What Z-BAU does

Z-BAU GmbH & Co. KG is a German general contractor (Generalunternehmer) founded on June 1, 1985, by Lothar Zimmermann in Empfertshausen, Thuringia, specializing in five construction segments: service stations (Tankstellenbau), car-wash facilities (Waschanlagenbau), renewable-energy infrastructure (hydrogen, LNG/CNG, E-Fuels, E-Mobility charging), system-gastronomy restaurants, and commercial buildings. The company operates nationwide across Germany from its Empfertshausen headquarters and a branch office in Erfurt opened in 2020, with approximately 155 full-time employees including engineers, technicians, masters, construction specialists, and apprentices.

The company's core technology is a prefabricated reinforced-concrete (Stahlbetonfertigteile) construction system manufactured in-house by its affiliated plant Werratal Spezialbeton GmbH (founded 1996 in Merkers). This factory-controlled production enables weather-independent pre-fabrication, shortened on-site construction timelines, and consistent quality across all business segments. Five general building authority approvals from DIBt Berlin cover specialized liquid-tight systems for car washes, LAU facilities, railway drainage surfaces, and fuel-pump surrounds, and the company is WHG-certified (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz) and SCC-VAZ certified for work on facilities handling water-hazardous liquids.

Revenue is generated primarily through project-based general-contractor contracts (consultation, planning, construction) with enterprise customers including Aral, Shell, TotalEnergies, HEM, Allguth, Liqvis, EnBW, Fastned, Burger King, McDonald's, KFC, Subway, and Kärcher, with secondary recurring revenue from maintenance and repair services. The company is family-owned, with three managing directors (Lothar Zimmermann, Thomas Anders, Mike Kregel) and no disclosed external institutional investors or public listing.

Name

Z-BAU

Legal name

Z-Bau GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://z-bau.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Z-BAU is a German general contractor that builds service stations, car washes, hydrogen and e-mobility infrastructure, fast-food restaurants, and commercial buildings nationwide, using proprietary prefabricated concrete technology from its in-house plant Werratal Spezialbeton GmbH.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

General Contracting Construction Services

NAICS

Industrial Building Construction (236210), Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors (23812), Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing (3273)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Concrete Products, Except Block & Brick (3272)

akta.pro primary industry

Modular/Offsite General Contracting & Installation (IMAFAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Oil & Gas Processing & LNG Facility Construction (IMAFADAB), Overhead & Underground Collection System Construction (MV/HV Lines, Duct Banks) (EUAEADAG)

Keywords

• Service station construction
• Car wash construction
• Renewable energy infrastructure
• Commercial building construction
• Prefabricated concrete construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Empfertshausen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General contractor construction services: Z-BAU acts as a general contractor (Generalunternehmer) providing end-to-end construction services from consultation and planning through to execution. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts for service station construction, car wash facility construction, renewable energy infrastructure, commercial building, and system gastronomy buildings. Revenue is predominantly one-time project-based, with ongoing maintenance and repair services forming a secondary stream. The company builds nationwide across Germany for oil companies, fast-food chains, and commercial property developers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Z-BAU operates as a general contractor (Generalunternehmer) providing end-to-end construction services across five segments: service station construction (Tankstellenbau), car wash construction (Waschanlagenbau), renewable energy infrastructure (hydrogen, LNG/CNG, e-fuels, e-mobility charging stations), system gastronomy (fast-food restaurant buildings for Burger King, McDonald's, KFC, Subway), and commercial building (Gewerbebau). The company uses its own prefabricated reinforced concrete elements manufactured by affiliated Werratal Spezialbeton GmbH, enabling weather-independent pre-fabrication, shortened construction timelines, and consistent quality across all project categories. Services span consultation, planning, construction, renovation, and maintenance nationwide in Germany.

