Schirm

What Schirm does

Schirm GmbH is a German-headquartered contract manufacturing service provider for the global chemical industry, operating five centers of excellence across Germany (Schönebeck, Baar-Ebenhausen, Lübeck, and Wolfenbüttel) and the United States (Ennis, Texas). The company offers full-service synthesis, formulation, drying, granulation, milling, blending, and packaging operations to agrochemical, fine, and specialty chemical customers, serving both global players and startups. Since January 30, 2018, Schirm has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of South African chemical conglomerate AECI Group, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange; the firm itself traces its chemical-manufacturing lineage back to Carl Samuel Hermann's late-18th-century "Hermania" operations, with the modern holding established in 1984.

The company's technical platform centers on three multi-purpose synthesis plants with 46 reactors (1-10 m³ volumes), temperature control from -15 to +240°C, and capability for pressure or vacuum reactions on highly viscous products, plus an extensive formulation equipment fleet (Nauta Mixers, Lödige Druvatherm, pearl mills, AFG-400 air jet mills, spray and fluid-bed dryers, twin-dome and basket extruders). On-site analytical capabilities include HPLC, GC, TLC, IR, DSC, and rheometry, with the company's quality control lab performing laser-diffraction particle sizing, Karl Fischer titration, and TOC analysis. Schirm is licensed to process very toxic, highly flammable, corrosive, and CMR substances, maintains dedicated containment for highly active ingredients such as sulfonyl urea, and holds ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, and 50001 certifications, plus DIN EN ISO 22716 cosmetics GMP at its Baar-Ebenhausen site.

Schirm's revenue model is B2B contract manufacturing on a quote-based, non-publicly-disclosed pricing structure, offered either as toll manufacturing or peak capacity supplementation on a 365-day operating schedule. The company targets four primary customer segments - Agricultural (primary), Life Science, Advanced Materials and Performance Chemicals, and Consumer Goods (Beauty Care and Home Care) - and explicitly commits to neutrality by not holding product registrations or competing in customer markets, reinforcing its position as a trusted outsourcing partner to the chemical industry.

Name

Schirm

Legal name

Schirm GmbH

Website

https://schirm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Schirm GmbH is a German-headquartered contract manufacturer offering synthesis, formulation, drying, granulation, and packaging for agrochemical, fine, and specialty chemicals across five sites in Germany and the United States, operating as a neutral toll producer under AECI Group ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Contract Manufacturing

NAICS

All Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (325199), All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (325998)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Formulation R&D, Scale-Up & Tech Transfer Services (AFABAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Custom Synthesis & Technical Active Ingredient (AI) Manufacturing (intermediates, actives) (AFABAIAI)

Keywords

• Contract manufacturing services
• Chemical formulation services
• Agrochemical synthesis
• Custom chemical packaging
• Toll manufacturing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Schönebeck

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract manufacturing services: Full-service contract manufacturing including synthesis, formulation, drying, granulation, packaging (solid, liquid, pasty chemical substances). Services offered 365 days/year as toll manufacturing or capacity supplementation during peak times.
2. Value-added services: Upstream and downstream services including formulation development, scale-up of synthesis pathways, regulatory support (REACH), procurement management, customs clearance, storage and transport logistics brokerage

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Schirm GmbH is a contract manufacturing service provider for the chemical industry, operating five centers of excellence in Germany and the USA. The company delivers full-service contract manufacturing spanning synthesis of organic compounds (agrochemical, fine, and specialty chemicals), formulation (drying, granulation, blending, wet and dry milling), and packaging of solid and liquid chemical products in a wide range of pack sizes. Services are offered 365 days per year either as toll manufacturing or as peak-capacity supplementation for chemical producers.

Product overview

Schirm GmbH is a contract manufacturing service provider for the chemical industry, operating five centres of excellence in Germany and the USA. Its portfolio spans three core services — Synthesis (organic compound synthesis using multi-purpose reactors), Formulation (processing liquid, pasty, and solid substances via granulation, drying, blending, wet and dry milling), and Packaging (filling solids from 200 mg to 500 kg and liquids from 2 mL to tankers). These core services are supplemented by Value-Added Services including formulation development, scale-up, regulatory support (REACH), procurement management, customs clearance, and contract analyses. The company serves four market segments: Crop Protection (its historical foundation), Life Science (additives for automotive), Advanced Materials & Performance Chemicals (construction and material protection), and Consumer Goods (Beauty Care and Home Care). Schirm is a subsidiary of South African chemical corporation AECI since January 2018.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Synthesis

Quantifiable outcome

• No accidents or security incidents at sites (zero-incident approach)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Leading research institutes and universitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchirm works closely with leading research institutes and universities for development, testing and analysis of various procedures and products in their state-of-the-art laboratories and process pilot plant.
• Transport and logistics service providersminorOthersFor logistics services, Schirm is in contact with important market suppliers or operates own warehouses approved for hazardous substance storage. They broker storage and transport solutions for customers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PMC Group: PMC Group is a diversified specialty chemicals manufacturer with custom manufacturing services across multiple end-markets—comparable to Schirm in scope of chemistry but operating at much larger scale and across more segments.
• Johnson Matthey: Johnson Matthey operates a sizable chemicals and catalysts manufacturing business that includes custom synthesis for fine chemicals and life sciences—a broader specialty chemicals incumbent with overlapping toll capabilities.
• Borregaard: Borregaard operates specialty biorefineries and chemical manufacturing with a focus on performance chemicals and contract manufacturing capabilities—a larger specialty chemicals incumbent with adjacent contract manufacturing exposure.

Direct peers

• WeylChem Group: WeylChem operates multi-purpose plants in Europe providing toll manufacturing and custom synthesis for crop protection and specialty chemicals; comparable in customer profile, geography, and contract manufacturing focus.
• Hikal Limited: Hikal is an Indian CDMO providing custom synthesis, contract manufacturing, and active ingredient production for agrochemical and pharmaceutical customers—a comparable service model with geographic cost-base differentiation.
• CABB Group: CABB is a custom manufacturer of fine chemicals and intermediates with GMP-certified facilities serving agrochemical, pharmaceutical, and specialty chemical customers—an analogous toll manufacturing business with overlapping capabilities.
• Dishman Carbogen Amcis: Dishman Carbogen Amcis offers contract development and manufacturing for active pharmaceutical ingredients and agrochemical intermediates—a comparable custom synthesis and contract manufacturing service provider.
• Novasep: Novasep provides custom synthesis and manufacturing services for the life sciences and specialty chemicals industries, including agrochemical intermediates—comparable toll manufacturing model with similar customer types.
• Saltigo (Lanxess): Saltigo is the custom synthesis and toll manufacturing arm of Lanxess, providing multi-purpose synthesis and contract manufacturing of agrochemical and fine chemical intermediates—directly comparable to Schirm's synthesis services and customer base.
• SEQENS (formerly PCAS): SEQENS is a European fine chemicals CDMO offering custom synthesis, formulation, and complex chemistry services for agrochemical and specialty chemical customers—closely comparable to Schirm's full-service contract manufacturing model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schirm-gmbh

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Schirm