HerkulesGroup

What HerkulesGroup does

HerkulesGroup is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer of heavy-duty large machine tools, headquartered in Siegen and led since December 2020 by Maximilian Thoma, the 4th-generation family CEO. Founded in 1911, the group employs over 1,350 people worldwide and operates through five core subsidiaries — Maschinenfabrik Herkules (roll grinding and turning), WaldrichSiegen (heavy-duty milling, turning, grinding, boring, texturing), RSGetriebe (customized gearboxes and drive solutions), SBA mechatronics (modernization, based in Austria), and Herkules USA — with service branches in India and China and a production footprint across Siegen, Meuselwitz, Sonthofen, Ford City (USA), and Weikersdorf (Austria).

The group's product portfolio centers on the ProfiGrind roll grinder family (ProfiGrind 2000, 2500, 5500, 7500) featuring B-axis technology that achieves infeed increments down to 0.0001 mm, the ProfiMill portal milling series (including the ProfiMill evo launched in 2025), the ProfiTurn V vertical turning lathe, and NNF notch milling machines produced at Meuselwitz. Supporting measurement and control systems include the KP 10 machine control with user-friendly touch panel operation, the Modular Roll Shop Management System (MRS) for automated roll shop coordination, the Roll Surface Inspection System (RSIS) and Roughness Scattered Light Detection System (RSLD), CP measuring devices for roll geometry, and integrated Eddy Current and Ultrasonic crack detection systems. A defining feature is high vertical integration: all key components are manufactured in-house, which supports quality control, delivery reliability, and the ability to maintain equipment performance across 40+ year lifecycles.

HerkulesGroup generates revenue primarily through custom-quoted capital equipment sales to large industrial enterprises in steel, aluminum, stainless steel, paper, and battery foil production — including named customers JSW Steel, Jindal Steel, Nucor Steel, SSAB, Hindalco, China Steel, Aperam, Ezz Steel, and Suez Steel — via an enterprise field sales model supplemented by regional agents (K.O. Rydqvist AB in Sweden, Primetals in Japan, local agents in Italy). Sales cycles are long-term and project-based, with multi-year contracts and multi-million-Euro machine pricing that is not publicly disclosed. Recurring after-sales service, spare parts, and modernization/retrofitting of both Herkules-built and competitor machines (delivered through SBA mechatronics) provide an annuity revenue layer atop the lumpy equipment orders, reinforcing customer relationships across decades-long equipment lifecycles.

Name

HerkulesGroup

Legal name

HerkulesGroup Services GmbH

Website

https://herkulesgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

HerkulesGroup is a German family-owned manufacturer of large machine tools — roll grinders, vertical turning lathes, portal milling machines, boring mills, and custom industrial gearboxes — serving global steel, aluminum, paper, and battery foil producers with manufacturing, modernization, and after-sales services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Machine Tools

NAICS

Machine Tool Manufacturing (333517), Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (33351), Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)

akta.pro primary industry

CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping) (IMAHADAC)

Keywords

• Heavy-duty machine tools
• Roll grinding machines
• Industrial gearboxes
• Portal milling machines
• Machine tool manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Siegen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Large Machine Tool Sales: Manufacturing and sale of heavy-duty large machine tools including roll grinding machines, vertical turning machines, portal milling machines, boring mills, and custom machinery. Capital equipment sales with long project cycles.
2. Custom Gearbox and Drive Solutions: RSGetriebe develops and produces customized drive systems for machine tools, chemical industry, extrusion, and complex test bench systems.
3. Machine Modernization and Retrofitting: Complete electrical and mechanical overhauls of own and third-party machines, modernization upgrades, and technology updates to bring aging equipment to current standards.
4. After-Sales Services: Spare parts supply, technical support, field service, and process optimization services for existing machine installations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HerkulesGroup designs, manufactures, and services heavy-duty large machine tools including roll grinding machines, vertical turning machines, portal milling machines, boring mills, and texturing machines for industrial customers. The group also produces customized industrial gearboxes and drive solutions through its RSGetriebe subsidiary, and provides machine modernization and retrofitting services through SBA mechatronics. Primary end markets are steel mills, aluminum producers, stainless steel manufacturers, paper producers, and battery foil manufacturers requiring precision machining of rolls and heavy workpieces.

