URM
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1935
- HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What URM does
Universal Rubber Manufacturing NV (URM) is a privately held, Belgian-based custom rubber parts manufacturer founded in 1935 in Steenokkerzeel near Brussels. The company designs and produces rubber hoses and elbows, gaskets, custom-molded rubber parts, and rubber-to-metal bonded components. Its customer base spans automotive (including EV and hydrogen fuel-cell applications), transport, rail, marine, chemical, food and pharmaceutical, agriculture, construction, and broader industrial markets.
URM operates a project-driven, B2B sales-led business model, qualifying parts against customer specifications and leveraging a portfolio of regulatory certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EN 45545-2 for rail, FDA for food-contact, GDPR) that act as gatekeepers for regulated OEM and Tier-1 supply programs. Specialized product lines — fuel-cell / charge-air hoses for EV and hydrogen mobility, food-grade hoses, and flame-retardant hoses — extend its addressable surface while reusing existing certification scaffolding. The company markets itself with multilingual European web presence and a public sustainability commitment targeting a 20% waste reduction by 2027, signaling alignment with EU procurement ESG criteria.
No information is disclosed on revenue, headcount, ownership structure beyond private status, or external capital raised. The company shows no evidence of digital, AI, or platform-based differentiation, and its competitive position appears anchored in long-tenured compounding expertise, certification depth, and OEM switching costs rather than technology-driven disruption.
URM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- URM
- Legal name
- Universal Rubber Mfg nv
- Website
- https://urm.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1935
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
URM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Rubber Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (32629), All Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (326299)
- SIC
- Gaskets, Packg & Sealg Devices & Rubber & Plastics Hose (3050), Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Molded & Extruded Industrial Rubber Parts (Custom Components) (IMANALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial Hoses & Tubing (Rubber/Elastomer) (IMANALAA)
Keywords
Where URM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brussels
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
URM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Rubber Parts Manufacturing: On-demand custom manufacturing of rubber components based on customer designs. Revenue generated through project-based orders with pricing quoted per specification. Serves diverse industrial sectors from single prototypes to large-scale production runs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based pricing model |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
URM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
URM manufactures custom rubber molded parts, rubber hoses and elbows, rubber gaskets, rubber extrusions and profiles, rubber-metal bonded parts, and related polyurethane and plastic injection components. The company operates in-house capabilities spanning design, rubber compounding, tooling, vulcanization, molding, extrusion, and testing, producing engineered rubber solutions for OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers across automotive, EV, transport, rail, marine, construction, chemical processing, food/pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries.
Product overview
URM (Universal Rubber Manufacturing NV) is a rubber parts manufacturer established in 1935, offering a comprehensive portfolio of engineered rubber solutions. The product portfolio centers on custom rubber molded parts and rubber-metal products, supported by specialized hose and sealing solutions. The core offerings include Rubber Hoses & Elbows (with sub-products including Silicone Coolant Hoses, Charge Air & Turbo Charger Hoses, EPDM Rubber Hoses, Flame Retardant Hoses, Organic Rubber Hoses, and Food Grade Hoses), Rubber Gaskets, Rubber Traffic Cones, Custom Rubber Molded Parts, Rubber Metal Parts, Screen Balls and Food Grade Sleeves, Maintenance Rubber Plugs, Rubber Extrusions & Profiles, Plastic Injection Parts, and PU Parts. The company operates with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, serving industries including automotive, EV, agriculture, transport, marine, construction, chemical processing, and food/pharmaceutical sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Rubber Hoses & Elbows High-performance rubber hoses and elbows for demanding industrial applications, offered in multiple specialized variants including silicone coolant hoses (meeting SAE J20 R1 Class A, -65°C to +200°C), charge air and turbo charger hoses (SAE J20 Class A, -65°C to +250°C, up to 10 bar), EPDM hoses (-30°C to +90°C), flame retardant hoses (EN 45545-2 HL1/HL2, -50°C to +250°C), organic rubber hoses (SBR, PVC/NBR, FKM, CR, AEM/VAMAC, NBR), and FDA-approved food grade hoses (-50°C to +180°C).
- Rubber Gaskets Custom rubber gaskets designed for sealing applications across various industries, providing airtight and watertight seals for industrial equipment and systems.
- Rubber Traffic Cones Durable rubber traffic cones designed for traffic management and safety applications.
- Custom Rubber Molded Parts On-demand custom rubber molded parts manufactured to customer specifications, ranging from single prototypes to large-scale production runs, serving OEM and Tier-1 supplier requirements across automotive, transport, marine, chemical, food, and industrial sectors.
- Rubber Metal Parts Rubber-metal bonded products manufactured through carefully controlled processes including precise design, material selection, advanced molding, vulcanization, and strict quality checks, ensuring strong bonding, durability, and consistent performance for demanding industrial applications.
- Screen Balls and Food Grade Sleeves Specialized rubber components designed for screening applications and food-grade uses requiring hygiene compliance.
- Maintenance Rubber Plugs Rubber plugs designed for maintenance applications providing reliable sealing solutions in industrial settings.
- Rubber Extrusions & Profiles Custom rubber extrusions and profiles designed for specific applications including glazing gaskets, expansion joint profiles for curtain walls, and industrial sealing profiles tailored to customer specifications.
