K+S Aktiengesellschaft
K+S Aktiengesellschaft is a German public company (founded 1899) that mines and processes potash and salt from European and Canadian deposits, selling fertilizers, industrial salts, and de-icing products to agricultural, industrial, pharma, and municipal customers across five continents.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1899
- HeadquartersKassel, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What K+S Aktiengesellschaft does
K+S Aktiengesellschaft is a publicly traded German raw-materials company (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: SDF) founded in 1899 and headquartered in Kassel, Germany. The company extracts and processes potash and salt from underground mines and solution-mining operations in Europe (Germany, France, Netherlands) and North America (Canada), and operates 51 sites across five continents with a workforce of approximately 11,330 FTEs as of December 31, 2025. K+S is organized into two reportable business segments — Agriculture (soil, fertigation, and foliar fertilizers) and Industry+ (industrial applications, food processing, water treatment, pharma, animal nutrition, and de-icing) — plus consumer and community sub-segments for retail salt and municipal de-icing.
K+S produces potassium chloride, potassium sulfate (SOP), magnesium sulfate (kieserite), and various salt grades through proprietary technologies including the patented ESTA® electrostatic separation process (which reduces energy use and production residues versus conventional wet processing), the KKF crystallization and flotation system (which reduces salt wastewater while raising value-mineral yield), and the REKAL® process for recovering aluminum from industrial salt slag. The company also operates the REKS joint venture with Remondis Group for sustainable waste management using its own tailings infrastructure.
The company sells through direct B2B sales from production sites, regional distribution entities in 20+ countries, and the myK+S consumer e-commerce portal. FY2025 revenue of €3,647.9M broke down into Agriculture (€2,547.7M, 7.57M tonnes) and Industry+ (€1,100.2M, 6.26M tonnes including 1.75M tonnes of de-icing salt), with an EBITDA margin of 16.8% and adjusted free cash flow of €29.1M. End-markets span agriculture, food production, pharma, water treatment, glass manufacturing, textiles, and municipal winter road maintenance, with customers ranging from global farmers and industrial manufacturers to retailers, hospitals, and city governments.
K+S Aktiengesellschaft firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- K+S Aktiengesellschaft
- Legal name
- K+S Aktiengesellschaft
- Website
- https://k-plus-s.de
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1899
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- K+S Aktiengesellschaft is a German public company (founded 1899) that mines and processes potash and salt from European and Canadian deposits, selling fertilizers, industrial salts, and de-icing products to agricultural, industrial, pharma, and municipal customers across five continents.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
K+S Aktiengesellschaft industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Potash and Salt Products
- NAICS
- Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253)
- SIC
- Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Potash Mining (IMAKAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Potash Fertilizers (MOP/SOP) (IMAEAEAC), Specialty Potassium Products (SOP, Low-Chloride K, K-Thiosulfate) (AFABACAI), Salt & Salt-Based Seasonings (Sea Salt, Flake, Seasoned Salts) (AFAJANAE)
Keywords
Where K+S Aktiengesellschaft is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kassel
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices50 records
Markets served
K+S Aktiengesellschaft business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Agriculture Segment - Fertilizers: Revenues from soil, fertigation, and foliar fertilizers for global agricultural sector. FY/2025 revenues of €2,547.7 million. Includes trade goods of €120.5 million. Sales volumes of 7.57 million tonnes in FY/2025.
- Industry+ Segment: Industrial applications including plastics, mineral oil, textiles, glass manufacturing, food processing, water treatment, pharma (dialysis, infusion, electrolyte solutions), and animal nutrition. FY/2025 revenues of €1,100.2 million, sales volumes of 6.26 million tonnes including 1.75 million tonnes de-icing salt.
- Consumer Products: Salt range for home use including seasoning, dishwasher salt, water softening, and de-icing salt for residential paths and driveways. Both branded and private label products.
- Communities - De-icing: De-icing salts for cities and communities to ensure safe roads during winter. Particularly pure and effective mixture of fine and coarse salt crystals.
- Waste Management (REKS Joint Venture): Sustainable waste management solutions through REKS joint venture with Remondis Group subsidiary, combining waste management infrastructure with K+S sales network.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels10 records
K+S Aktiengesellschaft product offering
Product offeringCore offering
K+S Aktiengesellschaft mines and processes potash and salt at production sites in Europe and North America, producing potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and various salt products. The company serves four business segments: Agriculture (soil, fertigation, and foliar fertilizers with advisory services), Industry+ (industrial applications, food production, water treatment, pharma, animal nutrition), Consumers (branded and private label salt for household use), and Communities (de-icing salts for municipalities).
Product overview
K+S Aktiengesellschaft is a raw materials company organized into four main business segments: Agriculture (fertilizers for soil, fertigation, and foliar application along with animal nutrition), Industry (covering industrial applications, food production, water treatment, pharma, and transportation/logistics), Consumers (salt products for home use), and Communities (de-icing salts). The company also operates REKS, a joint venture for sustainable waste management. K+S does not offer a unified software platform but rather physical products (potash, magnesium, and salt products) distributed through various sales networks. The portfolio ranges from standard potassium chloride at Bethune and Zielitz sites to specialty fertilizers at Werra and Neuhof sites.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- REKS: Joint venture with Remondis Group for sustainable waste management solutions, combining K+S's waste management infrastructure with Remondis' sales network.
