Rothlehner Arbeitsbühnen GmbH

What Rothlehner Arbeitsbühnen GmbH does

Rothlehner Arbeitsbühnen GmbH is a German family-owned specialist dealer and manufacturer of aerial work platforms (Hubarbeitsbühnen), founded in 1976 by Manfred Rothlehner in Massing, Bavaria, and now led in its second generation by Manfred, Thomas, and Robert Rothlehner as co-CEOs. The company sells and services a comprehensive portfolio spanning trailer-mounted, truck-mounted, scissor, crawler/spider, articulated-telescopic self-propelled, and vertical mast platforms, with working heights from 5 meters to 45 meters. Its proprietary product line is the DENKA•LIFT brand, which produces trailer-mounted platforms (DK18, DL18, DL21, DK25, DL25, DL30) in Germany using extruded aluminum telescopic boom technology, acquired from Denmark in 2013. The company also distributes complementary brands including GSR truck-mounted platforms, Europelift, Falcon Spider, Bluelift, and Haulotte.

The business generates revenue through new equipment sales, used equipment sales (including trade-in), technical service and maintenance (via its 60+ employee Lift-Manager GmbH subsidiary), and operator training courses. Distribution combines direct field sales from Massing HQ and the Hanover-Isernhagen branch in Germany with wholly-owned sales subsidiaries in Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, and a 13-country DENKA•LIFT dealer network spanning Europe (Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK), the USA, and Malaysia. Primary customer segments are rental companies (the largest segment), trades and crafts (roofers, painters, tree surgeons, electricians), industrial facility maintenance, and municipalities and government entities. Pricing is quote-based, with no public price lists, and customer relationships are characterized by long product replacement cycles measured in decades, evidenced by repeat fleet purchases from rental companies such as Schröder & Wilsdorf (32nd DENKA•LIFT) and Gerken (in rental program since the 1990s).

Name

Rothlehner Arbeitsbühnen GmbH

Legal name

Rothlehner Arbeitsbühnen GmbH

Website

https://rothlehner.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rothlehner Arbeitsbühnen GmbH is a German family-owned specialist dealer and manufacturer of aerial work platforms, founded in 1976, selling and servicing its own DENKA•LIFT brand and distributed brands across Central Europe via direct subsidiaries and a 13-country dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerial Work Platforms (Construction Equipment)

NAICS

Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923)

SIC

Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537)

akta.pro primary industry

Material Handling & Industrial Lift Vehicle Manufacturing (Forklifts/Telehandlers/Reach Stackers) (IMACAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging) (IMAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Aerial work platforms
• Trailer-mounted lifts
• Truck-mounted platforms
• Scissor lifts
• Spider crawler lifts

Headquarters

HQ city

Massing/Oberdietfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Inventory and product procurement (new and used equipment), Personnel, Service technicians, sales staff, and trainers across Germany and Central European subsidiaries, Operations, Workshop, parts depot, and service network operating costs, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Product engineering and control system development (TTControl, Fronius integration), Infrastructure, Facility overhead across Massing headquarters, Hanover branch, and Central European offices

Revenue model

1. New Equipment Sales: Sales of new aerial work platforms including trailer-mounted, LKW (truck-mounted), scissor lifts, crawler-mounted, and self-propelled units. Own DENKA•LIFT brand produced in Germany.
2. Used Equipment Sales: Sale of pre-owned and refurbished aerial work platforms. Company also offers trade-in and purchase of used equipment.
3. Service and Maintenance: Service division Lift-Manager provides technical support, spare parts service, and maintenance across Germany. Service provided through own technicians and service partners.
4. Training: Training courses for aerial work platform operators in Germany, Austria, and other countries.
5. Rental Fleet Services: Supply of equipment to rental companies including short-term availability and flexible delivery options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rothlehner is a specialized dealer, manufacturer, and service provider for aerial work platforms, selling new equipment under its proprietary DENKA•LIFT brand (produced in Germany) and distributed brands such as GSR, Europelift, Falcon Spider, and Bluelift, alongside used equipment and a full-service offering that includes operator training, maintenance, spare parts, and technical support via its Lift-Manager subsidiary. The portfolio spans trailer-mounted, truck-mounted, scissor, crawler/spider, articulated-telescopic self-propelled, and vertical mast platforms with working heights from roughly 5 m up to 45 m, marketed primarily to rental companies, trade professionals, industrial firms, and municipalities across Central Europe.

Product overview

Rothlehner Arbeitsbühnen GmbH is a specialized dealer and service provider for aerial work platforms operating since 1976. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of work platforms including their proprietary DENKA•LIFT brand (produced in-house in Germany since 2013 after acquiring the Danish company), distributed brands like GSR truck-mounted platforms, Europelift, Falcon Spider, and Bluelift crawler machines. The product range spans trailer-mounted platforms (DENKA•LIFT DK and DL series from 18-30m), truck-mounted platforms (3.5t to 18t), crawler/spider lifts, scissor lifts (5-37m), articulated-telescopic self-propelled units, and vertical mast lifts. The company provides sales, service, training, and spare parts through their affiliated Lift-Manager service subsidiary and maintains operations across Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Denmark, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DENKA•LIFT: Own brand of trailer-mounted aerial work platforms manufactured in Germany since 2013. Product line includes DK18, DL18, DK25, DL25, DL30 models ranging from 18m to 30m working height. The brand was acquired from Denmark in 2013 and has been further developed and produced in-house by Rothlehner.

