What SPAETER group does

CARL SPAETER GmbH (the SPAETER group) is a German steel, metal, and materials trading company headquartered in Duisburg, operating more than 25 wholly-owned subsidiaries and locations across Germany. Founded in 1875 and now in its fifth generation of family ownership, the group functions as a complete provider (Komplettanbieter) of rolled steel, tubes, stainless steel, aluminium, plastics, and industrial raw materials, with global sourcing capability through its dedicated raw materials division. The group serves three primary customer segments — industry, craftsmen/trades (Handwerk), and trade (Handel) — with a fourth segment in industrial raw materials procurement for steel, foundry, refractory, abrasive, plastic, and rubber manufacturers.

The group's product architecture spans commodity trading (steel, tubes, aluminium, stainless steel, plastics), branded specialty lines (CSGreen CO2-reduced steel offering up to 67% CO2 savings, CSMultiCoat color-coated aluminium), and a digital B2B platform (CSConnect) that provides online ordering, real-time inventory checks, EDI integration, and electronic invoicing (ZugFeRD/XRechnung). Processing services — sawing, drilling, sandblasting, and CNC operations — are performed at multiple sites, and the group participates in the Digital Metal Code (DMC) consortium for standardized product identification. Sustainability is operationally embedded, with 10 photovoltaic installations across locations targeting full electricity self-sufficiency by 2026.

Revenue is generated primarily through transactional product sales priced according to material specifications, quantities, and market conditions (quote-based, not publicly disclosed), supplemented by value-added processing services and global raw materials trading. The go-to-market combines direct relationship-based sales at 25+ physical locations, a digital B2B channel via CSConnect, EDI-based automated procurement for larger customers, and a global raw materials trading desk. Ownership is fully private under the Meyer family, with no public listing, no disclosed funding rounds, and no parent company.

Name

SPAETER group

Legal name

CARL SPAETER GmbH

Website

https://spaeter.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SPAETER group is a fifth-generation, family-owned German steel, metal, and materials trading company operating 25+ wholly-owned subsidiaries across Germany, serving industry, craftsmen, and trade customers with rolled steel, stainless steel, aluminium, plastics, raw materials, and CO2-reduced steel products through physical locations and a digital B2B platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Steel and Metal Trading

NAICS

Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812)

SIC

Wholesale-Metals Service Centers & Offices (5051), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Steel Service Centers & Processing (Slitting, Cut-to-Length, Blanking, Leveling) (IMAKABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coated & Plated Steel (Galvanized, Galvalume, Tinplate, Electrogalvanized, Color-Coated) (IMAKABAG), Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB), Metals, Plastics & Fabrication Materials Marketplaces (CRAFAHAN)

Keywords

• Steel and metal trading
• Industrial raw materials
• Stainless steel products
• Aluminium distribution
• B2B materials procurement

Headquarters

HQ city

Duisburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices16 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. Steel and Metal Trading: Core business involves trading steel, stainless steel, aluminium, and plastic products across 25+ German locations. Revenue generated through product sales with pricing based on material specifications, quantities, and market conditions.
2. Raw Materials Trading: SPAETER raw materials division procures industrial raw materials for steel producers, foundries, refractories, abrasives, plastics, and rubber industries worldwide. Over 100 years of experience in raw material sourcing.
3. Processing Services: Value-added services including sawing, drilling, sandblasting, and custom metal processing. Services complement product sales.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SPAETER group is a German family-owned steel, metal, and materials trading company that procures, stocks, processes, and distributes rolled steel, stainless steel, aluminium, plastics, and industrial raw materials through more than 25 wholly-owned subsidiary locations and the CSConnect B2B digital platform. It serves industry, trade, and craftsmen with value-added services such as sawing, drilling, sandblasting, and CNC processing, alongside a CSGreen programme of certified CO2-reduced steel products.

Product overview

SPAETER group is a comprehensive steel, metal, and materials trading company operating over 25 locations across Germany as a complete provider (Komplettanbieter). The group offers a unified platform-plus-subsidiaries architecture comprising core product categories (rolled steel, tubes, stainless steel, aluminium, plastics, raw materials) alongside branded offerings (CSGreen sustainable steel, CSMultiCoat color aluminium, CSConnect digital B2B platform) and 17 subsidiary companies that serve as both sales locations and specialized service centers. These subsidiaries provide material processing services including saw cutting, drilling, sandblasting, and material testing, while the CSConnect digital platform enables online ordering, real-time inventory access, EDI integration, and eInvoicing. The portfolio spans from standard bulk steel products to specialty items like precision tubes and sustainable green steel with documented CO2 savings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CSGreen: CO2-reduced steel product line and brand concept for green steel, offering products with significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to conventional steel.
• CSConnect

