ABPE

What ABPE does

ABPE GmbH (legal name: Abschleppdienst ABPE GmbH) is a privately held, family-owned towing, vehicle recovery, and breakdown service company headquartered in Grefrath-Oedt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and operating across four regional locations in the Lower Rhine area (Kempen, Krefeld, Duisburg, Grefrath). Founded in 1964 by Walter Erens and now led in its third generation by Marius Erens since 2021, the company delivers a portfolio of nine services split between core operations — vehicle towing (including heavy-duty LKW towing), vehicle recovery from off-road and stuck situations, crane operations, breakdown assistance with on-site OBD diagnostics, and vehicle pickup/transport — and specialized operations covering certified oil track removal and traffic surface cleaning, parking space monitoring on private property, and free end-of-life vehicle collection for fire department training exercises.

The underlying technology is a modern, specialized fleet of towing vehicles, heavy-duty truck recovery units, mobile cranes, and on-board diagnostic devices used for initial vehicle assessments and temporary roadside repairs. Distribution is direct and on-site: services are dispatched through a 24/7 operations model, with cost settlement handled directly via contractual relationships with automotive clubs, roadside assistance providers, and insurance companies rather than billed to end users. The business model is transaction-fee based, with pricing quote-driven and not publicly disclosed; revenue is derived from B2B contracts with all major automotive clubs, insurance companies, and assistance providers on the German market, supplemented by direct service to private individuals, car dealerships, and repair workshops.

Commercially, the company is sales-led with a hybrid B2B/B2C motion: anchor enterprise relationships are managed through direct contractual partnerships covering 25+ partners, while consumer demand is captured via the company website, an active Facebook presence, and on-call dispatch. Trade credentials include Meisterbetrieb der Kfz-Innung certification, VBA Fachbetrieb membership, and authorized Annahmestelle für Altautos status. The business is regional in scope with no disclosed international footprint, no subsidiaries, no external funding, and no M&A activity; growth to date has been organic, driven by service-line diversification (added in 2009 under Marcus Erens) and geographic expansion within the Lower Rhine region.

Name

ABPE

Legal name

Abschleppdienst ABPE GmbH

Website

https://abpe-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ABPE GmbH is a family-owned German towing, vehicle recovery, and breakdown service company founded in 1964, operating four locations across the Lower Rhine region with 15 employees and contracts with all major automotive clubs, insurance companies, and roadside assistance providers on the German market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Grefrath

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Towing and Recovery Services: Primary revenue stream from towing vehicles following breakdowns or accidents, truck towing services, vehicle recovery from difficult situations (off-road, stuck), crane work operations, and on-site breakdown assistance (Pannenhilfe). Services include cost settlement with insurance partners and contracts with automotive clubs and assistance providers.
2. Parking Space Monitoring Services: Removal of illegally parked vehicles from private lots, company premises, and property driveways. Costs are billed to the violator.
3. Oil Spill Cleanup Services: Certified traffic surface cleaning, accident scene remediation, and extreme dirt removal services for contaminated surfaces on industrial sites, roads, and other traffic areas.
4. Vehicle Pickup and Delivery Service: Transportation of vehicles to desired destinations with proper authorization. Vehicle transport service to preferred workshops.
5. End-of-Life Vehicle Acceptance: Free collection of scrap and end-of-life vehicles from owners, primarily for firefighter training purposes. Provides disposal certificates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ABPE GmbH is a family-owned towing, vehicle recovery, and breakdown assistance service provider operating since 1964 across the Lower Rhine region of Germany. The company offers towing (including heavy trucks), vehicle recovery from difficult situations, mobile breakdown repairs with on-board diagnostics, crane operations, oil spill cleanup, parking enforcement, and free scrap vehicle pickup for fire department training. The business holds contracts with all automotive clubs, insurance companies, and roadside assistance providers active in the market.

Product overview

ABPE GmbH is a family-owned towing and vehicle recovery service company (Abschleppdienst Bergedienst Pannendienst) operating since 1964. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of nine core and specialized services organized into two categories: core services (towing, truck towing, vehicle recovery, crane work, breakdown assistance, and vehicle transport) and specialized services (oil track removal, parking space monitoring, and vehicle acceptance for fire department training). The company operates with contracts with all automobile clubs, assistance services, and insurance companies, serving auto dealerships, workshops, and private customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Abschleppen (Towing)
• LKW abschleppen (Truck Towing)
• Bergungen (Vehicle Recoveries)
• Kranarbeiten (Crane Work)
• Pannenhilfe (Breakdown Assistance)
• Pick Up (Vehicle Transport)
• Ölspurbeseitigung (Oil Track Removal)
• Parkraumüberwachung (Parking Space Monitoring)
• Annahme von Fahrzeugen (Vehicle Acceptance for Fire Department Training)

Quantifiable outcome

• Complete cost settlement handled through partner contracts - no additional administrative burden or cost for the customer
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Automobilclubs (All Automotive Clubs on the Market)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABPE GmbH has established contracts with all automotive clubs operating in the market. These partnerships involve providing towing, recovery, and breakdown services to club members, with cost settlement handled directly between ABPE and the automotive clubs.
• Assistancen (Roadside Assistance Providers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContractual agreements with all roadside assistance (Assistance) providers in the market for breakdown response services. Services include vehicle recovery, towing, and emergency roadside assistance with direct billing to the assistance provider.
• Versicherungen (Insurance Companies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect contracts with all insurance companies present in the market for vehicle recovery and cost settlement services. ABPE handles the complete administrative process of cost settlement under existing policy relationships.
• Autohäuser und Werkstätten (Car Dealerships and Repair Shops)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReliable partner for numerous car dealerships and workshops in the region. Services include vehicle transport, customer vehicle pickup, and breakdown support. Vehicles can be delivered directly to preferred workshop locations.
• Feuerwehr (Fire Departments)minorOthersOngoing search for scrap and end-of-life vehicles to support firefighter training exercises. Vehicles are used for simulating traffic accidents and training rescue operations. Free pickup service provided with disposal certificate given to vehicle owner.
• Heavy Equipment Partner (for LKW and Crane Operations)majorTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for highly specialized towing vehicles and crane equipment used in truck recovery and heavy lifting operations. Collaboration enables handling of heavy loads with technical equipment and specialized knowledge.
• Environmental Cleanup PartnermajorTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for modern and proven equipment used in oil spill cleanup, traffic surface cleaning, and environmental remediation services. Ensures environmentally compliant hazardous material removal from operating sites, roads, and traffic areas.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/abpegmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abpe-gmbh

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 ABPE