What Steil Gruppe does

Steil Gruppe is a privately held, family-owned German recycling and waste management group headquartered in Trier, founded in 1924 and operating with approximately 850 employees from 25 nationalities. Its core activity is the trading, processing and recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals — including steel scrap, aluminum and copper — alongside comprehensive industrial waste disposal, factory support, dismantling, transformer processing, contract processing and NATO-standard demilitarization services. The group operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries Theo Steil GmbH (scrap and metal wholesale), Steil Entsorgung GmbH (waste collection and disposal, including the DER SACK 1m³ Big-Bag product for private and commercial customers), GOTRA SA/GmbH (logistics), and LCM Lausitzer Container & Metall GmbH.

The underlying technology base centers on physical processing infrastructure, most notably Germany's most modern shredder installed at the Trier site in 2021, which uses a completely dry separation technique and saves over 1,850 cubic meters of fresh water annually. End of Waste certifications held at Trier (2021) and Eberswalde (2022) for iron, steel, aluminum and copper scrap allow processed material to be reclassified as a product and returned directly to production cycles such as 'Green Steel'. The group maintains a logistics fleet of more than 100 Euro 5/6 vehicles driving over 4 million kilometers annually, plus a separate 26-vehicle disposal fleet, with cross-border operations in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Italy.

Commercially, Steil runs a sales-led, B2B-heavy model with direct field sales teams at each of 11 sites, complemented by direct retail sales of DER SACK. Revenue is generated through transaction fees on scrap trading, disposal services, logistics transport and demilitarization contracts; the DER SACK Big-Bag is the only standardized unit-priced product at €169 inclusive of VAT. The group markets itself as a single-source recycling partner, leveraging DIN EN ISO 50001, DIN EN ISO 45001 and Efb certifications, the BDSV industry association membership, and Kununu Top Company 2023 employer recognition, serving steelworks, automotive manufacturers, government/defense clients, industrial production facilities and private customers primarily across Germany and neighboring European markets.

Name

Steil Gruppe

Legal name

Theo Steil GmbH Schrott- und Metallgroßhandel

Website

https://steil.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Steil Gruppe is a family-owned German recycling group (founded 1924, ~850 staff) that trades, processes and recycles ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and provides industrial disposal, logistics, factory support and NATO-standard demilitarization services across Germany, the BeNeLux, France and Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Trier

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scrap Metal Trading: Purchase and sale of ferrous and non-ferrous metals including steel scrap, aluminum, copper. Core business of the company.
2. Disposal Services: Waste disposal services including waste paper, construction scrap, hazardous waste, and special waste disposal with container systems and logistics.
3. Logistics Services: Transport of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and other materials using company fleet of 100+ vehicles. International transport operations in BeNeLux, Germany, France and Italy.
4. DER SACK Disposal Product: Simple 1m3 Big-Bag solution for waste disposal for private and commercial customers at 169 EUR incl. VAT per sack.
5. Demilitarization Services: Destruction and demilitarization of weapons and combat vehicles for armed forces, police, and regulatory agencies according to NATO standards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Steil Gruppe is a family-owned German recycling and waste management group that purchases, processes, and trades ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals, operates modern shredding and separation plants, and provides industrial disposal, factory support, dismantling, transformer processing, and demilitarization services. The group also runs an in-house logistics fleet of 100+ vehicles for material transport across Germany, the BeNeLux region, France, and Italy.

Product overview

Steil Gruppe is a multi-divisional family company operating in the recycling and waste management industry. The group consists of the core company Theo Steil GmbH (scrap and metal wholesale trade), Steil Entsorgung (disposal services), Gotra (logistics), and LCM Lausitzer Container & Metall GmbH (container services). The portfolio includes core trading operations for ferrous and non-ferrous metals (Schrotthandel, Metallhandel, Internationaler Export), modern processing facilities with Germany's most advanced shredder, comprehensive disposal services, factory support, dismantling, transformer preparation, contract processing, and demilitarisation services. The company also offers DER SACK, a 1m³ Big-Bag waste disposal solution for private and commercial customers, supported by an extensive vehicle fleet of over 100 units for logistics operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Theo Steil: Scrap and metal trading division
• Steil Entsorgung
• Gotra
• DER SACK
• LCM Lausitzer Container & Metall

