KS-ORIGINAL
KS-ORIGINAL is a German brand association of regional calcium silicate brick manufacturers, producing Kalksandstein wall systems and engineered building products (KS-PLUS, KS-QUADRO) for architects, planners, construction firms, and residential developers across Germany.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1894
- HeadquartersHanover, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What KS-ORIGINAL does
KS-ORIGINAL is the brand association (Markenverbund) of medium-sized regional manufacturers producing calcium silicate bricks (Kalksandstein) in Germany. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Hanover, the company operates as a private GmbH coordinating production, R&D, marketing, and standards under a single national brand while member manufacturers retain independent regional operations. Its core product is the KS* Kalksandstein — a heavy wall building material with high bulk density and compressive strength used for load-bearing interior walls, non-load-bearing partitions, and exterior wall applications (including ETICS, rear-ventilated facades, and two-leaf masonry with facing brick). The portfolio is extended by engineered systems: KS-PLUS (a machine-assisted masonry building system with site management services) and KS-QUADRO (a modular grid-element system in standard, Etronic, and Therm variants), plus visible-masonry products (KS-Fasenstein, KS-Verblender), small/medium formats, and KS-Leichtwand partitions.
KS-ORIGINAL generates revenue primarily through hardware sales of branded calcium silicate bricks and engineered wall systems, distributed via the nationwide network of regional manufacturers and supported by regional sales representatives and a digital shop (Digitale Originale on Shopify) for technical documentation, CAD tools, and specification texts. The company targets architects, planners, construction companies, and residential developers, and is recognized as the market leader in multi-story residential calcium silicate construction in Germany, evidenced by consecutive Architects' Darling Gold Awards in the masonry category. Technical support offerings — CAD wall optimization for KS-QUADRO, construction site management for KS-PLUS, and the 8th-edition Planungshandbuch — function as specification-stage services that lock KS-ORIGINAL into project planning workflows. The federal industry association (Bundesverband Kalksandsteinindustrie e.V.) and political engagement on affordable housing extend the brand's influence into policy and industry-standard setting.
KS-ORIGINAL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KS-ORIGINAL
- Legal name
- KS-ORIGINAL GMBH
- Website
- https://ks-original.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1894
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- KS-ORIGINAL is a German brand association of regional calcium silicate brick manufacturers, producing Kalksandstein wall systems and engineered building products (KS-PLUS, KS-QUADRO) for architects, planners, construction firms, and residential developers across Germany.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KS-ORIGINAL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Building Materials (Masonry)
- NAICS
- Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing (327331)
- SIC
- Concrete, Gypsum & Plaster Products (3270)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sand-Lime / Fly-Ash Bricks & Blocks (IMADABAF)
Keywords
Where KS-ORIGINAL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hanover
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
KS-ORIGINAL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Building Materials Sales: KS-ORIGINAL generates revenue through the sale of calcium silicate bricks and related building materials through their network of regional manufacturers in Germany. The company operates as a brand association of medium-sized manufacturers who produce and deliver products under the KS-ORIGINAL brand.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
KS-ORIGINAL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KS-ORIGINAL manufactures and distributes calcium silicate (Kalksandstein) bricks and engineered wall systems through a brand association of regional medium-sized manufacturers in Germany. Its core product line, KS* Kalksandstein, is a heavy wall building material used as load-bearing or non-load-bearing walls, extended through proprietary building systems (KS-PLUS, KS-QUADRO E/Etronic/Therm) and supporting services such as CAD wall optimization, construction-site management, and digital planning tools for architects, planners, and construction companies.
Product overview
KS-ORIGINAL is a brand association (Markenverbund) of medium-sized lime sandstone (Kalksandstein) manufacturers. The product portfolio centers on the KS* Kalksandstein core brand — a heavy wall building material with high bulk densities and compressive strengths — extended through modular building systems and masonry products. The KS-PLUS building system and the KS-QUADRO modular masonry system (with E, Etronic, and Therm variants) provide engineered solutions for diverse construction applications. Supporting these are small and medium format products, the KS-Leichtwand non-load-bearing interior wall system, and visible masonry products (KS-Fasenstein, KS-Verblender). A digital ecosystem — the Produktfinder tool, the Digitale Originale knowledge/shop platform on Shopify, CAD-wall optimization services, and the KS-Lexikon — rounds out the offering for architects, planners, and builders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- KS-PLUS: A building system product line for lime sandstone construction.
