What Fermacell does

Fermacell is a European building materials brand specializing in homogeneous gypsum fibre boards, cement-bonded panels, dry screed floor elements, and underfloor heating systems for dry and timber frame construction. Founded in the early 1970s in Münchehof near Goslar, Germany, the company was the first to industrialize the gypsum fibre board — a compressed matrix of gypsum and paper fibres that delivers fire protection, acoustic insulation, moisture resistance, and structural stability in a single board, eliminating the double-boarding required with conventional plasterboard. The product portfolio now spans the core fermacell® gypsum fibre board, Firepanel A1 (A1 non-combustible), Powerpanel H2O, Powerpanel HD, and Powerpanel TE (cement-bonded boards for wet rooms, facades, and floor heating), the 2E11–2E26 series of dry screed floor elements, and the Therm25™ underfloor heating system with pre-milled pipe channels. The brand operates under James Hardie Europe GmbH (parent James Hardie, NYSE: JHX) following acquisition, and is co-positioned with James Hardie® fibre cement facade products for integrated building envelope solutions. Production is centered at plants in Münchehof (Germany) and Schraplau (Germany), with European headquarters in Düsseldorf.

Fermacell generates revenue through B2B hardware sales of building materials via a dense dealer and distributor network spanning 13+ European countries (Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom), supported by country-specific websites, Area Sales Managers, and free professional specification tools such as the Therm25 layout planning service for projects from 50 m². The GTM is specification-driven, targeting architects, contractors, timber frame builders, flooring specialists, facade installers, and prefabricated housing manufacturers across residential, commercial, hotel, modular construction, and serial renovation segments. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is the European market leader for gypsum fibre and cement-bonded boards, holds the 'Marke des Jahrhunderts' (Brand of the Century) designation from Deutsche Standards, and has achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver for the gypsum fibre board and Therm25, with a minimum 3 kg of recycled paper and cardboard waste per m² and 100% recyclability of returned boards into new production.

Name

Fermacell

Legal name

James Hardie Europe GmbH

Website

https://fermacell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fermacell is a European building materials brand producing gypsum fibre boards, cement-bonded panels, dry screed floor elements, and the Therm25 underfloor heating system for architects, contractors, and prefabricated housing manufacturers across 13+ European countries, operating as a brand under James Hardie Europe GmbH.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Materials (Gypsum Fibre & Cement-Bonded Boards)

NAICS

Gypsum Product Manufacturing (32742)

SIC

Concrete, Gypsum & Plaster Products (3270)

akta.pro primary industry

Gypsum Board & Drywall Panels (IMADAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Exterior Sheathing & Glass-Mat Gypsum Panels (IMADAEAI), Gypsum-Based Underlayments & Self-Leveling Floor Toppings (IMADAEAH), Sheet Goods & Panels Retail (Drywall, Cement Board, Sheathing) (CRAIAEAB)

Keywords

• Gypsum fibre boards
• Dry construction systems
• Cement-bonded panels
• Dry screed floor elements
• Underfloor heating systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Duisburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Building material product sales: Fermacell generates revenue through the sale of gypsum fibre boards, dry floor screed elements, cement-bonded Powerpanel products, and accessories to distributors, dealers, architects, contractors, and building professionals across Europe.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Fermacell manufactures and distributes gypsum fibre boards, cement-bonded Powerpanel boards, dry screed floor elements, and the Therm25 underfloor heating system for walls, ceilings, floors, and facades in dry construction and timber frame building. Products are sold primarily through European dealer and distributor networks, supported by Area Sales Managers and a free professional layout-planning service for Therm25 installations.

