Manho Rope & Wire

What Manho Rope & Wire does

Manho Rope & Wire Co., Ltd. (만호제강주식회사) is a Korean specialty steel wire and rope manufacturer founded in 1953 and publicly listed on the Korea Stock Exchange since 1977. The company operates three manufacturing facilities — Changwon (primary, established 1982), Busan Noksan industrial complex, and Yangsan — producing a portfolio spanning hard drawn steel wire, piano wire, stainless steel wire (AISI 302/304/316/316L), CD BAR cold drawn bars, PC steel wire and strand, the proprietary HIBON high-strength PC steel bar (co-developed with KIMM), galvanized steel wire strand, elevator rope, wire rope, and the patented HI-MAN fiber rope. Products serve construction/civil engineering (PC reinforcement for bridges, buildings, nuclear plants), marine/fishing (wire rope and HI-MAN), elevator manufacturing (traction and suspension rope), spring/component manufacturing (piano and hard drawn wire), and industrial manufacturing segments.

The business operates on a direct-sales model with regional sales offices in Seoul (Gyeongin coverage), factory-anchored product managers at each plant, a dedicated export department serving ~10 global regions (South America, Southeast Asia, North America, Middle East, Australia, Europe, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan), and a Japan branch office established in 2000. The company holds an unusually deep certification stack — ISO 9001:2000, API 9A, JIS, KS, NK, BV, DNV, and Japan MLIT HIBON LR-8 (MTDN-0007) — qualifying it for nuclear power plants (Shin-Hanul, Uljin, Youngkwang), LNG terminals (Tongyoung), and major bridge projects (Yeosu Dolsan-Hwatae). Pricing is quote-based by specification, not publicly disclosed.

In 2026 the company announced a strategic pivot toward industrial AI and humanoid robotics via subsidiaries MH Systems (robot control, energy storage) and MH Dynamics (AI smart factory, acquired 2026-06-09), partnerships with Advantech KR (humanoid robots, physical AI platform, July 2026) and Kyungnam University (AI smart factory, July 2026). The pivot is layered atop the legacy wire-ropes business rather than replacing it.

Name

Manho Rope & Wire

Legal name

만호제강 주식회사 (Manho Rope & Wire Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://manhorope.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Manho Rope & Wire is a Korean specialty steel wire and rope manufacturer (founded 1953, publicly listed) producing hard drawn wire, piano wire, stainless steel wire, PC strand, HIBON PC bars, CD BAR, elevator rope, and patented HI-MAN fiber rope for construction, marine, elevator, and industrial customers across ~10 global regions, now pivoting into AI/robotics via subsidiaries MH Systems and MH Dynamics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Wire and Rope Products

NAICS

Steel Wire Drawing (331222), Other Fabricated Wire Product Manufacturing (332618), Rope, Cordage, Twine, Tire Cord, and Tire Fabric Mills (314994), Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing (33261)

akta.pro primary industry

Long Products Manufacturing (Rebar, Wire Rod, Merchant Bar, Sections/Beams) (IMAKABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Crane & Hoist Components (Wire Rope, Chain, Drums, Sheaves, Motors, Controls) (IMAHAJAK)

Keywords

• Specialty steel wire manufacturing
• Wire rope production
• PC steel reinforcement
• Marine fiber ropes
• Industrial wire products

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Steel Wire Products: Manufacturing and sale of specialty steel wire products including hard drawn steel wire, piano wire, stainless steel wire, and PC steel wire. Revenue generated through direct sales to industrial customers and construction projects.
2. Wire Rope Products: Production and sale of wire rope and fiber rope products for marine, fishing, construction, and industrial applications. Includes Hi-Man rope with patented technology.
3. CD BAR and Precision Steel Products: Cold drawn steel bars and precision steel products for machining and manufacturing applications. Sold directly to manufacturers with technical specifications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Manho Rope & Wire manufactures and supplies specialty steel wire and rope products, including hard drawn steel wire, piano wire, stainless steel wire, PC steel wire and strand, HIBON high-strength PC steel bars, CD bars, elevator ropes, galvanized steel wire strand, wire ropes, and the proprietary Hi-Man fiber rope. Products are produced at three Korean factories and supplied to construction, marine, fishing, elevator, and general industrial customers through direct sales and an export department.

