Gerhard Schäfer GmbH

What Gerhard Schäfer GmbH does

Gerhard Schäfer GmbH, operating as Schäfer Chemie, is a German specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1998 and headquartered in Dettingen/Teck, Baden-Württemberg. The company develops and produces its own range of vehicle cleaning and care chemistry for professional car wash operators running portal/gantry systems, tunnel/conveyor washes, and self-service stations. Its product portfolio spans pre-wash cleaners, foam shampoos, wheel cleaners, drying aids, preservation waxes, textile and facility cleaning chemistry, and biological water-treatment consumables, sold under numbered SKUs across alkaline, acidic, and pH-neutral ranges. A differentiated sub-brand, TITAN®, offers a patented two-step sealing and conservation system built on proprietary Advanced Polymer Technology (APT).

The business operates on a B2B, sales-led model with a small (~10-employee) technical team that conducts on-site consultation, test runs, and custom chemical concept development tailored to each customer's equipment, water quality, and operating goals. Distribution is direct: field sales representatives cover the NRW and Hessen regions, while inside sales handle quote-based ordering via phone, email, WhatsApp catalogs, and a web inquiry form. There are no distributor or reseller channels, no public listing, no external institutional investors, and no disclosed funding events; the firm is independently family-owned with leadership personally involved in daily decision-making. All formulations exceed 90% biodegradable surfactant content and comply with German detergent law, WRMG, EU REACH, and DIN 1999 separability requirements.

Name

Gerhard Schäfer GmbH

Legal name

Gerhard Schäfer GmbH

Website

https://schaefer-chemie.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gerhard Schäfer GmbH (Schäfer Chemie) is a family-owned German specialty chemicals manufacturer, founded in 1998, that develops and sells proprietary car wash chemistry—including the patented TITAN® polymer system—for professional operators of portal, tunnel, and self-service car washes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Car Wash Chemistry

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Polish and Other Sanitation Good Manufacturing (325612), Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing (3256)

SIC

Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842)

akta.pro primary industry

Aftermarket Fluids, Lubricants & Chemical Products Manufacturing (Oils/Coolants/Additives/Cleaners) (IMACANAK)

Headquarters

HQ city

Dettingen/Teck

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Car Wash Chemical Products: Sale of concentrated chemical formulations for automated car washes including pre-wash, foam, shampoo, wax, drying aids, wheel cleaners, and maintenance products. Products sold in various container sizes (typically 20-25 liters) to car wash operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gerhard Schäfer GmbH develops and manufactures its own range of car wash chemistry — alkaline, acidic, and pH-neutral cleaning, foam/shampoo, wheel cleaning, insect removal, drying aids, preservation/polish, water-recovery treatment, and hall/textile cleaning products — for professional car wash operators running portal, tunnel, and self-service wash facilities. Products are sold in 20–25 liter containers under numbered SKU names, including the patented TITAN® premium polish/finishing system based on Advanced Polymer Technology (APT).

Product overview

Gerhard Schäfer GmbH (Schäfer Chemie) is a manufacturer and developer of car wash chemistry operating from Dettingen/Teck, Germany. Its product portfolio is organized around five core car wash system categories: (1) SB-Anlagen (self-service car wash) products including pre-wash cleaners, foam shampoos, and wheel cleaners; (2) Portalwaschanlagen/Waschstrasse (portal and tunnel wash systems) products spanning insect removers, pre-wash, wheel cleaning, foam/shampoo, drying, preservation/care, textile and system cleaning, and hall/floor cleaning; (3) TITAN®, a branded multi-step paint protection system consisting of TITAN® Polish (550), TITAN® Lava Polish (535), and TITAN® Glanz Finish (500) using Advanced Polymer Technology (APT); (4) Brauchwasser (greywater/recycled water treatment) products including flocculants and bioclean disinfectants for water recovery systems; and (5) Express Trocknung (drying aids) including Poly Star Wachs (512) and EXPRESS Trockner (400). The company also sells textile washing detergents (602), machine cleaners (639, 626), stainless steel cleaners (613), and hall/floor cleaners (670, 680, 655). Products are sold under numbered brand names (e.g., 100, 101, 210, 288) across alkaline, acidic, and neutral pH ranges. The company emphasizes sustainability, with surfactants over 90% biodegradable, and offers custom-formulated chemistry adapted to individual customer equipment, water quality, and operational goals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TITAN®: A proprietary sub-brand system for car wash finishing products, including TITAN® Polish, TITAN® Lava Polish, and TITAN® Glanz Finish, marketed as a premium two-step sealing/conservation system with Advanced Polymer Technology (APT). TITAN® is patented and used as a sales-support brand concept for car wash operators.