Products and services

• Schrotthandel (Scrap Trade) Core trading service for purchasing and selling steel scrap and other ferrous scrap materials to steelworks and foundries.
• Metallhandel (Metal Trade) Trading of non-ferrous metals including aluminum, copper, and other precious and industrial metals.
• Internationaler Export (International Export) International export services for scrap metals and recyclable materials to markets including facilities in Dordrecht, Netherlands.
• Entsorgungsleistungen (Disposal Services) Comprehensive waste disposal services including waste concepts, logistics, and special waste disposal with electronic notification (eANV).
• Aggregate / Technik (Plants / Technology) Operation of modern shredding and processing plants including Germany's most modern shredder installed in Trier in 2021, utilizing completely dry separation technology.
• Werksbetreuung / Entsorgung (Factory Support / Disposal) On-site factory support services including container provision, regular collection, internal factory logistics, and setup of collection centers or scrap sites at customer facilities.
• Demontage / Rückbau (Dismantling / Disassembly) Complete dismantling and disassembly services from individual plants to entire production lines, including automobile factories, presses, conveyor systems, and furnace systems.
• Transformatorenaufbereitung (Transformer Preparation) Comprehensive transformer processing services including dismantling, loading, transport, documentation, recycling, and oil disposal with certificate. Work can be performed on any terrain.
• Lohnaufbereitung (Contract Processing) Custom contract processing and sorting services tailored to customer requirements, including destruction of production scrap, prototypes, and wheel rim destruction. Material remains customer property throughout processing.
• Demilitarisierung (Demilitarisation) Demilitarisation and destruction services for armed forces, police, and manufacturers, rendering weapons and combat vehicles unusable according to NATO standards.
• Logistikleistungen (Logistics Services) Transport of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and other materials using a company fleet of 100+ vehicles compliant with Euro 5 and 6 standards, covering more than 4 million kilometers annually across BeNeLux, Germany, France, and Italy.
• DER SACK (Big-Bag Disposal Solution) A 1m³ Big-Bag waste disposal solution for private and commercial customers, priced at €169 including VAT per sack, with pickup and disposal within five working days and load capacity up to 1.3 tonnes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.67 tonnes CO² saved per tonne of recycled steel
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• GOTRA SAcoreOthersLogistics subsidiary within the Steil group offering international transport services, factory logistics, loading logistics for demolition projects, and container inspection services (DGUV 114-010). Fleet of over 100 vehicles operating in BeNeLux, Germany, France, and Italy.
• Steil Entsorgung GmbHcoreOthersDisposal services subsidiary within the Steil group providing waste collection, container services, and disposal solutions. Operates fleet of 26 vehicles and DER SACK product line.
• Theo Steil GmbHcoreOthersCore company entity for scrap and metal wholesale trading operations. Main operating company registered as Theo Steil GmbH Schrott- und Metallgroßhandel.
• LCM Lausitzer Container & Metall GmbHcoreOthersSubsidiary company in Großräschen offering container and metal services, part of the Steil group network.
• BDSV - Bundesvereinigung Deutscher Stahlrecycling- und Entsorgungsunternehmen e.V.strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association for steel recycling and disposal companies. Steil group participates in studies like the Schrottbonus (Scrap Bonus) study demonstrating climate protection benefits of steel recycling.
• Subcontractor PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term business relationships providing access to additional vehicle systems including walking floors up to 100 cbm, low-loaders, tautliners, heavy load transporters, vehicles and coil troughs, telescopic trailers, and open semi-trailer/stanchion trailers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Befesa S.A. European leader in recycling steel dust and salt slags from steel production, listed in Frankfurt; comparable as a European-headquartered metal recycler serving steel-industry customers with certified, value-added recycled outputs.
• Sims Metal Management Limited: Global publicly listed scrap metal recycler with operations in North America, Australia, and the UK/Europe; comparable on metal recycling scale, shredding technology, and downstream steel-mill customer relationships.
• TSR Recycling GmbH & Co. KG: One of Europe's largest metal recyclers headquartered in Germany; operates shredders and scrap yards across the country and competes directly with Steil on ferrous scrap processing, brokerage, and supply to German steelworks.
• Scholz Recycling GmbH: German scrap metal recycler with a national network of yards, shredders, and processing facilities; competes with Steil in ferrous and non-ferrous scrap collection, processing, and supply to steel mills and foundries.
• European Metal Recycling (ELG Haniel): European leader in ferrous and non-ferrous scrap trading and processing with strong German presence via the legacy ELG Haniel business; directly comparable to Steil on stainless and high-alloy scrap, shredder output, and global export.

Regional players

• Kuusakoski Oy: Finnish family-owned metal recycler with Nordic and Baltic operations covering ferrous, non-ferrous, and ELV processing; comparable business model and family-owned governance structure, but operates in Northern rather than Central Europe.
• Stena Recycling AB: Sweden-based family-owned recycling group with strong Nordic presence and growing European footprint; comparable on integrated metal recycling, waste collection, and end-of-life vehicle processing, though primarily serving Nordic markets.

Broad incumbents

• Aurubis AG: Hamburg-headquartered non-ferrous metals processor and one of the world's largest copper recyclers; comparable on the non-ferrous metal trading and recycling side of Steil's portfolio and as a downstream consumer of scrap.
• Remondis SE & Co. KG: One of Germany's largest privately held waste management and recycling groups with a broad portfolio spanning metal, paper, plastic, and hazardous waste; overlaps with Steil Entsorgung on industrial disposal and with the metal recycling subsidiaries.

Emerging players

• Duesenfeld GmbH: Lower-Saxony-based specialist in low-CO2 aluminum recycling using salt-free processes; comparable to Steil's non-ferrous / aluminum recycling activities and its emphasis on certified, low-impact processing for downstream manufacturers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/pages/category/Industrial-Company/Theo-Steil-GmbH-229060644114062
• Instagraminstagram.com/theosteilgmbh

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Steil Gruppe