What OPTERRA does

OPTERRA Wössingen GmbH is a regional cement manufacturer based in Walzbachtal-Wössingen, Germany, founded in 1950 from the former Böckle family gravel operation and now operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of CRH plc. The company runs an integrated production operation covering extraction of roughly one million tons of limestone per year from the adjacent Lugenberg quarry, clinker burning in a rotary kiln above 1500°C, and grinding into a branded portfolio of Portland, Portland-limestone, Portland-pozzolan, blast-furnace and specialty cements marketed under the OPTA family (OPTA FLEX, SOL, FAST, PRO SR, DUR, PRO, FIX) plus the lower-CO2 OPTA ECO and OPTA COMP variants introduced in 2024 alongside the 'ECO Inside' sustainability label. Technology touches are modest but real: automated monthly stockpile inventory via InspecDrone drones with laser scanning and live 3D density modelling, an LED lighting retrofit delivering roughly 60% electricity savings, and digital safety/compliance tooling including an online Safety Portal for contractor employees.

Revenue is generated entirely from B2B hardware sales of bulk cement, quoted on a contract basis (no public pricing), delivered by road tanker to construction companies, ready-mix concrete producers, infrastructure contractors and public-sector clients in Baden-Württemberg and adjacent regions. The go-to-market is a direct regional sales motion with three named regional sales managers and two application consultants providing technical support alongside quality and logistics services. The customer base is anchored to named enterprise projects such as the A8 highway expansion (50,000 tons over four years for construction firm Godel), the TransnetBW 380-kV pylon pilot in the Baden-Württemberg high-voltage grid, and wind turbine foundations in Windpark Langenbrander Höhe/Hirschgarten, alongside a longer tail of municipal and contractor buyers. Certifications include CSC Gold (sector sustainability council), confirmed in 2024 after initial certification in 2021.

Following the December 2022 divestiture of OPTERRA Zement GmbH and OPTERRA Beton GmbH (Karsdorf, Sötenich, Neufahrn) to Thomas-Gruppe, OPTERRA Wössingen operates as the focused German cement asset inside the CRH group, combining medium-sized (Mittelstand) operating structures with the resources of an international parent. Recent leadership changes include Ralf Schumann as CEO since 2023 and the December 2024 appointment of Oleksiy Goncharenko as Werkleiter Operations, alongside active planning for Lugenberg quarry extension to secure long-term reserves.

Name

OPTERRA

Legal name

OPTERRA Wössingen GmbH

Website

https://opterra-crh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

OPTERRA Wössingen GmbH is a German regional cement manufacturer and CRH subsidiary producing Portland, pozzolan, blast-furnace and low-CO2 specialty cements under the OPTA brand for construction, infrastructure and municipal buyers in Baden-Württemberg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cement Manufacturing

NAICS

Cement Manufacturing (327310), Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing (3273), Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing (327320)

SIC

Cement, Hydraulic (3241), Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400)

akta.pro primary industry

Cement Manufacturing (Portland, Blended & Specialty) (IMADAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cementitious Binders & Additives (Fly Ash, Slag, Silica Fume, Lime) (IMADAAAH), Limestone Quarrying (Industrial & Construction Grade) (IMAKAHAC)

Keywords

• Cement manufacturing
• Building materials
• Blast furnace cement
• Portland limestone cement
• Low-carbon cement

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Cement Product Sales: Production and sale of various cement types including Portland cements, Portland limestone cements, Portland puzzolan cements, and specialty cements. Products sold in bulk to construction companies, concrete producers, and municipalities. Revenue generated from product sales with logistics and delivery services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OPTERRA manufactures a portfolio of specialty cements under the OPTA brand (Portland limestone, Portland puzzolan, sulfate-resistant, fast-setting, durable, and low-CO2 variants) at its Wössingen cement plant in Baden-Württemberg. Products are produced via rotary kiln clinker burning from locally quarried limestone and are sold in bulk to construction companies, concrete producers, infrastructure projects, and municipalities, accompanied by application consulting, quality assurance, and logistics services.

