TARVO – YOUR PARTNER.
Turning problems into solutions
#safe, reliable, strong.
The TARVO Group is a mid-sized, Franco-German, family-owned group of companies in the metalworking industry. We see ourselves as a family business with a long-term perspective and a strong sense of responsibility in our partnerships.
#tradition and innovation
With our companies, we have been based for over 150 years in Rheinhessen, the Saarland, the Palatinate, and Lorraine. With our broad expertise in process engineering and manufacturing, we support customers worldwide in turning challenges into reliable and safe solutions.
#hidden but essential
We deliver critical components that often remain out of sight but are indispensable for the smooth operation of the entire process. In our niche markets, we strive for excellence and develop tailored solutions. We design, engineer, and manufacture complete solutions and support our products throughout their entire lifecycle—from development to maintenance, repair, and decommissioning.
#hidden heroes
This requires strong teams with unique skills and specialized expertise. These strengths often lie in the details—unseen, yet decisive. Our employees bring exactly the expertise needed to make a real difference in these specialized areas and enable outstanding performance behind the scenes.
Who we are – a family business
The roots of TARVO as a group go back to 2010 – driven by the desire for entrepreneurial independence and the freedom to implement our own ideas.
Today, the TARVO Group is led by the managing directors Dr. Olivier Weber, Dr. Frederic Holzbaur, and Dipl. Wirtsch.-Ing. Christoph Holzbaur (from left to right).
The foundation for the company’s development was laid by Frederic and Christoph Holzbaur together with their father, Dr. Michael Holzbaur: “Our father, Dr. Michael Holzbaur, was at the end of his successful career as a managing director in industry. At that time, we—Christoph and Frederic Holzbaur—had already gained solid professional experience in the industry following a thorough education, so we decided to take on this project as a team.
The start was more challenging than expected—finding a suitable company proved difficult. However, in 2013, we took our first step with the acquisition of our first company. From then on, the development continued steadily.”
Since then, the TARVO Group has grown continuously and has successfully completed six acquisitions to date—three traditional succession solutions and three restructuring acquisitions.
“What drives us? A passion for technology, the challenge of solving complex problems, and above all the opportunity to realize our own ideas with entrepreneurial freedom. Mastering complex challenges is not just work for us—it is a true passion.”
Our values – what we stand for
- Innovation/Transformation: At the core are our products, services, technical solutions and process solutions in the industrial niche.
- Industry: Often hidden, but indispensable for smooth operation. #Hidden. But essential.
- Tradition & Family: Our values form the foundation of our work—this is where high standards, long-term orientation, sustainability and reliability come together.
The TARVO CRYSTAL combines the four components of stability and durability, uniqueness and distinctiveness, value and excellence, and versatility and adaptability.
- Stability and durability through long-term relationships with customers, suppliers and employees.
- Uniqueness and distinctiveness through innovative solutions, high-quality products and excellent service.
- Value and excellence through high-quality products and services that provide real added value.
- Versatility and adaptability through versatile products, services and employees.
Vision – what’s next?
The TARVO Group stands for sustainable entrepreneurship in the industry. Our goal is to purposefully strengthen the existing activities with a long tradition under the TARVO umbrella, to further expand their position in their respective niche markets and, through outstanding service, to keep them at the forefront of their sector over the long term.
Our strategy goes beyond further developing what already exists. To sustainably strengthen our market position in important sales markets, we rely on expanding and building our own local activities and presence.
What we do – Products
We serve a variety of industrial niche applications. Our products are primarily used in:
- the basic/raw materials industry
- mechanical and plant engineering
for the manufacture of end products such as steel, stainless steel, ferroalloys, superalloys, titanium, paper, alcohol, biogas, distillates, functional coatings, electric motors, gearboxes, and much more.
#TARVO involved
TARVO in everyday life: A bit of TARVO can be found in airplanes, bridges, power, packaging, spirits, rails, toilet paper, cars, rockets, trams, therapy equipment, paper tissues, laminates, aromas and much more.
Highlight product: our patented STAMM spray pipe
Still a leader today!
In 1954, STAMM filed a patent for the spray pipe with an internal rotating brush. For the first time, it became possible to clean a spray pipe during operation. The STAMM spray pipe quickly established itself worldwide in paper machines. Thanks to the continuous cleaning of the rolls, consistent paper quality is ensured.
Over the years, the STAMM spray pipe has been continuously optimized, and today there is likely no major paper machine worldwide that operates without spray pipes based on the STAMM principle.
#Hidden. But essential. #TARVO involved
Highlight product: our developments for converters
It's rocket science!
Quality through perfection. Our customers produce the highest steel qualities through precise control of their processes and therefore place the greatest value on using the best available tools.
