Emil Kiessling

What Emil Kiessling does

Emil Kiessling GmbH is a German family-owned private label cosmetics contract manufacturer founded in 1948 and headquartered in Georgensgmünd, Bavaria. The company specializes in formulation, manufacturing, filling, and packaging of private label cosmetics across six core categories: sun care, body care, hair care, hair colour, NaTrue-certified natural cosmetics, and pet care (including the head2tail sub-brand). It serves brand owners, retailers, and formulation holders throughout Europe on either a full-service basis (concept through packaged product) or as a contract filler (Lohnabfüllung) for customers with existing formulations.

Operations are built around a 30-person in-house research and development team, an in-house master hairdresser test salon, and GMP-compliant production infrastructure across two German sites. Georgensgmünd operates 25 state-of-the-art production lines with batch sizes from 500 kg to 6.6 tonnes across tubes, bottles, sprays, triggers, sleeves, and jars; the Erzhausen site, operated by the wholly-owned subsidiary Reichardt Expertise für Kosmetik GmbH & Co. KG under the Reichardt Group, adds five additional production lines plus a manual assembly line for sachets and special formats. The company holds an unusually dense certification stack including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO 22716 Cosmetic GMP, BRC CP, IFS HPC, NaTrue, and RSPO Mass Balance (over 97% of palm oil derivatives), and operates proprietary efficiency systems including a pigging pipe-cleaning installation, an in-house osmosis plant (80% demineralized water yield), and a wastewater treatment system using up to 45% less energy than comparable systems.

Emil Kiessling generates revenue through three streams: full-service private label manufacturing, contract filling (Lohnabfüllung), and research and development services, all priced on a B2B quote basis with no public pricing or consumer-facing channel. The company is led by managing director Martina Reichardt-Demirtas, who assumed leadership in 2007 following her mother Waltraud Reichardt's 2006 acquisition of the company from Procter & Gamble. The firm operates as an independent, family-controlled Mittelstand business with no institutional investor involvement and no public funding history.

Name

Emil Kiessling

Legal name

Emil Kiessling GmbH

Website

https://emil-kiessling.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Emil Kiessling GmbH is a German family-owned private label cosmetics contract manufacturer founded in 1948, serving European brand owners and retailers with formulation, manufacturing, filling, and packaging across sun care, body care, hair care, hair colour, natural cosmetics, and pet care from two GMP-certified sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Label Cosmetics Contract Manufacturing

NAICS

Miscellaneous Manufacturing (339)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling, Treatments) (CRADANAE)

Keywords

• Private label cosmetics
• Contract cosmetics manufacturing
• Natural cosmetics production
• Sun care formulation
• Hair care manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Georgensgmünd

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private label manufacturing: Development, manufacturing, filling, and packaging of private label cosmetics products. Customers receive individual formulations with high-quality ingredients, tested quality, and on-time delivery. Services range from full turnkey (concept + formulation + production + filling + packaging) to selective engagement (e.g., filling only for customers with existing formulations). Revenue is generated through product manufacturing fees, typically per batch or volume-based contracts
2. Contract filling / toll manufacturing: Lohnabfüllung (contract filling) services for customers who have their own formulations but need manufacturing capacity. Provides filling, packaging, warehousing, and logistics services on a fee-per-service basis
3. Research & development services: Product development, marketing concept creation, and formulation services for private label brands. Accompanies customers from initial idea through to market-ready product

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Emil Kiessling is a B2B private label cosmetics contract manufacturer that develops, manufactures, fills, and packages cosmetic products for brand owners, retailers, and distributors across categories including sun care, hair care, hair colour, body care, NaTrue-certified natural cosmetics, and pet care. The company delivers full-service project work from marketing concept and individual formulation development through production, filling, packaging, warehousing, and export logistics, with 30 state-of-the-art production lines and a 30-person in-house R&D department operating out of two GMP-certified German facilities.

Product overview

Emil Kiessling GmbH is a private-label cosmetics manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of six core product categories: Sun Care, Body Care, Hair Care, Hair Colour, Natural Cosmetics (NATRUE-certified), and Pet Care (including head2tail brand). The company provides an integrated service offering encompassing product development, manufacturing, filling (with 25 production lines plus Reichardt Expertise capacity), and warehouse logistics. Services range from complete turnkey solutions to contract filling for customers with existing formulations. The product range spans entry-level to premium formulations, all developed with in-house R&D expertise and subjected to extensive quality testing including Stiftung Warentest and Öko-Test compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• head2tail: Pet care brand offering products such as shampoos, conditioners, care sprays, paw care, and sun protection for pets.

