Harald Zahn GmbH

What Harald Zahn GmbH does

Harald Zahn GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of mechanical fastening technology for flat roof applications, founded in 1981 and headquartered in Wiesloch, Baden-Württemberg. The company produces a complete portfolio of flat roof fasteners differentiated by substrate type (steel trapezoidal profile, concrete, wood/span/OSB, aerated concrete & bimsdiele, and special applications), proprietary ZDBS toothed roof screws, ZLVT load distribution plates, ZSE screw inserts, and a line of automated screw-driving machines (ZSA-Proofi-Plus, K80, K90/K150, and the newly launched ZSA-1024MAX). End products are manufactured in Germany and have been used to fasten over 300 million m² of flat roof surfaces since 1981, including approximately 12 million m² in 2022 alone.

The company's business model centers on direct hardware sales to flat roof construction companies and specialist roofing contractors, complemented by an engineering services line that performed 3,000 wind load calculations in 2022. Distribution is built around an internal sales team and an eight-region field sales organization covering all major German regions (Nord, Nordwest, Nordost, West, Süd, Südwest, Südost, Ost), with an exclusive distribution partner (AURO-Befestigungssysteme) handling Austria for over twenty years. Pricing is quote-based rather than published. The current product catalog (2025/26) and the 2025 launch of the ZSA-1024MAX metal setting device demonstrate ongoing product cadence. Operations remain family-controlled with second-generation Zahn family members (Armin Zahn in Development & Construction, Benjamin Zahn in Marketing, Frank Glöckner in Business Management) actively involved alongside the founder Harald Zahn, who received the Wirtschaftsmedaille des Landes Baden-Württemberg in 2018 for entrepreneurial achievement.

Name

Harald Zahn GmbH

Legal name

Harald Zahn GmbH

Website

https://zahngmbh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Harald Zahn GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of mechanical fastening systems and automated screw-driving equipment for flat roof construction, serving roofing contractors in Germany through direct field sales and in Austria through an exclusive distributor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flat Roof Fastening Systems

NAICS

Bolt, Nut, Screw, Rivet, and Washer Manufacturing (332722)

SIC

Bolts, Nuts, Screws, Rivets & Washers (3452), Screw Machine Products (3451)

akta.pro primary industry

Flashing, Edge Metal & Roof Accessories (IMADAFAJ)

Keywords

• Flat roof fasteners
• Mechanical roof fastening
• Roofing screw systems
• Construction fasteners
• Wind load calculations

Headquarters

HQ city

Wiesloch

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Flat Roof Fastening Systems: Sale of mechanical fastening systems including fasteners for various substrates (steel, concrete, wood), accessories, and screw inserts. The company provides complete solutions from planning to implementation.
2. Screw Automatons: Sale and distribution of automated screw driving equipment including ZSA-Proofi-Plus, K80, K90/K150 models and the new ZSA-1024MAX. 1,500 units sold since 1981.
3. Engineering Services: Wind load calculations and technical consultation services for flat roof fastening applications. 3,000 wind load calculations performed in 2022.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Harald Zahn GmbH manufactures and sells mechanical fastening systems for flat roofs, including specialized fasteners for different substrates (steel trapezoidal profiles, concrete, wood/OSB, aerated concrete, and special applications), toothed roof screws, load distribution plates, screw inserts, and automated screw driving machines. The company also provides engineering services such as wind load calculations for flat roof fastening applications, with 3,000 calculations performed in 2022.

Product overview

Harald Zahn GmbH is a manufacturer of flat roof fastening technology with a comprehensive portfolio of mechanical fastening systems. The core product line includes specialized fasteners for different substrate types: steel trapezoidal profiles (ZDBS toothed roof screws), concrete, wood/particle board/OSB, and aerated concrete/pumice slabs. Supporting products include ZSE screw inserts and accessories, plus a range of automated screwdriver machines (Schraubautomaten) such as the ZSA-Proofi-Plus RS, K80, K90/K150, and the newly launched ZSA-1024MAX. The product range also encompasses ZDBS-G guttered toothed roof screws and ZLVT load distribution plates designed for integration with the automated screw machines. The company has been operating for over 40 years with a focus on mechanical fastening technology for flat roof waterproofing, having secured over 300 million m² of flat roof surfaces since 1981.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZSA-1024MAX: Screwdriver automation machine for professional applications, designed for quick and precise screwing of guttered Zahn roof screws ZDBS-G and load distribution plates ZLVT

