Rullko Grosseinkauf

What Rullko Grosseinkauf does

Rullko Großeinkauf GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned German broadline food wholesaler founded in 1923 and headquartered in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia, operating across two business segments: Gemeinschaftsverpflegung (institutional catering — primarily senior centers and clinics) and Gastronomie (a cash-and-carry Großmarkt at Hamm-Rhynern on the A2 plus direct delivery to restaurants, hotels and kiosk operators). The company stocks more than 20,000 food and non-food articles, manages ~14,000 storage positions across two warehouse sites using the proLogistik pL-Store LVS Foodline WMS, and runs ~25 own-fleet delivery routes per day with temperature-controlled multi-chamber trucks. Proprietary assets include an in-house coffee roastery (drum-roasted Arabica from Kenya, Costa Rica and Colombia) sold via the rullko­kaffee.de online shop and at the Großmarkt, plus a 30+-module proprietary food-service management software suite (Rullko Menü © family covering meal planning, ordering, inventory, controlling, allergen labeling and quality management) built on Microsoft Dynamics AX and licensed to institutional catering customers.

The company makes money on multiple, interlocking revenue streams: B2B product sales at wholesale margins to institutional caterers and gastronomy operators, rental/licensing of the Rullko Menü © software stack (recurring subscription/service revenue), cash-and-carry retail at the Großmarkt, and D2C online sales of self-roasted coffee. Distribution combines direct field sales with own delivery fleet (focused on NRW), Intergast cooperative reach for national accounts, and a self-serve OMS portal (obs.rullko.de) for B2B ordering. Certifications include IFS Logistics 2.2, HACCP, NRW isst gut! and the regional Echter Hammer seal; in 2025 the company committed to 100% renewable electricity from January onward.

Rullko is a privately held KG controlled by the Ostermann family (4th generation), with Marie-Christine Ostermann as managing partner/CEO alongside co-Managing Director Manfred Vogt since the 2017 generational transition. Headcount is ~170 (most recently reported during the 2018-2019 WMS rollout), supported by a structured apprenticeship pipeline of ~25 trainees per year across warehouse logistics and wholesale/foreign-trade disciplines. The company celebrated its centenary on 22 September 2023 at Zentralhallen Hamm with 1,200 guests and, in 2025, ranked #1 in the Deutschland Test study of Germany's best training companies in food wholesale (100/100 points).

Name

Rullko Grosseinkauf

Legal name

Rullko Großeinkauf GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://rullko.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rullko Grosseinkauf is a 1923-founded, family-owned German food wholesaler based in Hamm that supplies institutional caterers (senior centers, clinics) and gastronomy customers with a 20,000+ SKU assortment via an own-fleet delivery network, a cash-and-carry Großmarkt, and a proprietary Rullko Menü food-service management software suite.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Wholesale Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional/Local Broadline Foodservice Distributors (AFAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private-Label / Own-Brand Broadline Distributors (AFAIAAAI), Refrigerated/Chilled Foods Wholesale (Deli, Prepared, Fresh Pasta, etc.) (AFAIAHAB), Broadline Foodservice (Multi-Category) Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAA)

Keywords

• Food wholesale
• Institutional catering
• Gastronomy supply
• Cash and carry
• Foodservice management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

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. Food & Beverage Wholesale: Rullko operates as a broadline food wholesaler supplying institutional catering (senior centers, clinics) and gastronomy (from rural inns to starred restaurants) with a full assortment of more than 20,000 food and non-food articles. Revenue is generated through product sales with own delivery fleet covering ~25 daily routes. The company also maintains its own coffee roasting operation selling roasted coffee directly to consumers and businesses.
2. Digital Software & Management Solutions: Rullko develops and licenses a suite of proprietary food service management software applications (meal planning, ordering, inventory, controlling, quality management) to its customer base. These digital solutions create recurring software licensing and service revenue, serving as a differentiator from pure-play wholesalers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rullko Großeinkauf is a family-owned German broadline food wholesaler supplying more than 20,000 food and non-food articles to institutional caterers (senior centers, clinics) and gastronomy businesses (rural inns to Michelin-starred restaurants) via its own delivery fleet and a cash-and-carry Großmarkt in Hamm. The company also develops, licenses and supports the proprietary Rullko Menü © suite of food service management software (meal planning, ordering, inventory, controlling, quality management) and operates an in-house coffee roastery selling premium Arabica coffee online and at the Großmarkt.