- KS-QUADRO
- KS-Leichtwand
- KS-Fasenstein
- KS-Verblender
Products and services
- KS* Kalksandstein (KS* Lime Sandstone)
Companies that use KS-ORIGINAL
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
KS-ORIGINAL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
KS-ORIGINAL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Bundesverband Kalksandsteinindustrie e.V.coreFederal Association of Calcium Silicate Brick Industry. KS-ORIGINAL is associated with this industry body, with Jan Dietrich Radmacher serving as both board member of KS-ORIGINAL and Chairman of the Federal Association. The association publishes the Planning Handbook (Planungshandbuch) as a central reference for the construction industry.
- Radmacher KalksandsteinecoreRegional manufacturer partner within the KS-ORIGINAL brand association network. Hosted a visit from former Labor Minister Hubertus Heil in 2026 to discuss affordable housing and innovative construction methods at their Wendeburg facility.
- Regional Manufacturers NetworkcoreKS-ORIGINAL operates as a brand association (Markenverbund) of medium-sized regional calcium silicate brick manufacturers. These regional partners produce and deliver KS-ORIGINAL branded products throughout Germany, providing localized service and delivery capabilities.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
KS-ORIGINAL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Xella International: Xella manufactures calcium silicate masonry units under the Silka brand alongside autoclaved aerated concrete (Ytong, Hebel), making it the closest like-for-like producer to KS-ORIGINAL's Kalksandstein offering in Europe.
- H+H International: H+H produces calcium silicate (sand-lime) bricks and aircrete blocks across Northern and Central Europe, directly comparable to KS-ORIGINAL's core product and engineering-block portfolio (e.g., KS-QUADRO).
Broad incumbents
- Wienerberger AG: Wienerberger is the world's largest producer of clay bricks and a broad masonry/building-solutions incumbent; KS-ORIGINAL's KS-Verblender facing brick competes in the same visible-masonry category across the German market.
- Heidelberg Materials: Heidelberg Materials is a major German-headquartered cement, aggregates, and ready-mixed concrete producer; its walling-systems portfolio overlaps with KS-ORIGINAL's heavier structural walling and concrete masonry applications.
- Saint-Gobain: Saint-Gobain operates a broad European building products portfolio including masonry and plaster systems; it competes with KS-ORIGINAL in wall systems for residential and commercial buildings as a multi-material incumbent.
- CRH plc: CRH is a global building materials group with significant European masonry and concrete products exposure; it competes with KS-ORIGINAL across concrete block, walling systems, and adjacent architectural masonry categories.
- Holcim: Holcim produces cement, aggregates, and concrete products globally, including concrete masonry and walling solutions that overlap with KS-ORIGINAL's structural wall offerings in European markets.
- Cemex: Cemex is a global cement, ready-mix concrete, and concrete masonry products producer whose European block and walling solutions overlap materially with KS-ORIGINAL's engineered masonry positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KS-ORIGINAL social profiles
Digital presenceKS-ORIGINAL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KS-ORIGINAL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
KS-ORIGINAL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KS-ORIGINAL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KS-ORIGINAL
What does KS-ORIGINAL do?
KS-ORIGINAL manufactures and distributes calcium silicate (Kalksandstein) bricks and engineered wall systems through a brand association of regional medium-sized manufacturers in Germany. Its core product line, KS* Kalksandstein, is a heavy wall building material used as load-bearing or non-load-bearing walls, extended through proprietary building systems (KS-PLUS, KS-QUADRO E/Etronic/Therm) and supporting services such as CAD wall optimization, construction-site management, and digital planning tools for architects, planners, and construction companies.
Is KS-ORIGINAL a public or private company?
KS-ORIGINAL is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was KS-ORIGINAL founded?
KS-ORIGINAL was founded in 1894. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is KS-ORIGINAL based?
KS-ORIGINAL is headquartered in Hanover, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does KS-ORIGINAL make money?
One revenue line is on record: building Materials Sales.
Who are KS-ORIGINAL's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Xella International and H+H International. Broad incumbents are Wienerberger AG, Heidelberg Materials, Saint-Gobain, CRH plc, Holcim and Cemex.
Does KS-ORIGINAL have an API?
No public API is recorded for KS-ORIGINAL.
What industry is KS-ORIGINAL in?
KS-ORIGINAL's product category is Building Materials (Masonry). Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADABAF, Sand-Lime / Fly-Ash Bricks & Blocks. Its NAICS code is 327331 and its SIC code is 3270.