Products and services

• Sun Care Products (Private Label) Private label sun care and sun cosmetic products including sunscreens at SPF 6, 20, 30, 50 and 50+, after-sun products, and self-tanning products developed and manufactured for brand owners and retailers; consistently achieves top ratings from Stiftung Warentest and Öko-Test.
• Body Care Products (Private Label) Private label body care products including body cleansing and care, facial, hand and foot care, shower gels, wash lotions, body lotions, body butters, face creams, serums, and complementary creams and lotions for brand owners and retailers.
• Hair Care Products (Private Label) Private label hair care and styling products including shampoos, treatments, masks, care sprays, oils, hair sprays, pastes, and hair gels formulated for various hair types and brand positioning needs.
• Hair Colour Products (Private Label) Private label hair colouring products including permanent colours, 10-minute colours, semi-permanent colours, intensive tints, starter kits, blonde treatments, colour conditioners, and colour shampoos developed and manufactured fully in-house.
• Natural Cosmetics (Private Label, NaTrue-certified) NaTrue-certified natural cosmetic products for sun protection, body, face, and hair care, manufactured to the internationally recognised NaTrue standard for genuine natural and organic cosmetics.
• Pet Care Products (Private Label) Private label pet care products in cosmetic quality including shampoos for different coats, conditioners, care sprays, paw care, and sun protection, formulated with specific pH values, mild surfactants, and ingredients approved for human cosmetics; includes the head2tail brand.
• Contract Filling Services Contract filling (Lohnabfüllung) services across 30 state-of-the-art production lines capable of filling tubes, bottles, sprays, triggers, sleeves, jars, and sachets in batch sizes from 500 kg to 6.6 tonnes, available both as part of full-service engagements and as standalone filling for customers with their own formulations.
• Research & Development Services In-house R&D services delivered by a 30-person development team, including formulation development to Stiftung Warentest and Öko-Test specifications, application tests, stability tests, storage tests, efficacy proofs, declaration tests, safety assessments, and hair product validation in an in-house master hairdresser test salon.
• Warehouse & Logistics Services Professional warehousing, demand-based inventory management, short handling times, outgoing goods inspection, and fast export processing delivered in cooperation with IFS logistics- and DIN EN ISO 9001-certified logistics partners, supported by AEO customs certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Consistently excellent results from Stiftung Warentest and Öko-Test confirm innovation leadership in sun protection
• +7 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Cancer Societies / Love Your Skin ProjectminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Emil Kiessling GmbH supports educational work on sun protection and skin cancer prevention through the 'Love Your Skin' project, launched in 2021 together with national cancer societies. Consumers can find detailed information on sun protection at love-your-skin.info. Emil Kiessling supports the Love Your Skin initiative as part of its CSR and brand positioning in sun care.
• Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2015Full member of RSPO since January 8, 2015. Emil Kiessling supports the goal of successively certifying palm oil, palm kernel oil, and its fractions and derivatives in products according to RSPO standards. Over 97% of palm oil and palm kernel oil derivatives used are RSPO Mass Balance certified. More information available at www.rspo.org/members/3615
• Reichardt Expertise für Kosmetik GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReichardt Expertise is part of Emil Kiessling GmbH (under the ownership of Mrs Martina Reichardt-Demirtas via the Reichardt Group). The Erzhausen facility operated by Reichardt Expertise complements Emil Kiessling's Georgensgmünd site with 5 production lines and a manual assembly line for sachets and special formats, expanding the company's production capacity and format range.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fareva: One of Europe's largest private label and contract manufacturers of cosmetics, personal care, pharmaceuticals, and household products across multiple European and international sites. Highly comparable as a B2B turnkey contract manufacturer serving brand owners and retailers across personal care categories.
• Cosmax: Global Korean-origin OEM/ODM cosmetics manufacturer offering formulation, filling, and packaging services for brand owners across skincare, color cosmetics, and personal care. Comparable as a contract manufacturer that develops private label and branded cosmetics for retailers worldwide.
• Intercos Group: Italian B2B cosmetics manufacturer specializing in make-up, skin care, and hair care private label and contract manufacturing for global beauty brands. Comparable as a turnkey cosmetics contract manufacturer with in-house R&D and formulation capabilities serving brand-owner customers.
• Schwan-Stabilo Cosmetics: German division of Schwan-Stabilo Group focused on private label and contract manufacturing of decorative cosmetics, skin care, and sun care products. Direct peer given its German footprint, multi-category cosmetics portfolio, and B2B private label focus.
• Velvet Cosmetic Group: German private label manufacturer of decorative cosmetics and personal care products offering development, production, filling, and packaging. Comparable mid-sized German contract manufacturer serving brand-owner and retailer customers across cosmetics categories.

Broad incumbents

• Cosnova GmbH: German beauty company behind brands such as essence and CATRICE, with significant in-house development and manufacturing capability. Comparable as a German cosmetics player but broader in scope as a brand owner rather than a pure contract manufacturer.
• Weleda AG: Swiss-German natural cosmetics brand and manufacturer with NaTrue-certified production across skin care, body care, and sun care. Comparable in natural cosmetics manufacturing capability and NaTrue certification stack, though Weleda operates primarily as a brand owner rather than a pure contract manufacturer.

Others

• Manuchar International: Global distribution and supply chain provider of specialty chemicals and personal care ingredients. Comparable only as an ecosystem participant supplying raw materials and ingredients into European private label cosmetics manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance8 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 Emil Kiessling