What Elmer Gruppe does

Elmer Gruppe is a family-owned B2B wholesale group headquartered in Bottrop, North Rhine-Westphalia, specializing in sanitary, heating, and climate (SHK) products for trade professionals in Germany. Founded in 1965 by Karl Elmer, the group operates through nine regionally independent subsidiaries — Elmer, Zimmer und Kellermann, Menge, Schmitz Haustechnik, Tigges+Zepke, Reichwald Haustechnik, Bechem (acquired 2014), and Reinshagen & Schröder, plus Vetter + Engels as a cooperation partner since 2020 — employing more than 1,600 people across the group. It serves plumbers, heating engineers, HVAC installers, and bathroom fitters exclusively through the trade channel, with no direct-to-consumer sales.

The group's distribution infrastructure comprises over 90 pickup branches (Abholmärkte), 40+ bathroom exhibition showrooms under the badpunkt brand, six logistics centers, and a fleet of approximately 200 delivery trucks. It stocks more than 9 million articles and lists 400,000+ articles in its ELMER PRO professional online shop (elmer-pro.de), sourcing from over 260 manufacturer brands alongside exclusive house brands (sanibel, comfort by sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, SCALIDO). Digital services include vviinn AI-powered image search, OXOMI digital catalogs, and WhatsApp Business support, layered on top of the physical distribution network.

Revenue is generated through B2B wholesale margins on SHK product sales to trade professionals, with the badpunkt showroom channel acting as a complementary consulting surface that funnels end-customer projects back to installer customers. The company is privately held by the founding family with no external investors, and is led by Chairman Bastian Hördemann alongside Karl Elmer, Meinolf Hördemann, Armin Nowak, and Christian Nickel. Growth has been delivered through a combination of organic branch openings (e.g., Anröchte 2025, Gevelsberg exhibition 2024), the Vetter + Engels cooperation partnership (2020), the Bechem acquisition (2014), and continued investment in private-label brands and digital tooling.

Name

Elmer Gruppe

Legal name

Elmer Dienstleistungs GmbH & Co KG

Website

https://elmer-gruppe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Elmer Gruppe is a family-owned German B2B wholesale group specializing in sanitary, heating, and climate (SHK) products, serving trade professionals through 90+ branches, 40+ bathroom showrooms, 9 million stocked articles, and a fleet of 200+ delivery trucks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Warendorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices93 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Wholesale – Trade Professional Sales: Elmer Gruppe generates revenue by purchasing SHK products (sanitary, heating, air conditioning) from manufacturers (over 260 brands) and reselling them at a margin to SHK trade professionals (plumbers, heating engineers, HVAC installers). Sales occur through physical branch pickup markets (Abholmärkte), delivery via the group's own fleet of approximately 200 trucks, and the ELMER PRO online shop. This is the core revenue stream.
2. badpunkt Bathroom Exhibition Consulting: The badpunkt bathroom exhibition showrooms provide consultation services guiding end customers from advisory through planning to realization of bathrooms. Revenue is generated indirectly through the sale of products as customers proceed from exhibition visits to purchases via trade professionals.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Elmer Gruppe is a B2B specialty wholesaler for sanitary, heating, and climate (SHK) products, sourcing from over 260 manufacturers and reselling exclusively to SHK trade professionals (plumbers, heating engineers, HVAC installers) through 90+ branch pickup markets, an own fleet of approximately 200 trucks, the ELMER PRO onlineshop (400,000+ articles), and 40+ badpunkt bathroom exhibition showrooms. The group offers exclusive house brands (Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, SCALIDO) alongside manufacturer brands such as Geberit, Daikin, Fantini, and Keuco.