Products and services

• DENKA•LIFT DK18 Trailer-Mounted Aerial Work Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Working heights from 5m to 45m
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DENKA•LIFTcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 June 2013In June 2013, after 30 years of close cooperation, Rothlehner took over the rights and assets of DENKA•LIFT in Denmark. Since then, the affiliated service company Lift-Manager has been handling DENKA's worldwide spare parts service and technical support. The DENKA•LIFT production was restructured and continued by Rothlehner in Germany.
• Lift-Manager GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn May 2001, Rothlehner's entire service division was merged with affiliated service company Roland Jäkel GmbH, creating Lift-Manager GmbH Arbeitsbühnenservice. With over 60 employees and branches throughout Germany, Lift-Manager handles worldwide spare parts service and technical support for DENKA•LIFT.
• PB Lifttechnik GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRothlehner invested in PB Lifttechnik GmbH in 1996, expanding the product portfolio.
• GSR SpacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGSR truck-mounted work platforms added to product portfolio in 2005. GSR is an Italian manufacturer of truck-mounted aerial work platforms.
• Falcon SpiderminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCompact wheeled and caterpillar version spider lifts added to portfolio in 2005.
• BlueliftminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBluelift caterpillar machines added to product portfolio in 2005.
• PartnerLIFTcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerLIFT working platform network - German and European dealer network for aerial work platforms.
• EuropeLiftminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean manufacturer of trailer-mounted work platforms. Europelift TM18GTi and TM15TJi models sold through Rothlehner.
• HaulotteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench manufacturer of aerial work platforms. Rothlehner team visited Haulotte in France for technical exchange and production insights.
• Ahern Denmark A/ScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial DENKA•LIFT dealer for Denmark. Located in Vejle, Denmark. Contact: Henrik Skibsted.
• Collé Rental & SalescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial DENKA•LIFT dealer for Netherlands. Located in Sittard, Netherlands. Contact: Michiel Kokkelmans.
• Gantic AScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial DENKA•LIFT dealer for Norway. Located in Agotnes, Norway. Contact: Tommy Jorgensen.
• Carlsson & Co ABcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial DENKA•LIFT dealer for Sweden. Located in Falkenberg, Sweden. Contact: Magnus Carlsson.
• SkyAccess AGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial DENKA•LIFT dealer for Switzerland. Located in Oensingen, Switzerland. Contact: Martin Vögtli.
• Alfa Access Services LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial DENKA•LIFT dealer for United Kingdom. Located in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, UK. Contact: Allen Freeman.
• Service One, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial DENKA•LIFT dealer for USA. Located in Chicago, IL. Contact: Thomas Trinen.
• Eastway Engineering SDN BHDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDENKA•LIFT dealer for Malaysia. Located in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hinowa: Italian manufacturer of tracked (crawler) aerial work platforms and spider lifts. Competes with Rothlehner's Falcon Spider and Bluelift crawler lines for the same European rental and specialty-access customer base.
• Böcker: German manufacturer of trailer-mounted and truck-mounted aerial work platforms as well as construction elevators. Competes head-on with Rothlehner in the Central European trailer-mounted MEWP market and serves a comparable customer base of rental companies, trades, and municipalities.
• GSR: Italian manufacturer of truck-mounted aerial work platforms. Both a key OEM partner of Rothlehner and a competitive supplier to the same European customers, particularly in the larger truck-mounted category where Rothlehner does not produce in-house.
• Niftylift: UK-based manufacturer specializing in trailer-mounted and self-propelled MEWPs with hybrid/bi-energy drivetrains. Direct competitor in the European trailer-mounted aerial platform segment, particularly for rental-fleet customers prioritizing light weight and electric operation.
• Time Manufacturing (Versalift / Ruthmann / Steiger): German-rooted manufacturer of truck-mounted aerial work platforms (formerly Ruthmann, now part of Time Manufacturing). Directly competes with Rothlehner in the truck-mounted platform segment distributed under the GSR partnership, serving European utilities, municipalities, and rental fleets.
• Teupen: German manufacturer of spider/tracked and truck-mounted aerial work platforms. Direct competitor to Rothlehner in the crawler/spider-lift segment and a fellow German MEWP specialist serving the same European rental and trades customers.

Broad incumbents

• Haulotte: French global manufacturer of articulating, telescopic, and scissor MEWPs. Larger incumbent with full-line aerial work platform portfolio; also a distribution partner of Rothlehner, competing where product lines overlap.
• JLG Industries (Oshkosh): US-based global leader in aerial work platforms, part of Oshkosh. Competes across all MEWP categories and represents the global standard in self-propelled and boom-lift segments where Rothlehner is not vertically integrated.
• Palfinger: Austrian global manufacturer of lifting solutions including truck-mounted aerial work platforms (formerly Palfinger Platforms / Wumag). Competes with Rothlehner in European truck-mounted and access-platform markets as a larger, publicly listed incumbent.
• Manitou: French multinational listed on Euronext, with a dedicated aerial work platform division alongside material handling and rough-terrain handling. Competes across multiple MEWP categories served by Rothlehner but at significantly larger scale and broader product range.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Rothlehner Arbeitsbühnen GmbH