Emil Lux

What Emil Lux does

Emil Lux GmbH & Co. KG was a German private limited partnership headquartered in Wermelskirchen, Germany, founded on May 20, 1919 by Emil Lux sen. as a manufacturer and seller of hand tools. Over the course of more than a century, the company evolved from a standalone tool producer into the global sourcing and quality assurance arm of the OBI Group, one of Europe's largest DIY retail chains. Emil Lux jun. and Manfred Maus, who met at the company in the 1950s, co-founded OBI in 1970 with the first DIY store in Germany; from that point onward LUX branded products have been distributed exclusively through OBI's retail network.

Operationally, Emil Lux functioned as a captive B2B sourcing entity responsible for procurement across DIY categories including Technology, Garden, Living, and Building, and handled seasonal and promotional merchandise as well as permanent assortment items. It maintained wholly-owned sourcing subsidiaries in Hong Kong and Shanghai and a representation office in Ho Chi Minh City, supplemented by a network of independent agencies. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with the company's role as an internal procurement vehicle for the OBI Group rather than a market-facing seller.

In 2024, Emil Lux GmbH & Co. KG merged with Euromate GmbH (founded 2006 as a complementary sourcing organization within the OBI Group) to form OBI Group Sourcing GmbH, which became the legal successor of both entities from September 2024. Emil Lux ceased to exist as a separate legal entity as part of this reorganization, with all business activities and own brands continued under the new sourcing platform.

Name

Emil Lux

Legal name

Emil Lux GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://emil-lux.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Emil Lux was a German sourcing and procurement entity (founded 1919) that supplied tools and DIY merchandise exclusively to the OBI Group retail chain across Europe; in 2024 it merged with Euromate GmbH to form OBI Group Sourcing GmbH, ceasing to exist as a separate legal entity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wermelskirchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Emil Lux GmbH & Co. KG functioned as the global sourcing and procurement entity for the OBI Group, responsible for sourcing tools and DIY products across categories including Technology, Garden, Living, and Building. Founded in 1919 as a tool manufacturer, the company operated sourcing offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Ho Chi Minh City, supplying LUX branded products and other merchandise to OBI's retail chain across Europe. In September 2024, Emil Lux merged with Euromate GmbH to form OBI Group Sourcing GmbH as their legal successor.

Product overview

Emil Lux operates as a sourcing and procurement organization within the OBI group ecosystem. The company's core offering centers on LUX branded tools and DIY products, spanning multiple product categories including Technology, Garden, Living, and Building. Originally founded in 1919 as a tool manufacturer, the company evolved to handle Global Sourcing operations for the OBI group, maintaining subsidiaries in Hong Kong and Shanghai and representation in Ho Chi Minh City, with a network of independent agencies. In 2024, Emil Lux GmbH & Co. KG merged with Euromate GmbH to form OBI Group Sourcing GmbH, combining their sourcing strengths for the OBI group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LUX Produkte (LUX Products) Tools and DIY products originally manufactured and sold by Emil Lux since 1919, covering categories including Technology, Garden, Living, and Building. The LUX product line is sourced and distributed through the OBI Group's retail network.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• OBI Group Holding: Parent group and sole primary customer of Emil Lux. As the major German DIY retailer operating hundreds of stores across Europe, OBI defines the demand environment, assortment strategy, and growth trajectory that Emil Lux's sourcing operations serve.
• Leroy Merlin: Major European DIY and home improvement retailer with extensive own-brand tools and hardware. Operates a comparable private-label sourcing and quality assurance model across multiple European geographies alongside OBI.
• Kingfisher plc: UK-listed home improvement retailer (B&Q, Castorama, Screwfix) with a substantial own-brand strategy. Comparable to OBI in operating a multi-country DIY retail footprint with significant exclusive-brand share sourced globally.
• Stanley Black & Decker: Global manufacturer of hand tools, power tools, and hardware under brands like Stanley, Black & Decker, and DeWalt. Comparable product category to LUX tools sold via OBI, and competes for shelf space and private-label contracts at major DIY retailers.
• Bosch Power Tools (Robert Bosch): Leading global manufacturer of power tools, hand tools, and accessories under Bosch, Dremel, and Skil. Comparable product portfolio to LUX tools and a key brand competitor on OBI and competitor DIY shelves.

Direct peers

• Bauhaus (BAUHAUS AG): Pan-European DIY and home improvement retailer with a large own-brand tool and hardware assortment. Directly comparable to OBI's model that Emil Lux supplies, and competes for the same end consumers across Germany and neighboring markets.
• Hornbach Baumarkt AG: German-headquartered DIY retail chain with extensive own-brand tools, garden, and building products. Closely comparable end-market positioning and private-label strategy to OBI, the retail platform Emil Lux serves.
• Hagebau: German DIY retail cooperative with own-brand tool and hardware offerings. Comparable to OBI in serving the German DIY consumer with multi-category assortments including tools, garden, and seasonal merchandise.
• Gedore Group: German-headquartered hand tools manufacturer with a broad portfolio of wrenches, screwdrivers, and specialty tools. Closely comparable to Emil Lux's original manufacturing heritage and competes for similar DIY and professional channels in Europe.
• Knipex (C. Gustav Putsch KG): Premium German hand tools specialist (pliers, cutting tools) with a strong own-brand presence in European DIY and trade channels. Comparable heritage German manufacturer positioning to Emil Lux and competes on similar shelves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 Emil Lux