Product overview

Rullko Grosseinkauf is a family-owned food wholesale company (founded 1923) offering two core business segments: Gemeinschaftsverpflegung (communal catering) for senior centers and clinics, and Gastronomie (gastronomy wholesale market). The company provides a comprehensive platform of proprietary software solutions under the Rullko Menü © family for food service management. The core platform Rullko Menü © serves as the meal planning system, supplemented by numerous add-on modules covering ordering management (Rullko Einkauf ©, Rullko Menü Web-Shop ©), inventory (Rullko Inventur ©), controlling and reporting (Rullko Favorit ©, Rullko Masterreport ©), quality management (Rullko LEX ©, Rullko Connect ©), allergen labeling (Rullko Menü AZPlus ©), and mobile access (Rullko Menü mobil ©, Rullko ru-Pad ©). Additional brand products include Rullko Kaffee (proprietary roasted coffee) and Rullko Regional © (regional food products from North Rhine-Westphalia).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rullko Kaffee: Self-roasted coffee brand sold through rullkokaffee.de, featuring Arabica coffee beans from Kenya and Central America.
• Rullko OMS
• Rullko Menü
• Rullko Regional

Products and services

• Food Wholesale Supply (Institutional Catering & Gastronomy) Comprehensive wholesale distribution of more than 20,000 food and non-food articles to institutional catering and gastronomy customers across Germany, delivered on the company's own temperature-controlled fleet.
• Rullko Großmarkt (Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Market) Physical cash-and-carry market at the A2 motorway exit in Hamm-Rhynern (Zeppelinstraße 2, 59069 Hamm-Rhynern) serving walk-in gastronomy customers including restaurants, hotels, kiosk operators and catering businesses; offers fresh meat, seafood, non-food and self-roasted coffee under one roof with cold storage on site.
• Rullko Menü © (Food Service Management Software Suite) Proprietary integrated food service management software suite licensed to catering customers, covering meal planning, allergen labeling, purchasing, inventory, controlling, quality and document management functions.
• Rullko Menü BBS © (Cashless Pre-Ordering System) Cashless pre-ordering system for schools, kindergartens and businesses, allowing menu orders to be placed via the internet or ordering terminals before meal service.
• Rullko Menü Cash © (POS/Cash Register System) POS and cash register system for foodservice locations where menu items are not pre-ordered or where kiosk assortments are sold; articles are captured via touch screen.
• Rullko Kaffee (Self-Roasted Coffee) and Rullko Kaffee-Shop Self-roasted premium Arabica coffee brand using traditional drum roasting in Rullko's in-house roastery, sold wholesale to gastronomy at the Großmarkt and direct-to-consumer nationwide through the rullkokaffee.de online shop.
• Rullko Regional © (Regional Food Program) Regional food program supplying products from North Rhine-Westphalia producers to communal catering customers, supporting local sourcing and the NRW isst gut! regional commitment.
• Rullko Frischfleischservice (Fresh Meat Service) Dedicated fresh meat supply service for communal catering customers, leveraging the in-house Fleischerei (butchery) at the Hamm-Rhynern Großmarkt for portion-controlled cuts.
• Rullko Betriebsberatung (Catering Business Consulting) Operational and strategic consulting services for communal catering customers, including Rullko Check audits, Rullko Expert advisory, CCPlus operational support and the 'Natürlich gut kochen' marketing concept.

