Tiefbau

What Tiefbau does

Michael Richter Tiefbau GmbH is the civil engineering operating subsidiary of the family-owned Michael Richter Group (Michael Richter Holding GmbH), headquartered in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The group operates five interconnected divisions from Paderborn-Elsen and Paderborn-Sande: Tiefbau & Abbruch (earthworks, road, canal, industrial construction, and demolition), Recyclinghof (a TÜV-certified Entsorgungsfachbetrieb on a 4-hectare site handling construction waste, soil, green waste, wood, and metals), Tankstelle (BFT gas station with car wash, self-service bays, dog wash, and shop/bistro), KFZ-Werkstatt (independent auto workshop offering maintenance, inspections, climate service, and axle alignment), and Indoor Car Wash (self-service facility with parking rental). The original business was founded in 1959 by Josef and Anneliese Richter as a gas station; the civil engineering arm was established in 1984 and the business has been led since 1998 by Michael and Gabriele Richter, with second-generation managing directors Felix and Jan Richter now active.

The company's core technology is conventional civil engineering and construction services backed by modern equipment including hybrid excavators, Topcon 3D GPS positioning systems, laser-guided precision pipe installation, on-site jaw crusher and impact mill for construction waste recycling, and a proprietary drying plant using water-heated air up to 90°C powered by self-produced CO2-neutral fuel from related entity Richter Brennstoffe. Canal construction is certified for depths up to 6 meters and industrial construction handles halls up to 20,000 square meters. The group maintains certifications including TÜV Entsorgungsfachbetrieb and Kanalbau Zertifikat.

Revenue is generated through a mix of project-based civil engineering contracts with municipalities and private clients, transactional materials sales (sand, gravel, crushed stone, topsoil, bark mulch), disposal fees for accepted waste, subscription parking rental (€100/month), unit-priced car wash packages (€9.50–€15.90) and rechargeable keycards (10–20% bonus), and automotive service transactions. Distribution is regional and direct: project delivery at customer sites, walk-in retail at Paderborn locations, and online price lists for material pickup. No public-market listing, external investors, or funding rounds are present; the company is wholly family-owned with 332 employees.

Name

Tiefbau

Legal name

Michael Richter Holding GmbH

Website

https://tiefbau-paderborn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Tiefbau is the civil engineering arm of the family-owned Michael Richter Group in Paderborn, Germany, operating across civil engineering, certified construction-waste recycling, fuel retail, car wash, and automotive services for municipalities, private contractors, and consumers in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering & Construction Services

NAICS

Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237990), Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110), Site Preparation Contractors (23891), Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (237310)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Demolition & Selective Tear-Out for Hazardous Materials (BPALALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fence/Deck/Outdoor Structure Tear-Out & Hauling (HSAIAOAG), Construction Cleanup (Post-Construction/Final Clean) (IMAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Construction recycling services
• Demolition and earthworks
• Automotive workshop services
• Car wash facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Paderborn-Elsen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Civil Engineering Services: Core business providing earthworks, road construction, canal construction, industrial construction, and demolition services to public and private clients. Revenue generated through project-based contracts.
2. Construction Materials Sales: Sale of construction materials including sand, gravel, crushed stone, topsoil, bark mulch, and recycled materials from recycling operations. Materials sold in various sizes for different applications.
3. Waste Material Acceptance and Processing: Acceptance of construction waste, soil, green waste, wood, and scrap materials at certified disposal facility. Materials are processed and recycled back into the economic cycle.
4. Drying Services: Drying services for various materials including wood chips, firewood, corn, straw, hay, straw bales, and grain using the company's innovative drying plant.
5. Parking Space Rental: Monthly rental of parking spaces at Indoor Car Wash location for 100 Euro per month with 24h access and video surveillance.
6. Automotive Services: Vehicle wash services (automatic and self-service), automotive workshop services including inspections, repairs, tire changes, and specialty services like air conditioning maintenance and axle measurement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Michael Richter Tiefbau GmbH delivers civil engineering, earthworks, road construction, canal construction, industrial construction, and demolition services for public municipalities and private clients in the Paderborn region. Integrated operations include a certified construction-waste recycling yard, a quarry producing construction aggregates, a gas station with car wash and self-service wash bays, a dog wash, and an automotive workshop offering inspections, repairs, and axle measurement.

