Wilh. Schmitz

What Wilh. Schmitz does

Wilh. Schmitz GmbH Maschinen und Apparatebau is a family-owned German manufacturer of custom industrial equipment, founded in 1942 and headquartered in Leverkusen. The company designs and fabricates pressure equipment — including pressure vessels (up to 3,000 mm diameter and 10-ton unit weight), columns, heat exchangers (falling film evaporators, fixed pipe, floating head, and U-pipe types), agitator vessels, welded sheet-steel constructions, and dedusting/conveyor systems — for chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and brewing customers across Europe. Manufacturing is carried out at a 5,000 m² production facility with carousel lathes supporting up to 10-ton components and a satellite mechanical-processing site; materials processed range from structural steel to stainless steels, nickel alloys, titanium, and explosive-clad plates.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time, build-to-order sales of custom-engineered equipment, complemented by professional-services revenue from on-site repairs, retrospective installations, and conversion work performed by SCC**-certified personnel. Go-to-market is a direct enterprise field-sales motion targeting named industrial customers such as Bayer, Lanxess, Linde, Wacker-Chemie, Henkel, and Kronos-Titan, alongside breweries (Veltins, Reissdorf). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quoted per project against customer specifications, with competitive positioning anchored on a "Made in Germany" brand and on multiple regulatory certifications (DIN EN ISO 9001:2000, DIN EN ISO 3834-2, HPO, DGRL Module H1 and G, WHG) that are prerequisites for safety-critical pressure-equipment supply.

The company is managed by Michaela Schmitz and operates without disclosed parent companies, institutional investors, subsidiaries, or external partnerships. Marketing presence is limited to a bilingual German/English website, with no social channels, no digital product, and no public funding or M&A history in the available record. Geographic footprint is concentrated in Germany, Belgium, and Norway via multi-site customers.

Name

Wilh. Schmitz

Legal name

Wilh. Schmitz GmbH Maschinen und Apparatebau

Website

https://wilhelm-schmitz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wilh. Schmitz is a family-owned German fabricator of custom pressure vessels, columns, heat exchangers, and agitator vessels for European chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and brewing customers, operating from a 5,000 m² facility in Leverkusen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Pressure Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332)

SIC

Fabricated Plate Work (Boiler Shops) (3443), Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440)

akta.pro primary industry

Pressure Vessels, Columns & Storage Tanks (ASME/Process Vessels) (IMAHAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial/Process Piping & Mechanical Contracting (IMAFALAG)

Keywords

• Custom pressure vessels
• Industrial heat exchangers
• Chemical process equipment
• Agitator vessel manufacturing
• Petrochemical equipment fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Leverkusen

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Equipment Manufacturing: Manufacture and supply of custom industrial equipment including pressure vessels, columns, heat exchangers, agitator vessels, and welded sheet steel constructions. Equipment is produced to customer specifications and individual drawings.
2. Repair and Conversion Services: On-site repair work to pressure equipment performed by personnel trained in accordance with SCC** Directive. Also includes retrospective installation and conversion work for pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and reactors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Wilh. Schmitz GmbH manufactures custom industrial pressure equipment and machinery, including pressure vessels, columns, heat exchangers, agitator vessels, welded sheet steel constructions, and dedusting and conveyor equipment. The company serves the chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and brewery industries across Europe, complementing its manufacturing with on-site repair, conversion, and custom fabrication services. Equipment is produced to AD 2000 and DGR 97/23 EC standards using materials ranging from structural steel to nickel alloys and titanium.

