Bürkle

What Bürkle does

Bürkle GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer founded in 1950 by Otto Bürkle in Stuttgart and now headquartered in Bad Bellingen, Germany, operating from an 18,000 m² combined production, warehouse, and administration complex with 51-100 employees. The company develops, produces, and distributes a comprehensive portfolio of laboratory and industrial equipment organized across four categories: pumps (barrel and container pumps, dosing pumps, diaphragm/vacuum/magnetic centrifugal pumps, drain cocks, and barrel valves for aggressive and hazardous liquids); samplers (lances, vacuum samplers such as UniSampler, scoops, spatulas, ladles, dipping vessels, drills, and forceps); containers (bottles, jerrycans, wide-neck containers, buckets, trays, bags, and UN-approved dangerous-goods containers); and industrial/lab equipment (funnels, measuring containers, tubing, fittings, draining racks, safety equipment). Underlying capabilities include proprietary plastic injection molding and tool manufacturing, Class 7 / ISO 14644 Class 10,000 cleanroom production for sterile disposable products, and gamma-radiation sterilization.

The company's flagship proprietary product line is the OTAL® bottle filling pump, in market for over 70 years and recognizable for its simple stopper-based fit to any standard container; other branded lines include DosiPump precision dosing pumps, close-it tamper-evident closure seals, the LaboPlast® Bio and SteriPlast® Bio sustainable cleanroom-produced disposable sampler family (Bio-PE, ACT-certified, gamma-sterilized), SnowPack dry ice devices, and UniSampler vacuum samplers including explosion-proof variants. Bürkle sells primarily to industrial chemicals manufacturers, testing and analytical laboratories, scientific research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, food & beverage producers, and cosmetics manufacturers. Revenue mechanics are predominantly B2B one-time product sales via direct channels (18-language e-commerce site buerkle.de, 280-page multi-language catalog, field sales for special applications and custom solutions such as logo-printed close-it seals), trade-fair-led customer acquisition (analytica, Pittcon, LAB-SUPPLY, ARABLAB), and a worldwide network of local distributors, with a wholly-owned US subsidiary Burkle Inc. (Bohemia, NY, est. 2016) handling North American distribution. Pricing is quote-based with country- and weight-tiered parcel shipping (e.g., €9.90 within Germany up to 31 kg), small-order surcharges, and a 2% cash discount for 10-day payment. Under the 2014 management buyout by Martin Saint-Denis, the company has invested in sustainability positioning (Climate Neutral 2021, EcoVadis Platinum 2025, ISO 14001 2025, UN Global Compact signatory) and supply-chain compliance tooling (Integrity Next, Osapiens).

Name

Bürkle

Legal name

Bürkle GmbH

Website

https://buerkle.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bürkle GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of pumps, samplers, containers, and laboratory equipment, serving industrial, pharmaceutical, food & beverage, cosmetics, and research customers across EMEA and North America via direct sales, catalog, e-commerce, and a worldwide distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory & Industrial Sampling Equipment

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391), Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)

akta.pro primary industry

General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bulk Packaging Filling/Discharge Systems & Handling Aids (Spouts, Lifting, Dischargers) (IMALAGAI)

Keywords

• Laboratory equipment
• Industrial pumps
• Sample collection devices
• Cleanroom manufactured disposables
• UN approved containers

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Bellingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Pumps, Samplers, Containers, Laboratory Equipment: B2B sale of physical laboratory equipment and supplies including barrel pumps, container pumps, samplers, sampling systems, bottles, canisters, laboratory supplies, and accessories. Revenue generated through catalog sales, online shop, and direct sales to industrial and laboratory customers. Products sold primarily to commercial and industrial buyers (B2B), not consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Bürkle develops, manufactures, and distributes physical laboratory and industrial equipment under four core categories: pumps (barrel, container, dosing, diaphragm, vacuum, magnetic centrifugal), samplers (lances, vacuum samplers, scoops, shovels, ladles, drills, forceps), containers (bottles, jerrycans, bulk containers, boxes, buckets, bags), and industrial-laboratory equipment (funnels, measuring containers, tubing, fittings, draining racks, safety gear). Production takes place in-house in Bad Bellingen, Germany, including plastic injection molding and Class 7 (ISO 10,000) cleanroom operations for sterile disposable products.

