Knoll GmbH & Co. KG

What Knoll GmbH & Co. KG does

Knoll GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned German construction company founded in 1958 by Gerd Knoll sen. and headquartered in Haren (Ems), Lower Saxony. Operating from five German locations (Haren, Visbek, Gescher/Westfalen, Grafschaft-Gelsdorf/Rhineland, Mannheim/Rhein-Main-Neckar, Blindheim/Bayern) with approximately 460 employees, the company executes industrial and infrastructure construction projects for commercial, public-sector, and energy-sector clients, with the energy sector explicitly designated as the primary customer segment. Knoll self-positions as a leading provider of system-critical energy infrastructure (f führender Anbieter für Maßnahmen im systemkritischen Energiersektor) and reports annual output (Jahresleistung) of approximately €180 million.

The company's service portfolio is organized into five integrated lines: Industriebau (industrial construction including compressor stations, substations, battery storage, and HVDC cable routes), Erd-, Tief- & Straßenbau (earthworks, civil engineering, and road construction), Hochbau & Schlüsselfertigbau (high-rise and turnkey construction), Streckentiefbau (route civil engineering for cable infrastructure), and Near- & Offshore-Services (delivered via the GK-Shipping partnership and the Gerd Knoll sen. work vessel). Underlying technical capabilities include specialized foundation engineering, groundwater lowering, pipeline jacking, horizontal directional drilling, drone-based surveying, and CAD-supported planning. Heavy certification coverage — ISO 9001/14001/45001/50001, SCCP, SCL Stufe 3, GW 381, Gütezeichen Kanalbau AK2, AwSV Fachbetrieb, and Entsorgungsfachbetrieb — gates entry into regulated energy, gas, water, and public-procurement contracts.

Knoll operates as a prime contractor (Generalunternehmer), managing the full lifecycle of complex multi-discipline construction projects from planning through post-warranty. The company is led by three managing directors (Alexander Thomas, Frank Kampen, Nikolai Altrogge) under owner Dr. Gerhard Knoll, who serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board. Revenue is generated almost entirely through project-based, one-time construction contracts; pricing is negotiated per contract and not publicly disclosed. Marketing channels combine direct field sales to enterprise and government clients, an online subcontractor onboarding program, project-reference content on the corporate website, and active participation in career fairs for talent acquisition.

Name

Knoll GmbH & Co. KG

Legal name

Knoll GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://knoll-bau.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Knoll GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned German construction company with ~460 staff and ~€180 million annual output, executing industrial, civil, and energy-infrastructure projects for commercial, municipal, and energy-sector clients across Germany from five regional locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial and Infrastructure Construction Services

NAICS

Site Preparation Contractors (23891), Other Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors (238190), Other Building Equipment Contractors (238290)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/Process Plant General Contracting (IMAFAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works General Contracting (IMAFAAAG), Foundations & Geotechnical Works (Piles, Anchors, Ground Improvement) (EUAMAFAB)

Keywords

• Civil engineering construction
• Industrial construction services
• Energy infrastructure construction
• Turnkey building construction
• Earthworks road construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Haren, Niedersachsen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Construction Contract Revenue: Knoll generates the vast majority of revenue through construction contracts with industrial and energy-sector clients (commercial) and public-sector entities (government). Services include industrial construction, earthwork, road building, civil engineering, high-rise and turnkey building, and route-level cable/infrastructure trenching. Revenue is project-based, one-time, and contract-value driven, with annual output of approximately €180 million. The company also operates as a general contractor (Generalunternehmer) integrating multiple trades.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Knoll GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned German construction company executing complex industrial, civil engineering, and energy infrastructure projects nationwide. Its portfolio spans industrial construction (compressor stations, substations, battery storage, underground cable routes), earthworks/civil engineering/road construction, high-rise and turnkey building, route civil engineering for cable and pipeline networks, and near-/offshore construction services delivered through the Gerd Knoll sen. work vessel. The company acts as a single-source prime contractor managing the full project lifecycle from planning and organisation through execution and beyond the warranty period.

