What Wehrhahn does

Wehrhahn GmbH is a privately held German industrial plant engineering company founded in 1892 and headquartered at Muehlenstrasse 15 in Delmenhorst, Lower Saxony. The company designs, develops, and builds production lines primarily for the building materials industry, with three core product categories: autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) plants offered in SMART, PLUS, and SuperSmart variants with capacities from 200 to 2,000 m³/day; fibre cement sheet plants covering capacities from 2 to 20 t/h in both air-cured (CC) and autoclaved (CCA) technologies; and quicklime shaft-kiln and dry mortar production lines ranging from 50 to 300 t/day. The technology stack centres on proprietary differentiation such as a patented bed remover enabling zero-waste vertical autoclaving, vertical cake cutting before autoclaving for high precision, and an integrated automation suite (WECOMIX dosing control, WACO autoclave control, WH-EnMS energy management, WH-PCI process data monitoring with SQL storage and ERP integration). Wehrhahn is a certified Siemens Automation Partner and Siemens Energy Management Partner.

The business model is enterprise field sales of high-value, custom-engineered capital equipment, with each project owned by a dedicated project manager across design, manufacturing at the Delmenhorst site, installation, commissioning, training, and after-sales service. Revenue is generated through one-time equipment sales denominated in multi-year contracts, complemented by recurring streams from automation, engineering, laboratory and R&D services, remote services, spare parts, and refurbishment/modernization of the installed base of more than 200 AAC plants and over 100 fibre cement plants worldwide. Customer segments are primarily manufacturers of AAC blocks and panels, fibre cement sheets, and quicklime/dry mortar in the building materials sector, with the automation suite also sold to other industrial customers. The company employs approximately 70 highly specialized staff organized in individual teams and is led by three Managing Directors (Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Klaus E. Bohnemann, Dipl.-Ing. Torsten Dietz, Dipl.-Ing. Armin Berndl). Recent strategic activity includes formation of the Wehrhahn Teeyer Smart Technology joint venture in China, the SuperSmart AAC plant generation launch, and active plant commissionings in Iraq, Turkey, Romania, and Italy.

Name

Wehrhahn

Legal name

Wehrhahn GmbH

Website

https://wehrhahn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wehrhahn GmbH designs and builds custom production plants and automation systems for autoclaved aerated concrete, fibre cement, quicklime, and dry mortar manufacturers worldwide, supported by installation, service, and modernization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Plant Engineering for Building Materials

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive & Heavy Manufacturing Plant Construction (IMAFADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Modular/Offsite General Contracting & Installation (IMAFAAAK)

Keywords

• Autoclaved aerated concrete plants
• Fibre cement production lines
• Industrial plant engineering
• Building materials automation
• Lime and dry mortar plants

Headquarters

HQ city

Delmenhorst

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. AAC Production Plants: Sale of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete production plants including SMART lines (200-2000 m³/day) and PLUS lines (700-1400 m³/day). Plants are custom-designed for individual customer needs.
2. Fibre Cement Production Plants: Sale of fibre cement production plants with capacities of 2-20 t/h. Includes both CC (air-cured) and CCA (autoclaved) technology options.
3. Quicklime and Dry Mortar Plants: Supply of shaft kilns for lime burning and complete dry mortar production lines.
4. Automation Systems and Solutions: Sale of intelligent automation solutions including control systems, electric cabinets, and process monitoring for building materials industry and other industrial sectors.
5. Engineering Services: Customised engineering services for plant design, construction, and process optimisation.
6. Laboratory and R&D Services: Raw material testing using X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction, experimental production of AAC and fibre cement, product testing for compression strength, bending strength, shrinkage and quality parameters.
7. Remote Services: Technical support via internet online, remote connection to plant control systems, parameter adjustments without stopping production.
8. Spare Parts Supply: Supply of quality original spare parts worldwide for uninterrupted plant operation.
9. Refurbishment and Modernisation: Modernisation of existing plants with new Wehrhahn components, upgrading of machine or automation components to latest technology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Wehrhahn designs, engineers and builds complete industrial production plants for autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks and panels, fibre cement sheets, quicklime and dry mortar, complemented by proprietary intelligent automation systems (WECOMIX, WACO, WH-EnMS, WH-PCI). Each plant is custom-engineered, manufactured at the Delmenhorst headquarters in Germany, and supported across its full lifecycle — from laboratory testing and installation through commissioning, training, remote services, spare parts and refurbishment.

