What Stork Gmbh does

Störk GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of peat-free soils, bark mulches, substrates, soil improvers, decorative wood chips, and biofilter materials, operating from a 24-hectare production site in Nauen, Brandenburg. Founded in 1998 by Paul Störk and taken over by Cordula Schmude on January 1, 2003, the company has run a continuous capex program into modern mixing plants, screening technology, dual packaging lines, in-house laboratory capabilities, and additional storage facilities, and has layered an extensive certification stack (RAL-GZ 250/1, RAL-Gütesiegel Blumenerden and compost, TÜV Rheinland fall protection, EMAS, ISO 9001/14001/45001, ABCERT, Grünstempel) that underwrites both retail and tender-grade sales. Its branded NATUMERA and NATUMERA Bio product lines, launched in 2013 and 2019 respectively, cover peat-free Bio-Universalerde, specialty Blumenerden, Rindenmulch, Pinienrinde, decorative wood chips, and biofilter media such as Biomix, Xylit, Kokosmix, and Wurzelholz.

The business serves a horizontal split of wholesale (Großhandel) and retail (Einzelhandel) customers in the gardening, landscaping, and substrate industries, with products supplied loose or bagged and on-site pickup at Nauen, supplemented by a Big Bag green-waste disposal service routed through partner Manfred Laubsch. Geographic reach is concentrated in Germany with a stated but unverified worldwide customer base. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; customer concentration is unobservable because no end-customer logos are named. Go-to-market is sales-led with content marketing through the company website, regional press coverage, vocational-fair participation, and YouTube video content. Management includes Managing Directors Stephan Engster and Holger Otto Vox, Prokuristin Cordula Schmude, second-generation Betriebsleiter Marcus Schmude, and functional heads across administration, dispatch, accounting, and laboratory operations.

Name

Stork Gmbh

Legal name

Störk GmbH

Website

https://stoerkgmbh-nauen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Störk GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of peat-free soils, bark mulches, substrates, decorative wood chips, and biofilter materials, producing RAL- and ISO-certified products on a 24-hectare site in Nauen for wholesale and retail customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Garden Soils, Mulches and Substrates

NAICS

Compost Manufacturing (325315), Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531), Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers (444)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Compost & Soil Amendment Product Manufacturing/Blending (Value-Added Organics) (BPALAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compost Product Distribution, Retail & Landscape Supply (Bulk/Bagged) (BPALAEAI), Organics Collection & Processing (Composting/Anaerobic Digestion) (IMAIAFAF), Yard Waste, Land Clearing & Green Waste Processing (Mulch/Compost Feedstock) (BPALAEAG), Soils, Mulch, Fertilizers & Lawn Care Chemicals Retail (CRAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Peat-free soils
• Bark mulch products
• Garden substrates
• Biofilter materials
• Green waste disposal

Headquarters

HQ city

Nauen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Soil and bark mulch products: Sale of peat-free soils, standard soils (Blumenerde, Rhododendronerde, etc.), bark mulch in various grain sizes, pine bark, substrates, soil improvers, and aggregates. Products sold loose or bagged.
2. Biofilter materials and services: Sale of biofilter materials including Biomix, Xylit, pine bark with wood content, coconut mix, root wood, and biofilter accessories. Also includes biofilter service for replacement and initial filling of systems.
3. Green waste disposal service: Collection and ecological disposal of garden waste (Grünschnitt), including Big Bag delivery and pickup service.
4. Decor and playground safety products: Sale of decorative wood chips (Dekormulch) in various colors (Yellow, Red, Gray, Brown, natural, mixed) and TÜV-certified playground safety surfaces.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Störk GmbH manufactures and sells peat-free garden soils, bark mulches, substrates, soil improvers, decorative wood chips and biofilter materials under the NATUMERA and NATURMERA brands, complemented by a green waste disposal (Grünschnittentsorgung) collection service. Products are produced at the 24+ hectare Nauen facility using modern mixing plants, screening technology and an in-house laboratory, and are sold loose or bagged to retail and wholesale customers in Germany and worldwide.