Quantifiable outcome

• Order lead times shortened through beleglose (paperless) warehouse operations via pL-Store LVS with voice picking in cold storage.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• LEIPA (Papier.Union GmbH)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Rullko and LEIPA (a paper/packaging company) jointly drive the digitization of vocational training. A joint article about this initiative was featured in the Wir Magazin. Both companies collaborate on using digital tools for apprentice development.
• Frigoblock (EK2 Whisper refrigeration units)minorOthers · 1 December 2022Rullko equipped its new trucks with Frigoblock EK2 Whisper refrigeration units — the latest generation of whisper-quiet cooling systems for distribution transport. The units reduce noise emissions by ~5 dB(A) compared to the previous EK25U-SL model, support automatic switch between grid and generator modes, and meet IFS food quality standards. Equipment deployed from December 2022.
• proLogistikcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2017Rullko partnered with proLogistik (Dortmund-based intralogistics systems house) to implement pL-Store LVS Foodline warehouse management software across two sites with ~14,000 storage positions. The system enables paperless operations, mobile terminals, voice picking in cold storage, real-time inventory, MHD/RLZ tracking, batch management, temperature monitoring, and IFS Logistics 2.2 compliance. Implementation was completed in four phases throughout 2018.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationRullko's WARENwirtschaftssystem (ERP) is Microsoft Dynamics AX, serving as the core business system integrated with the proLogistik warehouse management system.
• Intergast Großverbraucherservice Handelsgesellschaft mbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRullko is a member of the Intergast cooperative, a national purchasing and marketing association for large-scale catering suppliers. This membership enables Rullko to serve national accounts and system gastronomy chains and provides collective purchasing power.
• KlöberKASSELminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRullko offers distance learning (Fernlehrgänge) and continuing education programs exclusively through a partnership with KlöberKASSEL, a consulting and training company. These are offered as part of Rullko's seminar program to customers and employees.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EGV|AG Unna: EGV|AG Unna is a regional foodservice wholesaler based in NRW serving institutional and gastronomy customers in the same geography as Rullko. Most direct regional competitor; notably, Rullko's current deputy sales director Bernhard Huber joined Rullko from EGV|AG Unna in January 2020.
• Chefs Culinar GmbH & Co. KG: Chefs Culinar is a leading German broadline foodservice distributor with strong focus on institutional catering (care homes, hospitals, schools) and gastronomy. Highly comparable to Rullko due to overlapping target segments, full-service wholesale model, and similar software-supported customer engagement.
• Selgros Cash & Carry: Selgros operates cash-and-carry wholesale markets across Germany serving gastronomy trade customers with broad food and non-food assortments. Directly comparable to Rullko's Großmarkt cash-and-carry concept at the A2 motorway location, with similar self-service trade customer flow.
• Transgourmet Deutschland: Transgourmet Deutschland is the largest broadline foodservice distributor in Germany, supplying institutional catering, gastronomy, and hotels nationwide through both delivery and Selgros cash-and-carry. Directly comparable to Rullko as a B2B broadline foodservice wholesaler serving the same target customer segments, though at significantly larger national scale.

Regional players

• Handelshof: Handelshof is a cash-and-carry and wholesale foodservice provider headquartered in Essen, NRW, serving gastronomy and trade customers in the Ruhr region. Comparable to Rullko's Großmarkt concept with similar offerings but focused on the western Ruhr geography rather than eastern Westphalia.
• Frischeparadies: Frischeparadies is a German premium specialty foodservice supplier offering fresh, gourmet, and specialty products to high-end gastronomy customers. Comparable to Rullko's gastronomy supply on customer overlap, but focused on premium specialty rather than Rullko's broader broadline assortment.

Others

• proLogistik GmbH: proLogistik is a Dortmund-based intralogistics software provider that supplied Rullko's pL-Store LVS Foodline warehouse management system. Comparable as an infrastructure and technology provider serving the foodservice and wholesale industry with warehouse management and voice-picking solutions.
• Intergast Großverbraucherservice Handelsgesellschaft mbH: Intergast is the German cooperative of foodservice wholesalers that provides collective purchasing power and national account capabilities. Rullko is itself an Intergast member; comparable as an adjacent enabling organisation that extends Rullko's national reach through cooperative channels rather than as a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• METRO AG: METRO AG operates the largest cash-and-carry (METRO/MAKRO) and delivery foodservice business in Germany, serving hotels, restaurants, and caterers nationwide. Comparable as a broad incumbent in foodservice wholesale, though significantly larger and with broader geographic reach than Rullko's Hamm-centric operations.

Emerging players

• OrgaCard GmbH: OrgaCard provides cafeteria and mess hall management software for institutional catering operations in Germany. Directly comparable to Rullko Menü © in the food-service management software category, with overlapping functionality in meal planning, ordering, and kitchen management for German Verpflegungsbetriebe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@rullko3616
• Facebookfacebook.com/Rullko
• Instagraminstagram.com/rullko

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Rullko Grosseinkauf