Dicke & Partner

What Dicke & Partner does

Dicke & Partner GmbH is a German full-service promotional products (Werbeartikel) agency founded in 1972 and headquartered in Dortmund. The company sources, customizes, and distributes branded merchandise for B2B customers, operating a 120-page annual catalog of products from brand-name manufacturers, a B2B online request shop (Anfrage-Shop) for catalog browsing and quote submission, and a suite of in-house Veredlungstechniken (finishing/imprinting services) including screen printing, pad printing, laser engraving, embroidery, digital UV printing, foil stamping, sublimation, flex transfer, and Doming. Creative, web design, print media, and logistics functions are handled by its wholly-owned subsidiary DWD GmbH (founded 2003), and an optional CO2e compensation add-on is offered in partnership with natureOffice for climate-neutral promotional products.

The business model is primarily transaction-based B2B merchandise sales with quote-based pricing and one-off project work, supplemented by professional services revenue from design, customization/printing, and fulfillment/logistics. Go-to-market is hybrid: a direct sales-led motion targeting enterprise accounts (with named customers including Sparkasse, VB Hamm, TU Dortmund, Spartherm, and Gehwol) plus a self-serve online request shop serving mid-market business buyers. Dicke & Partner is a member of the DIE6 Promotion Service GmbH network (200+ employees, 60 million EUR aggregate network revenue) and the WAGE global sourcing organization (since 1999), giving it shared logistics and international procurement scale, though direct company revenue and headcount are small (approximately 12 employees at Dicke & Partner plus 5 at DWD GmbH design and 5 in internal logistics).

The customer base spans banking, manufacturing, healthcare/medical, and education, with use cases including corporate branding, trade show giveaways, employee incentives, and customer appreciation items. Distribution channels combine direct field sales, the B2B Anfrage-Shop self-serve portal, and the DIE6 reseller network across Germany and Austria, with global sourcing reach through WAGE. The company maintains GDPR compliance, organic/bio certification (DE-ÖKO-005), and a published quality assurance framework covering REACH and supplier certification.

Name

Dicke & Partner

Legal name

Dicke & Partner GmbH

Website

https://dicke.die6.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dicke & Partner GmbH is a Dortmund-based, family-managed full-service promotional products agency (founded 1972) that supplies, customizes, and distributes branded merchandise to B2B customers across Germany, leveraging the DIE6 network, an in-house 120-page catalog, and a B2B online request shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dortmund

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Promotional Articles Sales: Sale of branded promotional products and merchandise to B2B customers, including custom-designed items and catalog products
2. Design and Creative Services: Graphic design, corporate design, catalog creation, and webshop design services
3. Customization and Printing Services: Various finishing and printing techniques applied to promotional items including screen printing, pad printing, laser engraving, embroidery, and UV printing
4. Fulfillment and Logistics Services: Order processing, quality control, packaging, and shipping services for promotional products

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dicke & Partner is a full-service promotional products (Werbeartikel) agency that sources, customizes, and distributes branded merchandise for B2B customers. The company offers an annual 120+ page catalog of branded promotional products, an online request shop for quote-based ordering, and in-house customization services including screen printing, pad printing, laser engraving, embroidery, and UV printing. Through subsidiary DWD GmbH, the company also provides graphic design, corporate identity, and web design services, with climate-neutral CO2 compensation as an optional add-on.

Product overview

Dicke & Partner operates as a promotional products (Werbeartikel) full-service agency, offering a comprehensive portfolio centered around its annual Katalog (catalog) of over 120 pages featuring branded promotional products, supported by the B2B Anfrage-Shop (request shop) for product inquiries. The core offering is complemented by DWD GmbH's in-house creative/design services handling corporate identity, print materials, and web presence. The company provides extensive Veredlungstechniken (customization services) including screen printing, pad printing, laser engraving, embroidery, digital UV printing, and Doming. Additional services include CO2e emissions offsetting for climate-neutral products, quality assurance programs, and expert knowledge resources (Studien). The product ecosystem is anchored in the DIE6 professional network, which provides collective purchasing power, logistics, and worldwide sourcing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DWD GmbH: Subsidiary company focused on web design, print media and logistics

Products and services

• Werbeartikel Katalog (Print & Online Catalog) Annual printed and online flip catalog of over 120 pages featuring promotional products from well-known brand-name manufacturers. Available free of charge to business customers for browsing online or ordering a physical copy.
• Anfrage-Shop (B2B Online Request Shop)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120 pages of promotional articles in catalog
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DWD GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Daughter company specializing in web design, print media, and logistics services. Founded to provide comprehensive customer support.
• WAGE (Worldwide Alliance of General merChange)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Global network of leading promotional product agencies. Enables international customer service through partner agencies worldwide.
• Bundesverband der Werbemittelberater und GroßhändlerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985National association of promotional product advisors and wholesalers. Provides national network of dealers and manufacturers.
• PSI (Promotional Product Service Institut)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1972International organization for promotional product producers and dealers. Provides networking and industry standards.
• DIE6 Promotion Service GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIE6 Promotion Service GmbH provides technology infrastructure for the joint website platforms (dicke.die6.de and dicke.die6-werbeartikelshop.de). They handle system provision, administration, user management, request processing, and information delivery. Dicke & Partner is the leading responsible party for data processing.
• natureOfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate partner for CO2 emissions calculation and compensation. Works with company to determine CO2 balances of promotional articles and supports climate protection projects for compensation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HALO: Large US-based promotional products and marketing services company offering branded merchandise, uniform programs, and fulfillment. Comparable on end-to-end service model and enterprise customer focus, but operating at much greater scale and geographic reach.
• National Pen: US-headquartered promotional products and writing instruments company with global manufacturing and customization capabilities. Comparable to Dicke & Partner on promotional product distribution and customization, but with much broader scale and owned manufacturing.
• PCNA (Polyconcept): Parent company of multiple promotional product brands (Leeds, Bullet, JournalBooks, etc.), one of the largest promotional product suppliers in North America. Comparable to Dicke & Partner on multi-brand promotional merchandise distribution, though at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Gemline: US-based promotional products supplier offering a wide product catalog with decoration services including embroidery, screen printing, and laser engraving. Comparable to Dicke & Partner on the in-house customization stack and B2B catalog distribution model.
• Brand Addition: International promotional merchandise and branded products agency serving enterprise clients across multiple geographies. Closely comparable to Dicke & Partner in full-service promotional product offering, customization, and account management approach.
• 4imprint: UK-headquartered B2B distributor of promotional products with a broad catalog and online ordering platform. Comparable to Dicke & Partner on product range, B2B customer base, and customization-led value proposition, though at significantly larger scale.
• Axonn Media: UK-based promotional merchandise and branded products agency focused on B2B customers with in-house decoration and account management. Comparable to Dicke & Partner in business model and customer segment.

Others

• DIE6 Promotion Service GmbH: Shared-services and network operator for the German/Austrian consortium of owner-managed promotional product agencies that Dicke & Partner belongs to. Not a competitor but a strategic platform partner providing procurement, logistics, and shared technology infrastructure.

Regional players

• IDEE GmbH: German full-service promotional products agency offering design, sourcing, customization, and fulfillment. Comparable to Dicke & Partner on full-service B2B promotional merchandise model in the German-speaking market.
• Kunststoff-Handel Köln (KHK): German wholesale and distribution business for plastic-based promotional products and merchandise. Comparable to Dicke & Partner in the German promotional merchandise market but with a more product-category-focused wholesale orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dickeundpartner
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/die6-promotion-service-gmbh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Dicke & Partner