Piasten
Piasten GmbH is a German confectionery manufacturer founded in 1923, specializing in dragees, pralines, and chocolates under the Treets and Piasten brands. Operating from Forchheim with 430+ employees, the company supplies major German retailers and exports to 50+ countries via subsidiary-of-Katjes-International distribution.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1923
- HeadquartersForchheim, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Piasten does
Piasten GmbH is a German confectionery manufacturer founded in 1923 and headquartered in Forchheim, Upper Franconia, Bavaria. The company specializes in dragees (sugar-coated confectionery), pralines, chocolate, and related products under the Treets and Piasten brand portfolios, and has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Katjes International since 2014. With 430+ employees operating from a single production site, Piasten is positioned as Germany's leading dragee manufacturer and Bavaria's largest confectionery producer, producing 50+ SKUs and exporting to 50+ countries worldwide.
The core technology and product differentiator is ChoViva, a proprietary chocolate alternative based on sunflower kernels that enables cocoa-free, fully vegan dragee production without animal-derived colorings such as carmine. Piasten pairs this proprietary ingredient platform with a broad compliance stack (IFS Food Version 8, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, RSPO, Rainforest Alliance/Fairtrade cocoa since 2024) and an award track record (18 DLG Gold Awards in 2011, EcoVadis Bronze in 2023, ISM Consumer Award and SWEETIE 2025 for Treets Crunchy Corn Vegan ChoViva).
Piasten operates a sales-led, B2B-retail-driven distribution model with products listed across all major German grocery and hypermarket chains (REWE, Kaufland, Globus, METRO, Müller), global online channels (Amazon, World of Sweets, Sweet Universe), and direct consumer sales through a factory outlet (Werksverkauf) in Forchheim. Revenue is generated through wholesale and retail unit pricing set by distribution partners rather than company-controlled public pricing, with secondary revenue streams from international distribution and direct-to-consumer factory sales.
Piasten firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Piasten
- Legal name
- Piasten GmbH
- Website
- https://piasten.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1923
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Piasten GmbH is a German confectionery manufacturer founded in 1923, specializing in dragees, pralines, and chocolates under the Treets and Piasten brands. Operating from Forchheim with 430+ employees, the company supplies major German retailers and exports to 50+ countries via subsidiary-of-Katjes-International distribution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Piasten industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Confectionery Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134), Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352)
- SIC
- Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sugar Confectionery (Gummies, Hard Candy, Chews) (CRADABAB)
Keywords
Where Piasten is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Forchheim
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Piasten business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Confectionery Product Sales: Piasten generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of confectionery products including dragees, pralines, chocolate, muesli, and chocolate bars. Products are sold through retail distribution channels (supermarkets, discounters, specialist retailers) and direct-to-consumer via factory outlet. The company operates as a B2B supplier to major German retailers and exports to over 50 countries.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer retail products sold through retail chains and online marketplaces |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Piasten product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Piasten GmbH manufactures and sells sugar-coated confectionery (dragees), pralines, chocolates, and chocolate muesli at its Forchheim production facility in Germany. The portfolio spans the Treets brand (dragees with peanuts, crisps, choco, cornflakes) and the Piasten brand (Schoko Linsen, Premium Praliné Selection), with a recent expansion into vegan confectionery using the proprietary ChoViva sunflower-kernel chocolate alternative.
Product overview
Piasten GmbH is a traditional German confectionery company founded in 1923, specializing in the manufacture of Dragees (sugar-coated confectionery), chocolate, and pralines. The company operates as a subsidiary of Katjes International since 2014 and produces over 50 products at its Forchheim facility. The product portfolio spans two main brands: Treets (featuring Dragees such as Treets Peanuts, Treets Choco, Treets Crispy, Treets Malty Minis, and Treets Cornflakes & Peanuts, including newer vegan variants like Treets Peanuts ChoViva Vegan, Treets Crispy ChoViva Vegan, and Treets Crunchy Corn ChoViva Vegan) and Piasten (offering Piasten Schoko Linsen and Piasten Premium Praliné Selection). Additionally, the Treets brand extends into the Müßli category with Treets Choco Peanut Müsli. The company has recently expanded into vegan confectionery using ChoViva, an innovative chocolate alternative made from sunflower seeds.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Treets: Main brand for dragée products including Treets Peanuts, Treets Crispy, Treets Choco, Treets Malty Minis, Treets Cornflakes & Peanuts, and vegan variants under the ChoViva line.
- Piasten
Products and services
- Treets Peanuts ChoViva Vegan Vegan dragees with roasted peanuts coated in ChoViva (sunflower-seed-based chocolate alternative) and finished with a crispy pastel-colored sugar shell. Targeted at vegan and plant-based consumers.
- Treets Peanuts Classic Treets dragees combining creamy milk chocolate with crunchy peanuts and a crispy sugar coating. The signature Treets product for everyday snacking.
- Treets Peanuts Rainbow Colorful dragees with roasted peanuts, milk chocolate coating, and a vibrant multi-colored sugar shell.
