HERM GmbH & Co. KG

What HERM GmbH & Co. KG does

HERM GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned German energy trading and distribution company headquartered in Lauda-Königshofen, Baden-Württemberg, operating continuously since approximately 1914. The company distributes heating oil (including Shell Heizöl Eco renewable blend), natural gas, wood pellets, wood briquettes, diesel fuels (Shell FuelSave Diesel, Blue Diesel, Shell GTL, HVO 100 sustainable diesel), Shell lubricants, Shell Panolin products, and AdBlue to a horizontally segmented customer base spanning residential households and industrial/commercial operators across the Main-Tauber, Neckar-Odenwald, Hohenlohe, and Unterfranken districts. The business operates a network of 19 gas stations, a bulk-delivery tank truck fleet, the HERM-Vorteilskarte fleet card program, and an e-commerce lubricant storefront at herm-schmierstoffe24.de.

HERM's technology stack is anchored in physical energy distribution infrastructure rather than software platforms. Key technical capabilities include Shell fuel additive technology (DYNAFLEX, GTL processes), HVO 100 biofuel distribution reducing CO2 by up to 90%, EV charging infrastructure at select stations, a hydrogen mobility alliance (H2-Allianz Main-Tauber), more than 10 operating photovoltaic plants, and certified waste oil disposal and tank cleaning services. Energy transition initiatives are led by Managing Director Dipl.-Ing. Peter Herm, who chairs the hydrogen alliance, while the company is jointly managed with Dipl. BW (FH) Gerhard Herm jun.

The revenue model combines transactional unit-pricing sales (heating oil at minimum 500L orders, pellets at 1000kg), recurring natural gas subscriptions, fleet card transaction fees across the gas station network, and professional services (tank cleaning, waste oil disposal). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with the company employing regional direct sales teams supplemented by online calculators and digital inquiry forms. As a Shell brand partner, HERM leverages Shell's fuel and lubricant technology and brand credibility as a core commercial asset, while building independent renewable energy capabilities to position for long-term sectoral decarbonization.

Name

HERM GmbH & Co. KG

Legal name

HERM GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://herm.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HERM GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned German energy trading company (est. ~1914) that distributes heating oil, natural gas, wood pellets, diesel fuels, Shell lubricants, and operates 19 gas stations across four districts in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria for residential and commercial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy and Fuel Distribution

NAICS

Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals (424710), Fuel Dealers (4572)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum Bulk Stations & Terminals (5171), Gas & Other Services Combined (4932), Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial CNG/LNG Supply & Distribution (Virtual Pipelines, Trucking, Satellite Storage) (EUALALAA)

Keywords

• Heating oil distribution
• Natural gas supply
• Wood pellets delivery
• Gas station network
• Shell lubricants sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Lauda-Königshofen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heating Oil Sales (Shell Heizöle): Sale and delivery of heating oil products including Shell Heizöl Eco (renewable blend) and standard heating oil. Minimum order 500L. Delivered via tank truck to residential and commercial customers across delivery areas.
2. Natural Gas Supply: Natural gas supply to residential and commercial customers. Includes online price calculator and inquiry form. Annual consumption-based pricing model.
3. Diesel and Motor Fuels: Sale of Shell diesel fuels, Blue Diesel, Shell GTL Fuel, Shell FuelSave Diesel, and HVO 100 at gas stations and via bulk delivery to commercial fleets.
4. Wood Pellets and Briquettes: Sale and delivery of wood pellets (since 2006) and wood briquettes. Pellets delivered via silo tank trucks or as bagged goods. Minimum order 1000 kg pellets. Both private and commercial customers.
5. Lubricants and AdBlue: Sale of Shell lubricants across multiple industry verticals (construction, industry, automotive, agriculture, power, transport) and Shell Panolin products. Online sales via herm-schmierstoffe24.de. AdBlue for SCR catalytic converter treatment.
6. Gas Station Network Operations: Operation of 19 company-owned/affiliated gas stations in Main-Tauber, Neckar-Odenwald, Hohenlohe, and Unterfranken districts. Includes self-service car washes. Fuel card program for fleet customers.
7. Tank Cleaning and Waste Oil Disposal: Professional tank cleaning services and waste oil/emulsion disposal services for industrial and commercial customers. Certified disposal solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HERM GmbH & Co. KG is a regional energy trading and distribution company that sells and delivers Shell-branded heating oil, natural gas, wood pellets and briquettes, diesel fuels (including HVO 100, Blue Diesel, Shell GTL Fuel, Shell FuelSave Diesel), Shell lubricants and AdBlue to residential and commercial customers. It operates a network of 19 gas stations across four districts in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, offers a fleet fuel card program, and provides tank cleaning and waste oil disposal services.