Product overview

Tiefbau is part of the Michael Richter Group, a family-owned construction and recycling company based in Paderborn, Germany. The company operates as a multi-divisional enterprise offering five interconnected business areas: (1) Tiefbau & Abbruch (Civil Engineering & Demolition) providing earthworks, road construction, canal/utility construction, industrial construction, and demolition services; (2) Recyclinghof (Recycling Yard) as a certified disposal facility processing construction waste and selling recycled construction materials; (3) Tankstelle (Gas Station) with car wash services, self-service bays, dog wash, and automotive service; (4) Richter Indoor Car Wash (indoor self-service wash facility); and (5) KFZ-Werkstatt (Auto Workshop) offering comprehensive vehicle maintenance and repair. The divisions work synergistically, with the recycling facility processing demolition waste for reuse in construction projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Richter Indoor Car Wash: Self-service car wash facility with modern washing stations, vacuum cleaners, air guns, and mat cleaners
• Richter Recyclinghof
• Richter Brennstoffe

Products and services

• Tiefbau & Abbruch (Civil Engineering & Demolition) Full-scope civil engineering and demolition services including earthworks, road construction, canal construction up to 6m depth, industrial construction up to 20,000 m², and demolition for municipalities and private clients.
• Erdbau (Earthworks) Earthworks services including river renaturalization, flood retention basins, soil storage, soil improvements, piling, and excavation for municipalities and private clients.
• Straßenbau (Road Construction) Construction of final road surfaces, bicycle paths, parking lots, and construction roads for public and private sector clients.
• Kanalbau (Canal/Utility Construction) Construction of sanitary and rainwater canals up to 6.00m depth using various pipe materials, precast or cast-in-place manholes, executed with laser-guided precision under Kanalbau Zertifikat.
• Industriebau (Industrial Construction) Industrial and commercial construction management from planning through implementation, with capacity to deliver industrial and commercial halls up to 20,000 square meters, drawing on more than 30 years of specialist experience.
• Abbruch (Demolition) Professional demolition services spanning small garden sheds to large industrial buildings, with transport of resulting construction waste to the company's own recycling facility.
• Recyclinghof (Recycling Yard) TÜV-certified Entsorgungsfachbetrieb on a 4-hectare site accepting construction debris, soil, green waste, wood, A4 wood, scrap metal, and tires, with materials processed back into the economic cycle through crushing and composting.
• Materialverkauf (Construction Material Sales) Sale of construction materials sourced from recycling and quarrying: sand, gravel, topsoil, bark mulch, crushed brick (RCL), crushed stone, and gravel in various grain sizes for landscaping and construction.
• Materialannahme (Material Acceptance & Disposal) Fee-based acceptance of construction debris, unusable soil, green waste, wood, A4 wood for outdoor use, iron/scrap metal, and car tires at the certified disposal facility.
• Trocknungsanlage (Drying Plant Services) Drying services for natural and pollutant-free wood (chips, logs), corn, straw, hay, straw bales, and grain using a heat-exchange system operating at up to 90°C, powered by self-produced CO2-neutral fuel.
• Steinbruch (Quarry Operations) Company-owned quarry producing compacted stone material for road and path construction, surface stabilization, embankments, and stabilization layers.
• Tankstelle (Gas Station / Fuel Station) BFT-branded gas station providing fuel, convenience shop, bistro, and integrated access to the group's car wash, self-service wash, dog wash, and automotive workshop services.
• Autowaschanlage (Portal Car Wash) WashTec portal car wash system using SofTecs soft brushes and Sonax cleaning programs, offering wash tiers from basic Aktivwäsche (€9.50) to premium molecular sealing (€15.90) plus à-la-carte pre-wash and underbody wash.
• Selbstwaschplätze (Self-Service Wash Bays) Three self-service washing bays where vehicle owners can personally clean their cars using programs including foaming, cold wax, and spot-free drying with deionized water.
• Hundewaschanlage (Dog Wash) Dog wash facility using ProDogwash stainless-steel equipment with warm-water temperature control, special dog shampoo dispenser, and a two-stage powerful dryer.
• KFZ-Meisterbetrieb (Certified Auto Workshop) Certified KFZ-Meisterbetrieb workshop offering repairs, maintenance, inspections, tire changes, brake service, axle measurement, climate control service (R134a from €69, R1234yf from €129), and vehicle disinfection (€75) at the gas station location.
• Richter Indoor Car Wash Indoor self-service car wash facility at Rosmarinstr. 41, Paderborn, offering modern wash bays, vacuum cleaners, air guns, mat cleaners, and Aireffect air dryers.
• Stellplätze mieten (Underground Parking Rental) Monthly rental of underground parking spaces at €100 per month, including remote control, video surveillance, and 24h access near the Indoor Car Wash location.
• KFZ-Werkstatt (Independent Auto Workshop) Independent automotive workshop offering repairs, maintenance, inspections, tire storage, brake service, air conditioning service, axle alignment with 3D measurement, and ozone-based vehicle disinfection.
• TÜV + AU (Vehicle Inspection Services) Daily vehicle inspection services (HU/AU) with TÜV Rheinland / DEKRA examiners on-site for main inspection and emissions testing.
• Keycard System (Rechargeable Wash Card) Rechargeable wash keycards (key card €6.95 with €5 pre-load) offering tiered bonuses from 10% (€10 → €11) up to 20% (€100 → €120), with online recharge via derautopass.de, business fleet invoicing, and automatic statement generation.
• Geschlossener Kreislauf (Closed-Loop Recycling) Closed-loop processing where construction debris is crushed on-site via a jaw crusher (Backenbrechanlage) and impact mill (Prallmühle) to produce recycled material used as gravel substitute for paving bases, courtyard driveways, canal fills, and working space backfills.

