What Paul B. Zimmerman does

Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned industrial and retail holding company headquartered in Lititz, Pennsylvania, operating since 1947 across four core businesses: PaulB Hardware (full-line retail hardware across three Pennsylvania stores in Lititz, Belleville, and Mechanicsburg), PBZ Manufacturing (contract manufacturing offering structural 3D laser cutting, flat bed 2D laser cutting, precision machining, bending, MIG and TIG welding, robotic welding, and assembly), Keystone Koating (powder coating services at two Pennsylvania facilities developed in-house starting in 1985-1986), and PaulB Wholesale (distribution of agricultural, industrial, and mechanical parts to retail stores, manufacturers, and repair shops). The company manufactures and sells proprietary branded equipment under the CropCare line (sprayers from 25-gallon ATV units to 1,000-gallon trailer sprayers, plus vegetable equipment such as the PR2500 mulch plastic lifter-wrapper and a Picking Assistant) and the Zimmerman Equipment line (poultry house washers, truck disinfect systems, and cattle control equipment trusted by farmers for over 30 years).

The business model is a hybrid of one-time retail transactions, B2B contract manufacturing and coating services priced on a project/job basis, wholesale distribution to smaller resellers, and OEM equipment sales under proprietary brands. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; orders are placed through account creation on company websites and sales tax is collected in Pennsylvania. The customer base spans individual homeowners and contractors purchasing hardware, regional agricultural producers buying CropCare and Zimmerman Equipment, enterprises requiring contract manufacturing or powder coating in the agricultural, medical, and retail sectors, and downstream wholesale customers. Marketing channels include the company's branded websites, industry publication coverage (Lancaster Farming, Products Finishing, Materials Management & Distribution, Fruit Growers News, Reading Eagle Business Weekly), and long-standing community referral.

The company employs approximately 300 people across the family of companies, with the Zimmerman family retaining ownership and management control across generations since founding. Geographic reach is concentrated in Pennsylvania for physical operations, though the company claims to serve customers 'around the world' from its Lititz base, enabled by e-commerce ordering infrastructure. No external private equity, venture capital, or institutional investment has been disclosed; the business appears to be bootstrapped and family-financed throughout its history.

Name

Paul B. Zimmerman

Legal name

Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc.

Website

https://pbzinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc. is a family-owned, multi-business industrial company in Lititz, PA operating since 1947 across hardware retail, contract manufacturing, powder coating, and wholesale parts distribution, serving homeowners, contractors, agricultural producers, and industrial customers with proprietary CropCare and Zimmerman Equipment brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Hardware Retailers (44414), Lawn and Garden Tractor and Home Lawn and Garden Equipment Manufacturing (333112), Machine Shops (33271), Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers (444)

SIC

Lawn & Garden Tractors & Home Lawn & Gardens Equip (3524), Sheet Metal Work (3444), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Power Equipment Parts & Service Retail (CRAIADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lawn & Garden Equipment Retail (Mowers, Trimmers, Blowers) (CRAIAIAA)

Keywords

• Agricultural sprayers
• Contract manufacturing
• Powder coating services
• Hardware retail
• Wholesale parts distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Lititz

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Retail Sales: Retail sales of hardware products including tools, paint, plumbing, electrical, and agricultural parts through PaulB Hardware stores and e-commerce ordering.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale supply of agricultural, industrial, and mechanical parts to retail stores, manufacturers, and repair shops.
3. Contract Manufacturing: Full-service manufacturing services including laser cutting, machining, welding, and assembly for contract clients, from component parts to complete assemblies.
4. Powder Coating Services: Powder coating finishing services for metal surfaces serving the Paul B. Zimmerman family of companies and external customers in agricultural, medical, and retail industries.
5. Equipment Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of branded equipment under CropCare and Zimmerman Equipment brands including sprayers, poultry house washers, and truck disinfect systems.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc. is a family of companies operating retail hardware stores (PaulB Hardware), full-service contract manufacturing (PBZ Manufacturing), powder coating finishing services (Keystone Koating), and wholesale parts distribution (PaulB Wholesale). It also manufactures and sells proprietary agricultural equipment brands CropCare (sprayers and vegetable equipment) and Zimmerman Equipment (poultry house washers, truck disinfect systems, cattle control equipment).