- Cérébos
- Kalikai
- Werra 2060
Products and services
- Agriculture Fertilizers
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% CO2 emission reduction since 1990
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use K+S Aktiengesellschaft
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
K+S Aktiengesellschaft technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
K+S Aktiengesellschaft partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Remondis Group (subsidiary)coreREKS GmbH & Co. KG joint venture established between K+S and Remondis Group subsidiary for sustainable waste management solutions. Combines K+S state-of-the-art waste management facilities and infrastructure with Remondis sales network. Provides access to materials needed for covering tailings piles and creates new business opportunities in waste management sector.
Scale indicators21 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
K+S Aktiengesellschaft competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Mosaic Company: Major US-listed phosphate and potash producer; competes with K+S in global potash and fertilizer markets and has comparable diversified crop-nutrition exposure.
- ICL Group Ltd: Israel-based specialty fertilizers and minerals company producing potash, SOP, and magnesium products from the Dead Sea; the closest direct competitor to K+S's specialty Werra portfolio (SOP, kieserite, water-soluble grades).
- Compass Minerals International: US-listed salt and plant-nutrition producer; competes directly with K+S in North-American de-icing salt (e.g., via K+S North America in Aurora, IL) and in SOP / specialty plant nutrition.
- Nutrien Ltd: World's largest crop inputs company and the leading global potash producer (Saskatchewan-based), competing head-to-head with K+S in MOP, with overlapping distribution and a comparable Agriculture / Industrial product portfolio.
- Uralkali: Major Russian potash producer (Berezniki / Solikamsk) - a direct commodity competitor in global MOP; like Belaruskali, currently subject to Western sanctions that have tightened the global potash supply curve.
- Belaruskali: State-owned Belarusian potash producer - one of the world's largest MOP suppliers and a direct commodity competitor to K+S, though currently impacted by Western sanctions that have shifted pricing dynamics to K+S's favor.
- SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile): Chile-based specialty plant-nutrition and industrial-chemicals company (lithium, iodine, potassium, specialty plant nutrition); competes with K+S in specialty potassium and magnesium-based plant nutrition globally.
- Morton Salt (Stone Canyon Industries): Leading North-American consumer and industrial salt brand (table salt, water-softener salt, de-icing); competes with K+S's Industry+, Consumers, and Communities segments in overlapping retail and municipal channels.
Regional players
- Sinochem Fertilizer: China's largest fertilizer distributor and a major player in potash/compound fertilizer trade; regional counterpart to K+S in China and broader Asia, where K+S is building distribution presence (Singapore, Shenzhen, Gurgaon).
- Arab Potash Company: Jordan-based potash producer serving MOP markets in Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean; a regionally concentrated competitor whose product directly overlaps K+S's MOP from Bethune and Zielitz.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
K+S Aktiengesellschaft social profiles
Digital presenceK+S Aktiengesellschaft financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
K+S Aktiengesellschaft leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
K+S Aktiengesellschaft subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries35 records
K+S Aktiengesellschaft funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
K+S Aktiengesellschaft M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about K+S Aktiengesellschaft
What does K+S Aktiengesellschaft do?
K+S Aktiengesellschaft mines and processes potash and salt at production sites in Europe and North America, producing potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and various salt products. The company serves four business segments: Agriculture (soil, fertigation, and foliar fertilizers with advisory services), Industry+ (industrial applications, food production, water treatment, pharma, animal nutrition), Consumers (branded and private label salt for household use), and Communities (de-icing salts for municipalities).
Is K+S Aktiengesellschaft a public or private company?
K+S Aktiengesellschaft is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was K+S Aktiengesellschaft founded?
K+S Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1899. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is K+S Aktiengesellschaft based?
K+S Aktiengesellschaft is headquartered in Kassel, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does K+S Aktiengesellschaft make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Agriculture Segment - Fertilizers are the primary driver. The others are industry+ Segment, consumer Products, communities - De-icing and waste Management (REKS Joint Venture).
Who are K+S Aktiengesellschaft's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Mosaic Company, ICL Group Ltd, Compass Minerals International, Nutrien Ltd, Uralkali, Belaruskali, SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) and Morton Salt (Stone Canyon Industries). Regional players are Sinochem Fertilizer and Arab Potash Company.
Does K+S Aktiengesellschaft have an API?
No public API is recorded for K+S Aktiengesellschaft.
What industry is K+S Aktiengesellschaft in?
K+S Aktiengesellschaft's product category is Potash and Salt Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAGAB, Potash Mining, with a secondary code of IMAEAEAC, Potash Fertilizers (MOP/SOP). Its NAICS code is 3253 and its SIC code is 1400.