Product overview

HERM GmbH & Co. KG is a German energy trading company operating since 1912 with over 100 employees. It offers a diversified portfolio of energy products including heating oils (Shell Heizöl, Shell Heizöl Eco), natural gas, wood pellets, wood briquettes, diesel fuels (HVO 100, Blue Diesel, Shell GTL Fuel, Shell FuelSave Diesel), lubricants (Shell Schmierstoffe, Shell Panolin, Shell Rimula), and AdBlue. The company operates 19 gas stations in the Main-Tauber, Neckar-Odenwald, Hohenlohe, and Unterfranken regions, providing traditional fueling services alongside emerging sustainable energy solutions including electromobility charging stations, hydrogen mobility initiatives, e-fuels support, and photovoltaic power generation. Additional services include tank cleaning and waste oil disposal. As a Shell brand partner, the company distributes Shell-branded fuels and lubricants while developing its own sustainable energy transition offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HERM Tankstellen: Gas station network operated by the company, with 19 stations across Main-Tauber, Neckar-Odenwald, Hohenlohe and Unterfranken districts.
• herm-schmierstoffe24.de

Products and services

• Shell Heizöl (Heating Oil)

Quantifiable outcome

• HVO 100 reduces CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to fossil diesel
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, strategic and supporting.

• Shell (Shell Deutschland Oil GmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHERM is a Shell brand partner for fuels (heating oil, diesel) and lubricants. As a Shell partner, HERM distributes Shell Heizöle (including Shell Heizöl Eco), Shell diesel fuels (Shell GTL Fuel, Shell FuelSave Diesel), Shell lubricants across industry verticals (construction, industry, automotive, agriculture, power, transport), Shell Panolin, and AdBlue. Shell provides brand credibility and access to Shell's fuel technology and additives.
• FOR.UM Media GmbHminorOthersResponsible for the concept and design of the herm.net website.
• FOR.UM IT-Service GmbHminorOthersProvides web hosting and technical implementation services for herm.net.
• H2-Allianz Main-Tauber (Hydrogen Alliance Main-Tauber)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Dipl.-Ing. Peter Herm, this alliance brings together various market partners to develop a concept for hydrogen production from regenerative electricity generation, with plans to build and operate hydrogen refueling stations in the Main-Tauber region. Represents HERM's strategic commitment to future energy solutions.
• Shell Panolin (Panolin International AG)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHERM distributes Shell Panolin lubricants (biodegradable lubricants) as an authorized reseller/distributor.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wilhelm Geiger GmbH & Co. KG: Family-owned Bavarian/Swabian fuel, lubricant, and bitumen distributor with regional gas stations and bulk fuel delivery. Comparable to HERM on regional German footprint, family ownership, and diversified petroleum/lubricant portfolio.
• Knauber Holding GmbH & Co. KG: Family-owned Bonn-based group operating gas stations and distributing heating oil, fuels, lubricants, and natural gas across German regional markets. Closely comparable to HERM in size, family ownership structure, multi-product energy distribution model, and regional concentration.
• Hartmann Mineralöl GmbH: German regional fuel distributor operating gas stations and bulk heating oil/diesel delivery in southern Germany. Highly comparable to HERM on regional focus, retail/bulk mix, and family-style operating model.
• TEAM Energie GmbH & Co. KG: German fuel retailer and wholesaler operating an independent gas station network with heating oil, diesel, and lubricant distribution. Comparable to HERM on multi-channel fuel distribution and regional station operations.
• Roth Holding GmbH & Co. KG: Mid-sized German fuel and lubricant distributor with gas station network and heating fuel delivery. Comparable to HERM on regional footprint, product mix (fuels, lubricants, AdBlue), and mid-market private ownership.

Broad incumbents

• Mabanaft GmbH & Co. KG: Hamburg-based major petroleum wholesaler and terminal operator supplying fuels across Europe. Overlaps HERM on wholesale petroleum distribution but operates primarily at wholesale/terminal scale rather than regional retail.
• BayWa AG: Large publicly-listed German group active in energy (fuels, heating oil, renewable energy), agriculture, and building materials with national reach. Overlaps HERM on heating oil and fuel distribution but operates at much larger scale across multiple industries.
• Westfalen AG: German family-owned energy company active in fuels, gas, lubricants, and chemicals with national distribution. Overlaps HERM on fuels, natural gas, and lubricants but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• TotalEnergies Marketing Deutschland GmbH: German arm of TotalEnergies operating a national gas station network plus heating oil, lubricants, and increasingly renewable fuels. Competes with HERM on regional pump pricing and bulk delivery but at far larger scale and with integrated upstream supply.

Regional players

• Hoyer GmbH: German family-owned fuel logistics and distribution company with national depot network for diesel, heating oil, and lubricants. Comparable to HERM on private family ownership and bulk fuel distribution but with broader geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/herm.net
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herm-gmbh-co-kg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 HERM GmbH & Co. KG