B+T Unternehmensgruppe

What B+T Unternehmensgruppe does

B+T Unternehmensgruppe is a family-owned German surface-technology group headquartered in Hüttenberg, with a second production site in Wetzlar (Mittelhessen region), operating as a GmbH & Co. KG and led in the second generation by CEO Frank Benner alongside third-generation shareholders Annalina and Sarah Benner. Its core business is galvanic surface treatment of metals — zinc coatings, hardening and tempering (heat treatment) — plus comprehensive quality assurance including optical sorting, salt-spray testing and microscopic analysis, supplemented by proprietary process tools such as the ProStab/ProOp bath-optimisation principle, RFID-based production tracking, and an in-house IT department operating under Industry 5.0 principles.

The company serves primarily the automotive sector (approximately 95% of customers) as well as plant/equipment manufacturing and medical technology customers, delivering bespoke, contract-based surface-treatment services directly from its two German production sites with no third-party distribution channels. Annual production volumes reach approximately 107 million coated individual parts. It holds IATF 16949:2016, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, CQI-11 and WHG certifications, and is a member of Umweltallianz Hessen. B+T has reported an 87% reduction in its CO2 footprint and offers per-product CO2-footprint certificates to customers, supporting their own ESG reporting.

Beyond industrial services, B+T operates an in-house AI system on company-owned servers behind its own firewall (managed by a dedicated Data Scientist) used for SOP retrieval, multilingual translation, quotation processes and production-data structuring. It participates in 2–3 publicly funded research projects per year (including 6DEMO, KI-InGaTec and SmARtPlaS) and is represented in the DGO DigiTrans committee chaired by Frank Benner. Revenue and pricing are not publicly disclosed; the business operates as a B2B professional-services model.

Name

B+T Unternehmensgruppe

Legal name

B+T GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://bt-unternehmensgruppe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

B+T Unternehmensgruppe is a third-generation German family-owned surface-technology group operating two plants in Hüttenberg and Wetzlar, providing galvanic coating, hardening and quality-assurance services primarily to automotive customers, with a strong focus on in-house AI, ESG transparency and Industry 5.0 digitalisation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hüttenberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Surface Treatment & Coating Services: Core business: galvanic metal surface treatment, hardening, and coating services delivered to industrial customers, primarily automotive. Services include zinc coatings, hardening, tempering, and quality testing. The company acts as a direct service provider with B2B relationships.
2. Research & Development Services: B+T participates in publicly funded research projects (2-3 new projects annually) in collaboration with scientific and industrial partners, contributing to innovation in surface technology, digital transformation, and sustainability.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

B+T Unternehmensgruppe provides industrial galvanic surface coating and heat treatment services, including zinc and other metal coatings, hardening and tempering, and quality assurance testing for approximately 107 million individual parts per year. The company primarily serves automotive customers (about 95% of its base), with additional work for plant/equipment production and medical technology companies, delivered directly from two German production sites in Hüttenberg and Wetzlar.