Product overview

Bürkle develops, manufactures, and distributes a comprehensive portfolio of laboratory and industrial equipment organized into four core product categories: (1) Pumps — including barrel pumps, container pumps, dosing pumps, diaphragm/vacuum/magnetic centrifugal pumps, drain cocks, and barrel valves for transferring aggressive and hazardous liquids such as acids, alkalis, and solvents; (2) Samplers — including sampling lances, vacuum samplers (UniSampler), scoops, shovels, spatulas, scrapers, ladles, dipping vessels, sampling drills, and forceps for representative sampling of powders, granules, liquids, viscous media, food, soil, and frozen products; (3) Containers — including bottles, jerrycans, wide-neck containers, bulk containers, boxes, buckets, trays, bags, and accessories, many with UN approval for dangerous goods transport; and (4) Industrial & Laboratory Equipment — including funnels, measuring containers, tubing, threaded fittings, ball valves, draining racks, stirring aids, stoppers, and safety equipment. Key branded product lines include OTAL® filling pumps (70+ years), DosiPump dosing pumps, close-it closure seal labels, the LaboPlast® Bio and SteriPlast® Bio sustainable disposable sampler lines (cleanroom-produced from renewable Bio-PE, gamma-sterilized, ACT-certified), SnowPack dry ice cooling, and UniSampler vacuum samplers. The company operates from Bad Bellingen, Germany (headquarters) and Bohemia, New York, USA (Burkle Inc. subsidiary), serving global customers through distributors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LaboPlast Bio: Disposable samplers made from renewable raw materials, manufactured in cleanroom conditions.
• SteriPlast Bio
• OTAL
• DosiPump

