What LB GmbH does

LB GmbH is a privately held, third-generation family-owned holding company (Beteiligungsgesellschaft) headquartered in Bocholt, Germany, founded in 1951. It acquires and strategically develops profitable medium-sized companies (Mittelstand) in three defined verticals: logistics, automation/robotics, and IT. The holding's stated competence is the long-term development of operating businesses rather than short-term financial engineering.

Its operating exposure sits in four wholly-owned subsidiaries: WM GROUP provides value packaging, contract logistics, and distribution logistics across multiple German sites; WM International, based in Birmingham, UK, delivers global supply-chain solutions including sea and air freight, land transport, and customs clearance; Logata operates a system-house business developing customized cloud-based digitalization products for various industries; and Lanfer Automation specializes in automating business and production processes. The core technology stack centers on cloud-based digitalization products (Logata) and process/robotics automation (Lanfer Automation), with logistics services executed through physical distribution and freight networks. Pricing and revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; each subsidiary manages its own go-to-market.

Ownership and control are concentrated within the Löhr family: Ann-Kathrin Löhr serves as Managing Partner (geschäftsführende Gesellschafterin), with Maximilian Löhr and Nicola Löhr on the Beirat, and Mareen Löhr and Felix Löhr as additional shareholders. No external institutional investors, private equity, or venture capital backing is identified. The portfolio employs 501–1,000 people across Germany and the United Kingdom, serving B2B customers in multiple industries requiring supply-chain, digitalization, and automation solutions.

Name

LB GmbH

Legal name

LB GmbH

Website

https://lbgmbh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

LB GmbH is a third-generation family-owned German holding company that acquires and develops Mittelstand firms across logistics (WM GROUP, WM International), IT cloud digitalization (Logata), and process automation (Lanfer Automation), serving B2B clients from operations in Germany and the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Holding Company - Logistics, Automation & IT

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

End-User Computing Outsourcing (EUC / Desktop Services) (BPAEAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Building Automation & Controls (BAS/BMS) Contracting (IMAFALAE)

Keywords

• Holding company services
• Logistics services
• Automation solutions
• Cloud digitalization
• Supply chain management

Headquarters

HQ city

Bocholt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Core offering

LB GmbH is a third-generation family-owned holding company (Beteiligungsgesellschaft) that acquires and strategically develops profitable medium-sized companies in logistics, automation, robotics, and IT. Its portfolio of four operating subsidiaries delivers solution-oriented logistics services (Value Packaging, contract and distribution logistics), global supply-chain solutions (sea and air freight, land transport, customs clearance), customized cloud-based digitalization products through its system house business, and business and production process automation solutions.

Product overview

LB GmbH is a third-generation family-owned holding company (Beteiligungsgesellschaft) that acquires and strategically develops profitable medium-sized companies. The portfolio consists of four operating subsidiaries: WM GROUP and WM International (logistics companies providing Value Packaging, contract and distribution logistics in Germany, plus global supply-chain solutions including sea/air freight and customs clearance), Logata (IT company developing cloud-based digitalization products), and Lanfer Automation (specializing in business and production process automation). The holding provides technology and know-how for automation solutions, coordinates innovative logistics services, and develops customized digitalization products across its subsidiary network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WM GROUP Logistics Services

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WM GROUPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWM GROUP is a portfolio company of LB GmbH known for solution-oriented, high-quality logistics services. Part of the LB GmbH holding company's integrated logistics division.
• WM InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWM International is an LB GmbH portfolio company based in Birmingham/UK offering global supply chain solutions including sea and air freight, land transport, and customs clearance.
• LogatacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogata is an LB GmbH portfolio company that helps businesses make their IT future-proof, providing cloud-based digitalization products.
• Lanfer AutomationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLanfer Automation is an LB GmbH portfolio company specializing in automating business and production processes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• S&T AG (Kontron AG): European IT services and digitalization provider with significant presence in German-speaking markets; overlapping cloud-based digitalization offering to Logata.
• Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH: German diversified family-owned holding with industrial, logistics-adjacent and services investments; comparable diversified holding model and family-ownership governance to LB GmbH.
• Deutsche Beteiligungs AG: Listed German mid-market private equity/holding company investing in profitable Mittelstand businesses; closest publicly comparable active investor/developer of SME portfolios.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG: Globally active German mid-market logistics provider with air/sea freight, road transport and contract logistics—directly overlapping WM International's global supply-chain offering at larger scale.
• Bechtle AG: Germany's largest IT systems house offering cloud, managed services and digitalization to Mittelstand and enterprise; directly comparable IT services profile to Logata at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Hahn Group GmbH: German automation and robotics integrator with subsidiaries across industrial automation and intralogistics; comparable scope to Lanfer Automation's process automation focus.

Direct peers

• Rhenus Logistics GmbH & Co. KG: German mid-market logistics specialist within the Rethmann Group, providing contract logistics, freight forwarding and supply chain solutions; comparable scale and service mix to WM GROUP / WM International.
• HANNOVER Finanz GmbH: Family-owned German mid-market investment/holding company acquiring and developing profitable SMEs; closest structural analog to LB GmbH's Beteiligungsgesellschaft model with similar long-term orientation.
• Dachser SE: Family-owned German logistics company offering contract logistics, distribution and value-added services across Europe; directly comparable to WM GROUP's Value Packaging and contract logistics franchise.
• Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG: Family-owned German manufacturer of automation solutions for industrial processes; comparable in scale, family ownership and industrial automation focus to Lanfer Automation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lb-gmbh

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 LB GmbH