Product overview

Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc. is a family of companies offering a diversified portfolio of hardware retail, manufacturing, and agricultural equipment products. The core operating units include PaulB Hardware (retail hardware store), PBZ Manufacturing (full-service manufacturing shop that also manufactures the CropCare and Zimmerman Equipment brands), Keystone Koating (powder coating services), and PaulB Wholesale (wholesale parts distribution). The products span from consumer-facing retail hardware and agricultural sprayers to industrial manufacturing services and powder coating.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CropCare: PBZ manufactures high quality sprayers under the CropCare brand, including a full line from 25 gallon ATV to 1,000 gallon trailer sprayers, as well as vegetable equipment such as mulch Plastic Lifter-Wrapper and Picking Assistant for produce.
• Zimmerman Equipment

Products and services

• PBZ Manufacturing Services Full-service contract manufacturing including structural 3D and flat bed 2D laser cutting, precision machining, bending, MIG and TIG welding, robotic welding, job shop, and contract manufacturing from prototyping to mass production. Serves industrial and commercial customers requiring fabricated parts and assemblies.
• CropCare Sprayers and Vegetable Equipment Full line of agricultural sprayers from 25 gallon ATV to 1,000 gallon trailer sprayers, plus vegetable equipment including the PR2500 mulch Plastic Lifter-Wrapper and Picking Assistant for produce. Proprietary sprayer pumps and accessories including foam markers. Designed for farmers and agricultural operators.
• Zimmerman Equipment (Poultry House Washers and Truck Disinfect Systems) Branded agricultural equipment including Poultry House Washers, Truck Disinfect Systems, and cattle control equipment. Manufactured by PBZ for biosecurity and livestock management on farms.
• PaulB Hardware Retail Full-line hardware retail with three physical store locations in Pennsylvania (Lititz, Belleville, Mechanicsburg) selling tools, paint, plumbing, electrical, and agricultural parts. Also offers repair services for power tools, windows, screens, and key cutting for homeowners, contractors, and agricultural customers.
• Keystone Koating Powder Coating Services Environmentally-friendly dry-painting powder coating finishing services for metal surfaces, with equipment designed and built in-house. Two Pennsylvania locations (Lititz and Mifflintown) serving agricultural, medical, and retail industry customers. Named Top Shop in North America by Products Finishing magazine for three consecutive years (2015-2017).
• PaulB Wholesale Distribution Wholesale supply of agricultural, industrial, and mechanical parts (including power drive equipment, sprayer parts) to retail stores, manufacturers, and repair shops. Achieved a 0.06 percent inventory error rate through warehouse management system integration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Third consecutive year named a top finishing shop in North America by Products Finishing magazine
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• North Group ConsultantsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting firm in Lititz, Pennsylvania that has worked with Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc. for a number of years, providing business consulting services. Featured in company recruitment materials to showcase client relationships.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• True Value: Hardware cooperative supplying independent retailers, comparable to PaulB Hardware as a peer in the independent home improvement and hardware retail channel.
• Ace Hardware: Largest U.S. hardware cooperative serving independent retailers, similar in model to Do it Best. Comparable to PaulB Hardware as a competing independent hardware store operating under a co-op banner.
• Grainger: Large industrial MRO parts distributor and supplier. Comparable to PaulB Wholesale as a broadline distributor of agricultural, industrial, and mechanical parts to retailers, manufacturers, and repair shops.
• MSC Industrial Supply: Major distributor of metalworking and industrial products. Comparable to PaulB Wholesale and PBZ Manufacturing in the industrial and mechanical parts wholesale and manufacturing value chain.
• Do it Best: Hardware cooperative that supplies independent hardware retailers across the U.S. PaulB Hardware has an explicit relationship with Do it Best Corp (including a Do it Best Retail Management Certification scholarship awarded to a PaulB Hardware employee), making it a directly comparable channel and supply partner.
• Stihl USA: Leading manufacturer of outdoor power equipment including chainsaws, trimmers, and blowers. Comparable to PaulB Hardware's outdoor power equipment parts and repair service offerings as a category leader whose products flow through independent hardware channels.

Direct peers

• Hardi North America: Manufacturer of agricultural crop sprayers and spraying equipment. Directly comparable to Paul B. Zimmerman's CropCare brand, which manufactures a full line of sprayers from 25-gallon ATV to 1,000-gallon trailer units for crop care applications.
• Hagie Manufacturing (CLAAS): Specialized manufacturer of self-propelled agricultural sprayers, now owned by CLAAS. Comparable to CropCare in the crop sprayer manufacturing category with overlap on large-capacity spraying equipment.
• Tucker Industries: Independent industrial powder coating and metal finishing service provider. Directly comparable to Keystone Koating's contract powder coating services for agricultural, medical, and retail industry customers.
• Demco (Dethmers Manufacturing): Manufacturer of agricultural sprayers, applicators, and farm equipment with branded products serving farmers. Comparable to CropCare and Zimmerman Equipment in the niche agricultural equipment manufacturing space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Paul B. Zimmerman