Wilkes

What Wilkes does

Wilkes GmbH is a privately held German B2B wholesale distributor of plastic semi-finished products and profiles, founded in 1960 as the sole proprietorship Eugen Wilkes and incorporated as a GmbH in 1976. The company is headquartered in Schwelm (North Rhine-Westphalia) and operates six inventory-holding branch warehouses across Germany (Schwelm, Northeim, Halle/Landsberg, Altenstadt, Stuttgart-Wangen, Haren/Ems) plus a wholly-owned subsidiary, Wilkes Bavaria GmbH (est. 2010, Wiedenzhausen near Munich), which also covers Austria. Approximately 170 employees serve customers through field and inside sales, an owned logistics fleet, and fixed logistics partners, with payments on 14-day terms and quote-based B2B pricing.

Wilkes' product portfolio spans two main divisions. The Baubereich (Construction) division supplies aluminum composite plates (proprietary ALUCOM brand and Kronospan KRONOART HPL compact plates), acrylic and polycarbonate multi-wall and corrugated sheets (MARLON, HIGHLUX, EXOLON, SUNNYLUX, RENOLIT ONDEX), PVC plates, and the WILKULUX installation systems. The Viscom & Industrie division serves the advertising, signage, and industrial-manufacturing segments with acrylic sheets (DEGLAS), polycarbonate plates (EXOLON, WILKES PC AR, MARLON FS), PET/PETG plates, PVC foam boards (WILKUFOAM DIGITAL, FOREX), DIBOND aluminum composites, and accessories. In-house services include custom cutting and finishing, project supervision from inquiry to completion, and certified compliance documentation (DIBt, ETB, CE EN 438, FSC/PEFC, EPD).

Wilkes makes money primarily through one-time wholesale sales of physical materials, supplemented by logistics and delivery services and value-added custom cutting/finishing. Customers are segmented horizontally across construction (primary), advertising/VISCOM, and industrial manufacturing, and are served via direct sales at branch locations and owned-fleet delivery across Germany and Austria. Marketing is conducted through the corporate website, newsletter, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Xing), project news articles, and local sponsorship (EN Baskets basketball). The owner is Harry Wilkes (managing director since 1982), with Matthias Forschler as co-managing director for sales and marketing since 2009, and Christian Steeb leading the Bavaria subsidiary.

Name

Wilkes

Legal name

Wilkes GmbH

Website

https://wilkes.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plastic Building Materials Wholesale

NAICS

Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers (4233), Roofing, Siding, and Insulation Material Merchant Wholesalers (42333)

SIC

Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030)

akta.pro primary industry

Siding & Exterior Cladding Retail (Vinyl, Fiber Cement, Trim) (CRAIAEAD)

Keywords

• Plastic sheet wholesale
• HPL facade plates
• Polycarbonate multi-wall sheets
• Aluminum composite panels
• Construction materials distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Schwelm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale of Plastic Sheets and Profiles: Revenue generated from the wholesale sale of plastic semi-finished products, composite plates, profile systems, and accessories to trade, construction, industry, and advertising sectors. Sales are B2B with direct customer relationships through branch locations.
2. Logistics and Delivery Services: Own logistics fleet providing reliable, fast delivery service across Germany and neighboring countries, supporting the core product sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wilkes is a B2B wholesale distributor of plastic semi-finished products and profiles, operating across two divisions: BAUBEREICH (Construction) supplying aluminum composite panels, HPL compact facade plates, polycarbonate and acrylic multi-wall/corrugated sheets for roofing, facades, and walls; and VISCOM & Industrie supplying acrylic, polycarbonate, PVC foam, aluminum composite, and polyester sheets for advertising, signage, and industrial applications. Products are sourced from multiple manufacturers under own and partner brands (ALUCOM, KRONOART, WILKULUX, WILKUFOAM, MARLON, HIGHLUX, EXOLON, DEGLAS, FOREX, RENOLIT ONDEX, SUNNYLUX), supported by in-house custom cutting, finishing, printing, and own logistics for delivery across Germany and Austria.

Product overview

Wilkes is a wholesale company for plastic semi-finished products and profiles serving the construction, advertising, and industrial sectors. The product portfolio is organized into two main divisions: BAUBEREICH (Construction) and VISCOM & INDUSTRIE. Construction products include aluminum composite plates (ALUCOM, ALUCOM DESIGN Interieur/Exterieur), HPL compact facade plates (KRONOART, KRONO M-LiNE, UNIPLAN), acrylic solid sheets, polycarbonate multi-wall and corrugated plates (MARLON, HIGHLUX, EXOLON, SUNNYLUX, RENOLIT ONDEX), and installation systems (WILKULUX). The VISCOM segment offers acrylic sheets (DEGLAS), polycarbonate plates (EXOLON, WILKES PC AR, MARLON), polyester plates (PET/PETG), PVC foam boards (WILKUFOAM, FOREX), aluminum composite plates (DIBOND, ALUCOM), and adhesives/accessories. Wilkes operates 6 warehouse locations across Germany and Austria with approximately 170 employees, providing fast delivery service through their own logistics fleet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALUCOM: Aluminum composite panels for interior and exterior applications
• KRONOART
• WILKULUX
• WILKUFOAM
• WILKES PC AR

