WICO
WICO GmbH is a German staffing services company founded in 1998 that provides temporary staffing, direct placement, and outsourcing primarily to automotive, chemical, and logistics industries from branches in Bochum and Rüsselsheim.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersBochum, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WICO does
WICO GmbH is a German personnel services company (Personaldienstleister) founded in 1998, headquartered in Bielefeld with operational branches in Bochum and Rüsselsheim am Main. The firm provides temporary staffing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung), direct placement (Personalvermittlung), and outsourcing/project management services, holding the legally required AÜG license and operating under the iGZ-DGB collective bargaining framework. WICO services cover three primary industrial verticals — automotive, chemical, and logistics — with additional exposure to metalworking, electrical, and crafts sectors. Its core customer base includes manufacturers, chemical plants, and warehouse/logistics operators in the North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate regions.
The company's service portfolio is built around placement of industrial workers (e.g., warehouse staff, metalworkers, painters, electrical inspectors, chemical production technicians) at hourly rates of approximately 15-19 EUR, billable weekly with surcharges for overtime, night, and weekend shifts. Direct placement fees are tiered as a percentage of annual gross salary (28% within 3 months, declining to 10% after 9-12 months). Add-on services include Onsite-Management, Master-Vendor-Konzept, and full outsourcing via service or work contracts. The technology stack is limited to a TYPO3-based website with a job portal, standard marketing tools (Google Analytics, Sendinblue, Google Remarketing, Facebook retargeting), and a GDPR/DDG-compliant consent layer via CookieFirst. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, and no public-facing mobile application.
WICO operates as an owner-managed GmbH under Managing Directors Louis Coenen and Robert Langhans, distributing services through direct sales at its two branches, the website job portal, and inside sales via phone/contact forms. Its go-to-market is sales-led, targeting enterprise and mid-market clients with Onsite and Master-Vendor offerings on the large-account side and SMB self-service inquiries via the website on the smaller end. Marketing channels are modest: a corporate LinkedIn and Xing presence, a kununu employer profile, and basic SEO/retargeting. No public funding, M&A, or accelerated growth indicators are present.
WICO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WICO
- Legal name
- WICO GmbH
- Website
- https://wico-gmbh.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WICO GmbH is a German staffing services company founded in 1998 that provides temporary staffing, direct placement, and outsourcing primarily to automotive, chemical, and logistics industries from branches in Bochum and Rüsselsheim.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WICO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Staffing Services
- NAICS
- Temporary Help Services (561320)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Light Industrial & Warehouse Temp Staffing (BPACACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Independent Contractor Compliance & Classification (IC vs Employee) (BPACAGAA)
Keywords
Where WICO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bochum
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
WICO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (Temporary Staffing Fees): WICO earns revenue through temporary employment services where they supply workers to client companies. Billing is based on hours worked, with weekly invoicing. Overtime, night shift, weekend, and holiday hours are billed with surcharges. The company maintains the required permit for temporary employment under the AÜG law.
- Personalvermittlung (Direct Placement Fees): WICO charges placement fees when clients directly hire or take over temporary workers. Fees are calculated as a percentage of annual gross salary: 28% within first 3 months, 23% after 3 months, 17% after 6 months, 10% after 9-12 months. For direct hires without prior staffing, a 30% fee applies.
- Outsourcing and Project Management: WICO offers outsourcing services and project management, providing complete solutions for clients needing to delegate entire projects or operational tasks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Weekly | Temporary staffing hourly rates |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Direct placement fees by tenure |
| Usage-based | Weekly | Painter/helper rates from ~16 EUR/hour |
| Usage-based | Weekly | Metal worker rates up to 19 EUR/hour |
| Usage-based | Weekly | Warehouse worker rate 15.68 EUR/hour |
| Usage-based | Weekly | Optics production worker rate 18 EUR/hour |
| Usage-based | Weekly | Electrical equipment inspector rate 15.29 EUR/hour |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
WICO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WICO GmbH is a German staffing and personnel services company that supplies temporary workers (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung), recruits candidates for permanent positions (Personalvermittlung), and delivers outsourcing and project management services. The company focuses on providing qualified industrial personnel to businesses in the automotive, chemical, and logistics sectors, operating from branch offices in Bochum and Rüsselsheim. It holds the legally required permit for temporary employment under the Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz (AÜG).