Product overview

Wehrhahn GmbH is a German plant engineering company founded in 1892, offering industrial production plants for the building materials industry. The core portfolio consists of three main plant types: Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) production plants (SMART, PLUS, SuperSmart lines), Fibre Cement sheet production plants (CC and CCA technologies), and Lime/Dry Mortar production plants. These are complemented by a comprehensive intelligent automation suite including WECOMIX (dosing/mixing control), WACO (autoclave control), WH-EnMS (energy management), and WH-PCI (process data monitoring). The company provides full-lifecycle support including laboratory/R&D, installation, commissioning, training, remote services, spare parts, plant inspection, and refurbishment/modernization. Production takes place at the company's Delmenhorst headquarters, with more than 200 plants built worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) Production Plants Complete custom-engineered production plants for AAC blocks, reinforced panels and lintels. Available as SMART line (200–2,000 m³/day, horizontal autoclaving, super-smooth panel surfaces) and PLUS line (700–1,400 m³/day, vertical autoclaving with zero process waste via patented bed remover). Built for AAC manufacturers serving residential, commercial and industrial construction.
• Fibre Cement Production Plants Industrial production plants for fibre cement sheets with capacities from 2 to 20 t/h. Two technologies offered: CC (cellulose cement, air-cured) for roofing and corrugated applications, and CCA (autoclaved calcium silicate) for facades and interiors. Both can be high-density pressed for enhanced frost resistance. For building materials manufacturers serving facades, roofing, siding, interiors and agricultural applications.
• Intelligent Controls / Automation Systems Intelligent automation solutions including control systems, electric cabinets and networking for building materials plants and other industrial sectors. Built around PLC and PC programming, with electric design (ePLAN certified), pre-wired 'plug-and-produce' machines, integrated safety systems and Siemens-certified component compatibility. Sold to industrial operators across multiple sectors.
• Lime / Quicklime Production Plants Shaft kilns for quicklime production with controlled firing at capacities of 50, 100, 150, 200 and 300 t/day. Delivers 30–50% lower energy consumption than rotary kilns via heat recovery from cooling lime, with regulated firing temperature and support for a wide range of limestone sizes. For lime producers serving AAC, sand-lime brick and other calcium-based applications.
• Dry Mortar Production Lines Complete dry mortar production lines capable of manufacturing the full range of construction mortars — thin-bed AAC block adhesive, tile adhesive, masonry mortar, filler, grout, interior/exterior decorative plaster, concrete mix and self-levelling floor screed — using dry sand, limestone filler, cement, white cement, hydrated lime, gypsum and additives. For producers of construction chemicals and mortars.
• Refurbishment and Modernization Services Project-based modernisation services for existing AAC and fibre cement plants. Upgrades machine or automation components to the latest Wehrhahn technology, frequently at low investment cost, and often installs new components during ongoing production to save resources, improve performance and increase plant value. For owners of legacy Wehrhahn or compatible plants.
• Remote Services Secure internet-based technical support enabling remote connection to plant control systems for monitoring and parameter adjustment, remote software updates and parameter exchanges without stopping production. For operators of Wehrhahn plants requiring rapid technical assistance.
• Spare Parts Service Worldwide supply of original Wehrhahn spare parts delivered in the shortest possible time to ensure uninterrupted plant operation. For operators of Wehrhahn-built production plants.
• Installation and Commissioning On-site installation and commissioning delivered by qualified Wehrhahn engineers and programmers. Scope ranges from several site visits to complete plant installation, tailored to customer needs. For buyers of new Wehrhahn plants or major upgrades.
• Training Personnel training conducted by experienced Wehrhahn engineers to equip plant staff with the knowledge needed for uninterrupted plant operation. For owners and operators commissioning new or upgraded Wehrhahn plants.
• Plant Inspection / Technical Audit On-site plant inspection and technical audit conducted by experienced Wehrhahn specialists who examine each plant section, analyse production processes with cyclograms and comparative tables, and deliver detailed optimisation recommendations. For operators seeking to improve performance of existing Wehrhahn plants.
• Laboratory and R&D Services Technology centre equipped with modern laboratory equipment including a 600-liter laboratory autoclave controlled by the WACO system. Services include raw material testing (X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction), experimental AAC and fibre cement production under near-real conditions, and product testing for compression strength, bending strength, shrinkage and other quality parameters. For customers and prospects developing new building-material formulations.
• Engineering Services Engineering services spanning mechanical and electrical engineering, process optimisation for existing Wehrhahn lines and long-term partnership-based technical support. Includes equipment layout plans, electrical schematics (ePLAN certified), power consumption diagrams and cable routing plans. For industrial customers in the building materials sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 40% energy savings with WH-EnMS energy management system
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wehrhahn Teeyer Smart Technology Corp. Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint venture company established in China for smart technology solutions in the building materials industry.
• SiemenscoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified Siemens Automation Partner - one of few companies recommended by Siemens for automation solutions. Also certified as Siemens Energy Management Partner offering solutions with Siemens SENTRON components. Partnership provides access to Siemens technology components and joint go-to-market in industrial automation.
• Research Institutions and UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration with researchers from various research centres in Germany, contributing to continuous development of formulations and new products in the technology centre.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: GEA is a large German industrial engineering group building process plants and automation for food, dairy, pharma, and chemicals. While serving different verticals, its scale, plant engineering model, and automation/control capabilities make it a broad-incumbent reference point for valuation and capability benchmarking.
• Bühler Group: Swiss-headquartered Bühler is a much larger industrial plant engineering incumbent serving food, feed, and advanced materials. While not specialized in AAC, it competes for large custom plant orders and represents the broader competitive set of European industrial plant builders that Wehrhahn is benchmarked against.
• Hosokawa Alpine AG: Hosokawa Alpine is a German-Japanese industrial processing equipment and plant manufacturer with comparable customized plant engineering, automation controls, and project-delivery capabilities targeting industrial process customers — a natural broader-incumbent peer for plant engineering and control system capabilities.

