Elmer
Elmer Gruppe is a leading German specialty wholesaler for sanitary, heating, and climate (SHK) products, serving professional tradespeople via 90+ branches, the ELMER PRO B2B portal, and proprietary exclusive brands, with a complementary consumer bathroom-exhibition network (badpunkt) in NRW.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersBottrop, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Elmer does
Elmer (legal entity Elmer Dienstleistungs GmbH & Co KG, operating as Elmer Gruppe) is a German specialty wholesaler for Sanitär, Heizung, Klima (SHK — sanitary, heating, and climate) products, headquartered in Bottrop and operating since 1965. The company serves professional tradespeople (SHK Fachhandwerk) through a hybrid model: 90+ physical branch locations with pickup markets across Germany, eight regional wholly-owned sales companies (Zimmer und Kellermann, Menge, Schmitz Haustechnik, Tigges+Zepke, Reichwald, Bechem, Reinshagen & Schröder, Vetter + Engels) preserving local market identity, and the ELMER PRO B2B online shop providing access to over 400,000 articles with centralized document management. The company employs more than 1,600 people and is led by managing shareholders Armin Nowak and Bastian Hördemann.
The business combines third-party brand distribution (Geberit, Daikin, Fantini, Keuco) with a proprietary exclusive-brand portfolio (Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, SCALIDO), the latter generating differentiated margin and brand equity — including a triple SCHÖNER WOHNEN BEST OF DESIGN-Award for SCALIDO products. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time wholesale product sales to professional customers at quote-based pricing (professional registration required via ELMER PRO), supplemented by consumer-facing bathroom design and installation services delivered through 40+ badpunkt exhibitions concentrated in North Rhine-Westphalia. Inventory scale is a core operational feature: over 9 million articles are claimed to be immediately available for rapid delivery.
Structurally, Elmer is part of the HBG consortium of German SHK wholesalers, which provides collective industry scale while the company retains autonomous regional operations. The technology stack is conventional — an e-commerce portal, digital services, and pickup-market logistics — with no disclosed AI/ML, API platform, or proprietary data assets. Distribution rather than technology is the primary moat.
Elmer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Elmer
- Legal name
- Elmer Dienstleistungs GmbH & Co KG
- Website
- https://elmer.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Elmer Gruppe is a leading German specialty wholesaler for sanitary, heating, and climate (SHK) products, serving professional tradespeople via 90+ branches, the ELMER PRO B2B portal, and proprietary exclusive brands, with a complementary consumer bathroom-exhibition network (badpunkt) in NRW.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Elmer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bottrop
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Elmer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Product Sales (Wholesale): Wholesale distribution of sanitary, heating, and climate (SHK) products to professional tradespeople through physical branches and online channels. Revenue generated from the sale of branded and exclusive-brand products.
- Exclusive Brand Sales: Sales of proprietary exclusive brands including Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, and Scalido which offer premium price-performance ratio.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | B2B Professional Customer Pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Elmer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Elmer Gruppe is a leading German SHK (Sanitär, Heizung, Klima) specialist wholesaler that distributes sanitary, heating, and climate products to professional tradespeople through 90+ physical branch locations with pickup markets and the ELMER PRO B2B online shop (400,000+ articles). The group also serves end consumers via 40+ badpunkt bathroom exhibition showrooms in NRW, complemented by proprietary exclusive brands (Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, Scalido).