Products and services

• Flat Roof Fasteners for Steel Trapezoidal Profile (Flachdachbefestiger für Stahltrapezprofil) Mechanical fastening systems specifically designed for securing flat roof waterproofing membranes to steel trapezoidal profiles, including ZDBS toothed roof screws and load distribution plates.
• Flat Roof Fasteners for Concrete (Flachdachbefestiger für Beton) Fastening solutions for securing flat roof waterproofing membranes to concrete substrates.
• Flat Roof Fasteners for Wood/Span/OSB (Flachdachbefestiger für Holz/Span/OSB) Fastening systems designed for securing flat roof waterproofing membranes to wood, particle board, and OSB substrates.
• Flat Roof Fasteners for Aerated Concrete & Pumice Slab (Flachdachbefestiger für Porenbeton & Bimsdiele) Specialized fasteners for aerated concrete and pumice slab substrates in flat roof applications.
• Flat Roof Fasteners for Special Applications (Flachdachbefestiger für Sonderbefestigungen) Custom fastening solutions for unique or non-standard flat roof applications.
• ZSA-1024MAX Metal Setting Device (Metallsetzgerät ZSA-1024MAX) Professional-grade screw automaton for quickly and precisely fastening guttered Zahn roof screws (ZDBS-G) and load distribution plates (ZLVT). Compatible with ZDBS-E/G roof screws and ZLVT 0001/0005 load distribution plates. Article number: *11040.
• Screw Automatons for Flat Roof Fasteners (Schraubautomaten) Automated screwdriver machines for efficient installation of flat roof fasteners, including models ZSA-Proofi-Plus RS, K80, K90/K150, with 1,500 units sold since 1981.
• ZDBS Zahn Roof Construction Screws (ZDBS-E/G Edelstahl gegurtet) Stainless steel toothed roof screws in guttered format designed for steel trapezoidal profile applications and automated installation.
• ZLVT Zahn Load Distribution Plates (ZLVT 0001/0005) Load distribution plates designed for distributing loads in flat roof fastening applications, used in conjunction with ZDBS roof screws.
• Wind Load Calculations (Windlastberechnungen) Engineering service providing wind load calculations for flat roof fastening applications, with 3,000 calculations performed in 2022.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 million m² of surfaces fastened in 2022 alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AURO-BefestigungssystemecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distribution partner for Austria. Represents Harald Zahn for over 20 years, enabling market leadership in Austria through access to innovative products and company flexibility. Partner highlights the 'Modul Kunststoff Kombination' product innovation for higher insulation thicknesses.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sika AG: Swiss specialty chemicals company with a strong roofing and waterproofing portfolio (Sarnafil membranes, adhesives, sealants). Competes indirectly by offering adhered/chemical roof-attachment alternatives to mechanical fastening.
• Würth: Global market leader in assembly and fastening technology serving construction, trades, and industry. Overlaps with Harald Zahn on construction fasteners and tooling but operates at vastly larger scale and broader product breadth.
• BMI Group: European roofing systems manufacturer offering membranes, insulation, and integrated roof assemblies. Adjacent competitor — could bundle own-compatible fastening systems, putting pricing pressure on pure fastener suppliers like Harald Zahn.
• Hilti Group: Liechtenstein-based global leader in construction fastening, drilling, and tooling. Overlaps with Harald Zahn's automated screw-driving and fastener lines but at much greater scale and with broader construction-trade channel coverage.
• fischer Group: German family-owned fastening systems manufacturer with broad construction portfolio (anchors, screws, chemical fixings). Comparable in family-run heritage and German manufacturing positioning, though broader product scope than Harald Zahn's flat-roof specialty.
• ITW Buildex (Illinois Tool Works): Construction fastener specialist within ITW producing screws and fastening systems for roofing, drywall, and structural applications. Comparable product overlap, particularly in metal-roof and steel-deck fasteners, but with broader distribution.

Regional players

• AURO-Befestigungssysteme: Austrian distribution partner for Harald Zahn (and a regional fastening-systems provider). Listed for context as the existing exclusive Austrian channel partner; comparable in distribution-focused service model for specialty fastening.

Emerging players

• MAGE Group: German manufacturer of fastening and connection technology for construction and roofing. Smaller specialty competitor overlapping with Harald Zahn on steel-deck and trapezoidal-profile fastener categories.

Direct peers

• SFS Group: Swiss-listed manufacturer of precision fastening systems (including SFS intec for roofing and construction). Directly competes with Harald Zahn in mechanical fasteners for flat-roof applications and has substantially broader geographic reach and product range.
• EJOT: German fastener specialist (EJOT Baubefestigungen) with deep presence in mechanical fastening for roofing, façade, and insulation applications. Highly comparable in substrate-specific fastener ranges and engineering-support model to Harald Zahn.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFYCKDLqsrzhI1TB-vxZ1wA?view_as=subscriber
• Instagraminstagram.com/haraldzahn_gmbh/?hl=de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harald-zahn-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Harald Zahn GmbH