We are a world leader with our products for converters, such as our high-performance PCDs (post-combustion distributors) and our lance heads with contoured nozzles, which guarantee a high performance reserve over their entire service life. The calculation and design of the contoured nozzle uses methods that are also employed in aerospace for engine nozzles.
#Hidden. But crucial. #TARVO involved
Highlight product: our optimized melting furnace design
Always better!
Through our close collaboration with customers and decades of experience from maintenance, repairs and expertise with wear parts, we know exactly where the strain on the components during operation is highest. This forms the basis for the continuous optimization and adaptation of our products to our customers’ processes.
We are particularly proud of our design solutions for melting furnaces, where we intelligently optimise the cooling system and construction to meet the stresses encountered in operation.
#Hidden. But essential. #TARVO involved
Highlight product: our contribution to sustainability – EthaTec concept
Turning waste into resource!
In the pilot plant we have implemented and designed — EthaTec pilot plant — bakery and food leftovers are processed into bioethanol. Four products are created in a closed loop: ethanol, biogas, electricity and fertiliser.
Sustainability without compromise: Through maximum energy efficiency, highly automated processes and no use of fossil fuels, around 1,500 tonnes of CO? are saved each year with just one plant.
#Hidden. But essential. #TARVO involved
What we do – Competencies
- Planning, design, and simulation
- Laser cutting, bending, forming
- Stainless steel welding constructions and tank construction
- Galvanic surface finishing
- Series production (IATF)
- Special-purpose machine building and fittings
What sets us apart?
Strong teams with strong personalities – specialists and caretakers #hidden heroes
Our expertise: large workpieces – small quantities
Great flexibility in carrying out demanding projects with large workpieces and small quantities. We possess special expertise in designing and machining complex, large structures.
We ensure a long service life for industrial components of large dimensions by carefully sizing and constructing them. Our many years of experience and qualified welding engineers guarantee high?quality welds in the shortest possible time.
Because we manufacture in small batches, you can rely on our high flexibility and reliability. We accompany your project from planning to final assembly.
#Hidden. But essential. #TARVO involved
Our expertise: stainless steel – apparatus engineering, pressure vessels and complete plants
From individual pieces to complete process plants
Pressure vessels, apparatus and valve construction
We design and manufacture pressure vessels, tanks, pipes and welded assemblies of all shapes and sizes. On request we provide ready-to-operate units including piping, fittings, pumps, agitators and insulation.
Turnkey process plants including automation
We plan, design and build turnkey process plants in stainless steel—including automation technology. Our expertise spans from pilot plants to industrial-scale systems. We accompany your project from concept and engineering through to commissioning.
#Hidden. But essential. #TARVO involved
Our expertise: service and spare parts – even after decades
We maintain, repair and sustainably optimize our products throughout their entire life cycle.
Long-term partnerships, reliability, trust and good business relationships form the foundation of our success. Our customers can rely on us for service and spare parts even after decades.
#Hidden. But essential. #TARVO involved
History
TARVO has been active since 2013 as the successor to STAMM Verwaltungs-GmbH and today consists of six companies in the metal industry, with a focus on process engineering and manufacturing.
since 2013
- STAMM GmbH (family-owned company, founded in 1868) with spray pipes and actuators for applications in the paper industry, dewatering technology, and more
since 2014
- Saar-Metallwerke GmbH (family-owned company, founded in 1925) with its products for applications in the iron and steel industry
- Solocuivre SARL (subsidiary of Saar-Metallwerke, founded in 1935) with its forged products for iron foundries and the electrical industry
- SM France SARL (subsidiary of Solocuivre, founded in 1989) with mechanical series production of components for the automotive industry
2017
- Integration of the drive manufacturing division of Keppler GmbH (partial business acquisition) into STAMM GmbH
2018
- Integration of Weger GmbH (asset deal) into STAMM GmbH
since 2021
- M-Galvanotechnik GmbH (new company established out of insolvency) with applications in surface finishing
since 2023
- Reiner Schmitt GmbH (family-owned company, founded in 1860) with process engineering and plant construction for distillery technology, as well as tank and apparatus construction, including for biogas plants
TARVO: meaning and origin of the company name
The name TARVO is a coined term derived from elements of the Holzbaur family crest. It combines two symbols that represent perseverance, sustainability, and forward-looking action:
- Tarmes (Latin for woodworm)¹ – The woodworm works its way through wood patiently and relentlessly, cannot be stopped, and leaves visible traces of its work. It symbolizes persistence and the ability to dig deeply into challenges until a solution is found.
- Vomer (Latin for ploughshare) – The ploughshare represents the farmer who carefully and sustainably cultivates the land in order to achieve a rich harvest through diligence. It stands for foresight, consistency, and the responsible use of resources.
TARVO brings these two principles together: the tireless pursuit of solutions and sustainable, long-term successful economic activity.
¹ according to Origines (also known as Etymologiae) by Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae, 9.2.57