What Link Substrate & Erden does

Link Substrate & Erden is a German family-owned manufacturer and supplier of specialized substrates and earth products for urban greening, garden and landscape construction, roof greening, and sports facility construction. The company operates a decentralized production and distribution network of ten Erdenwerke (soil works) across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with documented delivery coverage extending to the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Italy, and the Czech Republic. Production is anchored on volcanic and mineral raw materials — Eifel lava, Rhenish pumice (Bims), and thermally expanded slate (Blähschiefer) — sourced from owned deposits in the Vulkaneifel, Neuwied Basin, and Thuringian Slate Mountains, combined with quality-certified green compost. Finished products are tested and certified to FLL (Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau) guidelines, the de facto European standard for landscape substrates, and include differentiated SKUs such as FLL1/FLL2 volcanic tree substrates, heavy-duty substrates for traffic-loaded tree pits, a purely mineral blowable substrate free of Verticillium/Phytophthora spores, and the EBC-certified CarboGreen biochar slurry substrate derived from the Stockholm sponge-city model. Physical water-storage and air-porosity targets exceed 45 Vol% and 55–60 Vol% respectively after compaction.

The commercial model combines a project-driven enterprise sales motion (phone-based Verkaufszentrale, silo-truck delivery with up to 130m hose reach for difficult-access sites, project-quote pricing) with a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel (shop.link-substrate.de) and a channel-partner motion for roof substrates distributed exclusively through green-roof system providers. Revenue streams include one-time substrate/soil/rock-material sales, professional delivery and disposal services, seasonal winter-grit sales, and recycled construction materials produced through mobile crushing/screening. The customer base spans garden and landscape contractors, municipalities, construction firms, sports field and golf course builders, and named enterprises such as IKEA, Porsche, Audi, SAP, Red Bull, NH Hotel, Motel One, the UN Campus Bonn, and the Bundesgartenschau Koblenz. Legal entities include Paul Link GmbH & Co. KG (the founding partnership), Link Substrate GmbH, and Link Substrat Produktion und Handels GmbH; managing directors Martin Link and Ulrich Maier run the business with no external private equity or venture capital involvement evidenced in the source data.

Name

Link Substrate & Erden

Legal name

Paul Link GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://link-substrate.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Link Substrate & Erden is a German family-owned manufacturer of FLL-certified volcanic substrates, expanded slate, and specialty soils serving urban greening, green roof, landscape construction, and sports facility projects across DACH and broader Europe via ten production sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscaping Substrates and Growing Media

NAICS

Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531), Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers (444), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200), Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030), Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400), Retail-Lumber & Other Building Materials Dealers (5211)

akta.pro primary industry

Compost & Soil Amendment Product Manufacturing/Blending (Value-Added Organics) (BPALAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compost Product Distribution, Retail & Landscape Supply (Bulk/Bagged) (BPALAEAI), Digestate & Compost Product Processing, Marketing & Distribution (Soil Amendments, Mulch) (EUAIAEAE), Landscape Material & Dirt Removal (Soil, Sod, Rocks) (HSAIAOAC), Soils, Mulch, Fertilizers & Lawn Care Chemicals Retail (CRAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Tree pit substrates
• Green roof substrates
• Volcanic growing media
• Landscape construction materials
• Urban greening supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Korntal-münchingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Substrate and Soil Sales: Sale of specialized substrates including tree substrates, lawn substrates, planting soils, roof substrates, and drainage materials to garden/landscape contractors, municipalities, and construction companies.
2. Rock Materials and Gravel: Sale of rock building materials including basalt, granite, Jura limestone, gravel, sand, and slate for construction and landscaping applications.
3. Delivery Services: Silo truck delivery service with blowing capability up to 130m distance, plus standard loose delivery and packaged delivery in Big Bags or sacks.
4. Winter Grit/De-icing Materials: Seasonal sale of winter grit materials including Alpine moraine, expanded clay, Jura limestone, lava grit, and limestone grit for anti-slip road and walkway treatment.
5. Disposal Services: Acceptance and processing of excavation soil, construction debris, and other waste materials at designated locations, including complete waste recovery processing for categories Z0, Z1.1, Z1.2, and Z2 per LAGA.
6. Recycling Construction Materials: Production and sale of recycled construction materials using mobile crushing and screening technology, including RC-sand and recycled gravel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Link Substrate & Erden manufactures and supplies specialized substrates and earth products for urban greening, garden and landscape construction, sports facility construction, and roof greening. The company produces FLL-certified tree substrates, grass substrates, planting soils, roof substrates, and drainage/rock building materials (lava, pumice, expanded slate, expanded clay) sourced primarily from volcanic raw materials, distributing via 10 decentralized soil works locations across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, plus an e-commerce online shop.

