Secumar

What Secumar does

SECUMAR is a German family-owned manufacturer of personal flotation devices and maritime safety equipment, operating under the legal entity Bernhardt Apparatebau GmbH u. Co. KG with the management company SECUMAR Rettungsgeräte GmbH. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes inflatable and foam-buoyancy life jackets, GORE-TEX-based immersion suits (CONTRA series), and supporting accessories such as automatic LED rescue lights (SECULUX) and replacement inflation cartridges. Its product line spans 50N to 275N buoyancy classes compliant with DIN EN ISO 12402, with proprietary automatic inflation technology branded SECUMATIC (3001 and 4001 series), dual-chamber redundancy in select models (DUO PROTECT, Survival 275 Duo Protect), and integration with SOLAS-approved distress electronics on professional models. The catalog lists 78+ products across leisure and industrial categories.

The business serves two distinct end-segments. The leisure and recreational segment addresses individual water-sports users (sailors, motorboaters, anglers, kayakers, stand-up paddlers, and their children and pets) through direct e-commerce and dealer sales, with consumer products priced between approximately €41.90 (entry-level foam vests such as Echo and VIVO 50) and €600 (Scout 275 3D). The industrial and commercial segment addresses professional buyers including fire departments (Feuerwehr), police maritime units, ferry operators, offshore wind personnel, rescue organizations, and SOLAS-regulated seagoing commercial shipping operators, with professional products (ALPHA 275 X, SIERRA 300, Golf SOLAS series, CONTRA 140 SOLAS) priced via dealer quotation only. The company maintains an authorized specialist dealer and maintenance station network across Germany, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom, and runs a multilingual e-commerce storefront in German, English, French, and Dutch.

SECUMAR's revenue model is exclusively hardware sales — no software, subscription, or service-as-a-software component is disclosed. Its competitive positions rest on (a) full SOLAS certification across the professional product line, which constitutes a regulatory barrier for international maritime commercial shipping; (b) the historical brand equity of Bernhardt Apparatebau headquartered at its long-tenured Holm, Germany site; (c) proprietary SECUMATIC inflation mechanisms; and (d) a long-established European dealer footprint supported by sub-brand trademarks (ALPHA, CONTRA, SECUMATIC, SECULUX, DUO PROTECT, SURVIVAL, NEPTUN, BOLERO). The business is privately held by the Bernhardt family, with Jan-Ulrich Bernhardt and Benjamin Bernhardt as Managing Directors; no public listing, institutional shareholders, parent company, or subsidiaries are disclosed. The company employs 101–250 staff at an integrated headquarters and manufacturing facility at Bredhornweg 39, Holm, where it also runs an unusual corporate-culture program ('ars secumaris') hosting art exhibitions and jazz and classical concerts alongside a Rotary Club Wedel charitable partnership.

Name

Secumar

Legal name

Bernhardt Apparatebau GmbH u. Co. KG

Website

https://secumar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SECUMAR is a German family-owned manufacturer of life jackets and immersion suits serving both recreational water-sports users and professional maritime, fire service, police, and offshore wind customers across Europe through authorized dealers and direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Holm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Life Jacket and Safety Equipment Sales: SECUMAR generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of inflatable life jackets, foam life vests, immersion suits, and accessories. Products are sold through specialist dealers, distributors, and direct e-commerce. The portfolio spans leisure (anglers, sailors, motorboaters, kayakers) and industrial/commercial segments (maritime, fire services, police, rescue organizations). Pricing ranges from entry-level foam vests (e.g., Echo at €41.90) to professional SOLAS-certified jackets (e.g., ALPHA 275 X, SIERRA 300) and immersion suits (CONTRA series, €200–€500+). Accessories include CO2 replacement cartridges, inflation tablets, anti-automatic locks, and distress beacons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Secumar manufactures and sells life jackets (foam, inflatable, and SOLAS-certified), GORE-TEX immersion/anti-exposure suits, dog life jackets, and related safety accessories such as CO2 replacement cartridges, LED rescue lights, and safety lines. Products are designed for buoyancy and thermal protection in both recreational water sports and regulated commercial maritime, fire, police, rescue, and offshore-wind use cases, spanning 50N to 275N performance classes per ISO 12402.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SECUDOGS: A sub-brand specializing in dog swimming vests/swimming aids for dogs.
• ars secumaris

