HME Brass Germany GmbH

What HME Brass Germany GmbH does

HME Brass Germany GmbH is the German brass-products entity within HME Metal Europe Group, a manufacturer of copper tubes and semi-finished brass products (rods, tubes, profiles, and specialized alloys). Operations are anchored at the Berlin headquarters with five production facilities distributed across Germany (Berlin, Menden), Italy (Serravalle Scrivia), France (Rai), and Spain (Barcelona), employing approximately 1,200 people across the group as of December 2022. The company was formed in April 2019 when Zhejiang Hailiang Co. Ltd. acquired KME SE's European brass and copper tube business and is wholly owned by the Chinese Hailiang Group, founded in 1989 and ranked 109th among China's Top 500 enterprises.

The portfolio is organized under seven registered brands: SANCO®, WICU®, and CUPROTHERM® for plumbing/heating copper tubes; TECTUBE® for industrial tubes (ACR/refrigeration, medical gas, electrical, solar, capillary); and BLUEWAVE®, TURBILINE®, and ARKITA® for brass rods and architectural profiles, including lead-free alloys. Production relies on extrusion, drawing, and continuous casting processes, with the Serravalle Scrivia brass mill operating one of the world's largest horizontal continuous casters (up to 150,000 tonnes annual capacity). End-markets span plumbing and hydraulics, HVAC and refrigeration, precision mechanics, automotive and transportation, electrical and electronics, and architectural applications.

HME operates a sales-led B2B model with regional sales offices in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, plus export teams, supported by trade-show presence (SHK Essen, Simodec, MCE Milano), a multi-language documentation portal, and an SAP S/4 HANA ERP backbone. Revenue is generated through direct product sales; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set via quotation. The group holds extensive ISO certifications (9001, 14001, 45001, 50001) and country-specific approvals (DVGW, ÖVGW, KIWA, SINTEF, NF, AENOR, TÜV), and is advancing a decarbonization roadmap including on-site photovoltaic generation at HME Brass Italy, 99.8% recycled-content brass alloys, and a 70% lead-content reduction commitment under the Lead Free Brass Initiative.

Name

HME Brass Germany GmbH

Legal name

HME Brass Germany GmbH

Website

https://hmemetal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

HME Brass Germany GmbH is the German brass-products entity within HME Metal Europe Group, manufacturing copper tubes and semi-finished brass rods, profiles, and alloys for plumbing, HVAC, automotive, electrical, and architectural customers across Europe, backed by Chinese parent Zhejiang Hailiang.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brass and Copper Product Sales: HME generates revenue through the manufacture and direct sale of brass rods, profiles, and copper tubes for industrial and domestic applications. Products are sold directly to customers through regional sales offices and dedicated sales teams across Europe and export markets. Revenue is generated through product transactions with industrial manufacturers, wholesalers, and installers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HME Brass Germany GmbH manufactures copper tubes and semi-finished brass products, including brass rods, profiles, tubes, and specialty alloys, for industrial, plumbing, HVAC/refrigeration, and architectural applications. The company sells certified, sustainable metal products under proprietary brands such as SANCO®, WICU®, CUPROTHERM®, TECTUBE®, BLUEWAVE®, TURBILINE®, and ARKITA® directly to industrial customers, wholesalers, and installers across Europe and international export markets.

Product overview

HME Brass Germany GmbH operates as part of HME Metal Europe, a group of five companies manufacturing copper and brass products across Europe. The product portfolio is organized into three main categories: (1) Plumbing Tubes including SANCO® bare copper tubes, WICU® plastic-coated tubes, and CUPROTHERM® CTX coated tubes for sanitary and heating applications; (2) Industrial Tubes under the TECTUBE® brand with specialized variants for ACR/refrigeration, medical gases, electrical applications, and heating/solar systems; (3) Brass Rods comprising standard and lead-free brass alloys, including BLUEWAVE® lead-free alternatives, TURBILINE® precision coil wire, and ARKITA® architectural profiles. The company serves industries including plumbing, refrigeration, HVAC, automotive, electrical, and architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SANCO®: Brand for copper plumbing tubes for sanitary and heating applications
• WICU®
• CUPROTHERM®
• TECTUBE®
• BLUEWAVE®
• TURBILINE®
• ARKITA®