Product overview

Link Substrate & Erden is a manufacturer and supplier of substrates and earth products for urban greening, garden, and landscape construction. The company operates as a single unified product portfolio centered on specialized growing media and earth products, distributed through both a direct sales network and an e-commerce platform. The core product line includes Baumsubstrate (tree substrates) tested to FLL guidelines in vulcanic, heavy-duty, and blowable variants; Rasensubstrate (grass substrates) and SchotterRasen (stone-grass composites) for lawn and turf applications; Pflanzerden (planting soils) encompassing universal, garden intensive, trough, perennial, underground garage, and track greening substrates; and Dachsubstrate (roof substrates) for green roof applications. Supporting products include Lava, Blähschiefer (expanded slate), Bims (pumice), and Blähton (expanded clay) as drainage materials; Gesteinsbaustoffe (rock building materials) such as basalt, granite, Jura, gravel, sand, and schist split; Recycling-Baustoffe (recycled construction materials); and Winterstreugut (winter grit). Services include a nationwide online shop, delivery via silo trucks with blowing capability up to 130-150m, disposal and recycling services, and specialized供应 for golf course and sports field construction. The company maintains ten production sites across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for decentralized delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Link BaumSubstrat: Tree substrates for urban tree planting, available in FLL1 (non-buildable) and FLL2 (buildable) variants, including volcanic, mineral, and heavy-duty options.
• Link Rasensubstrat
• Link Universalpflanzerde
• Link GartenIntensiverde
• Link Trogerde
• Link ParkRaum Tiefgaragensubstrat
• LinkBlähschiefer
• LinkLava / Link Eifel-Lava
• LinkCarbogreen Schlämmsubstrat
• Link SchotterRasen

