Hoerbiger Holding
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Swiss-headquartered industrial group supplying compressor, automotive, rotary, engine and industrial safety technologies.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Hoerbiger Holding AG is a privately held industrial group headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. Its historical roots reach back to an engineering office established by Hanns Hörbiger and Friedrich Wilhelm Rogler in Budapest and later relocated to Vienna. That activity developed into the trading company Hoerbiger & Co. in 1925, creating the commercial foundation of the present group. The business was subsequently shaped by the Hörbiger family and by the expansion of specialized engineering and manufacturing activities. The company is not primarily a consumer-facing brand. It operates as a business-to-business technology group serving equipment manufacturers, industrial operators and infrastructure customers. Its activities are organized around two divisions, Compression and Automotive, and three business units, Rotary, Engine and Safety. The Compression division provides components, systems and services for reciprocating compressors and gas-flow control applications. These technologies are relevant to industrial compression equipment and energy-related infrastructure. The Automotive division supplies components and systems to passenger-car and commercial-vehicle manufacturers, as well as to Tier 1 suppliers. The Rotary business unit develops rotary unions and electrical slip rings, while Engine focuses on injectors, controls and ignition systems for gaseous fuels, including hydrogen. The Safety business unit supplies explosion-protection technologies for industrial processing and power-generation facilities. Hoerbiger has expanded through a combination of internal development, acquisitions and divestments. The operational holding company was established in Switzerland in 1997 to provide a long-term strategic framework for the group. In the following decade, it added activities in automotive components, engine technology and industrial safety. The 2009 acquisition of Altronic strengthened the Engine business, and the 2015 acquisition of IEP Technologies initiated the development of the Safety business unit, later supplemented by Newson Gale, Brilex and Atexon. In 2019, Hoerbiger acquired Deublin, a US-based supplier of rotary unions, reinforcing its Rotary business and international industrial portfolio. The group has also reshaped its portfolio by selling businesses that no longer fitted its strategic focus. The Hoerbiger-Origa pneumatic division was sold to Parker-Hannifin in 2008, and the pneumatic seat-comfort-systems business was sold to Faurecia in 2010. Research and technical development have been supported through initiatives such as the JKU HOERBIGER Research Institute for Smart Actuators, established with Johannes Kepler University Linz in 2010. According to the referenced company description, Hoerbiger is represented in 43 countries and operates through 127 production and service locations. Its current identity is therefore that of a diversified international industrial technology group rather than a single-product manufacturer. The group combines engineered components, systems, services and specialized safety technologies for sectors where reliability, controlled gas flow, motion transmission, combustion management and explosion protection are important.
History
The origins of Hoerbiger Holding lie in the engineering work of Hanns Hörbiger and Friedrich Wilhelm Rogler. Their engineering office was founded in Budapest and moved to Vienna in 1903. In 1925, the activity developed into the trading company Hoerbiger & Co. Alfred Hörbiger joined the business in the same year and assumed its management, while Hanns Hörbiger concentrated on scientific work until his death in 1931. The company suffered major physical and intellectual losses during the Second World War. In 1945, its main plant in Vienna-Simmering was largely destroyed, and parts of its intellectual property were lost. Production nevertheless continued through alternative workshops, allowing the business to rebuild its industrial activities. A major organizational change occurred in 1997, when Hoerbiger Holding AG was established in Switzerland as an operational umbrella holding company. The holding company provided the strategic framework for a group that increasingly combined specialized engineering businesses across several industrial markets. During the 2000s, Hoerbiger expanded its automotive and industrial portfolio while also disposing of selected activities. In 2007, it took over the Oberstenfeld site of automotive supplier Getrag. In October 2008, the Hoerbiger-Origa pneumatic division was sold to Parker-Hannifin. In 2009, Hoerbiger acquired Altronic, Inc., based in Girard, Ohio. Altronic remained a sub-brand within the Engine business unit, whose activities include engine controls, ignition systems and fuel-related technologies. In October 2010, Hoerbiger sold its pneumatic seat-comfort-systems business to Faurecia. Research and innovation also became part of the group's development activities. In 2010, the Hoerbiger Foundation initiated the establishment of the JKU HOERBIGER Research Institute for Smart Actuators at Johannes Kepler University Linz. This initiative connected the company with academic research in actuator technologies. Hoerbiger broadened its industrial safety presence in 2015 through the acquisition of IEP Technologies. This transaction formed the basis of the Safety business unit, which was later expanded through acquisitions involving Newson Gale, Brilex and Atexon. The group subsequently invested in its organizational infrastructure: in 2016, the Vienna headquarters of the Compression division moved from Vienna-Simmering to a new building in the Urban Lakeside area of Aspern. In 2019, Hoerbiger acquired Deublin, a company headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, known for rotary union solutions. The transaction strengthened the Rotary business unit and added another established industrial technology operation to the group's portfolio. Hoerbiger is currently organized into five principal operating activities: the Compression and Automotive divisions and the Rotary, Engine and Safety business units. Compression serves reciprocating-compressor and gas-flow-control applications. Automotive supplies passenger-car and commercial-vehicle manufacturers and their Tier 1 suppliers. Rotary provides rotary unions and electrical slip rings. Engine supplies injectors, controls and ignition systems for gaseous fuels, including hydrogen. Safety provides explosion-protection solutions for industrial processing and power-generation plants. The group is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, and is described as operating internationally through representation in 43 countries and 127 production and service locations. Its history reflects a transition from a Vienna-based engineering and trading enterprise into a diversified industrial holding company with a global B2B operating structure.