Others

• Siemens AG: Siemens is Wehrhahn's certified automation and energy management partner and supplies the underlying industrial controls (SENTRON, PLCs). Although not a competitor in plant building, Siemens is the most important ecosystem relationship and a constraint on Wehrhahn's ability to scale automation independently.

Direct peers

• AERCON AAC: AERCON is a US-based supplier of turnkey AAC production plants and AAC building products, making it a direct peer in the AAC plant equipment niche with overlapping technology, customer base (building materials manufacturers), and project delivery model.
• Masa-Werke GmbH: Masa is the closest direct competitor to Wehrhahn: a German-based plant engineering firm that designs and builds complete production plants for AAC, concrete blocks, and calcium silicate products. Both firms sell custom-engineered turnkey lines and compete head-to-head for global AAC plant contracts, especially in emerging markets.
• Hess Group / Hess Präzisionsmechanik GmbH: Hess Group is another German plant engineering firm supplying production systems for AAC, concrete products, and lime. It competes directly with Wehrhahn in the autoclaved aerated concrete and fibre cement plant market, with comparable engineering depth and similar global customer footprint.

Emerging players

• JK Lakshmi Cement (JK Cement): An Indian building materials group with significant AAC production interests. While primarily an AAC product manufacturer rather than plant maker, its vertical integration ambitions and emerging-market scale make it an adjacent emerging player worth monitoring as a potential competitor or strategic partner for Wehrhahn in South Asia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeCRAYG9ZRqEvd5l1oqa55g
• LinkedInis.gd/dGxfC1

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Wehrhahn