Quantifiable outcome

• Construction waste recycling reduces environmental impact and provides materials for reuse

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WashTeccoreTechnology or IntegrationPortal wash system supplier providing car wash equipment including the SofTecs soft brush technology which received ADAC Motorwelt test winner recognition. The equipment is used at the company's automatic car wash facility.
• SnoaxcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of cleaning and care products for car wash operations. The company uses Snoax products exclusively, known for quality and effectiveness in vehicle cleaning.
• SonaxcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of vehicle care products including Protect + Shine, Foam Splash, Cleanstar, and ActiFoam Energy used in various washing programs. Products are offered for both professional use and retail sale.
• TÜV Rheinland / DEKRAcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial vehicle inspection organization conducts daily inspections at the workshop location. Also provides certification for the recycling facility as Entsorgungsfachbetrieb (certified disposal facility).
• HalfarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogistics center construction project completed for Halfar. The project is documented with a time-lapse video showing the construction process.
• TopconcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of 3D GPS positioning systems used for digital terrain modeling, surveying, and construction layout. Enables precise measurement and efficient project execution.
• LIQUI MOLYcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of automatic transmission flush equipment and transmission cleaners used in the workshop for professional transmission oil change services.
• BoschcoreTechnology or IntegrationDiagnostic equipment manufacturer providing error diagnosis and reading systems for all vehicle brands used in the workshop.
• Richter BrennstoffecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated company producing CO2-neutral fuel used to operate the drying plant. The drying facility operates exclusively with self-produced environmentally friendly fuel, creating operational synergy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• REGRADA Recycling GmbH: German certified disposal and recycling facility operator for construction and demolition waste. Comparable for the TÜV-certified Entsorgungsfachbetrieb operations and recycled construction materials sales, though more narrowly focused than the group's full-service model.

Regional players

• Granite Construction Incorporated: US-listed civil contractor focused on transportation infrastructure, water resources, and materials/recycling operations. Comparable for the vertically integrated civil engineering + materials/recycling model, though operating in the US rather than the German market.
• Heijmans N.V. Dutch construction company with strong civil engineering, road construction, and demolition/recycling operations. Comparable in business mix but primarily serves the Netherlands rather than Germany, providing a useful benchmark on European mid-market contractor economics.

Direct peers

• Knappe Tiefbau GmbH & Co. KG: Mid-sized German family-owned civil engineering contractor offering earthworks, road construction, canal construction, and demolition services. Highly comparable in scale, ownership structure, and service portfolio as a direct regional competitor.
• Köster GmbH: Medium-sized German general contractor offering civil engineering, road construction, and industrial construction services. Comparable in scale and trade mix to the Michael Richter Tiefbau division, serving similar municipal and private-sector clients across Germany.
• Bunte Gruppe: German family-owned construction group operating in civil engineering, road construction, and demolition with regional German presence. Closely comparable family-owned mid-market structure and similar service portfolio spanning civil engineering and materials/recycling.
• Leonhard Weiss GmbH & Co. KG: German family-owned construction company specializing in road construction, civil engineering, and concrete maintenance with comparable regional mid-market positioning. Highly relevant as a peer operating in similar earthworks, road, and civil engineering trade scope within Germany.

Broad incumbents

• HOCHTIEF AG: Major German-headquartered construction company with significant civil engineering and infrastructure divisions. Provides a relevant comparable on the size and capability spectrum for German-based heavy civil contractors serving public and private clients.
• Eurovia GmbH: Subsidiary of VINCI, specializing in road construction, earthworks, and urban development in Germany. Competes directly for municipal and private road/earthworks contracts and operates recycling facilities for construction materials, overlapping with the group's recycling closed-loop model.
• STRABAG SE: One of Europe's largest construction groups with extensive civil engineering, road construction, and earthworks capabilities across Germany. Operates at much larger scale but competes for the same municipal and private infrastructure tenders, making it a benchmark for project type and regional market dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/richterindoorcarwash
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tiefbau

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Tiefbau