Product overview

Manho Rope & Wire is a specialty steel wire and rope manufacturer producing a comprehensive portfolio of wire and rope products. The core product lineup includes Hard Drawn Steel Wire, Piano Wire, Stainless Steel Wire, CD BAR (Cold Drawn Bar), PC Steel Wire and Strand, HIBON (PC Steel Bar), Elevator Rope, Galvanized Steel Wire Strand, Wire Rope, and the proprietary HI-MAN Fiber Rope. These products serve construction, manufacturing, marine, and industrial applications worldwide. The company also provides specialty alloy steel wire materials for robotics and AI applications as part of recent strategic partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HI-MAN Rope: Proprietary high-strength polypropylene rope with 32% higher breaking strength than standard PP ropes, developed independently by Manho with patented manufacturing process
• HIBON

Products and services

• Hard Drawn Steel Wire (경강선)
• Piano Wire (피아노선)
• Stainless Steel Wire (스테인리스 강선)
• CD BAR (Cold Drawn Bar)
• PC Steel Wire and Strand (PC강선 및 강연선)
• HIBON PC Steel Bar (PC강봉 하이본)
• Elevator Rope (엘리베이터 로프)
• Galvanized Steel Wire Strand (아연도 강연선)
• Wire Rope (와이어로프)
• Hi-Man Rope (하이만 로프)

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Advantech KRcoreTechnology or Integration · 13 July 2026Strategic MOU signed at Changwon plant to co-develop humanoid robots and physical AI platform combining industrial AI, robotics, and advanced control technologies. Advantech contributes industrial AI and edge computing platform technologies to the partnership.
• MH SystemscoreTechnology or Integration · 13 July 2026Subsidiary of Manho Rope & Wire developing robot control systems and energy storage systems as part of the humanoid robot and physical AI platform co-development partnership with Advantech KR.
• Kyungnam University (경남대학교)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026MOU signed with Kyungnam University's Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation to support AI-based smart factory development and technology commercialization. Includes joint research, technology consulting, industry-academic seminars, and linkage to Gyeongsangnam-do RISE project.
• MH DynamicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026Subsidiary of Manho Rope & Wire included in the AI smart factory partnership with Kyungnam University to support digital transformation of local manufacturers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Hayashi Telempu: Japanese manufacturer of wire rope, wire, and related industrial products. Regional peer competing with Manho's Japan branch in the Japanese wire rope and industrial materials market.

Broad incumbents

• Nippon Steel (Wire Rod & Bar Products): Japan's largest steelmaker with upstream wire rod production feeding specialty wire drawers. Competes indirectly as both a supplier to and competitor of Manho in the Japanese steel wire value chain.
• Bridon-Bekaert: Global leader in wire rope and advanced cords, formed from Bridon and Bekaert's ropes business. Competes with Manho in elevator rope, crane rope, and marine/industrial wire rope applications worldwide.
• Sumitomo Electric Industries: Diversified Japanese manufacturer with a wire rope division producing steel wire rope for cranes, elevators, and marine use. Competes with Manho's elevator rope and wire rope products in Japan and Asia.

Direct peers

• Kiswire: Korea's largest specialty steel wire and wire rope manufacturer, producing tire bead wire, wire rope, and spring wire. Direct competitor in PC strand, wire rope, and specialty wire across construction, marine, and industrial markets.
• Teufelberger: Austrian manufacturer of steel wire rope, fiber rope, and synthetic rope for cranes, elevators, marine, and fishing. Direct competitor to Manho's wire rope and Hi-Man fiber rope in marine and industrial segments.
• Insteel Industries: U.S. manufacturer of steel wire reinforcing products for concrete construction (PC strand, welded wire reinforcement). Direct overlap with Manho's PC steel wire and strand product lines serving construction.
• Gustav Wolf: German manufacturer of wire rope, wire, and cord products for elevator, crane, and mining applications. Comparable in elevator rope and PC strand/wire categories where Manho holds certifications.
• Davis Wire Corporation: U.S. producer of low-carbon and high-carbon steel wire products for industrial, construction, and agricultural markets. Comparable as a specialty wire drawer serving similar end markets.

Emerging players

• Jiangsu Tongding Metal Products: Chinese steel wire and wire rope producer serving construction, marine, and industrial markets. Competes on price in commodity wire and rope segments where Manho is also present, particularly in export markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance20 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Manho Rope & Wire