Three questions to ... Markus Labruier

Markus Labruier (54) has been the managing director of Detlef Klinkhammer Steuerungen und Komponente für Aufzüge (KLST) since 1 October 2025. Mition GmbH Mittelstandsbeteiligungen took over the company at the beginning of 2025.

The holding company invests in unlisted small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from very different sectors. We posed our three familiar questions to the lawyer Labruier.

In view of the current concentration process in the lift sector, the economic situation is not as simple as before. How do you propose to handle this challenge with KLST?
Labruier: It’s impossible to ignore the increasing concentration in the lift sector and poses new challenges to all market players. But at the same time, this also creates opportunities – especially for specialised independent providers like KLST.
We focus on technological excellence and specialisation: well-designed standardisation is convincingly supplemented by modular adaptability.

We are expanding the innovation areas digitalisation and networking with our gateway and reinforcing our partnership approach with SMEs and the biggest providers in the lift sector. 
We see good options for development for ourselves as an independent, technologically strong provider, especially in a concentrated market. We offer and guarantee downward compatibility with our new products, which means our customers can always keep their existing lifts technologically up to date.

Upon taking over KLST, Mition declared that the holding had not been acquired with the aim of further sale. So what was the reason for this deal, what did Mition find interesting about KLST? Is the takeover of more component manufacturers planned?
Labruier: Mition’s holding in KLST has a very clear entrepreneurial motivation and is not designed as a short-term investment. KLST has a very strong technological competence in the field of control technology for lifts and a good reputation in the market. 
KLST fits in fantastically in Mition’s portfolio. The combination of entrepreneurial continuity, innovativeness and customer proximity played an important role here in the decision-making for the investment.


As far as further potential holdings are concerned, Mition’s focus is always on what’s good for the customer. The trends that dominate the market are digitalisation and standardisation. Consequently, additional holdings are more likely in adjacent segments than in other component manufacturers.

You’re new to the lift sector. What distinguishes it from other sectors?
Labruier: I can look back on over 25 years’ experience in SME mechanical engineering in various industries. Compared to other sectors, the life cycles of lifts are unusually long. Lifts have to work reliably or be maintainable for decades and simultaneously remain modernisable.
Safety and legal requirements also play a major role in other sectors. But the safety-related and regulatory relevance for products and daily operation in the lift sector are particularly high, meaning quality and reliability is not just competitive advantages but an absolute precondition.


Another decisive factor is the market structure: apart from global company groups, a strong SME landscape exists - especially in the service and modernisation business. This is why market participants have to understand and meet different needs and expectations.
Business relationships are often long term in nature and to a great extent characterised by personal cooperation. Particularly this combination makes the sector especially fascinating from my point of view. It combines technological challenges with long-term thinking and entrepreneurial responsibility.

More informations: klst-lift.de

mition.de