Product overview

OPTERRA Wössingen GmbH is a cement manufacturer and member of the CRH Group, producing a portfolio of specialty cement products under the OPTA brand family (OPTA SOL, OPTA FAST, OPTA FLEX, OPTA PRO SR, OPTA DUR, OPTA PRO, OPTA FIX, OPTA COMP, and OPTA ECO). The products range from versatile Portland limestone cements to fast-setting, sulfate-resistant, and durable specialty cements, and include low-carbon options such as OPTA ECO (CEM II/C-M) and CEM III/A blast furnace cement with high recycled slag content. The company operates a limestone quarry (Lugenberg) and provides ancillary services including application consulting, quality assurance, sales, logistics, and an online Safety Portal for contractor compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OPTA FLEX (Portland limestone cement CEM II A-LL 42,5 R) Versatile Portland limestone cement (CEM II A-LL 42,5 R) suitable for a wide range of concrete production applications, sold to construction companies and concrete producers.
• OPTA COMP (Portland puzzolan cement CEM II/A-P 42,5 R with Rheinischer Trass) Portland puzzolan cement (CEM II/A-P 42,5 R) using Rheinischer Trass as pozzolanic additive, suitable for concrete production, introduced in the 2024 OPTERRA product program.
• OPTA ECO (low-carbon cement CEM II/C-M (S-P) 42,5 N) Low-carbon cement (CEM II/C-M (S-P) 42,5 N) developed as a sustainable alternative to conventional cements, featuring a significantly reduced CO2 footprint through replacement of clinker with supplementary cementitious materials; marketed to customers seeking lower-carbon construction materials.
• OPTA SOL Specialty cement product in the OPTERRA portfolio used for concrete production in specific applications.
• OPTA FAST Fast-setting specialty cement product designed for applications requiring rapid strength development.
• OPTA PRO SR Specialty cement designed for applications requiring sulfate resistance.
• OPTA DUR Durability-focused cement product used for slope stabilization and infrastructure projects, including applications such as hillside reinforcement along the Neckar River.
• OPTA PRO Professional-grade cement product designed for high-performance concrete applications.
• OPTA FIX Specialty cement product in the OPTERRA portfolio for specific fixing and construction applications.
• CEM III/A 42,5 N-LH (blast furnace cement) Blast furnace cement with approximately 50% recycled blast furnace slag replacing clinker; low-heat variant used for mass concrete elements such as wind turbine foundations, offering a particularly low CO2 footprint.
• OPTERRA Safety Portal Online safety management portal for contractor employees and OPTERRA staff to complete safety checks and compliance procedures; available in German and English via the B2BNC platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% recycled content in CEM III/A cement using blast furnace slag replacing clinker
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered former, core, major and minor.

• Thomas GruppeformerOthers · 31 December 2022Thomas Gruppe acquired OPTERRA Zement GmbH and OPTERRA Beton GmbH including Karsdorf plant, closed Sötenich plant, and Neufahrn concrete plant. Transaction completed December 31, 2022. This sale does not affect the Wössingen plant which remains part of CRH.
• CRH (parent company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRH (formerly CRH plc) is the parent company of OPTERRA Wössingen GmbH. As a member of the CRH group, OPTERRA combines advantages of medium-sized (Mittelstand) structures with competencies and resources of an international corporation environment. CRH Central Europe Regional Director Klaus Födinger conducts regular visits to review safety standards and sustainability projects.
• Godel (construction company)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConstruction company using OPTERRA cement for A8 highway expansion near Pforzheim. Major project requiring 50,000 tons of cement for soil slabs, bored piles, and bridge construction over 4 years.
• TransnetBWmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPower grid operator using OPTERRA cement for innovative solid-wall steel concrete pylons in 380kV power line project. Pilot project in Baden-Württemberg high-voltage grid.
• FV 04 Wössingen / JSG WalzbachtalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal football club receiving sponsorship from OPTERRA for girls' football team sportswear. Example of community engagement and local sponsorship.
• Spedition KochminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLogistics partner expanding fleet with electric trucks for sustainable cement transport from Wössingen.
• EAP Assist (Employee Assistance Program)minorOthersEmployee assistance program partner providing independent counseling services for employees across all life situations. Supports employee health, mindset, and performance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heidelberg Materials: Headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, Heidelberg Materials is Europe's largest cement producer with extensive clinker and ready-mix operations throughout Germany. It directly competes with OPTERRA on bulk and specialty cement supply to Baden-Württemberg construction contractors and infrastructure projects.
• Holcim: Global cement and aggregates major with significant German operations (Holcim Deutschland), including clinker plants and ready-mix networks. Directly comparable to OPTERRA on product portfolio, customer segments, and CO2-reduced cement programs such as ECOPact and ECOPlanet.
• Dyckerhoff (Buzzi SpA): Long-established German cement manufacturer owned by Italy's Buzzi SpA, producing Portland and specialty cements from multiple German plants. Direct competitor to OPTERRA in the German cement market with comparable product breadth and customer types.
• Thomas Gruppe (Zement): German building materials group that acquired OPTERRA Zement GmbH and OPTERRA Beton GmbH (including Karsdorf) from OPTERRA in December 2022. Now a direct German cement competitor formed in part from divested OPTERRA assets.
• Cementir Holding: Italian-headquartered cement group with manufacturing in Turkey, Scandinavia and the wider EMEA region, focused on white and specialty cements alongside standard Portland grades. Comparable to OPTERRA on specialty cement positioning and product mix.

Regional players

• Schwenk Zement: German cement producer headquartered in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, with plants across southern Germany and Central Europe. Closest geographic direct peer to OPTERRA, competing for the same regional construction and infrastructure tenders.

Broad incumbents

• CEMEX: Global building materials giant with European (including German) operations across cement, ready-mix, and aggregates. Competes with OPTERRA on larger tenders and cross-border infrastructure supply rather than the regional Mittelstand segment.
• CRH plc: International building materials group publicly listed in London and Dublin, parent company of OPTERRA Wössingen GmbH. Operates an extensive cement, aggregates, and concrete products portfolio across Europe and North America; relevant for group-level strategy and benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OPTERRA