Kurt Obermeier

What Kurt Obermeier does

Kurt Obermeier GmbH is a German specialty chemicals distributor and formulator founded in 1948, headquartered in Bad Berleburg with a branch office in Duisburg. The company employs approximately 180 staff across administration, sales, production, and laboratory functions, distributing third-party brands such as LANXESS (Lewatit® ion exchange resins, Bayhibit®, Mersolat®, Bayoxide®, Diphyl®), Honeywell UOP (MOLSIV® molecular sieves under Platinum Partner status), Nouryon (Levasil® silica sols), LEVACO (emulsifiers and dispersants), and Aqua Air Adsorbens (activated carbon), while manufacturing proprietary product lines under KORASILON® (silicones including defoamers, fluids, emulsions, pastes, and release agents), KORATECT® (silicone masonry protection), KORAPLEX® (complexing agent blends), and KORA (wood preservatives and surface finishes: Koralan®, Koranol®, Korasit®). Its business model combines traditional B2B distribution with technical application advice, in-house laboratory support, onsite plant trials, and joint product development to produce tailor-made formulations, with sales coverage of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and BeNeLux via field and inside sales teams organized by product category.

The company's technology stack is rooted in chemical formulation rather than digital systems. Production capabilities enable proprietary silicone formulations based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and organically modified siloxanes, wood protection chemistry, and complexing agent blends; the in-house laboratory supports quality assurance, technical sales, and customer-facing application engineering. Burt Obermeier positions itself as a "problem solver" for industrial customers, addressing foam control, surface treatment and release, water purification, gas drying and separation, heat transfer, and wood preservation needs across plastics, rubber, textile, foundry, construction, water treatment, and chemical processing industries.

Commercial operations rely on quote-based, multi-year B2B contracts with enterprise industrial buyers; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is third-generation, family-owned and operated under CEO Jochen Obermeier, with no institutional investors, no public listing, and no venture or private equity funding on record. Certifications including ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and EcoVadis support enterprise procurement requirements. The combined distributor-formulator model and DACH+BeNeLux geographic footprint provide the basis for the company's competitive position, though no revenue, growth rate, or profitability figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Kurt Obermeier

Legal name

Kurt Obermeier GmbH

Website

https://obermeier.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kurt Obermeier GmbH is a third-generation, owner-managed German specialty chemicals distributor and formulator, distributing third-party brands and manufacturing proprietary KORASILON® silicones and KORA wood protection products for industrial customers across DACH and BeNeLux.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246), Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing (325611)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Adhesives & Sealants (2891)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Surfactants & Performance Additives (IMAEABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wood Treatment & Specialty Preservatives (IMAEABAO)

Keywords

• Specialty chemicals distribution
• Silicone formulations manufacturing
• Wood preservative products
• Water treatment chemicals
• Industrial chemical supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Berleburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Chemicals Distribution: Distribution of specialty chemicals with technical application advice and laboratory support. Products include activated carbon, alkane sulphonates, alkyl phosphates, antistatic agents, Baypure products, emulsifiers, defoamers, ion exchanger resins, silica sols, phosphonates, technical oxides, molecular sieves, and heat transfer media.
2. Proprietary Silicone Products (KORASILON®): Formulation and sale of proprietary silicone products under the KORASILON® brand including defoamers, fluids, emulsions, pastes, release agents, and special products. Also joint product development with customers for tailor-made products.
3. Wood Protection Products (KORA): Manufacturing and distribution of wood preservatives and surface finishing products for trade and industry under the KORA brand, including Koralan, Koranol, Korasit, and industrial coatings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kurt Obermeier GmbH distributes and formulates specialty chemicals for industrial customers, with a portfolio centered on silicones (proprietary KORASILON® defoamers, fluids, emulsions, pastes, release agents, and KORATECT® masonry protection) and distributed specialty chemicals (activated carbon, ion-exchange resins, alkane sulphonates, silica sols, phosphonates, technical oxides, molecular sieves, heat-transfer media). The company also manufactures wood preservatives and surface finishing products under the KORA brand (Koralan®, Koranol®, Korasit®), and provides technical application advice, laboratory support, and joint product development alongside product supply.