Product overview

Wilh. Schmitz is an industrial equipment manufacturer specializing in pressure equipment and machinery for the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and petrochemicals industries, as well as the brewing industry. The product portfolio consists of core manufacturing products including pressure vessels (up to Ø 3,000 mm, 10 tons), columns, heat exchangers (falling film evaporators, fixed pipe, floating head, U-pipe types), agitator vessels, welded sheet steel constructions, and dedusting & conveyor equipment. These products are complemented by service offerings for retrospective installation and conversion work, as well as repairs and custom-made designs. The company operates with a 5,000 m² production area and serves major chemical industry clients including Bayer, Lanxess, Linde, and Kronos across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pressure vessels Custom-manufactured pressure vessels built to the Pressure Equipment Directive DGR 97/23 EC and AD 2000 standards, available up to Ø 3,000 mm diameter and 10 tons unit weight, for chemical, pharmaceutical, and petrochemical plants.
• Columns Industrial columns produced with or without technical process installations such as valve bases, bubble cap trays, and various column packings, for chemical processing applications.
• Heat exchangers Heat exchangers including falling film evaporators, fixed pipe heat exchangers, floating head heat exchangers, and U-pipe heat exchangers, produced in all material combinations from structural steel to high-quality nickel alloys and titanium, with specialization in explosive-clad materials.
• Agitator vessels Stainless steel agitator vessels manufactured in all sizes and models, available complete with stirring gear and assembled parts, produced to individual specifications and stringent quality requirements.
• Welded sheet steel constructions Professional execution of welded sheet steel constructions ranging from structural steel to high-quality stainless steels, delivered as single components or sub-assemblies.
• Dedusting and conveyor equipment Manufacturing, supply, and assembly of dedusting and conveyor equipment, including silo systems, malt conveyors, and cleaning systems used in breweries and malting plants.
• Retrospective installation and conversion work Conversion of pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and reactors according to customer specifications, performed either in-house or on customer premises.
• Repairs and custom-made designs Complete on-site repair work to pressure equipment and custom-made designs, executed by personnel trained in accordance with the SCC** Directive.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: Global process-equipment supplier with strong presence in separators, homogenizers, and heat exchangers for chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Larger incumbent with overlapping capabilities in process vessels and heat transfer.
• Kelvion: Manufacturer of heat exchangers and process equipment for chemical, petrochemical, oil and gas, and HVAC markets following its carve-out from GEA. Larger incumbent overlapping with Wilh. Schmitz in industrial heat-exchanger supply.
• Alfa Laval: Global manufacturer of heat exchangers, separation equipment, and fluid handling systems serving chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Broader, larger incumbent that overlaps with Wilh. Schmitz's heat-exchanger offering as part of a much wider portfolio.
• Andritz AG: International technology group supplying process equipment, pressure vessels, and heat exchangers for chemical, pulp and paper, and industrial applications. Larger diversified incumbent with overlapping fabrication capabilities.

Direct peers

• HRS Heat Exchangers: Specialist manufacturer of heat exchangers including falling film evaporators and tubular designs for chemical, pharmaceutical, and food applications. Overlaps with Wilh. Schmitz's heat-exchanger product line and similar process-industry customer base.
• Ziemann Holvrieka: Manufacturer of process tanks, vessels, and brewing equipment for breweries, maltings, and chemical customers in Europe. Direct comparable to Wilh. Schmitz in serving brewing and chemical process-equipment needs with stainless-steel fabrication.
• GMM Pfaudler: Global manufacturer of glass-lined and stainless-steel process equipment including reactors, pressure vessels, columns, and heat exchangers for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Directly comparable to Wilh. Schmitz in product scope and customer verticals, though at significantly larger scale.
• API Heat Transfer: Manufacturer of heat exchangers, including shell-and-tube and specialty designs, for chemical, petrochemical, and industrial process applications. Closely comparable to Wilh. Schmitz in heat-exchanger scope and served industries.
• Christian Maier GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of heat exchangers and pressure vessels for chemical, petrochemical, and industrial process applications. Comparable mid-sized European fabricator serving overlapping customer verticals.
• Eisenwerk Würth GmbH: German fabricator of custom pressure vessels, columns, and heat exchangers for chemical and process industries. Closely comparable mid-sized Mittelstand competitor with similar specialty fabrication scope and customer verticals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schmitz-wilh.-gmbh-maschinen--und-apparatebau

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Wilh. Schmitz