Stimme Mediengruppe

What Stimme Mediengruppe does

Stimme Mediengruppe is a Heilbronn-based, third-generation family-owned German media group founded in 1946, operating across four divisions: Stimme Media, Stimme Druck, Stimme Logistik, and Stimme Invest. Its media division publishes three regional daily newspapers (Heilbronner Stimme, Hohenloher Zeitung, Kraichgau Stimme) reaching approximately 184,000 daily readers, the weekly echo with its digital portal echo24.de, and a portfolio of specialized online portals (Stimme.de news, Jobstimme, Immostimme, Trauer & Gedenken), supported by a Stimme+ premium digital subscription launched in July 2022.

The group owns and operates integrated production infrastructure: Stimme Druck runs a printing facility in Heilbronn recognized internationally through ten WAN-IFRA International Color Quality Club memberships and induction into the Millennium Club of Elite, while Stimme Logistik (via Regio Zustellservice GmbH) deploys over 2,500 daily couriers for newspaper and parcel delivery across Heilbronn-Franken, Hohenlohe, and Kraichgau. Stimme Invest holds strategic participations in SWMH (Südwestdeutsche Medienholding), Radio Ton, Staatsanzeiger für Baden-Württemberg, TD advertising agency, SiC! software firm, and venture investments via the media + more venture joint venture with Badischer Verlag and VRM.

Revenue derives from print and digital advertising, newspaper and digital subscriptions (starting at €9.99/month for Stimme+), B2B commercial printing services, logistics/fulfillment services, and specialist B2B magazine publishing through pVS (pro Verlag und Service). Go-to-market combines a direct sales force (Außendienst and Innendienst) for regional B2B advertisers with direct-to-consumer newspaper delivery and self-serve digital platforms. The group employed 650 staff (2021) plus more than 3,000 contracted delivery personnel. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Stimme Mediengruppe

Legal name

Heilbronner Stimme GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://stimme-mediengruppe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Stimme Mediengruppe is a family-owned German regional media group headquartered in Heilbronn, publishing three daily newspapers, the weekly echo, multiple specialized digital portals, and offering integrated printing and last-mile logistics services across the Heilbronn-Franken, Hohenlohe, and Kraichgau regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Newspaper Publishing and Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (513120), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Commercial Printing (2750), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Subscription & Fulfillment Services (Print & Digital) (MPAJAKAB)

Keywords

• Regional newspaper publishing
• Commercial printing services
• Newspaper delivery logistics
• Digital news portal
• Local advertising marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Heilbronn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print newspapers and advertising: Daily newspapers (Heilbronner Stimme, Hohenloher Zeitung, Kraichgau Stimme) and weekly echo generate advertising revenue through print placements, special themes, and classifieds. Tageszeitungen reach 184,000 daily readers.
2. Digital advertising and subscriptions: Online portals (stimme.de, echo24.de), job portal (Jobstimme), real estate portal (Immostimme), and funeral portal (Trauer & Gedenken) generate digital advertising revenue and premium subscription revenue (from €9.99/month).
3. Printing services (Stimme Druck): Commercial printing services for newspapers, advertising inserts, supplements, and special products using modern printing technology at Heilbronn facility.
4. Logistics and delivery (Stimme Logistik): Delivery and fulfillment services including newspaper distribution through Regio Zustellservice GmbH, handling logistics from transport to end-consumer delivery.
5. Magazines and special publications (pVS): Professional magazines and customer publications through pro Verlag und Service, targeting specialized audiences nationally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Stimme Mediengruppe publishes regional daily newspapers (Heilbronner Stimme, Hohenloher Zeitung, Kraichgau Stimme) with six local editions, the weekly newspaper echo, and digital news portals (Stimme.de, echo24.de) serving the Heilbronn-Franken, Hohenlohe, and Kraichgau regions. The group also operates commercial printing (Stimme Druck), newspaper and parcel delivery logistics via Regio Zustellservice GmbH with 2,500+ couriers, regional advertising and digital marketing services for businesses, specialist trade magazines (pVS - pro Verlag und Service), and an investment division (Stimme Invest) holding strategic media participations.

