Höfer & Bechtel GmbH

What Höfer & Bechtel GmbH does

Höfer & Bechtel GmbH (H&B) is a German nuclear engineering firm founded in 1970 and headquartered in Mainhausen, Hesse. The company operates as an integrated provider of special machine construction (Sondermaschinenbau), complex measurement equipment (Messeinrichtungen), nuclear decommissioning services, radiological decontamination, radiation protection consulting, 3D laser scanning, and custom automation including plant control system programming. Components are designed, manufactured, and accepted in compliance with KTA, KS D, and BAM GGR 011 specifications, with Strahlenschutz regulatory supervision in both Germany (RP Darmstadt) and Switzerland (Suva Luzern).

The firm's revenue model combines project-based equipment delivery (Sondermaschinenbau and Messeinrichtungen) with professional services spanning decommissioning, residual material treatment and packaging, radiological site remediation, and scientific radiation protection consulting. Customers are primarily German and European energy utilities operating nuclear power plants, their tier-one suppliers, research-institution and clinic laboratories requiring radiological sanitization, and public authorities. Distribution is exclusively direct enterprise sales via technical field engagement; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is scoped per regulatory project specification.

Höfer & Bechtel has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of GNS Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service mbH (GNS-Gruppe) since 2019. The company is led by Managing Directors Dr.-Ing. Jan Leilich and Dipl.-Ing. Hagen Höfer, with a technical sales function staffed by specialists such as Florian Henglein. Note: reported headcount is inconsistent across sources — 13 (firmographic field) versus 60+ (narrative source) — and the higher figure is more consistent with the company's described operational scope.

Name

Höfer & Bechtel GmbH

Legal name

Höfer & Bechtel GmbH

Website

https://hoefer-bechtel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Höfer & Bechtel GmbH is a German nuclear-engineering firm founded in 1970 and part of the GNS-Gruppe since 2019, providing special machine construction, measurement equipment, decommissioning, and radiological decontamination services to European energy utilities, research laboratories, and public authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nuclear Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing (334517)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Management, Supervision & Field Engineering (EUAKAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Spent Fuel Management Engineering, Consulting & Digital Tools (Thermal/Shielding/Criticality, QA) (EUAKAHAL)

Keywords

• Nuclear engineering services
• Special machine construction
• Nuclear decommissioning services
• Radiological decontamination services
• Industrial measurement equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Mainhausen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Special Machine Construction: Design, construction, and commissioning of complex specialized machinery and measurement equipment for nuclear power plants, research facilities, laboratories, and industrial customers. Projects follow strict regulatory specifications (KTA, KS D, BAM GGR 011).
2. Nuclear Engineering Services: Technical services including nuclear decommissioning, radiological decontamination, treatment and packaging of residual materials, and scientific consulting on radiation protection.
3. Radiological Sanitation: Professional remediation services for radiologically contaminated properties and legacy sites.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Höfer & Bechtel GmbH provides specialized nuclear engineering services and special machine construction (Sondermaschinenbau) for nuclear power plants, research facilities, laboratories, and industrial customers. The company plans, constructs, commissions, and operates complex specialized machinery and measurement equipment, performs radiological decontamination and remediation of contaminated sites, and delivers 3D laser scanning and custom automation solutions including plant control programming. Components are manufactured and certified to KTA, KS D, BAM GGR 011 and other nuclear safety standards.