Products and services

• Barrel and Container Pumps Barrel pumps and canister pumps for safe transfer of aggressive and hazardous liquids (acids, alkalis, solvents) in industrial settings; suitable for chemical, manufacturing, and laboratory buyers.
• Dosing Pumps Dosing pumps for precise metered dispensing of liquids, used in laboratory and industrial filling applications.
• Diaphragm, Vacuum, and Magnetic Centrifugal Pumps Diaphragm, vacuum, and magnetic centrifugal pumps for specialized liquid handling applications including outgassing media.
• Drain Cocks and Barrel Valves Drain cocks and barrel valves for controlled discharge of liquids from drums and containers, compatible with multiple thread standards.
• OTAL® Filling Pumps Bottle filling pumps with over 70 years of market presence, featuring a stopper system compatible with any standard container for safe filling of aggressive liquids.
• DosiPump Precision Dosing Pumps Precision dosing pumps for accurate metered dispensing of liquids with step-by-step mounting instructions for secure container attachment.
• Sampling Lances and Vacuum Samplers (UniSampler) Sampling lances (Stechlanzen) for liquid sample extraction at various depths from drums, containers, and tanks, plus vacuum samplers (UniSampler) including Ex-rated versions for hazardous environments.
• Scoops, Shovels, Spatulas, and Ladles Manual sampling tools including scoops, shovels, spatulas, scrapers, and ladles for representative sampling of bulk solids, powders, granules, viscous media, and liquids.
• Sampling Drills and Forceps Sampling drills for extracting samples from soil, bulk solids, and viscous materials, plus forceps and tweezers for precise handling of small samples and single-use sampling.
• LaboPlast® Bio Disposable Samplers Disposable samplers manufactured in cleanroom from renewable raw materials (Bio-PE) with My Green Lab ACT certification, for sustainable single-use sampling applications.
• SteriPlast® Bio Sterile Disposable Samplers Sterile disposable samplers manufactured in cleanroom from renewable raw materials (Bio-PE) and sterilized by gamma radiation; ACT-certified for sterile single-use sampling in pharmaceutical, medical technology, food, and cosmetics applications.
• Bottles, Jerrycans, and Bulk Containers Bottles, jerrycans, wide-neck containers, and bulk containers in various materials (glass, plastic, aluminium) for storing and transporting chemicals, samples, and liquids, including UN-approved versions for dangerous goods.
• Boxes, Buckets, Trays, and Bags Storage and transport containers including screw-cap boxes and cans, buckets, laboratory trays, bowls, dishes, and bags for samples, powders, and granular materials.
• SnowPack Dry Ice Cooling Device Compact dry ice cooling device for laboratory cooling applications and sample preservation.
• Laboratory Equipment Range General laboratory equipment including funnels, measuring containers, draining boards and racks, threaded fittings, ball valves, tubing with Stop-it hose clamps, stoppers, and stirring aids.
• close-it Closure Seal Labels Adhesive closure seals used as tamper-evident control seals, for documentation, or as warning and information labels, with customizable printing options.
• Stop-it Hose Clamps Hose clamps with Easy-Click closure mechanism for flow regulation in tubing and laboratory fluid systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Among top 1% of all companies rated by EcoVadis for sustainability performance (Platinum Medal 2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• KinematicaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Joint presence at Pittcon 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. Kinematica and Bürkle co-exhibit at this major international laboratory and analysis technology trade fair.
• Packen & Schicken Service GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party fulfillment partner handling catalog packaging and handover to postal service providers for shipment.
• General Logistics Systems (GLS) GermanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping and logistics partner for parcel delivery within Germany and internationally. GLS handles standard package shipments. Company participates in GLS KlimaProtect program for climate-neutral shipping.
• naturenergieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy supplier providing 100% certified green electricity from hydropower for Bürkle's complete electricity needs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sartorius: Global German bioprocessing and lab products company serving pharma QC and biopharma manufacturing. Comparable in targeting pharma/food QC customers with consumables and instruments, though at a much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• DWK Life Sciences: Global manufacturer of premium lab glassware and plasticware (Duran, Wheaton, Kimble) serving pharma, academic, and industrial labs. Comparable as a lab-consumables catalog player with overlapping sampling and container categories.
• Cole-Parmer: US-based lab equipment and supplies distributor/manufacturer specializing in fluid handling, pumps, and sample preparation. Directly competes in Bürkle's pump and lab-equipment categories, particularly across the North American market where Burkle Inc. operates.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global life sciences and lab equipment giant with extensive catalog of pumps, samplers, containers, and consumables. Addresses the same industrial, pharma, food, and academic lab customers as Bürkle, with vastly broader scope.
• Eppendorf: German life sciences equipment leader in liquid handling, sample preparation, and cell handling. Larger and more diversified than Bürkle, but overlaps heavily on lab pumps, dispensers, and consumables for pharma/biotech customers.
• Avantor (VWR): Global lab supplies distributor and manufacturer serving the same industrial, pharma, and academic customers as Bürkle. Overlaps with Bürkle's pumps, samplers, and lab containers via its distribution catalog.

Direct peers

• Lutz Pumpen: German specialist in barrel, drum, and container pumps for aggressive and hazardous liquids. Directly competes with Bürkle's Fasspumpen & Kanisterpumpen and dosing-pump lines for industrial liquid-transfer applications.
• Brand GmbH: German manufacturer of liquid handling devices (dispensers, burettes, pipettes) and life science consumables. Directly comparable as a German Mittelstand lab-products competitor with overlapping customer base in pharma, food, and academic labs.
• IKA: German laboratory, analytical, and process equipment manufacturer with strong global brand in lab mixing, stirring, and processing. Comparable as a German Mittelstand lab-equipment peer with similar customer base and trade-fair-driven GTM.
• Vitlab: German manufacturer of plastic laboratory volumetric instruments, sample preparation, and liquid handling products. Highly comparable product portfolio and customer segments to Bürkle, with a similar B2B catalog-driven model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/buerklede
• Facebookfacebook.com/buerkle.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/buerkle-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/buerklegmbh
• Xx.com/BuerkleGmbH

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Bürkle