Product overview

Elmer Gruppe is a leading B2B wholesale group for sanitary, heating, and climate (SHK) products in Germany, operating over 90 locations with a network of regional subsidiaries and cooperation partners. The portfolio combines physical distribution (90+ Abholmärkte/pickup markets, 40+ badpunkt bathroom exhibitions) with digital services anchored by the ELMER PRO online shop (400,000+ articles). The company offers exclusive house brands (Sanibel, Comfort by Sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, SCALIDO) alongside branded products from manufacturers like Geberit, Daikin, Fantini, and Keuco. Digital services include AI-powered image search, digital catalog publishing (OXOMI), and WhatsApp business support. The group comprises regional subsidiaries including Elmer, Zimmer und Kellermann, Menge, Schmitz Haustechnik, Tigges+Zepke, Reichwald Haustechnik, Bechem, Reinshagen & Schröder, and Vetter+Engels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• badpunkt: Bathroom exhibition brand with 40+ locations for customer bathroom planning and consultation.
• SCALIDO
• sanibel
• ELMER PRO

Products and services

• ELMER PRO Onlineshop

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9 million articles immediately available from stock
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vetter + Engels Haustechnik GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Vetter + Engels became a 'Kooperationspartner' (cooperation partner) of the Elmer Gruppe in 2020. It operates 7 locations in Ostwestfalen-Lippe and Sauerland (Paderborn, Brakel, Delbrück, Warburg, Geseke, Brilon, Anröchte). Founded in 1910, in 4th generation family ownership since 2002. As a cooperation partner, it maintains its own brand identity while benefiting from Elmer Gruppe synergies.
• Otto Bechem & Co. KGcoreOthers · 1 January 2014Otto Bechem is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Elmer Gruppe, operating 8 locations in the Ruhr area (Essen, Ratingen, Velbert, Herne, Essen-Rüttenscheid, Essen-Überruhr, Oberhausen, Bochum-Hamme). Founded in 1898, it has over 120 years of history. Acquired by Elmer Gruppe in 2014. Over 100 employees.
• Tigges + Zepke GmbH & Co. KGcoreOthers · 1 January 1992Tigges + Zepke entered the Elmer Gruppe in 1992 as a regionally independent member. Operating 4 locations in Südwestfalen (Olpe, Schmallenberg, Finnentrop, Sundern). Founded in 1972 by Bernfried Tigges and Helmut Zepke. André Zepke became managing director in 1992. Operates as a strong partner of the trade (Partner des Handwerks).
• Elmer GmbH & Co. KG (various regional entities)coreOthers · 1 January 1965The core Elmer entities (Elmer GmbH & Co. KG with regional operations in Warendorf/Bönen/Köln/Rheine/Bottrop) form the founding and central pillar of the Elmer Gruppe. Founded 1 July 1965 by Karl Elmer. Five regional Elmer entities operate across a wide territory including parts of NRW, Ostwestfalen, and the Lower Rhine. The Elmer entities collectively operate the largest number of branches and serve as the group's main operations.
• Reinshagen & Schröder GmbH & Co. KGcoreOthersReinshagen & Schröder is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Elmer Gruppe, operating 11 branches (Abholmärkte and badpunkt Badausstellungen) in the Bergisches Land region (Remscheid, Bochum, Gevelsberg, Gummersbach, Hattingen, Lüdenscheid, Solingen x2, Wermelskirchen, Wuppertal x2). Founded as a family business, it sells exclusively to the SHK trade. Approximately 90 employees.
• Reichwald Haustechnik GmbH & Co. KGcoreOthersReichwald Haustechnik is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Elmer Gruppe, operating one location in Siegen with a badpunkt Badausstellung and Abholmarkt. It serves SHK trade professionals in the Siegen region.
• Schmitz Haustechnik GmbH & Co. KGcoreOthersSchmitz Haustechnik is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Elmer Gruppe, operating 6 Abholmärkte and 2 badpunkt Badausstellungen across the Rheinland and Rhineland-Palatinate regions (Meckenheim, Bonn, Rheinbreitbach, Neuwied, Mayen, Euskirchen). Markets itself as a personal Fachgroßhandel (personal specialist wholesaler) for the Rheinland.
• Menge GmbH & Co. KGcoreOthersMenge is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Elmer Gruppe, operating 5 Abholmärkte and 3 badpunkt Badausstellungen in the Niederrhein region (Mönchengladbach, Grevenbroich, Erkelenz, Nettetal, Mönchengladbach-Rheydt). Founded by Ferdinand Menge in 1905, with over 115 years of company history. A longstanding partner of SHK trade in the region.
• Zimmer und Kellermann GmbHcoreOthersZimmer und Kellermann is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Elmer Gruppe, operating 10 locations in the Greater Düsseldorf area (Düsseldorf-Lierenfeld, Düsseldorf-Bilk, Düsseldorf-Mörsenbroich, Düsseldorf-Reisholz, Langenfeld, Monheim am Rhein, Mettmann, Neuss, Dormagen, Krefeld). Serves SHK trade professionals with daily articles of trade need.
• Over 260 manufacturers/brands in product assortmentcoreOthersElmer Gruppe sources products from over 260 renowned manufacturers, including exclusive brands (sanibel, comfort by sanibel, 4YOU, Arto, Scalido) as well as brand names (Geberit, Daikin, Fantini, Keuco). These manufacturer partnerships form the supply-side of the business.
• Fantini (Exclusive Brand Partner)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFantini is an exclusive brand offered through Reinshagen & Schröder. Reinshagen & Schröder hosts exclusive brand events such as Italian evenings featuring Fantini and GlassDesign for customers.
• EWR (Energy Utility – Apprenticeship Support)minorOthersEWR (energy utility) partnered with Reinshagen & Schröder and the Innung für Sanitär- und Heizungstechnik Remscheid to create a training wall (Lehrwand) for drinking water and gas installation, supporting apprenticeship training for SHK trade students.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hagebau Handelsgesellschaft für Baustoffe mbH & Co. KG: Hagebau is a major German building materials and construction products trade cooperative serving professional tradespeople with a broader portfolio that includes some SHK-adjacent categories. Larger and more diversified than Elmer but overlapping in serving German trade customers with delivery and showrooms.
• Sonepar Deutschland GmbH: Sonepar Deutschland is a national electrical wholesaler with a multi-branch German network serving electrical trade professionals. Operates a comparable regional branch-and-truck model and professional B2B onlineshop for trade customers, though in a different product vertical.
• Ferguson plc: Ferguson is a large international plumbing, heating, and HVAC distributor operating across the US, UK, and Canada. Not a direct German competitor but a relevant benchmark for SHK specialty distribution scale, exclusive brands, and trade customer GTM at enterprise level.
• Saint-Gobain Distribution Deutschland: Saint-Gobain's German distribution arm serves building professionals with sanitary, heating-adjacent, and broader construction products through branch networks. A larger, more diversified player with overlapping customer base but broader portfolio than a pure SHK specialist.