Product overview

B+T Unternehmensgruppe is a family-owned surface technology group (3rd generation) offering comprehensive galvanic coating and metal surface treatment solutions. The core product portfolio centers on galvanic surface refinement (including zinc coatings), heat treatment (hardening and tempering), and quality assurance testing services. The company operates two production facilities in Hüttenberg and Wetzlar, serving primarily the automotive industry (95% of customers) as well as medical technology, plant production, and other industrial sectors. Beyond standard coating services, B+T has developed proprietary technology offerings including RFID-based process tracking systems and proprietary AI applications for document management and process optimization. The group participates in multiple German federal research projects (6DEMO, KI-InGaTec, SmARtPlaS, BeStPeri, 3DEMO, MechP3) focusing on digitalization, AI-assisted analytics, augmented reality production support, and sustainable manufacturing. Infrastructure investments include sludge drying and waste shredding equipment for sustainability improvements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Galvanische Oberflächenveredelung (Galvanic Surface Coating) Core galvanic surface coating services for metals, including zinc coatings and other metal surface treatments, delivered to automotive, medical technology, and industrial equipment production customers.
• Härten und Vergüten (Heat Treatment) Professional steel hardening and tempering services for industrial components, performed at B+T's Wetzlar site among others, for automotive and industrial customers.
• Qualitätssicherung (Quality Assurance) Comprehensive testing and inspection services including optical sorting, salt spray testing, and microscopic analysis, providing guaranteed product quality for customers.
• CO2-Footprint Certification for Customers Per-product CO2 footprint certificate for customers documenting the greenhouse gas emissions of the production step performed at B+T, supporting customers' own ESG reporting requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 107 million individual parts coated per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dr.-Ing. Max Schlötter GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Over 37-year partnership. Schlötter supplies B+T with galvanic chemicals and process technologies, including environmentally friendly procedures. B+T presented its first Sustainability Award 2025 to Schlötter. Both companies share a mutual dedication to sustainability: Schlötter develops Cr(VI)-free hard chrome processes, PFAS-free coatings, and closed-loop material cycles; B+T has achieved 87% CO2 reduction. Schlötter provides detailed CO2 footprint data for its products, enabling B+T's sustainability reporting.
• DGO - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Galvano- und Oberflächentechnik e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Frank Benner, CEO of B+T, serves as Chairman of the DGO Fachausschuss 'Digitale Transformation und Innovation' (DigiTrans). B+T hosted the first Fachausschuss meeting in Hüttenberg in April 2025. The collaboration aims to develop a strategy paper for digital transformation in surface technology and to drive FuE projects that strengthen the industry.
• TU Chemnitz - Professur für Werkstoff- und Oberflächentechnik (WOT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023B+T collaborates with the Chair of Materials and Surface Technology (WOT) at TU Chemnitz under Prof. Dr. Thomas Lampke. The partnership focuses on Human-Cyber-Physical Systems (HCPS) research linking humans, AI modelling and digitalisation with manufacturing technologies for human-centred Industry 5.0. B+T presented its Innovation Award 2025 to this department in March 2026. Both partners share a strong curiosity and drive for innovation; B+T's strategy is to support 1-2 research projects annually to maintain knowledge leadership.
• Forschungszentrum Jülich (Project Partner)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Forschungszentrum Jülich serves as project coordinator for the 6DEMO research project funded by the BMWK. The project runs from 01/01/2023 to 31/12/2026 (FKZ: 03EN1071G) and focuses on modular platform technology for air purification and energy efficiency in production environments.
• 6DEMO Research Consortium PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The 6DEMO project (BMWK funded, FKZ: 03EN1071G, 01/2023–12/2026) involves a consortium of research institutions and industrial partners: IBR and IWF of TU Braunschweig, Fraunhofer IST, IUTA Duisburg, INVENT GmbH, Opel–Stellantis Germany GmbH, Online IAT GmbH, Domologic Home Automation GmbH, MSA Technologies and Enterprise Service, National Jürgens Brauerei, and Forschungszentrum Jülich as project coordinator. B+T serves as an application partner hosting project meetings.
• ZVO - Zentralverband OberflächentechnikminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerB+T actively participates in ZVO Oberflächentage industry conferences. At the 2025 ZVO Oberflächentage, Timm Straub (Data Scientist) and Edgar Kaufmann (CTO) delivered a presentation on 'AI in Surface Production – From Vision to Reality'. ZVO is the central association for surface technology in Germany.
• RKW HessenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRKW Hessen conducted a 'Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften' (Sustainable Business) workshop at B+T in November 2024, supported by IHK Lahn-Dill, to launch ESRS-compliant sustainability reporting and conduct a materiality analysis.
• Theodor-Heuss-Schule (THS) WetzlarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerB+T cooperates with THS Wetzlar, a vocational school. In December 2020, a long-term cooperation agreement was signed. B+T donated servers, sponsors best-graduates awards, and supports the school's promotion association (Frank Benner is chairman). Activities include best-graduation ceremonies, a 'Zukunftsgarten' (apple tree garden) project, and support for the e-Government qualification track.
• Werner-von-Siemens-Schule WetzlarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerB+T donated three high-performance servers to support network technology and administration training. Fabian Herbst, Head of IT at B+T, delivered lectures on network installation and domain creation. Ongoing IT support has been provided since July 2021.
• Gesamtschule Schwingbach HüttenbergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerB+T cooperates with Gesamtschule Schwingbach to offer practical career orientation, particularly for Hauptschulzweig students and those in the inclusive spectrum. The company provides internship places and ongoing internship opportunities to facilitate the transition from school to working life.
• ERF Medien (Der Sinnsender)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-company training cooperation with ERF Medien for media design apprentices. ERF's apprentice learned web design and CMS tools at B+T; B+T employees participated in ERF's training programs. Praised by IHK Lahn-Dill press spokesperson as a model for cross-company training cooperation.
• Forum Wiedenest e.V.minorOthersB+T provides regular financial donations to the Christian community centre Forum Wiedenest e.V., which operates a biblical-theological academy and educational offerings. The association also supports education in economically weak countries and disaster relief.
• Hilfswerk Lions Club Wetzlar-SolmsminorOthersAnnual financial support from B+T to the Lions Club Wetzlar-Solms charitable aid organisation, which operates under the motto 'We serve' and provides humanitarian assistance globally, from crisis support to health promotion.
• Mbesa Mission Hospital (Tanzania)minorOthersFrank Benner and B+T Unternehmensgruppe have supported Mbesa Mission Hospital in southern Tanzania for many years through regular donations. In the rural region near the Mozambique border, approximately 45,000 people are served by one doctor (vs. national average of 1:21,000 and Germany 1:270).
• TV HüttenbergminorOthersB+T has been a sponsor of the 1st men's handball team of TV Hüttenberg since summer 2020. The sponsorship also supports the club's youth work and recreational sports activities.
• TV BurgsolmsminorOthersB+T provides financial support to TV Burgsolms, a sports club with a broad range of offerings across different age groups and interests, including various rehabilitation sports programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/but-unternehmensgruppe

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about B+T Unternehmensgruppe