Product overview

Knoll GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned construction company (Bauunternehmen) with over 65 years of experience, specializing in industrial and infrastructure construction. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a modular software platform. Its core portfolio consists of five integrated construction service lines: Industriebau (industrial construction), Erd-, Tief- & Straßenbau (earthworks, civil engineering & road construction), Hochbau & Schlüsselfertigbau (high-rise & turnkey construction), Streckentiefbau (route civil engineering for cable infrastructure), and Near- & Offshore-Services. Knoll positions itself as a leading provider for the system-critical energy sector, handling projects from planning through completion. The company operates from five locations across Germany (Haren headquarters, Westfalen, Rheinland, Rhein-Main-Neckar, and Bayern) with approximately 460 employees and achieves an annual performance of around 180 million euros.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industriebau (Industrial Construction) Comprehensive industrial construction services for the energy sector including compressor stations (Verdichterstationen), substations (Umspannanlagen), battery storage facilities, and underground cable routes for HVDC projects. Covers specialised foundation work, groundwater management, building construction, technical site equipment, and demolition for industrial and energy clients.
• Erd-, Tief- & Straßenbau (Earthworks, Civil Engineering & Road Construction) Large-scale earthmoving, excavation, specialised foundation work (Spezialtiefbau), shoring, groundwater lowering (Grundwasserabsenkung), drainage, soil stabilisation, disposal, contaminated site remediation, and surface paving in paving stones and asphalt for industrial, commercial, and public-sector clients.
• Hochbau & Schlüsselfertigbau (High-rise Construction & Turnkey Building) Design & Build services, extended shell construction, turnkey construction (Schlüsselfertigbau), building in existing structures, and conversion measures. Knoll acts as general contractor from initial concept to finished building for commercial, industrial, and public-sector clients.
• Streckentiefbau (Route Civil Engineering) Cable routing, supply and disposal infrastructure, pipe jacking and drilling services for utility corridors. Projects include 110 kV and 220 kV underground cable routes and 12 km cable route sections for HVDC grid connections of offshore wind and DC projects.
• Near- & Offshore-Services Construction and infrastructure services in coastal and offshore areas delivered through the GK-Shipping partnership, including the working vessel Gerd Knoll sen. for marine construction projects such as offshore wind cable connections and coastal infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual performance (Jahresleistung) of approximately €180 million
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GK-Shipping (Gerd Knoll sen. Work Vessel)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Gerd Knoll sen. work vessel, operated in partnership with GK-Shipping, enables Knoll to execute near- and offshore construction projects such as offshore wind cable connections and coastal infrastructure. The vessel was added to the fleet in 2006 and is coordinated from the Haren headquarters. This is a core operational partnership for Knoll's offshore service line.
• Nachunternehmer (Subcontractor Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKnoll maintains a database of pre-qualified subcontractors (Nachunternehmer) who are invited to register via an online form. Subcontractors provide specialist services (e.g., electrical, mechanical, finishing) on Knoll-led projects. The company provides General Conditions for Subcontractors (AVN), contractual templates for performance bonds and warranties, and safety requirements (ZVB-SGU).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bilfinger: Large European industrial services provider active in process plant construction, maintenance, and energy infrastructure. Overlaps with Knoll's industrial construction and energy-sector EPC-adjacent projects but operates at substantially larger scale and international scope.
• Züblin (Strabag): Major German/European contractor (part of Strabag) covering building construction, civil engineering, and tunnelling. Overlaps with Knoll on large industrial and infrastructure projects but at much greater scale and international breadth.
• HOCHTIEF: One of Germany's largest construction groups with broad infrastructure, energy, and building portfolios. Competes with Knoll on large industrial and infrastructure tenders but at a much larger scale and with global reach via its Turner/Flatiron subsidiaries.

Direct peers

• Leonhard Weiss: Major German construction firm with operations in road, civil engineering, building construction and turnkey delivery. Comparable in scale, services mix, and customer base to Knoll's industrial/turnkey business across Germany.
• Max Bögl: German family-owned industrial, civil and energy construction company of comparable scale, active across industrial building, civil engineering, and wind/turbine infrastructure. Directly competes with Knoll on German industrial and infrastructure tenders.
• GP Papenburg Infrastructure: Mid-sized German civil engineering contractor active in earthworks, road construction, and infrastructure projects. Comparable to Knoll on regional civil/infrastructure tendering in Northern and Western Germany.
• Stump-Franki Spezialtiefbau GmbH: German specialist foundation/civil engineering contractor under the PORR group. Directly competes with Knoll on Spezialtiefbau, groundwater lowering, and infrastructure earthworks across Germany.
• Köster GmbH: German general contractor focused on turnkey building, civil engineering, and infrastructure. Closely comparable to Knoll on integrated Schlüsselfertigbau and industrial/commercial project delivery in Germany.
• Heitkamp Construction GmbH: German civil engineering firm active in earthworks, road construction, and infrastructure. Comparable regional scale and service mix to Knoll's civil engineering and Spezialtiefbau lines.

Regional players

• Heijmans Infra (DACH competitors regionally): Dutch construction group operating adjacent West European markets in road, civil, and energy infrastructure. Relevant international reference for Knoll's industrial/infrastructure positioning, though not directly competing in the German market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/knoll.bauunternehmung
• Instagraminstagram.com/knoll.bauunternehmung
• TikToktiktok.com/@knoll.bauunternehmung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knoll-gmbh-co-kg

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Knoll GmbH & Co. KG