Product overview

Stimme Mediengruppe is a multi-divisional German media company organized into four business divisions: Stimme Media, Stimme Druck, Stimme Logistik, and Stimme Invest. Stimme Media encompasses regional daily newspapers (Heilbronner Stimme, Hohenloher Zeitung, Kraichgau Stimme), the weekly newspaper echo with its digital portal echo24.de, advertising papers, and online platforms including Stimme.de (news), Jobstimme (jobs), Immostimme (real estate), and Trauer & Gedenken (obituaries). Stimme Druck operates a printing facility producing newspapers and printed materials, recognized internationally for quality. Stimme Logistik (via Regio Zustellservice GmbH) handles delivery of newspapers and logistics products across the region. Stimme Invest manages strategic participations in SWMH, Radio Ton, Staatsanzeiger, and venture investments. The group also produces video content via Stimme.tv/Volksfest.TV and digital marketing services, and publishes specialist magazines through pVS (pro Verlag und Service). The company was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Heilbronn.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stimme Media: Media operations including newspapers, advertising papers, and magazines
• Stimme Druck
• Stimme Logistik
• Stimme Invest
• echo
• pVS
• Stimme.de
• Stimme.tv
• Jobstimme
• Immostimme
• Trauer & Gedenken

Products and services

• Heilbronner Stimme Regional daily newspaper with six local editions covering Stadt- und Landkreis Heilbronn, Kraichgau, and Hohenlohe, reaching approximately 184,000 daily print readers. It is the group's flagship print title.
• Hohenloher Zeitung Regional daily newspaper serving the Hohenlohe area, part of the Stimme Mediengruppe print portfolio.
• Kraichgau Stimme Regional daily newspaper serving the Kraichgau area, part of the Stimme Mediengruppe print portfolio.
• echo (Weekly Newspaper and echo24.de) Weekly newspaper and its associated digital news portal (echo24.de) covering regional news for Heilbronn, Hohenlohe, and Kraichgau, with the online portal exceeding 5 million users.
• Stimme.de Regional news portal covering Stadt- und Landkreis Heilbronn, Kraichgau, and Hohenlohe with free and premium (subscription) content, with approximately 900,000 monthly unique users.
• Jobstimme Online job portal under the Stimme Mediengruppe digital portfolio, serving as a platform for employer branding and job recruitment advertising.
• Immostimme Online real estate portal for listings of apartments and houses for rent and purchase in the Heilbronn region, integrated with the Stimme Mediengruppe digital advertising network.
• Trauer & Gedenken Online grief and memorial portal offering obituary pages, guides, and a business directory for advertising placement in the Heilbronn region.
• Stimme.tv Video Production Video production service offering audiovisual content including news coverage, image films, and live events, ranging from simple reporting to sophisticated image films.
• Digital Marketing Services Digital marketing services including social media management, campaign management, web design, and content production, offered as part of the Stimme Media division to regional businesses.
• Stimme Media (Division) Core media division encompassing regional daily newspapers (Heilbronner Stimme, Hohenloher Zeitung, Kraichgau Stimme), weekly newspaper echo, advertising papers, online portals, and pVS for specialist trade magazines.
• Stimme Druck (Commercial Printing) Commercial printing division producing newspapers, advertising inserts, and special products at the Heilbronn facility using state-of-the-art printing technology, with WAN-IFRA International Color Quality Club recognition (10x) and Millennium Club of Elite membership since 2022.
• Stimme Logistik / Regio Zustellservice GmbH Logistics and fulfillment division responsible for daily newspaper, logistics products, and advertising paper delivery across Heilbronn-Franken, Hohenlohe, and Kraichgau, with a network of over 2,500 delivery personnel.
• pVS - pro Verlag und Service (Specialist Trade Magazines) Specialist magazines and customer publication division reaching narrow special-interest target groups nationally, offering tailored concepts and high-quality printing.
• Stimme+ Premium Digital Subscription Premium digital subscription product offering enhanced digital content access to Stimme.de with up to four accounts, billed monthly from €9.99 and flexibly cancellable.
• Umweltmagazin Reiner Regional environmental magazine covering environmental topics in the Heilbronn region.
• Druckhausführungen (Printing House Tours) Guided tours of the Stimme Druck printing facility offering insights into newspaper production, including facts about printing, press weights, and paper consumption; available for groups of ten or more.