Products and services

• SB-Anlagen Reinigungsprodukte (Self-Service Wash Cleaning Products) Pre-wash, foam, and wheel cleaning products specifically designed for self-service (SB) car wash stations. Includes mild-foaming all-round pre-wash cleaners, high-performance foam cleaners, cleaning powders for HD lances, foam cleaner concentrates, scented fragrance foams, and acid-free wheel cleaners with adhesive foam — all formulated for foam lances, HD lances, and low-pressure lances operated by end customers at self-service bays.
• SB-Anlagen Pflege & Konservierung (Self-Service Wash Care & Preservation) Caring and preservation chemistry for self-service car washes, including high-polymer preservation products with intense beading effect, caring foam preservatives for wash tunnels/portal/SB systems, and TITAN® SB Schaum Wachs — a high-performance preservative with APT technology for foam lances, HD lances, and low-pressure lances.
• Insektenentferner (Insect Removers) Specialized insect-removal chemistry for portal wash and tunnel systems, featuring high-performance insect removers with protein and grease dissolving power plus anti-drying protection, and powerful alkaline combination intensive cleaners for paint and wheels handling road dirt, insects, grease, and oils.
• Vorreinigung (Pre-Wash Concentrates) Pre-wash chemistry for portal and tunnel car wash systems, including active salt removers formulated for winter use on stubborn salt-oil crusts, highly alkaline intensive cleaners for road dirt, oils, and fats, and universally applicable alkaline pre-wash cleaner concentrates for the pre-wash area.
• Felgenreinigung (Wheel Cleaning Products) Wheel cleaning chemistry for both mechanical (pre-spray circuits) and manual application, including highly alkaline wheel cleaners with extreme pH stability, manual hand-spray wheel cleaners, highly concentrated acidic wheel cleaners free from hydrofluoric and sulphuric acid, and wheel special cleaners effective on baked-on brake dust for all steel and painted aluminum rims.
• Schaum/Shampoo (Foam & Shampoo Cleaners) Foam and shampoo chemistry for foam-wall systems and brush wash systems, including alkaline lava foams that prevent water-recovery overflow, fast-acting foam cleaners with fruity-fresh fragrances, acidic high-performance foam cleaners that simultaneously clean textiles and filtration during the wash, intensive cleaning shampoos that keep wash material supple, and deep-gloss shampoos supporting self-cleaning of wash material.
• Trocknung (Drying Aids) Hybrid drying aids and drying-aid concentrates engineered for fast, streak-free drying in portal and tunnel car wash systems, delivering large-area water break, fast droplet run-off, streak-free results even with high water conductivity and difficult blower geometries, and high security against staining.
• Konservierung & Pflege (Preservation & Care) Polymer preservation and care chemistry for finished vehicles, including polymer preservatives for brilliant protection with optimal beading and streak-free drying, vehicle underbody preservatives with creeping-action corrosion protection, and tire-care preservatives that condition rubber and prevent embrittlement.
• TITAN® Premium Polish System Patented two-step sealing/conservation system built on Advanced Polymer Technology (APT): TITAN® Polish (550) for foam-brush systems delivers deep clear-coat polish without micro-scratches; TITAN® Lava Polish (535) for foam-wall systems follows pre-cleaning with APT-based polishing; TITAN® Glanz Finish (500) provides scented high-polymer brilliant preservation with intense beading and long-lasting surface protection. The TITAN® brand is under patent protection, guaranteeing exclusivity for operators using the system.
• Textil- & Anlagenreinigung (Textile & Equipment Cleaning) Detergents and cleaners for washing-machine regeneration of drying textiles, special cleaners for wash brushes (initial and maintenance cleaning, tested by textile manufacturers), innovative machine cleaners with easy-to-clean effect, and stainless-steel maintenance cleaners with effective soil loosening and flash-rust removal.
• Hallen- & Anlagenreinigung (Hall & Floor Cleaning) Special cleaners for wash-bay halls and floor tiles, including powerful special cleaners effective on yellowish-brown soiling, maintenance cleaners also suitable for wash basins and toilets, and strong basic cleaners that remove massive and stubborn encrustations.
• Brauchwasser (Water-Recovery Treatment Chemistry) Chemistry for biological water-recovery systems at car wash facilities, including high-performance flocculants for binding suspended and turbidity substances, and liquid and powder disinfectants that combat unpleasant odors and address slime/algae infestation in water-recovery systems. Products maintain oil/water separability per DIN 1999 and avoid stable emulsions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% biodegradable surfactants in all products
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Koch-Chemie: German manufacturer of car wash, detailing, and vehicle care chemistry with a comparable product portfolio (pre-wash, foam, shampoo, wax, wheel cleaners). Closest like-for-like competitor in the German professional car wash chemistry market.
• Dr. Wack: German chemical manufacturer with a strong portfolio in car care, motorbike care, and workshop chemistry. Comparable as a mid-sized German specialty chemical company serving automotive cleaning and detailing customers.
• Sonax: German car care products manufacturer producing waxes, cleaners, and preservation chemistry for both consumer and professional car wash channels. Direct comparable in terms of product categories and German market positioning.
• Christ Car Wash (Christ Wash-Chemie): Specialty manufacturer of car wash chemistry (pre-wash, foam, wax, drying aids) targeting professional car wash operators across Europe. Highly comparable in customer segment, product mix, and B2B go-to-market model.

Broad incumbents

• Alfred Kärcher: Global leader in cleaning technology with a dedicated vehicle wash portfolio including chemistry for self-service and portal systems. Much larger and broader, but overlaps in car wash chemistry and serves the same operator customer base.
• Turtle Wax: Global car care brand offering a broad range of cleaners, polishes, and waxes to both consumer and professional channels. Comparable in product category but larger, more consumer-oriented, and operating globally.
• WashTec: World's largest manufacturer of car wash equipment (portal, tunnel, self-service) and a complementary supplier of car wash chemistry. Larger and broader, but the chemistry business is positioned similar to Schäfer's customer base.
• BASF Care Chemicals: Global chemical major supplying surfactants, polymers, and formulated cleaning solutions to industrial and institutional cleaning markets, including automotive wash. Operates on a vastly larger scale and indirectly competes for the same end customers.

Regional players

• istobal: Spanish manufacturer of car wash equipment and associated chemistry, primarily serving Southern European, Mexican, and select international markets. Comparable product set but geographic focus differs from Schäfer's German-centric business.

Others

• Würth: Global automotive aftermarket and maintenance supplier with a broad chemicals, cleaning, and workshop product range. Not a direct car wash chemistry competitor, but a comparable German-rooted B2B automotive aftermarket player with overlapping operator customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/schaeferchemie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gerhard-sch%C3%A4fer-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Gerhard Schäfer GmbH