News

August 2025

The global transition to sustainable energy is reshaping how businesses operate, compete, and innovate. In a recent discussion hosted by Pedersen & Partners, Michael Larsen - Client Partner and Head of Energy, Renewable & Cleantech within the firm’s Industrial Practice Group - spoke with Manfred Pletzer, CEO of the Pletzer Group. Their conversation offered a compelling look at how a second-generation family business evolved from a local heating installer into a multi-sector enterprise, now playing a leading role in integrated energy solutions and regional transformation.

A family business rooted in practicality and opportunity
The Pletzer Group’s story began in 1964 in Tyrol, Austria, where Mr. Pletzer’s father founded a heating installation company. It was a pragmatic start, rooted in the needs of the community and a technician’s understanding of systems. Over time, this modest beginning expanded organically into three sectors: industrial manufacturing, real estate development, and tourism.
“Our approach was always guided by clear principles,” Mr. Pletzer reflected. “We trusted in technology, believed in people, and continuously adapted to the world around us.”
The company’s diversification wasn’t driven by market analysis—it evolved from immediate experience. If heating systems were needed, they installed them. If housing was lacking, they built it. If a hotel was poorly run, they took over and improved it. Each move was driven by insight and necessity, but the result was a group structure that now supports over 1,500 employees.

Three pillars, one system: Tourism, Real Estate, Industry
What sets the Pletzer Group apart is not the number of sectors it operates in, but how they are connected. Their tourism operations benefit from real estate expertise. Their industrial products are tested in their own hotels. Data from one division informs innovation in another.
“We can take what works in one area and transfer it to another immediately,” said Mr. Pletzer. “That’s not common. That’s our advantage.”
Mr. Larsen added, “This level of integration allows them to move faster than most. They can make decisions, test solutions, and scale them internally before the competition catches up.”

The role of iDM Energiesysteme: A technical anchor
At the heart of the Group’s industrial division is iDM Energiesysteme, a company that started with 19 employees and now employs nearly 800. iDM focuses on heat pumps and integrated energy systems. But beyond scale, it is innovation that defines iDM’s trajectory.
One example is their container-based heating systems. These prefabricated units are compact, mobile, and fully equipped to replace fossil-fuel systems in large residential buildings. “We’re not just selling equipment,” said Mr. Pletzer. “We’re offering fully functional, ready-to-use heating solutions.”
Developed and implemented within a few months, these systems reduce both cost and time—critical factors in renovation projects. “Housing developers face huge delays and complexity when renovating energy systems. We simplify that,” he noted.

Smarter energy use: The next frontier
Efficiency today is no longer just about equipment; it’s about intelligent use. iDM’s iON system—an AI-powered control center—monitors and adjusts energy usage in real-time. It reacts to weather, occupancy, and consumption patterns. The result: homeowners can reduce their annual energy costs by up to 50%.
“Why run energy systems at full capacity when nobody is home?” asked Mr. Pletzer. “We make systems that think.”
Another notable breakthrough is the apartment-size ‘nano’ heat pump. Compact enough to replace individual gas boilers, this technology unlocks a new segment: retrofitting old buildings in dense urban areas.
“This changes everything,” Mr. Pletzer said. “Now, even a building from 1904 in Vienna can transition away from gas.”

Markets and financial logic
The Group targets regions where high energy prices and environmental awareness align - namely, the DACH countries and expanding markets like Poland. IDM’s products are not the cheapest initially, but their economic logic over a 10-year horizon makes them highly attractive.
“We don’t sell on subsidies,” Mr. Pletzer clarified. “We sell on math. If our system pays for itself in 10 years and lasts for 25, it’s a simple decision.”

Pletzer Energie: Building independence
To support its broader energy ambitions, the Pletzer Group created Pletzer Energie, a unit focused on energy production and management. Today, the Group generates 80% of its electricity through hydro and solar systems and distributes it via a citizen-owned energy network.
Their goal is to reach 50% total energy autonomy—including heating and mobility—within two years. Already, 40% of their 300-vehicle fleet is electric, and dozens of charging stations support their infrastructure.
“We want to be independent,” said Mr. Pletzer. “Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s rational.”

Digitalization and tools for scalability
From AI-driven controls to predictive analytics in tourism and marketing, digital systems are woven into every part of the Group’s operations. Every new venture is digital by design.
“Digitalization isn’t an initiative—it’s part of how we think,” said Mr. Pletzer. “It’s embedded, not bolted on.”

Philosophy and leadership in a disrupted world
Mr. Pletzer speaks with clarity when it comes to the broader energy challenge: “People say change is expensive. But what’s really expensive is inaction. Natural disasters, grid failures, resource conflicts—these costs are higher than any energy bill.”
He continues, “We’ve already lost the jobs tied to combustion engines. Holding onto the past won’t bring them back. We need to move forward with intelligence and courage.”
From Mr. Larsen’s perspective, this level of conviction sets the Pletzer Group apart: “They’re not waiting for regulations. They’re not waiting for market signals. They act based on their own logic, and that’s a powerful thing.”

A living example of strategic transformation
The Pletzer Group offers more than products—it offers a living model for transformation. Their strength lies not only in diversification, but in connection: between sectors, between innovation and execution, and between technology and economy.
In a time of accelerated change, this kind of integration becomes more than a competitive advantage—it becomes a necessity. The Pletzer Group doesn’t just adapt to the energy transition. It shapes it.
By aligning energy production, digital management, and systemic thinking, the Group demonstrates how industrial legacy can be redefined—not by abandoning the past, but by building on it intelligently.

Pedersen & Partners is proud to support and showcase such forward-thinking initiatives as part of our ongoing commitment to facilitating meaningful dialogue, strategic insight, and leadership development across evolving sectors and industries.