Product overview
WICO is a staffing and personnel services company offering a unified portfolio of workforce solutions. The core offerings consist of temporary labor leasing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) and direct personnel placement (Personalvermittlung), supplemented by on-site management, master-vendor concepts, outsourcing/contract work, and project management services. The company specializes in connecting skilled workers with employers in the automotive, chemical, and logistics industries across Germany, operating from locations in Bochum and Rüsselsheim.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (Temporary Labor)
Companies that use WICO
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WICO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
WICO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered moderate and core.
- GVP (Gesamtverband der Personaldienstleister)moderateWICO is a member of GVP (Gesamtverband der Personaldienstleister), the German employers' association for staffing services. This membership indicates compliance with industry standards and collective bargaining agreements in the temporary employment sector.
- iGZ-DGB-TarifwerkcoreWICO operates under the iGZ-DGB collective bargaining agreement (Tarifvertrag), which sets industry standards for working conditions, pay scales, and employment terms in temporary staffing. This ensures compliance with fair labor standards.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
WICO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Piening GmbH: German staffing and personnel services firm headquartered in NRW. Piening shares the same industrial staffing profile, brand templates, and overlapping social media presence with WICO, suggesting an unusually close operating relationship; both focus on temporary work, permanent placement, and onsite management for industrial clients.
- DIS AG: Germany-based staffing and recruitment firm operating across temporary work, direct placement, and onsite management with a strong industrial/technical focus. Highly comparable to WICO in service mix, target verticals, and German regional branch model.
- Grafton Deutschland: International staffing firm with German operations providing industrial, technical, and commercial temporary staffing and direct placement. Comparable mid-market peer to WICO in core temp staffing model and German regional branch footprint.
- Tempton Personaldienstleistungen GmbH: German staffing firm with strong presence in industrial, technical, and commercial temp staffing plus direct placement. Comparable to WICO in service portfolio, German-only geographic footprint, and use of industry-collective pay scales.
- Persona Service AG & Co. KG: One of Germany's largest personnel service providers with a broad German branch network focused on industrial, technical, and commercial staffing under iGZ/BAP collective agreements. Directly comparable to WICO in core temp-staffing service line and industry mix, though operating at significantly greater scale.
Broad incumbents
- Randstad Deutschland: German arm of global staffing leader Randstad, offering temporary staffing, permanent placement, onsite/MSP, and outsourcing across all major industries including automotive, chemical, and logistics. Overlaps with WICO's services but operates at much greater scale and breadth.
- Manpower Deutschland: German arm of ManpowerGroup, providing temporary staffing, permanent placement, and workforce solutions across industrial, technical, and commercial segments. Comparable service overlap with WICO in temporary staffing and verticals such as automotive and logistics.
- Hays Deutschland: Germany arm of Hays, focused on contract and permanent recruitment across professional and technical specialisms. Comparable to WICO in offering contract staffing and direct placement, though skewed toward white-collar technical roles.
- Robert Half Deutschland: Specialist staffing firm operating in Germany focused on professional, finance, and office-support placement. Overlaps with WICO on placement and contract staffing model, though concentrated in white-collar rather than industrial verticals.
- Adecco Germany: German operation of Adecco Group, providing temporary staffing, permanent placement, and workforce solutions including industrial and logistics verticals. Broadly comparable to WICO in core services but vastly larger and more diversified.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WICO social profiles
Digital presenceWICO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
WICO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WICO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
WICO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WICO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WICO
What does WICO do?
WICO GmbH is a German staffing and personnel services company that supplies temporary workers (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung), recruits candidates for permanent positions (Personalvermittlung), and delivers outsourcing and project management services. The company focuses on providing qualified industrial personnel to businesses in the automotive, chemical, and logistics sectors, operating from branch offices in Bochum and Rüsselsheim. It holds the legally required permit for temporary employment under the Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz (AÜG).
Is WICO a public or private company?
WICO is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was WICO founded?
WICO was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WICO based?
WICO is headquartered in Bochum, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does WICO make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (Temporary Staffing Fees) is the primary driver. The others are personalvermittlung (Direct Placement Fees) and outsourcing and Project Management.
Who are WICO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Piening GmbH, DIS AG, Grafton Deutschland, Tempton Personaldienstleistungen GmbH and Persona Service AG & Co. KG. Broad incumbents are Randstad Deutschland, Manpower Deutschland, Hays Deutschland, Robert Half Deutschland and Adecco Germany.
Does WICO have an API?
No public API is recorded for WICO.
What industry is WICO in?
WICO's product category is Staffing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACACAB, Light Industrial & Warehouse Temp Staffing, with a secondary code of BPACAGAA, Independent Contractor Compliance & Classification (IC vs Employee). Its NAICS code is 561320 and its SIC code is 7361.