Product overview

Höfer & Bechtel GmbH (H&B) is a medium-sized German nuclear engineering company with more than 60 employees, established over 50 years ago and part of the GNS-Gruppe since 2019. The company operates as an integrated service provider offering special machine construction (Sondermaschinenbau), complex measurement equipment (Messeinrichtungen), radiology and radiation protection services, 3D laser scanning, and custom automation solutions including plant control programming. H&B serves German and European energy utilities, their suppliers, as well as laboratories in clinics and research institutions for decommissioning and remediation projects. Their core offerings include RDB decomposition, radiological decontamination, drying systems, underwater inspections, sampling and analytics, casings for special fuel rods, and related engineering services. The company manufactures and certifies components according to KTA, KS D, BAM GGR 011 and other specifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nuclear Engineering & Service Comprehensive nuclear engineering services including plant construction, commissioning, and operation of complex special machinery and measurement equipment for nuclear facilities, power plants, research facilities, laboratories, and industrial customers. Components are manufactured and certified per KTA, KS D, BAM GGR 011 standards.
• Sondermaschinenbau (Special Machine Construction) Planning, construction, commissioning, and operation of complex specialized machinery for power plants, research facilities, laboratories, and industrial customers.
• Messeinrichtungen (Measurement Equipment) Complex measurement systems for nuclear facilities, including radiological monitoring and measurement solutions.
• Radiology and Radiation Protection Consulting Scientific consulting and radiological expertise for all radiation protection topics, including monitoring and compliance services for nuclear facilities and clients.
• 3D Laser Scanning 3D laser scanning including modeling for precision measurement and documentation of nuclear facilities and components.
• Automation Solutions Custom automation solutions including plant control programming for nuclear facility operations and industrial customers.
• RDB Decomposition Decomposition/disassembly services for reactor pressure vessel components during nuclear decommissioning.
• Radiological Decontamination (Radiologische Sanierung) Professional remediation of radiologically contaminated properties and legacy sites using specialized techniques.
• Drying Systems (Trocknungsanlagen) Drying systems for nuclear facility applications, typically for processing radioactive materials.
• Underwater Inspections (Unterwasser-Inspektionen) Underwater inspection services for nuclear facilities, particularly for submerged components and reactor internals.
• Sampling (Beprobung) Sampling and analytics services in collaboration with leading laboratories for nuclear facility monitoring.
• Casings for Special Fuel Rods (Köcher für Sonderbrennstäbe) Manufacturing and handling of casings for irradiated special fuel rods for nuclear facilities.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GNS-Gruppe (GNS Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service mbH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Höfer & Bechtel GmbH has been part of the GNS-Gruppe since 2019. GNS is a leading provider of nuclear services in Germany. The partnership provides strategic alignment and market access within the nuclear services sector.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GNS Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service mbH: Parent company of H&B and Germany's leading provider of nuclear services, including spent fuel storage, container manufacturing, and decommissioning. Directly comparable as the same group of services, with H&B operating as its engineering/equipment subsidiary.
• Kraftanlagen Heidelberg GmbH: German engineering firm providing power plant construction, maintenance, and industrial services including in nuclear facilities. Comparable in special machine construction and field engineering for energy clients.
• Studsvik AB: Swedish nuclear services firm providing decommissioning, waste treatment, and engineering consulting across Europe. Comparable in nuclear decommissioning expertise and European utility customer base.
• Cavendish Nuclear (Babcock International): UK-based nuclear services division of Babcock International providing decommissioning, engineering, and radiological services to nuclear sites. Comparable in decommissioning and radiological remediation offerings for European utilities.
• Mirion Technologies, Inc. Global provider of radiation detection and measurement instrumentation for nuclear, medical, and industrial applications. Comparable to H&B's Messeinrichtungen (measurement equipment) line and radiation monitoring offerings.
• NUKEM Technologies GmbH: German nuclear engineering firm specializing in decommissioning, waste management, and fuel cycle services for research reactors and power plants. Directly comparable in scope of nuclear engineering services and customer base across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Framatome GmbH: French nuclear OEM with major German operations offering reactor services, fuel, instrumentation, and decommissioning across a broader portfolio. Overlaps with H&B on measurement equipment, field engineering, and decommissioning support.
• Curtiss-Wright Corporation: US-listed industrial conglomerate with a substantial nuclear segment providing engineered components, I&C systems, and qualification/testing services. Comparable in nuclear-qualified instrumentation, measurement, and component manufacturing.
• Jacobs Solutions Inc. Global engineering services firm with a critical mission solutions segment covering nuclear decommissioning, environmental remediation, and radiation protection. Overlaps with H&B in engineering services for nuclear sites across Europe and globally.
• Westinghouse Electric Company: Global nuclear OEM and services provider covering reactor design, fuel, services, and decommissioning. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering nuclear engineering and field services, including in European markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/h%C3%B6fer-&-bechtel-gmbh

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Höfer & Bechtel GmbH