Product overview

The HerkulesGroup is a family-owned group of companies operating as innovation leaders in large machine tools, with over 1,350 employees worldwide. The Group comprises four main companies: Maschinenfabrik Herkules specializing in roll grinding and turning machines, WaldrichSiegen offering heavy-duty machine tools for milling, turning, grinding, texturing, and boring, RSGetriebe providing customized drive solutions and gearboxes, and SBA (sba mechatronics) delivering modernization services for roll grinding machines. The product portfolio includes the ProfiGrind roll grinder series, ProfiMill portal milling machines, ProfiTurn V vertical turning machines, and NNF notch milling machines. Key technology offerings encompass KP 10 machine control systems, Roll Surface Inspection Systems (RSIS), Roughness Scattered Light Detection (RSLD), Modular Roll Shop Management System (MRS), and Eddy Current/Ultrasonic inspection systems. The high level of vertical integration means all core components are manufactured within the Group, supported by a global sales and service network with own branches in main markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ProfiGrind Roll Grinders Roll grinding machines for precision machining of work rolls and back-up rolls with µm-range precision, B-axis integrated grinding saddle, and infeed increments of 0.0001 mm. Available in multiple models (ProfiGrind 7500, 5500, 2500, 2000) for steel mills, aluminum producers, and stainless steel manufacturers.
• ProfiMill Portal Milling Machines Heavy-duty portal milling machines for large workpiece machining, including the ProfiMill evo variant launched in 2025. Designed for flexible and productive large-scale milling operations.
• ProfiTurn V Vertical Turning Machine Vertical turning lathe designed for heavy-duty turning operations, presented as part of WaldrichSiegen's product portfolio for heavy-duty machining applications.
• NNF Notch Milling Machines Milling machines featuring excellent damping properties and high rigidity for vibration-free machining of workpieces, particularly used for high-strength steel production. Manufactured at the Meuselwitz production site.
• WS 600 CNC Monolith Combination Machine Advanced CNC combination machine with monolithic design and C-frame measuring device with sideshift, enabling versatile roll machining operations including grinding. Used by steel and aluminum producers such as Aperam and Hindalco.
• Customized Gearboxes and Drive Solutions (RSGetriebe) Customized industrial gearboxes and drive solutions developed and produced by RSGetriebe in Sonthofen, Germany. Includes design department for individual gearbox solutions serving machine tools, chemical industry, extrusion, and complex test bench systems.
• Machine Modernization and Retrofitting Services (SBA) Machine modernization services including complete electrical and mechanical overhauls, retrofitting, modernization upgrades, and technology updates for both Herkules machines and third-party equipment. Delivered by SBA mechatronics GmbH based in Weikersdorf, Austria, including leading supplier of new roll grinding machines for the paper industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grinding wheel pressure maintained within ±0.3% tolerance for homogenous surfaces
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, strategic and core.

• Lebenshilfe Dillenburg e.V. (Haiger Rehabilitation Workshop)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Rehabilitation workshop producing 50 nesting boxes for Haiger Bird and Nature Conservation Association as part of HerkulesGroup Heart Project environmental initiative.
• Gontermann-PeipersstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Long-term partnership with roll foundry. Gontermann-Peipers received world's largest roll turning machine (HDK 1500) in 1975 and has been customer for decades. Both companies jointly supported Kinderinsel charity project.
• IRLE ROLLSstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IRLE ROLLS is a manufacturer of highly sophisticated engineered cast products with 330 years of experience. They are a key supplier of rolls, pistons, and wear-resistant cast products. HerkulesGroup machines are integral to IRLE ROLLS' production facilities, and both companies cooperate on customer projects such as the Nucor Steel West Virginia roll shop design.
• K.O. Rydqvist ABcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Swedish sales agent representing HerkulesGroup companies (SBA and Maschinenfabrik Herkules) for the SSAB modernization project in Sweden. Successfully won contract against original machine manufacturer.
• PrimetalscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Long-standing cooperation with Primetals for Japanese steel market. Primetals purchased six ProfiGrind roll grinders for Japanese customer steel mill expansion - one of the largest projects in Japan in recent years.
• SDFS Smarte Demonstrationsfabrik SiegenstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024HerkulesGroup is Connect-member and founding member of InnovationCircle digital business models working group. Partnership involves regular workshops on sustainable digital business models with regional industry partners at Buschhütten campus.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ingersoll Machine Tools: US-based builder of large, heavy-duty machine tools (milling, turning, additive-metal systems). Operates in the same heavy-machine-tool niche as WaldrichSiegen for aerospace, energy, and industrial customers.
• EMAG: German machine tool manufacturer focused on turning and grinding solutions for industrial components. Adjacent overlap with Herkules' precision grinding technology and KP 10 control platform.
• Nicolás Correa: Spanish specialist in large-bed milling and boring machines serving industrial customers in energy, aerospace, and heavy machinery—directly comparable product category to WaldrichSiegen's heavy-duty mills.
• TOS Varnsdorf: Czech Republic-based manufacturer of heavy-duty horizontal boring mills and large machine tools—directly comparable to WaldrichSiegen's heavy machine tool portfolio serving industrial manufacturers globally.
• FPT Industries: Italian manufacturer of large horizontal boring and milling machines. Closely comparable on product category, serving similar heavy-industrial end-markets as WaldrichSiegen.
• Soraluce (Danobat Group): Spanish manufacturer of large milling, turning, and boring machines—including heavy-duty portal mills and vertical turning lathes directly comparable to ProfiMill and ProfiTurn V product lines.

Broad incumbents

• ANDRITZ Group: Austria-headquartered industrial group with overlapping exposure in metals processing and (via its pulp & paper division) roll-grinding-modernization business comparable to SBA's paper-industry roll shop work.
• SMS group: German-based global plant builder for the metals industry. Operates as a much broader incumbent across steel-making and processing equipment, overlapping with Herkules in roll-shop and rolling-mill supply.
• Danieli: Italy-based global supplier of plant and machinery for steelmaking and non-ferrous metals. Larger portfolio than HerkulesGroup but competes for the same rolling-mill capex projects with end customers like Jindal, JSW, and Primetals.

Regional players

• EMUC (formerly Yamashita Engineering / Toshiba Machine): Japanese heavy machine tool makers (e.g., Toshiba Machine/Shibaura) compete with WaldrichSiegen in the same prime-quality end of the Asia-Pacific rolling mill market targeted by the recent 6-machine Primetals order.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/herkulesgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herkulesgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 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 HerkulesGroup