Product overview
Elmer Gruppe is a B2B wholesale distributor for Sanitär, Heizung, Klima (plumbing, heating, air conditioning) operating with a multi-component offering. The core product is the ELMER PRO professional online shop enabling trade professionals to order from over 400,000 articles. Supporting this are over 90 physical locations with pickup markets and more than 40 badpunkt bathroom exhibition showrooms offering consultation and planning services. The company also offers an exclusive brand portfolio including Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, and Scalido, alongside complementary digital services. This structure combines physical wholesale distribution with e-commerce capabilities and proprietary branded products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sanibel: Exclusive brand with TOP price-performance ratio
- Comfort by Sanibel
- 4YOU
- Arto
- SCALIDO
- badpunkt
- ELMER PRO
Products and services
- ELMER PRO Professional Online Shop
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 9 million articles immediately available for fast, reliable delivery
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Elmer
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Elmer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Elmer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- GeberitminorBrand partnership - Geberit products available through Elmer Gruppe distribution network as part of their wide brand selection offering
- DaikinminorBrand partnership - Daikin climate/hvac products distributed through Elmer Gruppe's 90+ branch locations
- FantiniminorBrand partnership - Fantini bathroom fixtures and fittings available through Elmer Gruppe's wholesale network
- KeucominorBrand partnership - Keuco bathroom accessories and fixtures distributed through Elmer Gruppe's network
- Zimmer und KellermanncoreRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
- MengecoreRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
- Schmitz HaustechnikcoreRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
- Tigges+ZepkecoreRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
- Reichwald HaustechnikcoreRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
- BechemcoreRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
- Reinshagen & SchrödercoreRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
- Vetter + EngelscoreRegional sales company within the Elmer Gruppe umbrella - independently managed sales entity serving as part of the company group's regional structure
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights6 records
Elmer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Würth: Germany-headquartered global leader in industrial and trade supplies with direct-to-tradesperson distribution. Overlaps with Elmer in serving SHK installers but covers a far broader fastener, tool, and chemical range.
- Hagebau: Germany's largest building-materials trade cooperative, offering broader DIY and pro categories including sanitary and heating. Overlaps with Elmer on SHK SKUs but covers wider construction-product scope.
- Eurobaustoff: European building-materials wholesale cooperative serving trade and retail across multiple categories including sanitary/heating. Comparable distribution format and trade customer base, broader product scope.
- Saint-Gobain Distribution Germany: German arm of the French multinational building-products distributor, covering sanitary and broader construction materials. Same trade-customer distribution model but with a much wider portfolio.
Direct peers
- GC-Gruppe: Germany's leading SHK specialist wholesale group, also structured as a federation of regional affiliate companies serving trade professionals. Directly comparable to Elmer in scale, product mix (Sanitär, Heizung, Klima), and branch-based distribution model.
- SHT (Süd-Haustechnik): Regional SHK wholesaler in southern Germany distributing sanitary, heating, and climate products to tradespeople. Overlapping product portfolio and trade-customer model with Elmer.
- Reisser: SHK Fachgroßhandel with regional branch presence across Germany serving professional tradespeople. Directly comparable in product breadth, customer segment, and distribution model.
- Cordes & Graefe: Major SHK wholesaler in northern Germany, now affiliated with the GC-Gruppe network. Same trade-customer focus, same sanitary/heating/climate product range, and similar branch-with-pickup-market format as Elmer.
- Gienger: SHK Fachgroßhandel serving installers with sanitary, heating, and climate products across Germany. Same wholesale trade model and SK target customer base as Elmer.
Regional players
- Travis Perkins: UK-based building-materials merchant with branch network serving tradespeople. Closely comparable business model and trade customer focus, but operates in a different geography than Elmer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Elmer social profiles
Digital presenceElmer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Elmer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Elmer subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Elmer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Elmer 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 Elmer
What does Elmer do?
Elmer Gruppe is a leading German SHK (Sanitär, Heizung, Klima) specialist wholesaler that distributes sanitary, heating, and climate products to professional tradespeople through 90+ physical branch locations with pickup markets and the ELMER PRO B2B online shop (400,000+ articles). The group also serves end consumers via 40+ badpunkt bathroom exhibition showrooms in NRW, complemented by proprietary exclusive brands (Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, Scalido).
Is Elmer a public or private company?
Elmer is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Elmer founded?
Elmer was founded in 1965. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Elmer based?
Elmer is headquartered in Bottrop, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Elmer make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Sales (Wholesale) is the primary driver. The others are exclusive Brand Sales.
Who are Elmer's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Würth, Hagebau, Eurobaustoff and Saint-Gobain Distribution Germany. Direct peers are GC-Gruppe, SHT (Süd-Haustechnik), Reisser, Cordes & Graefe and Gienger. Travis Perkins is listed as a regional player.
Does Elmer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Elmer.