What SCHAEFER KALK does

SCHAEFER KALK GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held, fifth-generation family-owned German lime and precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) producer headquartered in Diez, Germany. Founded in 1860 (with the company referencing more than 160 years of tradition), the firm operates production facilities in Hahnstätten and Steeden (Germany) and Kuala Ketil (Malaysia), employing approximately 700 people worldwide including roughly 40 apprentices. Its product portfolio spans limestone, burnt lime (calcium oxide), calcium dihydroxide, ready-to-use milk of lime, and precipitated calcium carbonates (PCC and surface-treated cPCC) marketed under brands such as PRECAL®, PRECARB®, PRECAseal®, PRECAflow®, PRECAfood®, PRECAfeed®, KLAROLIT®, PRECAphos®, PRECAsorb® and HAFTOLIT®.

The company runs proprietary kiln technology — including GGR parallel-flow regenerative kilns exceeding 80% thermal efficiency, Eco-ready kilns, and oxyfuel kilns — alongside on-site photovoltaic installations and a published decarbonization roadmap targeting CO2 capture of up to ~496,000 tonnes/year across its two main German sites. It supplies B2B industrial customers across construction, civil engineering, chemicals, iron and steel, paper, paints and coatings, plastics and PVC, food and pharmaceuticals, animal feed, environmental protection, and automotive underbody coating, with quality compliance certified under ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, HACCP, and GMP+ frameworks.

Commercially, SCHAEFER KALK operates a sales-led B2B model with dedicated regional sales managers, account managers, and product-line-specific sales teams (PRECAL, PRECARB/PCC, Metal Industry, Food/Construction/Feed), supported by direct phone outreach and a product-specific contact form on its website. Products are distributed directly from production sites, with rail freight used for large volumes and external freight forwarder partnerships for trucking; revenues are generated through quote-based one-time industrial sales with no public pricing or subscription component disclosed. The firm is privately owned, with three managing directors — Heike Horn, Dr.-Ing. Kai Schaefer, and Matthias Löbbers — and no external institutional or PE ownership indicated in the source material.

Name

SCHAEFER KALK

Legal name

SCHAEFER KALK GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://schaeferkalk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SCHAEFER KALK is a fifth-generation, family-owned German producer of burnt lime, calcium hydroxide, milk of lime and precipitated calcium carbonates (PCC), serving B2B industrial customers across construction, steel, paper, plastics, food, pharma, feed and environmental sectors from sites in Germany and Malaysia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Lime and Calcium Carbonate Manufacturing

NAICS

Lime Manufacturing (32741), Lime and Gypsum Product Manufacturing (3274)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400)

akta.pro primary industry

Cementitious Binders & Additives (Fly Ash, Slag, Silica Fume, Lime) (IMADAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Calcium Carbonate (GCC/PCC) (IMAEAFAA), Limestone Quarrying (Industrial & Construction Grade) (IMAKAHAC)

Keywords

• Burnt lime products
• Precipitated calcium carbonate
• Industrial lime production
• PCC manufacturing
• Dry mortar supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Diez

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lime and PCC Product Sales: Direct B2B sales of lime products (limestone, calcium oxide, calcium dihydroxide, milk of lime) and precipitated calcium carbonates (PCC, cPCC) to industrial customers across various sectors including construction, chemicals, steel, paper, plastics, food, pharmaceuticals, and environmental protection.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SCHAEFER KALK produces and supplies burnt and unburnt lime products, precipitated calcium carbonates (PCC), and factory-mixed dry mortar. The product range spans limestone, calcium oxide, calcium dihydroxide, milk of lime, and surface-treated PCC (cPCC), manufactured vertically from own quarries and sold to industrial customers across construction, chemicals, steel, paper, plastics, food, pharmaceuticals, and environmental protection sectors.

Product overview

SCHAEFER KALK is a lime producer and supplier with over 160 years of tradition. The company offers a diversified product portfolio ranging from limestones to calcium oxide (burnt lime) and calcium dihydroxide (lime hydrate) to ready-to-use milk of lime, all with high chemical purity and precisely defined physical properties. The product range includes branded product lines: SCHAEFER PRECAL® (burnt and unburnt lime products), SCHAEFER PRECARB® (precipitated calcium carbonates/PCC), and various specialized sub-brands such as PRECAseal® and PRECAflow® (surface-treated cPCC), PRECAfood® (food/pharma quality), PRECAfeed® (feed quality), KLAROLIT® (water treatment), PRECAphos® products (phosphate applications), PRECAsorb® (sorbent), and HAFTOLIT® (binding agent). The company also produces standard lime product categories including burnt lime, unburnt lime, and food-grade qualities. Products serve diverse applications across construction, steel, chemicals, paints, plastics, paper, food/pharma, and environmental protection sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SCHAEFER PRECAL®: Burnt and unburnt lime products
• SCHAEFER PRECARB®
• SCHAEFER PRECAseal®
• SCHAEFER PRECAflow®
• SCHAEFER PRECAfood®
• SCHAEFER PRECAfeed®
• SCHAEFER KLAROLIT®
• SCHAEFER PRECAphos®
• SCHAEFER PRECAphos®aktiv
• SCHAEFER PRECAsorb®
• SCHAEFER HAFTOLIT®