Others

• Wilo SE: Wilo is a major German manufacturer of pumps and heating/circulation systems, including heat-pump circulators. Not a competitor to Elmer's wholesale business, but a key supplier within its 260+ brand portfolio and a leading German player exposed to the same heat-pump/energy-transition thematic.

Direct peers

• REISSER GmbH: REISSER is one of Germany's largest SHK wholesalers with a comparable branch network, own logistics fleet, and dedicated SHK-Fachhandwerk customer focus. Operates across multiple German regions with the same trade-exclusive B2B model and professional onlineshop offering.
• E. Missel GmbH & Co. KG: E. Missel is a Stuttgart-based SHK Fachgroßhandel serving sanitary and heating installers in Baden-Württemberg. Directly comparable regional wholesaler model with branches, exclusive brands, and trade-only customer focus.
• GC Group (Cordes & Graefe / Gebr. Will): GC Group is the largest German SHK Fachgroßhandel with 250+ branches nationwide, serving the same SHK trade professional customer base with sanitary, heating, and air-conditioning products. Directly comparable business model, exclusive brands, professional onlineshop, and field-sales GTM motion.
• Wiedemann GmbH & Co. KG: Wiedemann is a Hamburg/Northern Germany-based SHK specialist wholesaler with branch network, own delivery logistics, and trade-only B2B customer focus. Operates a directly comparable regional Fachgroßhandel model with exclusive brand portfolio.

Regional players

• Alexander Bürkle GmbH & Co. KG: Alexander Bürkle is a German electrical wholesale distributor serving electrical tradespeople with the same regional branch-and-field-sales trade-only model. Different product category (electrical vs. SHK) but highly analogous business model, customer profile, and digital/physical distribution structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/elmergruppe
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• Instagraminstagram.com/elmergruppe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries12 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 Elmer Gruppe