Storch-Ciret Holding

What Storch-Ciret Holding does

Storch-Ciret Holding GmbH is a Wuppertal, Germany-headquartered manufacturer and distributor of professional painting tools, operating five distinct brands (STORCH, COLOR EXPERT, RKMP, WESTEX, FIA ProTeam) that collectively serve as Europe's largest producer of paint rollers, brushes, masking products, and painting accessories. Founded in 1896 and reorganized into its current form through the 2011 merger of Storch Holding GmbH and Ciret Holdings AG, the company manufactures approximately 280 million paint rollers, 32 million brushes, 480 million plastic accessories, and 30 million CoverQuick foil units annually across facilities in Germany, Czech Republic, and China. Its vertically integrated production is supported by a dedicated logistics subsidiary (Storch-Ciret Logistics GmbH) operating two major distribution centers with 65,000+ pallet positions and a 98% next-day delivery rate within Germany.

The company operates a multi-channel go-to-market model aligned to its brand portfolio. The STORCH division targets professional painters and decorators through direct field sales with technical consultation; the Ciret division (COLOR EXPERT, WESTEX) reaches retail and DIY consumers through building materials merchants, paint stores, and DIY chains; RKMP serves professional specialty trade distributors; and FIA ProTeam handles high-volume international accounts via automated production. The customer base spans professional craftsmen, quality-conscious DIY consumers, paint retailers, and volume distributors across 87 countries, with international sales accounting for 56% of approximately €250 million in annual revenue.

Storch-Ciret is majority-owned by the Horst Rogusch Foundation (a nonprofit supporting trade education), with minority family ownership retained, and operates with a near-50% equity ratio reflecting a conservative capital structure. The company employs approximately 1,600 people across 36 locations in 17 European countries plus China. In February 2026, it became the first painting tools manufacturer to commit to the Science Based Targets initiative, targeting 30% CO2 reduction by 2030 and net-zero by 2050, signaling sustainability as a strategic priority alongside continued European market consolidation via bolt-on acquisitions (most recently Savy in France, October 2023).

Name

Storch-Ciret Holding

Legal name

Storch-Ciret Holding GmbH

Website

https://storch-ciret.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Storch-Ciret Holding is a German-founded manufacturer and distributor of professional painting tools, operating five brands across Europe and China with €250M+ annual revenue, serving professional painters, retailers, and volume distributors in 87 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Painting Tools

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint and Wallpaper Retailers (444120)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Commercial Painting/Coatings/Surface Treatment (IMAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Paint, Stain & Finishes Retail (Coatings, Sundries) (CRAIADAF)

Keywords

• Painting tools
• Paint rollers
• Paint brushes
• Masking products
• Painting accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Wuppertal

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Painting Tools Manufacturing and Sales: Design, development, manufacturing and sale of high-quality painting tools including paint rollers, brushes, masking tapes, accessories, and covering materials. Revenue generated through direct sales to professional trades, retail distribution, and international export.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Storch-Ciret Holding manufactures and sells high-quality painting tools, including paint rollers, brushes, masking products, covering foils, and accessories. The company operates through five brands (STORCH, COLOR EXPERT, RKMP, WESTEX, FIA ProTeam) serving professional painters, building materials retailers, and international distributors across 87 countries, supported by integrated in-house logistics services.

Product overview

Storch-Ciret Holding is Europe's number one manufacturer of painting tools, operating as a platform of five distinct brands serving different customer segments. The core offering includes STORCH (premium professional tools), COLOR EXPERT (retail-focused painting tools), RKMP (professional trade products with Rota, Kana, Masq, and Prep sub-lines), WESTEX (bulk products for distributors), and FIA ProTeam (high-volume cost-effective solutions). The company produces approximately 160 million paint rollers annually and over 32 million brushes, supported by integrated logistics services through Storch-Ciret Logistics. All brands cover the complete painting workflow from surface preparation and masking through application to workplace safety, unified by consistent quality standards and shared manufacturing expertise across European and Chinese production facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STORCH: Premium painting tools brand fully focused on professional users. Develops and produces high-quality painting tools for professional craftsmen and specialized retailers through constant dialogue with painting companies and the paint industry.
• COLOR EXPERT
• RKMP
• WESTEX
• FIA ProTeam