Products and services

• Foam Life Vests (Feststoffwesten) Solid-foam buoyancy vests (e.g., Echo €41.90–€44.90, Jump €52.90–€55.90, Jump Pro €65.90–€83.90, Bravo €41.90–€52.90, Camino €75.86–€81.90, VIVO 50 €42.90) providing passive flotation across 50N–100N performance classes for recreational water-sports use.
• Inflatable Life Jackets (Leisure/Recreational) Inflatable life jackets including Alpha 150, Arkona 220 (€203.89), Arkona 275 (€229.90), VIVO 100 (€120.90), Ultra 170 (€172.90), Scout 275 3D (€599.90), Survival 220 (€387.90), Survival 275 (€428.90), Survival 275 Duo Protect (€469.90), Secufit (€240.90), FREE 100 (€155.90), FURIO hybrid (€329.90) and the Junior children's jacket (€281.90), delivering 150N–275N buoyancy with SECUMATIC 3001/4001 inflation.
• ALPHA 275 (3D) New-generation 3D professional inflatable life jacket launched in the industrial/professional product line, using 3D body-mapping technology for enhanced comfort and fit during extended wear.
• SOLAS-Certified Professional Life Jackets SOLAS-approved professional life jackets including ALPHA 275 X, SIERRA 300, the Golf series (Golf 275, Golf 275 AS, Golf 275 FR AC, Golf 275 HV, Golf 275 SOLAS), Delta 150 SOLAS, 40 SF, and the Survival 275 FW fire-department variant, available only through dealers.
• CONTRA Immersion / Anti-Exposure Suits CONTRA 110 LW — a lightweight, breathable GORE-TEX under-suit providing up to 3.6 hours of thermal protection at 15°C water temperature — and CONTRA 140 SOLAS, a heavy-duty SOLAS-approved work and survival suit providing 3.6 hours of thermal protection at 0°C, both priced via dealers.
• SECUDOGS Dog Life Jacket Specialized dog swimming life jacket with buoyancy design adapted for canine anatomy, sold under the SECUDOGS sub-brand for pet owners who take dogs on boats and into water.
• Life Jacket Accessories and Consumables CO2 replacement cartridges (€20.30–€39.20), PILL-BOX 4 (€16.90), release tablets (€13.90), automatic lock 3001S (€15.90), Lifeline Classic (€82.90), Lifeline Junior (€46.90), SECULUX LED-II (€38.90), SECULINE 20 (€89.90), Seculift LWS 25 (€218.90), and Secumar Service maintenance packages (€42.50–€60.90).

Quantifiable outcome

• SECULUX LED rescue lights provide minimum 10.5 hours of illumination at 1.5 cd luminous intensity, retrofittable to most inflatable SECUMAR life jackets
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gore & Associates (W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH)coreTechnology or IntegrationSECUMAR licenses GORE-TEX waterproof breathable membrane technology for its CONTRA series of immersion suits. The CONTRA 110 LW and CONTRA 140 SOLAS suits use GORE-TEX 3-layer laminates for waterproof yet breathable protection, enabling thermal suits that prevent water ingress while allowing moisture vapor escape for user comfort during extended wear.
• Sendinblue GmbHminorOthersSECUMAR uses Sendinblue email marketing software for newsletter distribution and customer communication. The platform handles opt-in email marketing for product updates and event announcements.
• Rotary Club WedelminorOthersSECUMAR partners with the Rotary Club Wedel for charitable giving through its ars secumaris cultural events. Proceeds from benefit concerts have been donated to Rotary projects including youth music awards and PolioPlus. SECUMAR's cultural program supports Rotary Club Wedel charitable initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plastimo: French marine equipment brand with a life jacket and personal safety line among its wider offering of deck hardware, compasses, and inflatable boats. Directly comparable to SECUMAR's leisure and professional range in the French-speaking market.
• VIKING Life-Saving Equipment: European-headquartered life-saving equipment manufacturer of immersion suits, life jackets, and evacuation systems for commercial maritime and offshore energy. Direct overlap with SECUMAR's CONTRA immersion suits and SOLAS life jackets.
• Mustang Survival: North American manufacturer of inflatable and foam personal flotation devices for marine, military, and industrial use. Directly comparable to SECUMAR in SOLAS-rated professional life jackets and recreational PFDs across sailing, paddling, and offshore segments.
• International Safety Products (ISP): Manufacturer of SOLAS-compliant and recreational life jackets, immersion suits, and safety harnesses serving marine, offshore, military, and firefighter markets. Direct overlap with SECUMAR's professional and SOLAS segments across multiple geographies.
• Spinlock: UK marine safety specialist producing personal flotation devices, harnesses, and safety equipment for sailing, commercial, and offshore use. Adjacent product categories and shared dealer channels make Spinlock a close peer in the European leisure-to-SOLAS spectrum.
• Stearns (Freudenberg): US legacy PFD brand owned by Freudenberg, producing foam and inflatable life jackets for recreational boating and fishing. Directly comparable to SECUMAR's leisure foam and inflatable ranges and a global benchmark in the recreational PFD category.
• Crewsaver: UK-based specialist in inflatable and SOLAS-approved life jackets for commercial, leisure, and offshore use. Direct competitor to SECUMAR in the UK/Ireland maritime safety channel and overlap in commercial ferry and shipping customers.
• Baltic Lifejackets: Swedish manufacturer of inflatable and foam life jackets with recreational and professional SOLAS-approved product lines. Closely competes with SECUMAR in the Northern European leisure and commercial maritime markets.

Broad incumbents

• Survitec Group: Global survival solutions provider serving commercial marine, offshore, energy, and defence markets with life jackets, immersion suits, and liferafts. Competes with SECUMAR's SOLAS and immersion-suit range via a much wider service footprint.
• Helly Hansen Workwear: Global workwear and offshore apparel brand offering flotation suits, offshore jackets and professional marine safety garments. Overlaps with SECUMAR's professional and offshore wind segment but operates at much larger scale across a broader apparel portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BernhardtApparatebau
• Facebookfacebook.com/Secumar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/secumar---bernhardt-apparatebau-gmbh-u-co-kg
• Instagraminstagram.com/secumar

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 Secumar