Product overview

Kurt Obermeier GmbH is a specialty chemicals distributor and manufacturer established in 1948, headquartered in Bad Berleburg with a branch in Duisburg, Germany. The company operates approximately 180 employees and serves as both a distributor of international specialty chemical brands and a manufacturer of proprietary products. The core product portfolio centers on silicones (KORASILON® brand including defoamers, fluids, oil emulsions, pastes, release agents, and masonry protection products under KORATECT®), complemented by specialty chemicals including activated carbon (AQUA-AIR-ADSORBENS), alkane sulphonates (Mersolat®), alkyl phosphates, antistatic agents (Statexan K1), complexing agents (Baypure®), ion exchanger resins (Lewatit®), silica sols (Levasil®), phosphonates (Bayhibit®), technical oxides (Bayoxide®), molecular sieves (UOP MOLSIV®), and heat transfer media (Diphyl®). The company also manufactures wood protection and surface finishing products under the KORA brand (Koralan®, Koranol®, Korasit®). Products are distributed with technical application advice and laboratory support, and the company offers customized formulations and joint product development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KORASILON®: Proprietary silicone product line including defoamers, fluids, oil emulsions, pastes, release agents, and additives based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and organically modified siloxanes.
• KORATECT®
• KORAPLEX®
• Koralan®
• Koranol®
• Korasit®

Products and services

• KORASILON® Silicones

Quantifiable outcome

• Purities up to <1 ppm achievable with molecular sieves
• +1 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• LANXESS Deutschland GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationKey supplier of ion exchange resins (Lewatit brand) and other specialty chemicals. LANXESS is a major manufacturer of chemical products including Bayhibit phosphonates, Mersolat alkane sulphonates, and Bayoxide technical pigments. Kurt Obermeier has been distributing LANXESS products for over 30 years.
• Honeywell UOPcoreTechnology or IntegrationUOP (now Honeywell UOP) is the manufacturer of molecular sieves/zeolites sold under MOLSIV brand (previously Baylith). Kurt Obermeier holds Platinum Partner status as Industrial Solutions distributor. Products include 3A, 4A, 5A, and 13X molecular sieves in various forms.
• Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals)coreTechnology or IntegrationManufacturer of silica sols (Levasil colloidal silica brand, previously Bindzil/Cembinder). Nouryon supplies colloidal silica solutions used in foundries, refractory, dental, chemical, paper, plastics, coating, textile, and building industries.
• LEVACO Chemicals GmbHmajorTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of emulsifiers and dispersing agents including ethoxylated/propoxylated alcohols, phenols, acids, oils, and condensation products.
• Aqua Air Adsorbens GmbH & Co. KGmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for activated carbon distribution. Aqua Air Adsorbens produces activated carbons from charcoal, hard coal, coconut shells, and bamboo. Kurt Obermeier offers their complete service including supply, return and reactivation, and rental adsorber systems for air and water treatment.
• KORA HolzschutzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKurt Obermeier manufactures wood preservatives and surface finishing products under the KORA brand including Koralan (water-based), Koranol (solvent-based), Korasit (preservative salts), and industrial coatings. These products serve trade and industry requirements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Azelis: Belgian-headquartered global specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor; competes with Obermeier across additives and silicones in DACH but operates at vastly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Brenntag: World's largest chemical distribution company; competes broadly across all of Obermeier's product lines in DACH but with full-line logistics, e-commerce platforms, and a global warehouse network that dwarfs mid-tier players.
• Caldic: Rotterdam-headquartered specialty chemicals distributor operating across Europe with formulation and application-development capabilities similar to Obermeier, but at larger scale and broader geographic coverage.
• IMCD: Dutch-listed global specialty chemicals distributor with deep presence in industrial additives and silicones across Europe — directly overlaps with Obermeier's portfolio but at significantly larger scale and publicly-listed visibility.

Direct peers

• Biesterfeld: Hamburg-based specialty chemicals distributor with a comparable DACH-centric footprint, broad portfolio across silicones, additives, and industrial chemicals, and similar application-engineering/value-added distribution model.
• Häffner & Co: German specialty chemicals distributor covering industrial chemicals, silicones, and additives across DACH — comparable mid-sized family-influenced competitor with overlapping principal relationships.
• Nordmann, Rassmann: Hamburg-based distributor of specialty chemicals, additives, and natural raw materials serving DACH and broader Europe with technical consulting — closely mirrors Obermeier's chemical distribution + formulation service model.
• CSC Jäklechemie: Nuremberg-based distributor of specialty chemicals, silicones, and raw materials for industrial customers across Germany — comparable product breadth and distribution-led model.
• Overlack: Mönchengladbach-based specialty chemicals and raw materials distributor serving DACH/BeNeLux with focus on industrial additives and formulation support — comparable mid-tier competitor.
• TER Chemicals: Hamburg-headquartered specialty chemicals distributor focused on additives, silicones, and industrial raw materials across DACH/BeNeLux with technical sales support — direct overlap with Obermeier's Specialty Chemicals and Silicones divisions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kurt_obermeier

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Kurt Obermeier