Products and services

• SANCO® Bare copper tube for sanitary and heating installations, produced according to DIN EN 1057 standard, available in coils and straight lengths for water distribution, heating systems, and gas applications. Marketed to plumbing installers, wholesalers, and industrial customers.
• WICU® Plastic-coated copper tube designed to protect against aggressive substances and weathering, providing thermal insulation and condensation control for exposed outdoor and underground installations. Used in plumbing and heating installations.
• CUPROTHERM® CTX Reduced wall thickness copper tube with polyethylene coating for potable water and radiant heating systems, offering universal application compatibility with various fitting types. Targeted at plumbing and underfloor heating installers.
• TECTUBE® Industrial copper tube brand covering multiple application-specific sub-variants including ACR/refrigeration (_cips, _cips hp120, _fin, _clim), flow/measurement (_flow), fittings (_fit), electrical (_power, _com), heating (_heat), solar, and medical gas (_med) applications. Sold to industrial OEMs across HVAC, refrigeration, medical, and electrical sectors.
• BLUEWAVE® Lead-free brass alloy product range (U42, U38A, U40) compliant with US regulations for drinking water components, offering excellent machinability and recyclability. Sold to plumbing component manufacturers requiring lead-free materials.
• TURBILINE® Leaded brass wire in coils designed for precision machining of small components, featuring exceptional straightness memory and high productivity characteristics. Targeted at precision machining and component manufacturers.
• ARKITA® Brass and bronze product range for architectural and decorative applications including framing systems for windows, doors, and facades, available in extruded profiles between 3-5 meters. Sold to architects, facade builders, and construction firms.
• WICU® Clim Factory-made heat or cold-insulated copper tube with closed-cell PE foam for refrigeration, air conditioning, and heating applications, manufactured in inch sizes per EN 12735-1. Sold to HVAC and refrigeration OEMs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.8% recycled content in brass alloys (HME Brass Italy)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• WGM (Wirtschaftsverband Großhandel Metallhalbzeug e.V.)minorOthers · 1 July 2023HME Copper Germany became a member of WGM, an economic association for non-ferrous metal wholesalers that offers training courses and seminars on topics including sustainability, customs law, human resources, conflict minerals, and develops specialist documents for the industry.
• Kiwa-Ecobility ExpertsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHME Copper Germany collaborated with Kiwa-Ecobility Experts to calculate Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for their copper tubes, supporting sustainability reporting and environmental transparency.
• Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI)minorOthersHME participates in the Responsible Minerals Initiative, using RMI templates (CMRT, EMRT, AMRT) for conflict minerals reporting to ensure responsible sourcing of tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold, and other minerals in their supply chain.
• Lead Free Brass InitiativeminorOthersHME supports the Lead Free Brass Initiative committed to progressively reducing lead content in brass alloys by 70% while maintaining recyclability, participating in industry-wide efforts to meet tightening regulations on lead content in drinking water applications.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wieland Group: Germany-headquartered global leader in rolled and extruded copper and copper alloy semi-finished products (rods, tubes, profiles, strips) with ~8,000 employees and EUR 4B+ revenue. Most direct competitor to HME in European plumbing, HVAC, automotive, and electrical markets with overlapping brand portfolios.
• Diehl Metall: Division of the German Diehl Group, producing brass rods, profiles, and turned parts with focus on lead-free alloys, architectural brass, and precision machined components. Direct overlap with HME's BLUEWAVE, TURBILINE, and ARKITA product lines across European industrial customers.
• KME Group (IVI Group): Italian copper and copper alloy semi-finished products manufacturer (now part of IVI Group). The former owner of the European brass and copper assets acquired by Hailiang in 2019 to form HME; competes head-to-head in many of the same European end-markets and customer accounts.
• ElvalHalcor (Halcor): Greek copper and brass tubes manufacturer (copper segment of ElvalHalcor), producing tubes for plumbing, HVAC, refrigeration, and industrial applications. Comparable product range to HME Copper Germany and TECTUBE industrial tube offerings, serving similar European OEMs.
• MKM Mansfelder Kupfer und Messing GmbH: German brass and copper semi-finished products manufacturer based in Hettstedt, producing rods, tubes, and profiles for industrial customers. Closest German mid-market peer to HME Brass Germany in product mix, customer segments, and competitive positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Aurubis AG: Germany-headquartered European leader in copper refining and copper product manufacturing (rods, wires, rolled products). Broader integrated player with primary smelting upstream of HME's semi-finished scope, but competes in rod/wire markets and sets European benchmark for ESG/circular copper.
• KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. Polish state-controlled integrated copper producer and refiner with downstream wire rod, wire, and tube production. Sells copper rod and wire rod across European markets; competes with HME in copper input supply and selected semi-finished segments.
• Mitsubishi Materials Corporation: Japanese diversified metals group with significant copper and brass semi-finished products operations (extruded rods, tubes, and fabricated products) serving global automotive, electronics, and industrial customers. Competes with HME in automotive brass and electrical conductor segments and sets global benchmark for high-end specialty alloys.

Regional players

• Mueller Industries: US-headquartered manufacturer of copper, brass, aluminum, and plastic products serving plumbing, HVAC, industrial, and automotive markets. Comparable product mix and end-markets to HME, but primarily serves North America rather than competing directly in Europe.

Emerging players

• Ningbo Jintian Copper Group: Chinese copper processing group producing copper rods, tubes, strips, and conductors with growing international presence. Sister competitor within the broader Hailiang ecosystem — comparable products, larger scale, and increasing European export reach that may compete with HME in selected segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCn2WMf8C33KGa04baCk_mmQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hme-hailiang-metal-europe/?viewAsMember=true

Compliance16 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 HME Brass Germany GmbH