Hardy Schmitz Group

What Hardy Schmitz Group does

Hardy Schmitz Group is a German electrical wholesaler (Elektrofachgroßhandel) founded in 1925 and headquartered in Rheine, operating one of the country's largest cable warehouses together with a Germany-wide branch network and a B2B e-commerce platform. The company stocks over 500,000 branded articles from leading manufacturers including Rittal, WAGO, Weidmüller, Philips/Signify, and Siedle, distributed through physical branches and an online shop with OCI/IDS/UGL interface integrations for automated procurement. Two primary customer segments are served: the electrical trades (Handwerk), requiring installation materials, building and photovoltaic systems, and EV charging infrastructure, and industrial customers (Industrie), requiring automation components, drives, control systems, sensors, and switchgear engineering.

The company monetizes through three revenue streams: core wholesale hardware sales across electrical installation, building technology, photovoltaics, lighting, industry, and cables; HARDYPRO® engineering and service fees covering KNX programming, PV planning, switchgear and control construction, cable assembly, Kanban, charging infrastructure planning, and CNC machining; and proprietary branded products under RED (private-label installation, lighting, and digital metering) and HARDY (meter cabinets and PV surge protection boxes). Subscription-style supply contracts are facilitated through Kanban, handscanner-based reordering, and drum-free reporting.

Distinctive operational assets include the 100-year brand and centenary positioning, one of Germany's largest cable warehouses, next-day delivery for orders placed before 7 PM, Click & Collect pickup, container logistics for project-based delivery, and a partner ecosystem centered on the DEHA purchasing group plus the annual HARDY CONNECT! B2B trade fair. The company holds ISO 9001 certification and markets MID-certified metering products; it operates with 251-500 employees and shows no public listing, no disclosed ownership structure, and no recent M&A or funding history.

Name

Hardy Schmitz Group

Legal name

Hardy Schmitz Group

Website

https://hardy-schmitz-gruppe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hardy Schmitz Group is a 100-year-old German electrical wholesaler operating a nationwide branch network, one of Germany's largest cable warehouses, and a B2B e-commerce platform serving electrical tradespeople and industrial customers with 500,000+ branded products, proprietary RED and HARDY brands, and HARDYPRO® engineering services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rheine

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electrical Products Wholesale: Core revenue from wholesale distribution of electrical installation products, building technology, cables, lighting, and industrial equipment to trade and industrial customers through physical branch network and B2B e-commerce.
2. HARDYPRO® Service Fees: Additional revenue from specialized services including engineering (KNX programming, PV planning, switchgear construction), CNC machining, cable assembly, Kanban supply management, and consulting services.
3. Private Label Products (RED, HARDY): Revenue from proprietary brand products including mounting materials, installation equipment, lighting (RED CUBEXX® LED panels), network technology, and meter cabinets.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hardy Schmitz Group is a German electrical wholesale distributor that supplies over 500,000 branded electrical installation, building technology, photovoltaic, lighting, industrial automation, and cable products to trade and industrial customers through a Germany-wide branch network and B2B e-commerce platform. The company also provides the HARDYPRO® service portfolio spanning engineering (KNX, PV, charging infrastructure, lighting planning), CNC machining, cable assembly, Kanban supply, switchgear construction, and B2B procurement interfaces, alongside proprietary own brands (RED, HARDY meter cabinets, HARDY surge protection boxes).

Product overview

Hardy Schmitz Group is a German electrical wholesale company (Elektrofachgroßhandel) offering over 500,000 branded articles from name-brand manufacturers. The company operates on a platform-plus-services model with three core own brands: RED (private label fixing materials, installation products, lighting, network technology, switches, power supply, and tools), HARDY Zählerschränke (meter cabinets in BASIC eHZ, BASIC 3-Point, and PV-READY variants), and HARDY Überspannungsboxen (surge protection boxes for PV systems). The HARDYPRO® service platform provides B2B integration via OCI/IDS/UGL interfaces, container logistics, CNC processing, KNX programming, charging infrastructure and lighting planning, photovoltaics planning, switchgear engineering, and Smart Home solutions. Product categories span electrical installation, building technology, photovoltaics (modules, inverters, storage), lighting (outdoor, office, industrial, residential), industry (automation, drives, sensors), and cables. The company offers over 500,000 branded products with same-day delivery for orders before 7 PM, a B2B online shop, and an extensive branch network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HARDYPRO®: Service portfolio offering B2B platforms, container logistics, CNC machining center, customer care center, hand scanner solutions, cable customization, Kanban, KNX programming, charging infrastructure planning, lighting planning, photovoltaic planning, switchgear and control engineering, interface solutions, Smart Home, TECSELECT point system, drum free reporting, and Voltimum+ rewards program.
• RED
• HARDY Zählerschränke
• HARDY Überspannungsboxen