Products and services

• STORCH Premium painting tools brand fully focused on professional users, providing high-quality painting tools for craftsmen and specialized retailers through direct dialogue with paint industry professionals.
• COLOR EXPERT Painting tools brand supplying a wide range of painting tools for paint and building materials retailers, with customized and innovative sales concepts that generate additional revenue for merchants across Europe.
• RKMP Professional trade brand offering Rota (paint rollers), Kana (brushes), Masq (masking tape), and Prep (accessories) product lines sold individually or as complete packages to professional specialty trade distributors.
• WESTEX Brand offering over 1,000 painting tool articles for national and international distributors, available in bulk packaging or with GTIN labeling, with delivery times of 72 hours in Germany and 96 hours in Western Europe.
• FIA ProTeam High-volume division offering a complete portfolio with the best price-quality ratio, delivering customized highest product quality for global customer needs using fully automated production processes in European and Chinese facilities.
• Storch-Ciret Logistics Subsidiary logistics company operating warehouses in Berka and Vacha, Germany, offering contract logistics, warehousing, packaging and value-added services, returns processing, transport and customs clearance, and service center functions with a 98% delivery rate within 48 hours across Europe.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of shipments reach German customers within 24 hours
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026First company in the painting tools industry to commit to Science Based Targets initiative. Climate targets validated by independent SBTi experts. Committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 in accordance with SBTi criteria.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nespoli Group: Italian-headquartered manufacturer of paint rollers, brushes, and painting accessories serving European professional and retail markets. Nespoli competes directly with Storch-Ciret's RKMP, WESTEX, and COLOR EXPERT brands in roll, brush, and masking categories.
• Anza: Nordic-based manufacturer of paint rollers, brushes, and painting tools serving professional painters and DIY retailers across Scandinavia. Anza is a regional direct competitor to Storch-Ciret's Ciret division in the Northern European retail channel.
• Wooster Brush Company: US-based manufacturer of paint applicators including brushes, rollers, and specialty painting tools. While primarily North American, Wooster is a direct product-line competitor to Storch-Ciret's professional and DIY painting tool portfolio and a benchmark for premium professional positioning.
• Hamilton Brushes: UK-based manufacturer of paint brushes, decorators' brushes, and industrial brushware with significant European distribution. Hamilton competes directly with Storch-Ciret in the professional brush segment and shares the European decoration trade customer base.
• Purdy (Sherwin-Williams): US premium paint brush and roller brand owned by Sherwin-Williams, positioned for professional painters. Purdy competes directly with STORCH in premium professional applicators and shares the same quality- and brand-led proposition for craftsmen.
• J. Wagner GmbH: German-based manufacturer of paint spraying equipment and decorating tools for professional and DIY users. Wagner is the closest direct peer to Storch-Ciret, competing in painting and decorating tools across Europe with overlapping professional and DIY customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• AkzoNobel: Dutch paints and coatings major behind Dulux, Sikkens, and Hammerite brands with strong European retail and professional distribution. AkzoNobel overlaps with Storch-Ciret at the retail customer interface through paint stores that also stock competitor applicators.
• DAW (Caparol): German family-owned paints and coatings manufacturer (Caparol, Alpina, Alligator brands) with strong German professional painter relationships. DAW is a broad incumbent comparable to Storch-Ciret in scale, family/foundation-style ownership, and German professional painter customer overlap.
• PPG Industries: Global paints, coatings, and specialty materials manufacturer serving industrial, architectural, and DIY markets. PPG is a broad incumbent in the painting value chain and a benchmark for global scale, though its tools exposure is limited compared to coatings.
• Sherwin-Williams: Global paint and coatings manufacturer that owns Purdy, Sayerlack, and other applicator brands. Sherwin-Williams represents a broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities through vertical integration into tools, though it does not specialize in the painting tools niche that Storch-Ciret dominates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/StorchCiretGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/storch-ciret-group

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Storch-Ciret Holding