Quantifiable outcome

• 184,000 daily print readers in distribution area
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and major.

• RegioMailminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Successful ownership change at RegioMail in 2024 - postal and delivery services partnership.
• Staatsanzeiger für Baden-WürttembergminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007In 2007, Stimme Mediengruppe together with Kollegen-Verlage from Ludwigsburg and Weinheim acquired the Staatsanzeiger for Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart.
• Radio TonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1987Early radio engagement with founding of Radio Regional in 1987 continued through participation in Radio Ton broadcasting.
• SWMH (Südwestdeutsche Medien Holding)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStimme Mediengruppe is a strong member of the Group Württembergischer Verleger (GWV) participating in SWMH, which includes Zeitungsgruppe Stuttgart, Schwarzwälder Bote, regional publishers in Baden-Württemberg and Bayern, and Süddeutscher Verlag with Süddeutsche Zeitung and various trade publishers.
• TD (TomyDesign)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong participation in Heilbronner advertising agency TD (formerly TomyDesign) - strategic local marketing partnership.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mannheimer Morgen: Regional daily newspaper in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region of Baden-Württemberg; operates a comparable mix of print subscription, digital portal, and vertical marketplaces (jobs, real estate). Same regional competitive set as Stimme Mediengruppe.
• Schwarzwälder Bote: Regional daily newspaper group also within the SWMH/GWV consortium; comparable regional print-and-digital publishing model with local editions and a digital subscription product. Closely matched as a Baden-Württemberg peer.
• Stuttgarter Zeitung / Stuttgarter Nachrichten: Also part of the SWMH/GWV consortium alongside Stimme Mediengruppe; publishes a major regional daily newspaper in Stuttgart with strong digital subscription model (StZ+). Direct regional peer in the same Baden-Württemberg market and publishing network.
• VRM (Verlagsgruppe Rhein Main): Mainz-based publishing group and joint venture partner with Stimme Mediengruppe in media + more venture; Marc Becker joined Stimme Mediengruppe from VRM in 2021. Comparable multi-title regional publisher with portfolio of dailies and digital subscriptions.
• Augsburger Allgemeine: Regional newspaper group in Bavarian Swabia with comparable structure of dailies, weekly titles, digital portals and vertical marketplaces; directly comparable mid-sized German regional publisher with growing digital subscription emphasis.
• Badischer Verlag: Freiburg-based regional newspaper publisher that partners with Stimme Mediengruppe in the media + more venture joint venture and the High-Tech-Gründerfonds; directly comparable regional multi-division media group with print, digital and logistics activities.

Broad incumbents

• Süddeutsche Zeitung (Süddeutscher Verlag): Largest German quality national daily, part of SWMH alongside Stimme Mediengruppe; broader incumbent operating nationally and internationally with significantly larger scale and a strong SZ+ digital subscription product. Comparable in business model but not in geographic focus.
• Funke Mediengruppe: Major German regional newspaper publisher with regional dailies, digital subscriptions and vertical marketplaces across multiple states; broader incumbent and one of the largest privately held regional press groups in Germany, illustrating the consolidation trajectory regional publishers face.
• Nürnberger Nachrichten / Nürnberger Presse: Larger family-owned regional newspaper group in northern Bavaria with integrated digital subscriptions (NN+) and vertical portals; broader incumbent in the German regional press landscape with a similar family-controlled, multi-division operating model.

Regional players

• Fränkische Nachrichten: Daily newspaper group serving the Tauberfranken and Hohenlohe regions adjacent to Stimme Mediengruppe's footprint; comparable regional subscription and local advertising model, partially overlapping geography in the Hohenlohe area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stimme-mediengruppe
• Instagraminstagram.com/stimme.mediengruppe

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Stimme Mediengruppe