- Treets Crispy ChoViva Vegan Vegan crispy dragees with light rice crisps, ChoViva chocolate alternative, and crispy sugar coating in pastel tones.
- Treets Crunchy Corn ChoViva Vegan Award-winning vegan dragees with crispy roasted corn kernels coated in ChoViva chocolate alternative and crunchy sugar in vibrant vegan colors.
- Treets Crispy Crunchy crispy cereal balls coated in milk chocolate with a colorful sugar shell.
- Treets Choco Colorful chocolate lentils combining a crispy sugar shell with a smooth milk chocolate center.
- Treets Malty Minis Crunchy-malt dragees with a crispy malt center and smooth milk chocolate coating (175g pack size).
- Treets Cornflakes & Peanuts Mixed dragee assortment featuring classic Treets peanuts and chocolate-coated cornflakes.
- Piasten Schoko Linsen Classic chocolate lentils with a crispy sugar shell and refreshing peppermint and vanilla flavor.
- Piasten Premium Praliné Selection Premium 400g selection of fine pralines with creamy melt and harmonious flavors targeted at discerning connoisseurs.
- Treets Choco Peanut Müsli 400g breakfast muesli with hearty oats, protein-rich roasted peanuts, chocolate peanuts, and chocolate oat crunch.
Companies that use Piasten
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Piasten technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Piasten partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Piasten competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ferrero International: Ferrero is a global confectionery incumbent with portfolio of chocolates and pralines (Ferrero Rocher, Mon Chéri); competes indirectly with Piasten in the gift and premium chocolate/praliné segment at European retailers.
- Lindt & Sprüngli: Lindt is a global premium chocolate incumbent with broad product portfolio including pralines; comparable to Piasten's premium praliné segment and a benchmark for premium confectionery positioning in German and international retail.
- Mars Wrigley: Mars Wrigley is one of the largest global confectionery incumbents; competes with Piasten broadly across sugar and chocolate confectionery, with substantially greater scale and marketing resources at major German retailers.
Direct peers
- August Storck KG: Storck is a major German family-owned confectionery manufacturer producing sugar-coated and chocolate confectionery (Merci, Knoppers, Toffifee), competing directly with Piasten's Treets dragee range in German retail.
- Zentis: Zentis is a German confectionery manufacturer specializing in pralines and chocolate spreads, directly comparable to Piasten's Piasten Premium Praliné Selection line; both occupy the premium German praliné space with similar retail and foodservice channels.
- Trolli (Südzucker Group / Mederer): Trolli is a German sugar confectionery manufacturer specializing in gummy and chewy products; competes with Piasten in the sugar confectionery and gummy-dragee crossover category at German retailers.
- Alfred Ritter GmbH (Ritter Sport): Ritter Sport is a German family-owned chocolate manufacturer; comparable as a mid-sized German confectionery manufacturer with branded mass-market chocolate products distributed across major German retailers and international markets.
- Katjes Fassin: Katjes is Piasten's parent group and a direct competitor in sugar confectionery (licorice, gummies, fruit gums); the two operate adjacently within the same group but compete with third-party manufacturers in the German confectionery category.
- Haribo: Haribo is Germany's largest sugar confectionery manufacturer and Piasten's most direct competitor in gummy, chewy and sugar-coated categories; both compete in the German dragee/gummy segment with mass-market retail distribution.
Regional players
- Manner (Josef Manner & Comp.): Manner is an Austrian confectionery manufacturer known for wafer and chocolate confectionery (Manner Schnitten, Casali); a comparable family-owned regional confectionery manufacturer operating in adjacent DACH markets with similar traditions and retail distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Piasten social profiles
Digital presencePiasten compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance13 records
Piasten financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Piasten leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Piasten funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Piasten M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Piasten
What does Piasten do?
Piasten GmbH manufactures and sells sugar-coated confectionery (dragees), pralines, chocolates, and chocolate muesli at its Forchheim production facility in Germany. The portfolio spans the Treets brand (dragees with peanuts, crisps, choco, cornflakes) and the Piasten brand (Schoko Linsen, Premium Praliné Selection), with a recent expansion into vegan confectionery using the proprietary ChoViva sunflower-kernel chocolate alternative.
Is Piasten a public or private company?
Piasten is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Piasten founded?
Piasten was founded in 1923. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Piasten based?
Piasten is headquartered in Forchheim, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Piasten make money?
One revenue line is on record: confectionery Product Sales.
Who are Piasten's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ferrero International, Lindt & Sprüngli and Mars Wrigley. Direct peers are August Storck KG, Zentis, Trolli (Südzucker Group / Mederer), Alfred Ritter GmbH (Ritter Sport), Katjes Fassin and Haribo. Manner (Josef Manner & Comp.) is listed as a regional player.
Does Piasten have an API?
No public API is recorded for Piasten.
What industry is Piasten in?
Piasten's product category is Confectionery Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADABAB, Sugar Confectionery (Gummies, Hard Candy, Chews). Its NAICS code is 31135 and its SIC code is 2060.