Verlagsanstalt Handwerk

What Verlagsanstalt Handwerk does

Verlagsanstalt Handwerk is a privately held German publishing house (GmbH) headquartered in Düsseldorf, founded in 1926 and approaching its centenary. The company operates a B2B media and publishing platform dedicated to the German craft trades sector (Handwerk) and the broader Mittelstand (small and medium-sized enterprise) market. It serves tradespeople, trade associations, vocational training bodies, and advertisers seeking access to this audience.

The company's product portfolio spans print trade journals (Deutsches Handwerksblatt, RTS Magazin, LIFTjournal), vocational learning materials (Sackmann-Lernmaterialien), a specialist real-estate/building-envelope B2B title (Gebäudehülle.net), digital media formats (Handwerks Kochshow, Handwerks Macher:innen), and branded audience events (Handwerks Miss & Mister). The portfolio reflects a multi-format editorial strategy spanning technical publishing, training, and lifestyle/community content targeted at the trades. No proprietary technology platform, software stack, or AI components are described in the available evidence.

Commercial revenue is generated through three streams: subscription and single-copy sales of Fachliteratur (specialist literature and trade journals), subscription-based digital media products, and media sales / advertising sold against the Handwerk audience. Distribution is concentrated in the DACH region, with no disclosed international operations, external shareholders, or institutional funding. The organisation operates with 1–10 employees.

Name

Verlagsanstalt Handwerk

Legal name

Verlagsanstalt Handwerk GmbH

Website

https://verlagsanstalt-handwerk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Verlagsanstalt Handwerk is a Düsseldorf-based B2B publishing house, founded 1926, producing trade journals, vocational learning materials, digital media, and events for the German craft trades (Handwerk) and Mittelstand audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (51313), Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Management & HR Reference (Operations, Strategy, HR, Leadership) (EDAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Institutional & Custom Publishing (Coursepacks, Campus/Corporate Training) (MPAJABAL)

Keywords

• Trade publishing
• Crafts sector media
• Vocational training materials
• Specialized journalism
• Business periodicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Publishing & Fachliteratur: Sale of specialist publications, economic literature, and training materials for the crafts sector including the 'Deutsches Handwerksblatt', Sackmann-Lernmaterialien for master craftsman exam preparation, and various trade-specific journals.
2. Digital Media & Content: Digital content including social media formats ('Handwerks Kochshow', 'Handwerks Macher:innen') and online platforms like Gebäudehülle.net, RTS Magazin, and LIFTjournal.
3. Media Sales & Advertising: Cross-medial advertising services through handwerksmedien.info, offering targeted marketing solutions for the crafts and Mittelstand sector, providing relevant industry information and advertising opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Verlagsanstalt Handwerk is a German publishing house operating since 1926 that produces and sells specialist publications, trade journals, and master craftsman exam preparation materials targeting the Handwerk (crafts/trades) and Mittelstand (SMB) sectors. The company also provides cross-medial advertising and marketing services tailored to the German crafts audience through its media sales platform.

Product overview

Verlagsanstalt Handwerk is a traditional publishing house established in 1926 that serves the German crafts/trades (Handwerk), small/medium business (Mittelstand), and economic sectors. The company operates as a unified platform of specialized brands rather than a single product with modules. Its portfolio comprises: the Deutsches Handwerksblatt (DHB) as the flagship economic publication; the Sackmann-Lernmaterialien for master exam preparation; three specialized trade journals (Gebäudehülle.net, RTS Magazin, LIFTjournal); and three innovative social media/event formats (Handwerks Kochshow, Handwerks Macher:innen, Handwerks Miss & Mister). The company also offers cross-media advertising services through handwerksmedien.info and operates a Buchshop (bookstore) at vh-buchshop.de for economic literature distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Deutsches Handwerksblatt: One of the largest non-partisan economic publications for skilled trades and Mittelstand.
• Sackmann-Lernmaterialien
• Gebäudehülle.net
• RTS Magazin
• LIFTjournal
• Handwerks Kochshow
• Handwerks Macher:innen
• Handwerks Miss & Mister

Products and services

• Deutsches Handwerksblatt (DHB)

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Holzmann Medien: German B2B trade publisher with strong overlap in the Handwerk and consumer-trades segments. Directly comparable as a niche German trade media house publishing specialized magazines, books, and digital content for crafts and SME audiences.
• Bauverlag: German construction trade publisher producing specialist Fachzeitschriften, books, and digital services for builders, roofers, and the building envelope. Closely comparable to VH's Gebäudehülle.net and RTS Magazin as a construction-sector trade journal publisher.
• Haufe Group: German professional publishing and SaaS group serving tax, legal, HR, and business reference needs of Mittelstand and SME audiences. Comparable business model combining subscription reference content, training materials, and digital services for German SMEs.
• WEKA Media Publishing: German professional publisher producing trade journals, books, and digital products for crafts, construction, and business audiences. Closely comparable as a German Handwerk/professional publisher with subscription and reference content.
• Deutscher Fachverlag (dfv): One of Germany's largest independent B2B/trade publishing houses, producing numerous Fachzeitschriften, books, and events across vertical markets. Directly comparable as a German-language trade publisher serving professional and SME audiences through multi-format portfolios.
• Konradin Medien Group: German B2B media company publishing trade magazines, digital content, and events for industrial and craft verticals. Directly comparable as a German trade publisher with multi-brand portfolio across industrial segments.
• Ebner Verlag: German regional and trade publisher with B2B magazines, books, and digital media for industrial and business audiences. Comparable as a mid-sized German trade publisher with multi-brand portfolio and advertising sales.
• Vogel Communications Group: German B2B media group publishing technical and industrial trade journals, digital media, and events for industrial and professional audiences. Comparable as a multi-format German trade publisher with subscription, advertising, and event revenue.

Broad incumbents

• Heise Medien: Established German B2B trade and tech media publisher with strong digital subscription and advertising business. Comparable as a German specialty publisher, though its primary vertical is technology/IT rather than Handwerk.
• Springer Nature: Major global academic and professional publisher with German-language and trade operations. Comparable as a broader incumbent in German-language professional publishing, but operates at vastly larger scale and different verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Verlagsanstalt Handwerk