and automation software. It is comparable to ERO as a German specialty industrial plant builder serving similar automotive and industrial finishing customers.
• Singulus Technologies: Singulus is a German equipment manufacturer whose Surface Treatment segment supplies machines for electroplating, pickling, degreasing, and cleaning processes to automotive and industrial customers. It is a direct competitor to ERO in the German mid-market for custom surface treatment lines, with comparable engineering-led positioning.
• BvL Oberflächentechnik: BvL is a German family-owned supplier of cleaning, degreasing, and surface treatment systems for industrial manufacturing, with significant overlap in process portfolio (pickling, degreasing, KTL) and customer base. As a similar mid-sized German specialist, it is a direct peer to ERO in market positioning.
• Dr.-Ing. Schlötter GmbH & Co. KG: Schlötter is a German specialty chemicals and equipment supplier for electroplating and surface finishing, serving automotive, electronics, and industrial customers. It is a close peer in the German-speaking market, with overlap in process technology and end customers, though its model is more chemistry-weighted.

Broad incumbents

• Dürr AG: Dürr is a large German mechanical and plant engineering group whose Clean Technology Systems division designs and builds surface treatment, painting, and finishing plants for automotive and industrial customers. ERO competes in the same end-markets and customer base, but Dürr is a much larger, publicly listed generalist with global execution capability.
• Eisenmann (now part of Dürr): Eisenmann was a major German plant engineering firm specializing in painting, finishing, and material handling systems, with deep overlap in automotive surface treatment — historically one of ERO's most direct competitors. The business is now integrated into Dürr, but the Eisenmann name and reference base remain relevant comparables for ERO.
• Atotech (MKS Instruments): Atotech, now part of MKS Instruments, is a global leader in chemistry and process technology for the printed circuit board and surface finishing industries, offering both chemistry and equipment for electroplating lines. It overlaps directly with ERO's end markets and product types but at much greater scale and global reach.
• Aalberts Surface Technologies: Aalberts operates an integrated surface treatment business with both heat treatment, surface finishing, and process-equipment capabilities, serving automotive and industrial customers across Europe. ERO is also a reference customer of Aalberts, illustrating the overlap in target customers and process offerings, while Aalberts is substantially larger and more diversified.

Emerging players

• Technic Inc. Technic is a US-headquartered supplier of specialty chemistry, plating equipment, and process control for the surface finishing industry. While geographically US-centric, it competes with ERO's portfolio in custom electroplating equipment and process software, particularly for industrial and electronics customers.
• Walter Surface Technologies: Walter is a North American surface treatment solutions provider with equipment, chemistry, and consumables for metal finishing. It overlaps with ERO's process portfolio (electroplating, anodizing, surface treatment) and customer base in industrial manufacturing, though it is primarily regional to the Americas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ero-gmbh

Compliance1 record

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 →

Frequently asked questions about ERO