compact electric GmbH

What compact electric GmbH does

compact electric GmbH is a privately held, family-owned electrical engineering company headquartered in Vienna, Austria, founded in 1965 and operating for more than 50 years. The firm operates two interrelated business divisions. The Technology division encompasses custom control cabinet (Schaltschrankbau) manufacturing for HVAC and industrial plant control, contract electronics development and assembly in SMD and THT technologies, and a proprietary portfolio of grid and plant protection devices including the CDMR series NA-Schutz (grid and plant protection), EFL 10 modular earth fault location system, SMP modular fault reporting system, KAG capacitor release devices, custom and analog measurement relays, PGL 20 protection test equipment, and AKÜ2/RIG-B trip-circuit monitoring plug-in cards. The Safety division resells Brady's full industrial labeling portfolio under an Austrian distributor agreement, distributes Lighthouse CPM-100-based custom labeling systems, and supplies Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) products and shadowboard safety systems. Manufacturing, R&D, and assembly are all performed at the Vienna headquarters, with on-site commissioning provided as part of project delivery.

The company serves Austrian end-customers across energy supply companies (EVUs), small power plants (Kleinkraftwerke), railway infrastructure, industrial facilities, HVAC and building technology contractors, and water/wastewater management. Revenue is generated through project-based, custom-quoted B2B contracts with negotiated, multi-year pricing rather than disclosed list pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining external field sales (Außendienst), inside sales consultation, and direct contact via phone, email, and contact form. The company holds ISO 9001 quality certification, employs approximately 80+ people (with ~30 in manufacturing), and produces over 2,000 control cabinets per year. It is led by Managing Director Ulrike Haslauer and Prokurist Thomas Plasser, with ownership and management consistent with family-business succession.

compact electric's strategy centers on being the flexible, custom-tailored alternative to standard industrial electrical solutions in Austria. Its core defensibility is the combination of in-house design, proprietary protection device IP, certified custom manufacturing, and exclusive Austrian Brady distribution — enabling bundled safety, labeling, and control-system supply within Austrian industrial and utility accounts.

Name

compact electric GmbH

Legal name

compact electric GmbH

Website

https://compactelectric.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Electrical Equipment

NAICS

Switchgear and Switchboard Apparatus Manufacturing (335313), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531), Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing (3359)

SIC

Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Control Cabinets & Power Distribution (Panels, Switchgear for Automation) (IMAHAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Low-Voltage Switchboards & Panelboards (LV distribution panels, MCCs, switchboards) (IMAGAEAA), Enclosures, Boxes & DIN-Rail Hardware (junction boxes, cabinets, panel enclosures, DIN rail, gland plates) (IMAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Custom control cabinet manufacturing
• Industrial electrical engineering
• Grid protection relays
• Electronics contract manufacturing
• Industrial labeling solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Switchboard / Control Cabinet Manufacturing: Design, manufacture, and on-site commissioning of custom control cabinets for HVAC and industrial plant control applications. Certified to applicable standards. Full-service including consultation, planning, production, and in-service support.
2. Electronics Development and Manufacturing: Custom electronic device development, assembly, and production including PCB manufacturing. Contract manufacturing including component mounting, soldering, wiring, and testing in SMD and THT technology.
3. Brady Products Distribution: Resale and distribution of Brady labeling products, printers, and safety solutions including mobile thermal transfer printers, desktop label printers, sign printers, inkjet industrial printers, and reading devices.
4. Measurement Relays and Protection Devices: Sale of proprietary measurement relays, grid protection devices, earth fault monitoring systems, fault reporting systems, capacitor release devices, and protection testers. Includes custom parameterization services.
5. Lockout/Tagout and Workplace Safety Solutions: Sale of Lockout/Tagout systems, safety padlocks, lockout devices, tagout safety tags, shadowboard cabinets, and safety control systems. Includes safety control labeling and signage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

compact electric GmbH designs, develops, and manufactures customized electrical and electronic products at its Vienna headquarters for Austrian customers. Its core offerings include custom control cabinet manufacturing (Schaltschrankbau) for HVAC and industrial plant control, custom electronics development and assembly in SMD and THT technologies, proprietary electronic devices including grid protection relays, earth fault monitoring systems, and fault message systems, alongside distribution of Brady industrial labeling printers and Lockout/Tagout safety products.