Products and services

• Electrical Installation Products (Elektroinstallation) Full-line wholesale assortment of electrical installation products including fixing materials, electromobility (wallboxes, charging stations, DC stations, charging cables), house communication systems, installation materials, insulation, multimedia, DIN rail devices, fuses, switches, protective hoses, surge protection, tools, and meter cabinets, sold to trade and industrial customers in Germany.
• Building Technology Products (Gebäudetechnik) Building technology product range including underfloor heating/heating bands, house communication, heating devices and heat storage, ventilation, roller shutter/garage drives, security technology, solar heat, and hot water systems for trade and industrial customers.
• Photovoltaic Products (Photovoltaik) Complete photovoltaic product range including data loggers/monitoring, PV modules (Full Black, Black Frame), mounting systems, PV fuses, PV connectors, surge protection, storage systems (home, commercial, industrial), and inverters (PV inverters and hybrid inverters).
• Lighting Products (Licht) Comprehensive lighting portfolio covering outdoor lights, operating equipment, office lighting, industrial/high-bay lights, indoor lights, conventional lights, light sources, light management, emergency/work lights, and residential lights.
• Industrial Products (Industrie) Industrial product range including drive technology, automation, command and signaling devices, industrial relays, industrial power supplies, control cabinets/enclosures, contactors, sensor technology, and monitoring modules for industrial customers.
• Cables (Kabel) Extensive cable and conductor portfolio including antenna/speaker cables, compensation/thermocouple wires, automation motion cables, bus cables, data cables, earth cables, telecommunication cables, rubber cables, halogen-free cables, industrial cables, installation cables, medium voltage, control cables, special cables, and cable accessories, sourced from one of Germany's largest cable warehouses.
• HARDYPRO® Service Portfolio Comprehensive service portfolio for trade and industrial customers offering B2B platforms, container logistics, Click & Collect, CNC machining, customer care center, handscanner solutions, cable assembly, Kanban supply, KNX programming, charging infrastructure planning, lighting planning, PV planning, switchgear and control engineering, interface solutions (OCI/IDS/UGL), Smart Home solutions, and the TECSELECT/Voltimum+ rewards program.
• RED Private Label Product Line Proprietary private label brand covering fixing materials, installation materials, lighting and fixtures (including RED CUBEXX® LED panels), network technology, switches, power supply, and tools/equipment, sold to trade and industrial customers.
• HARDY Meter Cabinets (HARDY Zählerschränke) Proprietary brand of meter cabinets including BASIC eHZ, BASIC 3-Point, and PV-READY variants, plus transformer measurement solutions built to Westnetz specifications for electrical installation and photovoltaic projects.
• HARDY Surge Protection Boxes (HARDY Überspannungsboxen) Proprietary brand of surge protection boxes for photovoltaic installations, available in PV GAK 1MPP and 2MPP configurations to provide overvoltage protection for solar systems.
• Online Interface Solutions (OCI, IDS, UGL) Electronic interface solutions (OCI, IDS, UGL) enabling fast, paperless data transfer and automated 24/7 material procurement for B2B customers with their own ERP/procurement systems.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• hein-industrieschilderminorOthersIndustrial signage partner featured on the partner page of HARDY SCHMITZ.
• Intercable ToolsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTools and connection technology partner for electrical professionals.
• SiedlecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium door communication systems. Featured in partner campaigns (Siedle IQ).
• Philips / SignifycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading lighting manufacturer. CoreLine waterproof luminaires featured with special campaigns.
• RittalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEnclosure and power distribution specialist. Featured in switchgear construction campaigns.
• WAGOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConnection technology and automation components. Featured in regular promotional campaigns.
• WeidmüllercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustrial connectivity and electronics. Featured in regular promotional campaigns.
• PRACHTminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorECO LINE & BASIC LINE products featured in partner promotions.
• DEHAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCentral purchasing organization/purchasing group partner for electrical wholesale.
• UNICOminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAir conditioning/climate solutions provider featured in seasonal campaigns.
• VoltimumcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVoltimum+ reward program partner providing promotional incentives and rewards for customers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rexel: Global electrical distributor with a substantial German operation (including the Schäcke brand); competes directly with Hardy Schmitz across electrical installation, lighting, industrial automation and renewable energy product categories, serving the same trade and industrial customer base.
• Sonepar: World's largest B2B electrical distributor with a deep Germany presence combining former regional players; directly comparable business model, branch footprint, and value-added service orientation to Hardy Schmitz.
• Würth: German-headquartered industrial and trade supplier whose Elektro/Werkzeug range competes with Hardy Schmitz for tradespeople and industrial customers, combining a large physical branch network with technical services.
• Alexander Bürkle: Privately held German electrical wholesaler with a comparable branch-and-services model, serving trade and industrial customers with installation materials, lighting, automation, and engineering services.
• FEGA & Schmitt Elektrogroßhandel: Regional German electrical wholesaler with branch network, product breadth and service portfolio (including renewables and building technology) closely overlapping Hardy Schmitz's offering and customer segments.
• Obeta Elektrohandel: German independent electrical wholesaler operating a similar branch-plus-e-commerce model for electrical installation, lighting, and industrial products to trade customers.
• Gresco Elektrogroßhandel: Privately held German electrical wholesaler with comparable product range in installation, lighting, and industrial automation, targeting the same tradesperson and industrial customer base.
• EFG Elektrohandel Grünsfeld: Mid-sized German electrical wholesaler with a similar mid-market positioning, branch network, and service orientation including renewable energy and KNX programming.

Broad incumbents

• Schneider Electric: Global electrical equipment, automation and energy management manufacturer whose products flow through Hardy Schmitz; an upstream supplier and indirect competitor given customers' choice between OEM-direct and distributor channels.
• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Major German manufacturer of building technology, electrical installation and industrial automation products; competes indirectly with Hardy Schmitz via direct sales and channel partnerships in the same end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Hardy_Schmitz

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hardy Schmitz Group