Products and services

• ALUCOM Aluminum Composite Panels

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 65 years in the market, demonstrating long-term reliability and industry expertise
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EN BasketscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Wilkes GmbH is a longstanding sponsor of the EN Baskets basketball team (PRO B league). The partnership includes visible advertising at home games, logo placement on fixed advertising surfaces, and previously provision of plastic sheets as protective barriers during COVID-19. The collaboration reflects mutual commitment to regional community and sports. Harry Wilkes himself is personally involved in the partnership.
• Towergy GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTowergy GmbH commissioned Wilkes to supply and custom-cut KRONOART HPL facade plates for the Klimaturm Bremen project. Wilkes' Außendienst (field sales) colleague Michael Born supervised the project from initial inquiry through completion in collaboration with Stadt.Energie.Speicher GmbH. The artwork by artist Johann Büsen was printed on 6mm HPL facade plates by Kronospan, cut to size at Wilkes Schwelm.
• Contilia GmbH (St. Marien Quartier)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilkes supplied ALUCOM DESIGN-Interieur aluminum composite panels for a decorative wall application in the wellness bathroom of the Contilia St. Marien Quartier senior residence in Schwelm. The project involved custom printing of panoramic images and waterfall motifs directly onto the panels.
• Kronospan (KRONOART / KRONOPLAN)coreOthersWilkes distributes HPL compact plates under the KRONOART and KRONOPLAN brands sourced from Kronospan. These products form a significant part of Wilkes' facade and construction product portfolio. Wilkes holds FSC and PEFC chain-of-custody certifications related to Kronospan products, and EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) certificates.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Modulor GmbH: German distributor of plastic sheets, profiles, and acrylics serving model-making, advertising, design, and small-construction customers. Directly comparable as a specialty plastic-sheet wholesaler with a multi-segment customer base (creative/Viscom plus construction), offering cut-to-size and same-day pickup similar to Wilkes.
• Rocholz GmbH: German plastic specialist wholesaler distributing semi-finished plastic products and profiles for trade, industry, and construction. Comparable as a B2B plastic building-materials distributor with own warehouse/logistics and a long-standing presence in the German market.
• S-Polytec GmbH: German specialist retailer/wholesaler of plastic sheets (HPL, acrylic, polycarbonate, PVC foam, aluminum composite) for construction, advertising, and industrial buyers. Closely matches Wilkes' dual-segment Construction + Viscom positioning, with cut-to-size services and online configurator supplementing branch sales.
• KOSCON GmbH: German plastic-sheet and profile distributor offering acrylic, polycarbonate, PVC and aluminum composite panels to trade and industry customers. Comparable as a multi-branch German plastic building-materials wholesaler targeting the same trade, construction, and Viscom segments.
• Lasertec Kunststoffe GmbH: German plastic-sheet processor and distributor offering cutting, machining, and wholesale of acrylic, polycarbonate, and other technical plastics for advertising and industrial customers. Comparable as a value-added plastic-sheet distributor combining cut-to-size services with B2B wholesale.
• Müller Kunststoffe GmbH: German wholesaler of plastic semi-finished products including sheets, rods, tubes, and profiles for industrial and construction customers. Comparable mid-sized German B2B plastics distributor with cut-to-size services and nationwide delivery.
• Plastoreg GmbH: German wholesale distributor of plastic semi-finished products including PVC, polycarbonate, acrylic, and HPL plates for construction and industrial applications. Closely comparable product mix and B2B wholesale model serving construction and industry segments across Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Kronospan GmbH: Global manufacturer of wood-based panels and HPL compact laminates (KRONOART, KRONOPLAN) — Wilkes' core facade supplier. Comparable as the upstream incumbent producing the HPL compact plates that represent a significant share of Wilkes' facade/construction portfolio.
• 3A Composites GmbH (DIBOND / ALUCOBOND manufacturer): Global manufacturer of aluminum composite panels (DIBOND, ALUCOBOND) and plastic sheets; supplies Wilkes and other distributors. Comparable as the upstream incumbent in the same product categories (ACP and HPL facades) that Wilkes distributes under its own ALUCOM/KRONOART lines.

Emerging players

• Platten24 / Kunststoffplattenhandel: Online-first German plastic-sheet retailer covering HPL, acrylic, polycarbonate, and aluminum composite panels for construction and DIY buyers. Comparable product range but primarily transactional e-commerce rather than multi-branch B2B distribution, representing the digital channel risk in Wilkes' market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbZLfZlshqtf2sRm4Yr5r0Q/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/WilkesKunststoffe
• Instagraminstagram.com/wilkesgmbh/?hl=de
• Xx.com/wilkesnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilkes-gmbh

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Wilkes