Voith Group

What they do

Voith is an industrial group organised into three divisions. Voith Hydro supplies turbines, generators and services for hydropower plants, including pumped storage. Voith Paper builds machines and provides services for paper, board and tissue production. Voith Turbo makes drive and power transmission systems for industry, rail and other heavy applications.

The company traces its history to 1867 and is based in Heidenheim an der Brenz in eastern Württemberg. It is organised as a GmbH & Co. KGaA and is 100 per cent family-owned.

Why it matters

Voith's markets sit underneath much of modern life. Hydropower is the largest source of renewable electricity worldwide, and pumped storage plants act as large batteries that balance wind and solar output. Paper and board, especially for packaging, remain a huge industry with demanding energy and water efficiency requirements.

In 2022 Voith completed the purchase of Siemens Energy's minority stake in their hydropower joint venture, taking full ownership of Voith Hydro. The move signalled a strategic bet on hydropower as the energy transition increases demand for flexible, storable power.

Products to know

• Voith Hydro: turbines, generators and modernisation of hydropower and pumped storage plants.
• Voith Paper: complete paper and board production lines, components and services.
• Voith Turbo: couplings, transmissions and drive systems for industrial and rail uses.

The German angle

Heidenheim, on the eastern edge of the Swabian Jura, is a modest town that has hosted Voith for more than a century and a half. The company grew from a local workshop into a supplier of heavy equipment to power stations and mills worldwide, a path followed by many family firms in Württemberg.

Ownership remains with the founding family, while management has long been in the hands of professional executives. The group invests in digital and automation capabilities in Heidenheim and trains apprentices across mechanical and electrical trades, keeping the dual vocational model at the core of its workforce.