Products and services

• Rolled Steel (Walzstahl) Rolled steel products including band sheet, semi-finished products, and special profiles in various designs and sizes, sourced for industrial, trade, and craft customers.
• Pipe and Tube Products (Rohrprodukte) Tube products including railing tubes, construction tubes, and precision tubes in various designs and sizes, plus tube accessories distributed across the SPAETER branch network.
• Stainless Steel Products (Edelstahlprodukte) Stainless steel products including sheets, coils, tubes, strip, and bar steel in various designs and sizes, supplied through specialized SPAETER subsidiaries.
• Aluminium Products (Aluminiumprodukte) Aluminium products for mechanical engineering, automotive industry, and construction in various designs and sizes, including rolled products, extruded profiles, roof and wall systems, and aluminium composite panels.
• Plastic Products (Kunststoffprodukte) Plastic products distributed through CARL SPAETER Kunststoffhandel GmbH in Dortmund, one of the largest stockholding wholesale plastic distributors in the region, also offered at SPAETER Berlin and VON ASCHENBACH & VOSS Krefeld.
• Industrial Raw Materials (Rohstoffe) Raw materials procurement for steel, foundries, refractories, abrasives, plastics, rubber, and other industries, sourced globally by the SPAETER raw materials division on behalf of manufacturers.
• CSGreen CO2-reduced Steel Programme CSGreen is a branded supply programme of CO2-reduced steel products offered by SPAETER, certified by manufacturer certificates with CO2 savings up to 67% versus conventional steel, supplying green steel to industrial, trade, and craft customers.
• CSConnect B2B Digital Platform CSConnect is SPAETER's digital B2B platform enabling 24/7 online ordering, real-time inventory checks, EDI integration, call-off management, electronic invoicing via ZugFeRD/XRechnung, and digital technology consulting for B2B customers.
• CSMultiCoat Color-coated Aluminium CSMultiCoat is SPAETER's branded color-coated aluminium offering, featuring powder coating and wet paint finishes on aluminium sheets and profiles, supplied by SPAETER Duisburg Aluminium.
• Metal Processing Services Value-added metal processing services including sawing (including high-performance circular saws), drilling (including CNC drilling systems at SPAETER Neu-Ulm and Karlsruhe), sandblasting (SPAETER Hamburg), and CNC operations, offered alongside product sales at SPAETER branch locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 67% CO2 reduction compared to conventional steel products through CSGreen program
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ArcelorMittalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for CO2-reduced XCarb® steel beams, newly added to stock program. XCarb® brand represents ArcelorMittal's initiative for CO2-reduced steel products using recycled steel and renewable energy.
• Digital Metal Code (DMC) ConsortiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationParticipation in DMC standardization initiative providing unique product identification for steel and metal products. Enables automated order, quotation, and delivery processes across the industry.
• Various steel mills for CSGreencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaborations with various production mills for CSGreen CO2-reduced steel supply program. Products certified with manufacturer certificates confirming CO2 savings.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Klöckner & Co SE: One of Europe's largest independent steel and metal distributors with operations across Germany, Switzerland, France, and the Americas. Directly comparable to SPAETER as a multi-metal, multi-country service-center distributor, though at significantly larger scale and public-company scale.
• ThyssenKrupp Materials Services: European materials distribution arm of ThyssenKrupp, offering steel, stainless, aluminium, and plastics through service centers with processing. Closely comparable to SPAETER in product mix, processing value-add, and customer segmentation, with broader geographic reach and group backing.
• Stahlo Stahlservice GmbH & Co. KG: German steel service center group offering flat steel processing (slitting, cut-to-length, blanking). Direct German competitor to SPAETER with similar product focus, processing capabilities, and customer base in industry and trade.
• Bebion GmbH: Mid-sized German steel service center focused on flat steel processing and distribution. Comparable to SPAETER in offering slitting, cut-to-length, and distribution to industrial customers in Germany, with similar Mittelstand scale.

Broad incumbents

• Voestalpine AG: Austrian integrated steel and metal processing group with a strong European service-center network. Comparable in offering processed steel, special profiles, and value-added services to industrial and automotive customers, though at significantly larger scale.
• Salzgitter AG: Integrated German steel producer and processor with a strong trading and service-center footprint. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering steel products plus distribution and processing across multiple sites in Germany and Europe.
• Norsk Hydro ASA: Global aluminium producer with growing European downstream and distribution activities, including low-carbon aluminium lines. Comparable to SPAETER Duisburg Aluminium's CSMultiCoat offering as an upstream-and-downstream competitor in coated/specialty aluminium.
• ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products & Distributions: World's largest steel producer with downstream distribution and an expanding XCarb green-steel line — also SPAETER's strategic partner. Comparable because it competes with SPAETER on stock steel while also being a key upstream supplier.

Regional players

• Wieland Group: European specialist in copper and copper-alloy semi-finished products, with German production and distribution roots. Comparable to SPAETER in being a German-rooted specialty metals distributor with value-added processing and B2B industrial customers.

Emerging players

• SSAB AB: Swedish steel producer and pioneer of fossil-free steel (HYBRIT). Comparable as an emerging green-steel player whose direct-to-customer offering and growing distribution footprint will increasingly compete with SPAETER's CSGreen program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries8 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 SPAETER group