- 2019
Deublin is acquired
[1]The acquisition of Deublin expanded Hoerbiger's capabilities in rotary union technologies.
- 2015
Safety business unit is developed
[1]The acquisition of IEP Technologies established the platform for Hoerbiger's Safety business, later supplemented by further acquisitions.
- 2009
Altronic joins the group
[1]Hoerbiger acquired Altronic, adding a specialized engine-technology business that continued under its own sub-brand.
- 1997
Hoerbiger Holding AG is founded
[1]The Swiss operational umbrella holding company was established to set the group's long-term strategic direction.
- 1945
Vienna-Simmering plant is largely destroyed
[1]The main plant was largely destroyed and parts of the company's intellectual property were lost, although production continued in alternative workshops.
- 1925
Hoerbiger & Co. is established
[1]The predecessor trading company Hoerbiger & Co. was founded, establishing the commercial roots of the present group.
- 1903
Engineering office moves to Vienna
[1]The engineering office founded by Hanns Hörbiger and Friedrich Wilhelm Rogler in Budapest was relocated to Vienna.
Products and positioning
A specialized, engineering-led B2B industrial technology group focused on critical components, systems and services for compression, automotive, rotary equipment, gaseous-fuel engines and industrial safety.
Industrial compression
Compression systems and components
The Compression division supplies components, systems and services for reciprocating compressors and gas-flow control. These offerings support industrial equipment and energy-related applications in which controlled compression, gas handling and dependable operating performance are required. The business combines engineered hardware with service capabilities rather than focusing on a single standardized consumer product.
Automotive components
Automotive components and systems
Hoerbiger's Automotive division supplies components and systems to passenger-car and commercial-vehicle manufacturers and to Tier 1 suppliers. The division forms part of the group's broader industrial portfolio and reflects its role as an engineering and manufacturing partner within vehicle supply chains. Specific product families and current programs are not identified in the referenced material.
Rotary equipment
Rotary unions and electrical slip rings
The Rotary business unit provides rotary unions and electrical slip rings for industrial equipment. Rotary unions enable the transfer of fluids or other media between stationary and rotating parts, while slip rings support electrical transmission in rotating applications. The acquisition of Deublin in 2019 strengthened this area of the Hoerbiger portfolio.
Engine systems
Gaseous-fuel engine technologies
The Engine business unit supplies injectors, controls and ignition systems for engines using gaseous fuels, including hydrogen. Altronic operates as a sub-brand within this business. The offering addresses engine fuel delivery and combustion management, with applications in industrial and energy-related engine systems.
Industrial safety · 2015
Explosion-protection solutions
The Safety business unit supplies explosion-protection solutions for industrial processing and power-generation plants. The business was built from the 2015 acquisition of IEP Technologies and expanded through additional acquisitions involving Newson Gale, Brilex and Atexon. Its purpose is to help industrial facilities manage explosion risks in hazardous operating environments.
Brand decisions
2019
Acquisition of DeublinM&ABackground
Hoerbiger aimed to reinforce its Rotary business with an established specialist in rotary union technology.
Action taken
Hoerbiger acquired Deublin, headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois.
Aftermath
Deublin strengthened the group's Rotary activities and its international offering of rotary union solutions.
2015
Build-out of the Safety business unitStrategyBackground
Hoerbiger expanded beyond its established compression, automotive and engine activities into industrial safety technologies.
Action taken
The group acquired IEP Technologies and used it as the foundation for a Safety business unit, later adding Newson Gale, Brilex and Atexon.
Aftermath
Safety became one of Hoerbiger's five principal operating activities, focused on explosion protection for industrial processing and power-generation facilities.
2010
Sale of pneumatic seat-comfort-systems businessM&ABackground
Hoerbiger continued to reshape its portfolio by separating selected pneumatic activities from its core industrial businesses.
Action taken
The pneumatic seat-comfort-systems business was sold to Faurecia in October 2010.
Aftermath
The transaction transferred the business to an automotive supplier and narrowed Hoerbiger's exposure to this particular application.
2009
Acquisition of AltronicM&ABackground
Hoerbiger sought to strengthen its Engine business with specialized technologies for gaseous-fuel engines.
Action taken
Hoerbiger acquired Altronic, Inc. in Girard, Ohio.
Aftermath
Altronic continued as a sub-brand within the Engine business unit.
2008
Sale of the Hoerbiger-Origa pneumatic divisionM&ABackground
The group was reviewing the fit of its pneumatic activities within its broader industrial portfolio.
Action taken
Hoerbiger sold the Hoerbiger-Origa pneumatic division to Parker-Hannifin in October 2008.
Aftermath
The divestment reduced Hoerbiger's direct exposure to this pneumatic business while transferring the activity to a larger industrial technology company.
1997
Creation of a Swiss operational holding structureStrategyBackground
Hoerbiger had developed from a historical engineering and trading business into a group with multiple industrial activities.
Action taken
Hoerbiger Holding AG was founded in Switzerland as an operational umbrella holding company to establish the group's long-term strategic framework.
Aftermath
The holding structure became the organizational platform for later acquisitions, divestments and the management of five operating activities.
Sources1 sources
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