- Plastic Injection Parts Plastic injection molded parts manufactured for various industrial applications, complementing URM's rubber product portfolio.
- PU Parts Polyurethane (PU) parts offering enhanced durability and resistance for demanding industrial applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Temperature resistance up to 250°C for custom hoses
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use URM
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
URM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
URM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Infomaniak Network SAminorWeb hosting provider ensuring secure and reliable operation of technical infrastructure. Automated server logging performed for security and quality assurance purposes. Located in Switzerland.
- ROCKET VULTURE Ltd.minorWebsite development and maintenance partner, also provides website traffic analysis, statistics, and online marketing services including Google Analytics and advertising platforms. Located in Herent, Belgium.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
URM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Gates Industrial: Gates is a global manufacturer of engineered rubber hoses and belts serving automotive, industrial, and energy markets. It competes with URM particularly in industrial and automotive hose segments, though Gates operates at significantly larger scale with broader geographic coverage and catalog distribution alongside custom capabilities.
- Trelleborg AB: Trelleborg is a Swedish global leader in engineered polymer and rubber solutions, serving automotive, aerospace, industrial, and infrastructure customers with sealing, vibration-damping, and hose products. It is comparable to URM as a broad incumbent offering overlapping custom rubber molded parts and sealing profiles across multiple industrial verticals, but at significantly larger scale.
- Continental AG: Continental is a German automotive and industrial conglomerate with a ContiTech division producing rubber hoses, belts, and molded components for automotive, railway, and industrial applications. It directly competes with URM in silicone coolant hoses, charge air hoses, and engineered rubber parts for European OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
- Parker Hannifin: Parker Hannifin is a US-listed global leader in motion and control technologies, including industrial rubber hoses, sealing products, and custom molded components for aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets. It competes with URM in the engineered rubber hose and sealing space, particularly for OEM and Tier-1 customers, but operates at vastly larger scale.
- Freudenberg Sealing Technologies: Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is a German global manufacturer of seals, gaskets, and engineered rubber components for automotive, aerospace, food, and industrial markets. It overlaps with URM in custom molded rubber seals and gaskets, and serves many of the same European OEM and Tier-1 customers with FDA and EN 45545-compliant products.
- Hutchinson SA: Hutchinson is a French global rubber and polymer manufacturer (TotalEnergies subsidiary) producing sealing, vibration management, and fluid transfer systems for automotive, aerospace, rail, and industrial customers. It is comparable to URM as a European-based supplier of custom rubber components, hoses, and anti-vibration parts serving many of the same OEM and Tier-1 verticals.
- Sumitomo Riko: Sumitomo Riko is a Japanese rubber product manufacturer specializing in automotive anti-vibration, hoses, and sealing products, with growing exposure to EV and hydrogen applications. It is comparable to URM as a global rubber component supplier serving automotive OEMs, particularly relevant given URM's positioning in EV bus and hydrogen fuel cell hose systems.
Direct peers
- Fenner Dunlop: Fenner Dunlop is a Netherlands-headquartered global manufacturer of industrial conveyor belts and rubber products for mining, material handling, and industrial markets. It is comparable to URM as a European rubber manufacturer serving industrial B2B customers with custom-engineered solutions, though focused on belting rather than hoses and molded parts.
- FLEXFAB Horizons International: FLEXFAB is a US-based custom manufacturer of silicone and rubber hoses serving heavy-duty diesel, automotive, and industrial markets. It is a direct peer to URM in custom engineered hose manufacturing with similar capabilities in high-temperature silicone, charge air, and coolant hose applications for OEM customers.
- Semperit AG Holding: Semperit is an Austrian rubber manufacturer producing industrial hoses, conveyor belts, and engineered rubber products for automotive, construction, and industrial markets. It is one of the closest direct peers to URM in terms of European mid-sized custom rubber manufacturing with overlapping product lines in hoses, profiles, and molded parts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
URM social profiles
Digital presenceURM compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
URM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
URM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
URM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
URM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about URM
What does URM do?
URM manufactures custom rubber molded parts, rubber hoses and elbows, rubber gaskets, rubber extrusions and profiles, rubber-metal bonded parts, and related polyurethane and plastic injection components. The company operates in-house capabilities spanning design, rubber compounding, tooling, vulcanization, molding, extrusion, and testing, producing engineered rubber solutions for OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers across automotive, EV, transport, rail, marine, construction, chemical processing, food/pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries.
Is URM a public or private company?
URM is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was URM founded?
URM was founded in 1935. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is URM based?
URM is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does URM make money?
One revenue line is on record: custom Rubber Parts Manufacturing.
Who are URM's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Gates Industrial, Trelleborg AB, Continental AG, Parker Hannifin, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, Hutchinson SA and Sumitomo Riko. Direct peers are Fenner Dunlop, FLEXFAB Horizons International and Semperit AG Holding.
Does URM have an API?
No public API is recorded for URM.
What industry is URM in?
URM's product category is Industrial Rubber Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANALAG, Molded & Extruded Industrial Rubber Parts (Custom Components), with a secondary code of IMANALAA, Industrial Hoses & Tubing (Rubber/Elastomer). Its NAICS code is 32629 and its SIC code is 3050.