Products and services

• Tree Substrates (Baumsubstrate) Volcanic and mineral substrates for urban tree pits, certified to FLL guidelines for non-buildable (FLL1) and buildable (FLL2) applications, including heavy-duty variants for traffic-loaded surfaces and mineral blowable variants delivered via silo truck up to 130m. Intended for garden and landscape contractors, municipalities, and urban greening projects.
• Grass Substrates (Rasensubstrate) FLL-certified substrates (0-5mm and 0-8mm grain sizes) for establishing new lawn areas, providing moisture retention, root aeration, and high tread stability. Also includes SchotterRasen stone-grass composite for load-bearing surfaces such as driveways, parking areas, and fire department access routes. Used by landscape contractors and sports facility constructors.
• Planting Soils (Pflanzerden) Range of planting soils on mineral basis including Universalpflanzerde (universal planting soil), GartenIntensiverde (volcanic garden intensive soil for installation depths over 30cm), Trogerde (mineral trough planting soil), Staudensubstrat (perennial substrate), ParkRaum Tiefgaragensubstrat (underground garage substrates), and Gleis-Substrat (track greening substrate for rail applications). For landscape contractors, urban greening projects, and rail infrastructure.
• Roof Substrates (Dachsubstrate) Roof substrates including drainage materials, mineral/substratum, extensive substrates, and intensive substrates for green roof applications. Sold exclusively through green roof system providers covering coastal to Alpine regions in Germany. Used by roof greening contractors and system integrators for commercial and municipal buildings.
• Drainage Materials (Lava, Blähschiefer, Bims, Blähton) Volcanic rock-based drainage materials and aggregates: Eifel-Lava from the Vulkaneifel region for drainage, vegetation layers, soil improvement, hydroculture, and winter grit; Blähschiefer (expanded slate) produced through thermal processing without chemical additives; Rhenish Bims (pumice) from the Laach Lake basin; and Blähton (expanded clay) per DIN 4226. Used by landscape contractors, sports field builders, and construction companies.
• Rock Building Materials (Gesteinsbaustoffe) Rock building materials including basalt, granite, Jura limestone, gravel, sand, slate chippings, and frost-resistant Alpine Moraine Edelsplitt for construction and landscaping applications. Sourced from works in Upper Swabia, the Rhine Valley, and other regional quarries. Sold to construction companies and landscape contractors.
• Winter Grit (Winterstreugut) Winter grit and de-icing materials including Alpine Moraine Edelsplitt, expanded clay (Blähton), Jura splitt, Lava grit, and shell limestone splitt for anti-slip treatment of roads, walkways, and public spaces. Available in 1000L Big Bags or 25L sacks with free Germany-wide shipping. Sold to municipalities, facility managers, and individual consumers.
• Recycled Construction Materials (Recycling-Baustoffe) Recycled construction materials produced via mobile crushing and screening technology, including RC-sand, recycled crushed stone, and concrete recycling products. Sold to construction companies and infrastructure projects.
• Fill Materials (Verfüllung) Construction fill materials including gravel, sand, split, crushed stone, and lava for cavity filling, trench backfill, and foundation fill. Delivered directly to construction sites via silo trucks with hose lengths up to 150m. Used by construction companies for site preparation.
• Disposal Services (Entsorgung) Acceptance and processing of excavation soil, construction debris, clay brick debris, and other waste materials at designated locations including Korntal, Lüneburg, and Mannheim, with complete waste recovery processing for LAGA categories Z0, Z1.1, Z1.2, and Z2. Includes complete recycling coordination. Targeted at construction companies and contractors.
• Online Shop (shop.link-substrate.de) E-commerce platform (shop.link-substrate.de) offering substrates, lava, sand, winter grit, and grass products for direct purchase with Germany-wide delivery within 5-7 days. Free shipping on online shop orders. Serves individual consumers, small contractors, and professional purchasers.
• Golf Course Construction Supply (Golfplatzbau) Supply of construction materials including turf topsoil, maintenance mixtures, mineral and organic soils, bunker sands, and top dressing sands for golf course construction, maintenance, and renovation projects. Targeted at golf course constructors and groundskeepers.
• Sports Field Construction Supply (Sportplatzbau) Supply of bulk construction materials for construction, maintenance, and renovation of sports fields including football pitches. Includes specialized turf substrates, drainage materials, and sand products. Targeted at sports field constructors and groundskeepers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products tested according to FLL guidelines (European-recognized standard for landscape and urban greening)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bundesverband GebäudeGrün e.V.coreOthersIndustry association membership for building greening, providing network and visibility in the green roof and urban greening sector.
• Verband Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau Baden-Württemberg e.V.coreOthersRegional industry association membership for garden, landscape, and sports field construction in Baden-Württemberg.
• Roof Greening System Providers (Gründach-Systemanbieter)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distribution partnership for roof substrates through selected green roof system providers across Germany from coastal to Alpine regions. These partners offer complete packages from consultation to greening implementation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gramoflor GmbH & Co. KG: German producer of horticultural and landscaping substrates including peat alternatives and special mixes. Overlaps directly with Link's substrate portfolio for professional landscapers and garden centers.
• Floragard Vertriebs GmbH: German substrate manufacturer offering peat-based and specialty growing media for horticulture and landscape. Comparable to Link as a domestic substrate producer serving professional and consumer channels with branded product lines.
• Patzer Erden GmbH: German manufacturer of substrates and growing media serving both professional landscaping and retail garden center channels. Closely comparable product mix and customer segments to Link Substrate.
• Hawita Gruppe GmbH: German peat and substrate producer with comparable product lines for horticulture and landscaping. Competes in overlapping customer segments and product categories.

Broad incumbents

• Klasmann-Deilmann GmbH: Global market leader in growing media headquartered in Germany. Comparable substrate portfolio but operates at much larger scale and serves primarily horticulture rather than Link's specialized roof/landscape construction niche.
• ZinCo GmbH: Provider of green roof systems, including substrates, drainage, and vegetation layers. Overlaps with Link's Dachsubstrate line as both supplier and competitor in the green-roof value chain.
• Optigrün international AG: German green-roof system provider with own substrate specifications. Comparable end-market in roof greening but operating as a system integrator rather than substrate specialist.
• Heidelberger Sand und Kies GmbH: Major German producer of sand, gravel, and aggregates — comparable raw-material side of Link's mineral-substrate business (lava, pumice, expanded slate). Larger and broader in construction materials but overlaps in mineral aggregates for substrate and fill applications.
• Paul Bauder GmbH & Co. KG: Leading German roof system provider including green roof solutions. Link is a substrate supplier to Bauder's roof greening system partners — adjacent/complementary position in the green-roof value chain.

Emerging players

• Sempergreen BV: Dutch-based supplier of green roof and living wall systems, including substrates. Comparable niche in roof greening with stronger focus on prefabricated sedum mats.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/link_substrate
• Facebookfacebook.com/linksubstrate.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/link-substrate

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Link Substrate & Erden