Product overview

compact electric GmbH is a Vienna-based electrical engineering company with over 50 years of experience developing and manufacturing customized electronic products and solutions for industry, trade, and commerce across Austria. Its portfolio is organized around two core business fields: Technology and Safety. The Technology division encompasses custom control cabinet manufacturing (Schaltschrankbau), custom electronics development and manufacturing (Entwicklungselektronik) including SMD and THT assembly, and a range of proprietary electronic devices including the EFL 10 modular earth fault location system, SMP modular fault message systems, KAG capacitor trip devices, custom measuring relays, CDMR grid and plant protection devices (NA-Schutz) in Connect, 100, and CDMR series, PGL 20 protection test equipment, AKÜ2 plug-in cards, and RIG-B trip circuit monitoring relays. The Safety division includes industrial labeling solutions and workplace safety products. Under the Brady brand (distributed products), the company resells a comprehensive range of thermal transfer label printers (mobile M210–M710 series, desktop BBP12/i3300/i5300/i7100/i7500 series), sign printers (S3100/S3700/BBP85), automatic print-and-apply applicators (A5500, Wraptor A6200/A6500), inkjet label printers (BradyJet J4000/J7300), reading devices, oil binding agents, and Scafftag visual safety control systems. The NA-Schutz devices support Modbus-TCP for integration into automation and control systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Control Cabinet Manufacturing (Schaltschrankbau) Design, manufacture, and on-site commissioning of custom control cabinets for HVAC and industrial plant control applications. Includes consultation, planning, production, and in-service support, with all cabinets certified to applicable standards.
• Custom Electronics Development and Assembly (SMD and THT) Contract manufacturing of custom electronic devices including PCB manufacturing, component mounting, soldering, wiring, and testing in SMD and THT technologies according to customer specifications.
• Research and Development Service Custom electronic device, module, and printed circuit board development and production to customer specifications, including full design and prototyping services.
• Workplace Safety and Lockout/Tagout Systems Workplace safety solutions including industrial labeling and Lockout/Tagout systems, safety padlocks, lockout devices, tagout safety tags, lock boxes, and shadowboard storage to protect workers from electrical and mechanical hazards.
• EFL 10 Modular Earth Fault Location System Universal modular earth fault location system for medium-voltage networks that detects and locates fault-affected busbar feeders using CAN-bus-connected field devices, supporting two localization methods for meshed and radial networks.
• SMP Modular Fault Message System Modular fault message system consisting of a central module and cascadeable message modules for detecting and signaling unauthorized operating states in machines and plants, including lamp outputs, summary reporting contact, horn contact with acknowledgment, and lamp test input.
• CDMR Series Grid and Plant Protection (NA-Schutz) Grid and plant protection devices in Connect, 100, and 40/50/60 series variants for medium and low voltage networks, with integrated webserver, Modbus-TCP support, event memory up to 200 entries, earth fault monitoring, and FRT capability.
• Custom Measuring Relays Custom-tailored and established analog measuring relays for voltage, current, frequency monitoring, and synchro-check applications in energy supply, rail, and industrial plants. Categories include 3-wire and 4-wire voltage monitoring, AC/DC voltage monitoring, current monitoring, frequency monitoring, and special solutions.
• PGL 20 Protection Test Device Test device for line protection equipment enabling periodic maintenance, routine checks, and initial commissioning, with up to 99 possible test programs and a USB interface.
• KAG Capacitor Trip Device Capacitor release devices that store electrical energy for actuating power circuit breakers, consisting of a capacitor battery and charging circuit with front-panel test button.
• AKÜ2 Plug-in Card and RIG-B Trip Circuit Monitoring Relay Plug-in cards and trip circuit monitoring relays for detecting current flow in the tripping circuit of power circuit breakers, with programmable 1-channel or 2-channel operation via DIP switches and ~3 ms response time for the RIG-B variant.
• Brady Industrial Labeling and Signage Printers (Distribution) Austrian distribution of Brady labeling and sign printing products including mobile thermal transfer printers (M210-M710), desktop label printers (BBP12, BradyPrinter i3300/i5300/i7100/i7500), sign and label printers (S3100, S3700, BBP85), automatic print-and-apply applicators (A5500, Wraptor A6200/A6500), industrial inkjet printers (BradyJet J4000/J7300), reading devices, sorbent materials, and Scafftag visual safety control systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 control cabinets manufactured per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BradycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrady is a world-leading specialist in labeling and identification solutions. compact electric serves as the Austrian distributor for Brady products including thermal transfer printers, label printers, sign printers, inkjet industrial printers, and associated labeling materials. The partnership provides comprehensive labeling and safety identification solutions, with Brady investing sustainably in researching new solutions and emphasizing product reliability. Combined with compact electric's consultation and expertise, this enables individualized customer solutions.
• Prototyping LaboratoriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership mentioned in the partner section alongside Brady and Lighthouse. The nature of the collaboration is not detailed in the available source material.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ABB: ABB provides switchgear, protection relays, and control cabinet systems globally; the CDMR NA-Schutz and EFL 10 earth fault products compete with ABB's medium-voltage protection portfolio.
• Schneider Electric: Schneider Electric is a multinational incumbent offering switchgear, panelboards, and grid/plant protection — overlapping with compact electric's control cabinet and NA-Schutz product lines but across a much broader portfolio.
• Siemens: Siemens offers industrial control cabinets, protection relays, and grid monitoring solutions that overlap with compact electric's custom switchboard and grid/plant protection offerings at a vastly larger scale.
• Eaton: Eaton manufactures switchgear, industrial control assemblies, and protection devices — directly comparable categories to compact electric's switchboards and custom measurement relays.

Direct peers

• Sprecher + Schuh: Sprecher + Schuh (now part of Rockwell) offers low-voltage switchgear, motor protection, and industrial control components closely comparable to compact electric's protection relay and switchboard portfolio.
• Weidmüller: Weidmüller produces industrial connectivity, electronics, and cabinet-building solutions, making it a direct peer in custom control cabinet manufacturing and electronic assembly for industrial customers.
• Phoenix Contact: Phoenix Contact manufactures industrial electrical connectivity, protection relays, and control cabinet components — comparable to compact electric's relay and Schaltschrankbau portfolio, particularly for industrial plant automation.
• Rittal: Rittal is a leading global manufacturer of enclosures, power distribution, and climate-control solutions for control cabinets — directly comparable to compact electric's Schaltschrankbau and enclosure-related offerings, though at much larger scale.
• Pilz: Pilz specializes in safety relays and industrial safety/control systems, comparable to compact electric's CDMR protection devices and safety/control cabinet work in Austrian and DACH industrial markets.
• Schaltbau Holding: Schaltbau specializes in DC and rail-electrical switching, protection, and connector components; its rail and energy-protection products overlap directly with compact electric's measurement relays for railway infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compact-electric-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/compactelectric?igsh=ejV5bThxbDducHVm

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 compact electric GmbH