Product overview

Fermacell is a comprehensive building materials brand offering system solutions for walls, ceilings, and floors in drywall (drywall construction) and timber frame construction. The product portfolio centers on gypsum fibre boards (fermacell® Gypsum Fibre Board) as the core product, complemented by specialized cement-bonded panels (Powerpanel H2O, Powerpanel HD, Powerpanel TE), dry screed floor elements in various insulation configurations (2E11 through 2E26 series), and the Therm25™ underfloor heating system. The portfolio also includes the Firepanel A1 for fire protection applications, along with accessories including Vapor moisture barriers, ACOUSTIC ceiling panels, and Hardie® branded facade products (Hardie® Shield and fibercement cladding) that work in conjunction with fermacell structural panels to complete building envelopes. All products fall within the James Hardie Europe GmbH corporate structure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Powerpanel®: Water- and weather-resistant cement-bonded boards for interior and exterior applications
• Firepanel A1
• Therm25™
• Aestuver®

Products and services

• fermacell® Gypsum Fibre Board
• Firepanel A1 Fire-resistant gypsum fibre board classified A1 (non-combustible), designed for fire-wall, fire-rated partition, and specialised fire-protection applications in walls and ceilings.
• Powerpanel H2O
• Powerpanel HD
• Powerpanel TE
• Fermacell® Floor Elements (2E11, 2E22, 2E32, 2E35, 2E31, 2E33, 2E13, 2E14, 2E16, 2E26)
• Therm25™ Underfloor Heating System
• Vapor (Vapour Barrier Membrane)
• ACOUSTIC ceiling panels
• Hardie® Shield (spouwplaat / air cavity board)
• Hardie® Fibre Cement Cladding

Quantifiable outcome

• Contains minimum 3 kg of recycled paper/cardboard waste per m²
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• James HardiecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerFermacell is a brand owned by James Hardie Europe GmbH (part of the James Hardie Group). Fermacell gypsum fibre boards are described as an ideal complement to the James Hardie fibre cement product portfolio. Products are co-branded and cross-referenced, with James Hardie facade cladding products (Hardie® VL Plank, Hardie® Shield) complementing Fermacell boards in facade solutions. Fermacell is managed alongside James Hardie brands under a unified European organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Knauf: One of the world's largest manufacturers of gypsum plasterboard, drywall systems, and insulation, with deep European roots. Directly competes with Fermacell across gypsum boards, floor screeds, and dry construction systems, serving the same contractor and architect base.
• Xella International: Manufacturer of Ytong autoclaved aerated concrete, Multipor mineral insulation, and the former owner of the Fermacell brand. Sells competing wall, insulation, and dry-construction systems into the same European specification channels.
• Compagnie de Saint-Gobain — Weber: Saint-Gobain's Weber brand produces industrial mortars, tile adhesives, and facade systems that overlap with Fermacell's Powerpanel cement-bonded facade boards and floor screed elements in European specification channels.
• Etex (Siniat, Promat): Belgian building materials group owning Siniat (drywall and gypsum boards) and Promat (fire-protection boards). Direct competitor across Fermacell's core gypsum board, fire-protection (Firepanel A1 vs. Promat), and facade panel lines.
• Saint-Gobain (Rigips / Gyproc): Global building materials leader with Rigips (Central Europe) and Gyproc (UK/Nordics) brands producing gypsum boards, plasters, and ceiling systems. Direct competitor in European drywall, ceiling, and partition segments with comparable specification-driven GTM.

Broad incumbents

• Georgia-Pacific (Gypsum): Large diversified building products company with a gypsum division (DensGlass, ToughRock). Comparable product portfolio in gypsum sheathing and drywall, but primarily serves North America as part of a broader pulp/paper/building products portfolio.
• James Hardie Industries: NYSE-listed parent of Fermacell and global leader in fibre cement building products. Comparable as a building-envelope systems provider but anchored in fibre cement cladding rather than gypsum fibre boards; complementary in facade solutions.

Regional players

• Boral Limited: Australian building materials group with gypsum, cement, and concrete products. Operates comparable gypsum plasterboard and dry-construction systems but is primarily focused on Australia and select North American markets.
• USG Boral: Joint venture (now under Knauf) producing gypsum boards and ceiling systems across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Comparable product range but operates primarily outside Fermacell's core European footprint.
• National Gypsum Company: North American gypsum board and specialty products manufacturer (Purple XP, eXP). Comparable in gypsum-based wall and ceiling systems but primarily serves the US/Canada market with limited European overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fermacelldenmark
• Facebookfacebook.com/fermacell
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2997331
• Instagraminstagram.com/jameshardie

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Fermacell