Product overview

Z-BAU is a construction company offering specialized building services as a general contractor. The company operates five interconnected service areas: gas station construction (Tankstellenbau), car wash construction (Waschanlagenbau), renewable energy infrastructure (covering hydrogen, LNG/CNG, E-Fuels, and E-Mobility charging stations), system gastronomy construction (fast food restaurants), and commercial building (Gewerbebau). The company operates an affiliated concrete plant, Werratal Spezialbeton GmbH, which produces prefabricated steel concrete elements enabling weather-independent construction. The portfolio is unified by specialized expertise in liquid-tight surfaces and LAU/HBV systems, supported by multiple DIBt approvals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tankstellenbau (Service Station Construction) Construction, renovation, modernization, and maintenance of fuel/service stations across Germany for oil companies. Includes liquid-tight surfaces (FD-Flächen), LAU/HBV systems, e-charging stations, and complete station builds for brands such as Aral, Shell, TotalEnergies, HEM, Allguth, and Liqvis.
• Waschanlagenbau (Car Wash Construction) Construction of professional car wash facilities including wash halls (Waschhallen), self-service wash boxes (SB-Waschboxen), and complete wash systems with driveable liquid-tight reinforced concrete prefabricated elements. Customers include oil companies integrating wash facilities and dedicated car wash operators such as Alfred Kärcher Clean Park.
• Erneuerbare Energien (Renewable Energy Infrastructure Construction) Construction services for renewable and alternative energy infrastructure covering four sub-areas: hydrogen refueling stations, LNG/CNG stations, e-fuels facilities, and e-mobility charging parks/infrastructure. Customers include energy companies such as EnBW, Fastned, and Shell subsidiary Liqvis.
• Systemgastronomiebau (Fast Food Restaurant Construction) Construction of fast-food restaurant buildings for franchise chains including Burger King, McDonald's, KFC, and Subway using prefabricated steel reinforced concrete elements. Delivered as standardized but high-quality restaurant buildings on accelerated timelines suited to franchise rollouts across Germany.
• Gewerbebau (Commercial Building Construction) Commercial and industrial building construction using prefabricated concrete elements manufactured at the company's own plant. Covers warehouses, production buildings, commercial facilities, and government structures (including THW facilities), delivering weather-independent construction with shortened timelines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Weather-independent construction through prefabrication reduces on-site construction time significantly compared to traditional methods
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Werratal Spezialbeton GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Werratal Spezialbeton GmbH (founded by Lothar Zimmermann in 1996 in Merkers) is an affiliated company within the Z-BAU group that manufactures reinforced concrete prefabricated elements. It produces both the DIBt-approved construction elements for service stations and LAU/HBV facilities, and wall and ceiling structural components for residential and commercial buildings. This in-house manufacturing capability is a core competitive differentiator enabling weather-independent construction, controlled quality, and shortened timelines.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heijmans N.V. Heijmans is a Dutch listed construction and real estate company active in nonresidential building, infrastructure and energy transition projects. Comparable to Z-BAU in European mid-market construction execution including energy and commercial buildings, though primarily Netherlands-focused.
• STRABAG SE: STRABAG is one of Europe's largest construction groups with significant German presence across building, civil and infrastructure works. Comparable to Z-BAU as an incumbent operating in the same German nonresidential and infrastructure construction markets, though at vastly larger scale and with broader scope.
• VINCI Construction: VINCI Construction is a major European construction network delivering building, civil and energy infrastructure projects. Comparable to Z-BAU in addressing fuel/energy infrastructure and commercial building customers, though VINCI operates at continental scale and broader portfolio breadth.

Direct peers

• KLEUSBERG GmbH & Co. KG: KLEUSBERG is a German modular building specialist using factory-prefabricated steel/concrete modules for commercial, educational and administrative buildings. Comparable to Z-BAU for its modular prefab construction model and turnkey project execution in the German market.
• BREMER AG: BREMER is a German general contractor focused on turnkey construction of commercial, industrial and logistics real estate. Comparable to Z-BAU as a similarly sized German GC with a regional base and integrated engineering/planning-to-build workflow.
• Max Bögl Stiftung & Co. KG: Max Bögl is a large German construction and technology group with prefabricated concrete capabilities and active in renewable energy/infrastructure. Comparable to Z-BAU for its in-house prefab concrete manufacturing and engagement across commercial building and energy infrastructure.
• ALHO Group: ALHO is a German family-owned modular construction company producing prefabricated modular buildings (offices, schools, commercial) in its own factory. Comparable to Z-BAU for its factory-controlled prefab approach and focus on fast-delivery commercial/industrial builds in Germany.
• GOLDBECK GmbH: GOLDBECK is a leading German general contractor specializing in industrial, commercial, and logistics buildings, with strong in-house prefab/system building capabilities. Directly comparable to Z-BAU as a mid-sized German nonresidential builder that integrates engineering, prefabrication and turnkey delivery.

Emerging players

• WISAG Industrie Service Holding GmbH: WISAG is a large German facility services and industrial maintenance group that also delivers construction-related services for industrial clients. Comparable to Z-BAU in addressing energy/fuel retail and industrial customers in Germany, though WISAG is service-led rather than prefab construction-led.

Regional players

• Strobel Bauunternehmen GmbH: Strobel is a German regional general contractor delivering commercial, industrial and turnkey building projects, primarily in southern Germany. Comparable to Z-BAU as a similarly structured German mid-market commercial/industrial GC, though with less specialization in service-station regulatory systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100093109116189
• Instagraminstagram.com/zbauempfertshausen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/z-bau

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Z-BAU