Products and services

• SCHAEFER PRECAL® Branded line of burnt and unburnt lime products (calcium oxide, calcium dihydroxide, milk of lime, limestone) with high chemical purity and precisely defined physical properties for industrial applications.
• SCHAEFER PRECARB® Precipitated calcium carbonates (PCC) with different properties at defined grain structure, used as fillers in paper, paints, plastics, rubber, and other industrial applications.
• SCHAEFER PRECAseal® Surface-treated precipitated calcium carbonates (cPCC) offering enhanced properties for sealants, adhesives, and specialized applications.
• SCHAEFER PRECAflow® Surface-treated precipitated calcium carbonates (cPCC) designed for flow optimization in industrial processing applications.
• SCHAEFER PRECAfood® Food and pharmaceutical quality calcium carbonate products meeting strict purity and regulatory requirements for human consumption applications.
• SCHAEFER PRECAfeed® Feed quality calcium carbonate products formulated for animal nutrition applications, GMP+ certified at Diez and Hahnstätten sites.
• SCHAEFER KLAROLIT® Specialized lime product for water treatment and clarification applications.
• SCHAEFER PRECAphos® Phosphate-based product for specialized industrial applications.
• SCHAEFER PRECAphos®aktiv Activated phosphate product for enhanced industrial performance.
• SCHAEFER PRECAsorb® Specialized sorbent product for adsorption applications such as flue gas treatment.
• SCHAEFER HAFTOLIT® Lime-based binding agent for industrial applications requiring adhesion properties, including automotive underbody coatings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 22% of CO2 emissions are naturally bound through carbonatization within one year
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Köhler Kalk (Vockerode)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supplier of dolomite lime used in SCHAEFER KALK's production processes. Köhler Kalk is investing in decarbonization of its own processes, including commissioning a wood dust-fired kiln in 2025 that will reduce CO2 emissions from dolomite production by more than 25%.
• Edgar Graß Speditions-GmbH & Co. KGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransportation and logistics partner for Scope 3 emissions management. Works with SCHAEFER KALK on low-emission transport solutions including gas-powered vehicles and testing of innovative transport concepts.
• Block Executive Search GmbHminorOthersExternal headhunter/recruitment consultant engaged for selected positions. Receives applicant data with explicit consent for candidate sourcing, screening, assessment centers, and interviews.
• EuLA (European Lime Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean industry association for lime producers. Coordinates industry-wide research projects and sustainability initiatives. SCHAEFER KALK participates in joint research projects coordinated through EuLA for decarbonization technologies.
• BVK (Bundesverband der Deutschen Kalkindustrie e.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman national association for the lime industry. Coordinates industry research, sustainability initiatives, and policy advocacy. SCHAEFER KALK participates in branch solutions for decarbonization through BVK.
• Universities and Research InstitutescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnerships for CO2 capture and utilization technologies (CCU), oxyfuel kiln development, and mineral carbonation. Working on improving and advancing decarbonization technologies.
• Bundesverband der Deutschen Kalkindustrie e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman lime industry association. Supports and participates in coordinated industry research projects for decarbonization as branch solutions.
• Citizens' Energy Cooperative Dehrn (Bürgerenergiegenossenschaft Dehrn)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community partnership for utilizing waste heat from SCHAEFER KALK's kilns in Steeden for a local heating network. Supporting the establishment of a neighborhood heating system using excess heat from industrial production.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lhoist Group: Lhoist is the world's largest privately held lime producer and a direct competitor in burnt lime, hydrated lime, and PCC, with a comparable focus on vertical integration from quarries to finished lime products. Both serve construction, steel, environmental, and chemical end markets with similar product families.
• Carmeuse: Carmeuse is a global lime and limestone producer operating across Europe and North America with a similar product portfolio (burnt lime, hydrated lime, PCC) and similar industrial customer base in steel, construction, chemicals, and environmental applications. Comparable vertical integration from quarries to finished products.
• Graymont: Graymont is one of the largest privately held lime producers globally, with operations in North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. Directly competes in burnt and hydrated lime, with overlapping customer segments in construction, steel, and environmental applications.
• Imerys: Imerys is a global specialty minerals producer with a significant Ground Calcium Carbonate (GCC) and PCC business serving paper, paints, plastics, and construction. Direct overlap in PCC product lines (PRECARB) and surface-treated PCC (PRECAseal, PRECAflow), though Imerys is broader in scope.
• Omya: Omya is a major global producer of calcium carbonates (GCC and PCC) and a direct competitor in PCC for paper, paints, plastics, and adhesives — closely matching SCHAEFER KALK's PRECARB and cPCC product lines. Strong overlap in specialty fillers and functional additives.
• Specialty Minerals Inc. (Minerals Technologies Inc.): Specialty Minerals (subsidiary of Minerals Technologies) is a leading global PCC producer for paper and a broader industrial minerals player. Direct competitor in the PRECARB/PCC product line, particularly for paper filler applications.

Direct peers

• Nordkalk: Nordkalk is a Northern European lime and limestone producer (owned by Rettig Group) with comparable product range including burnt lime, hydrated lime, limestone, and PCC. Operates in adjacent geographies (Finland, Baltic, Central Europe) with overlapping industrial customers.
• Köhler Kalk (Vockerode): Köhler Kalk is a German dolomite lime producer listed as a SCHAEFER KALK partner supplier. Competes in the German lime market with comparable product focus on industrial lime applications and a parallel decarbonization roadmap (wood-dust fired kiln).

Regional players

• Wopfinger Baustoffindustrie: Wopfinger is an Austrian lime and building materials producer with comparable product portfolio in burnt lime, hydrated lime, and dry mortar. Family-owned, similar size profile (~700+ employees), and direct overlap in Central European construction and industrial markets.

Emerging players

• SigmaRoc: SigmaRoc is a UK-listed lime and aggregates roll-up that has acquired multiple European lime producers. Direct overlap in burnt lime products and decarbonization strategies for European industrial lime, with a more acquisitive growth model than SCHAEFER KALK's organic family-business approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/schaeferkalkde

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 SCHAEFER KALK