Product overview

Störk GmbH is a manufacturer of garden soils, mulches, substrates, and biofilters operating on over 24 hectares in Nauen, Germany, with more than 25 years of experience. The product portfolio is organized primarily under the NATUMERA and NATUMERA Bio sub-brands and spans five core categories: (1) torffreie Erden (peat-free soils) including Bio-Universalerde, Kräuter- und Aussaaterde, and Gärtnerkompost under the NATUMERA Bio line; (2) conventional and specialty Erden (soils) including Blumenerde and Rhododendronerde; (3) Rindenmulch and Pinienrinde bark mulch products available in multiple grain sizes and packaging formats under the NATUMERA brand; (4) Holzdekore (decorative wood chips) — TÜV-certified colored wood chippings under NATUMERA; and (5) Biofilter und Materialien including Biomix, Xylit, Kokosmix, Kiefernrinde, Wurzelholz, Biofilter-Rostböden, and accessories. Supporting product lines include Zuschlagstoffe (Blähton, Lava, Perlit, Bims), Bodenverbesserer (Rindenhumus, Komposte, Torf), and Substrate. The company also offers a Grünschnittentsorgung (green waste disposal) service. Production is RAL-certified, and products are manufactured on organic and natural bases following the motto 'Aus der Natur – für die Natur.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NATUMERA: Product brand for organic soils, bark mulches, substrates, and biofilter materials including Bio-Universalerde, Kräuter- und Aussaaterde, Kompaktblumenerde, Rhododendronerde, Rindenmulch, and Piniendekor products.

Products and services

• NATUMERA Bio torffreie Erden (Peat-free Soils) The NATUMERA Bio peat-free soils line includes Bio-Universalerde 40L (year-round universal soil from regional raw materials with RAL-certified humus and compost), Bio Kräuter- und Aussaaterde (herb and sowing soil approved for organic horticulture with Grünstempel certification), and Bio Gärtnerkompost 40L (green waste compost for soil activation, 100% natural, RAL-certified). Sold to retail and wholesale garden customers in Germany.
• NATUMERA Conventional Erden (Soils) The conventional NATUMERA Erden range covers NATUMERA Qualitäts-Blumenerde (premium potting soil 40L/60L, peat-reduced, RAL-certified) and specialty soils such as Rhododendron-, Azaleen- und Hortensien-Erde (pH 4.5–5.4, with fertilizer depot for ~2 months) and Torffrei Qualitäts-Rhododendronerde (pH 4.6) for ericaceous plants. For retail garden centers and wholesale commercial use, loose or bagged.
• NATUMERA Rindenmulch and Pinienrinde (Bark Mulch) Quality bark mulches including NATUMERA Rindenmulch 60L (grain size 0–40, from domestic pine bark with cadmium below 1.5 mg/kg TM, RAL-certified) and NATUMERA Piniendekor in fine/medium/coarse grades (60L bagged, screened pine bark for plant beds, paths and decorative gardens). Sold loose or bagged.
• NATUMERA Holzdekore (Decorative Wood Chips) 50L TÜV-certified decorative wood chips (Holzdekore) made from domestic softwood colored with environmentally compatible pigments. Available colors: Yellow, Red, Gray, Brown, natural, and mixed. Weather-resistant, color-stable, odor- and pH-neutral, for playground safety surfaces and decorative gardens.
• Biofilter Materials (Biomix, Xylit, Kiefernrinde, Kokosmix, Wurzelholz) Engineered biofilter media including Biomix (8–12 year heather-fibre peat mix for odor control), Xylit (slightly carbonized woody material with low degradation rate, heavy metals well below Bioabfallverordnung limits), Kiefernrinde mit Holzanteil (fresh pine bark for two- or three-layer biofilters), Kokosmix (washed coconut shell fibre with peat for two-layer biofilters), and Wurzelholz in various grain sizes (double-shredded root wood with low pressure loss over multiple years). Sold to biofilter system installers and operators.
• Biofilter Accessories (Rostböden, Coco mats, Water stops, PE nets, Edge gas barriers, Big Bags, Irrigation systems) Complementary biofilter accessories including Biofilter-Rostböden (mixed-plastic grate floor system, vehicle-loadable up to 3 t, 20 cm–1 m elevation), Kanalschachtbiofilter (manhole biofilters), Kokosmatten (coco mats), Wasserstopps (water stops), PE-Netz (PE nets), Randgassperren (edge gas barriers), filter media in Big Bags, and Bewässerungsanlagen (irrigation systems). For biofilter installers and operators.
• Zuschlagstoffe (Aggregates: Blähton, Lava, Perlit, Bims) Aggregate substrates: Blähton (expanded clay) for wall greening and hydrocultures; Lava for roof greening and water storage; Perlit for soil improvement and substrate addition; Bims (pumice) as a water storage medium. Available loose or in Big Bags for landscaping, green roof and substrate applications.
• Bodenverbesserer (Soil Improvers: Rindenhumus, Rindenkompost, Komposte, Torf) Soil improvers supplied loose: Rindenhumus 0–20 (RAL-certified), Rindenkompost 0–20 (lab-analyzed), Grünschnittkompost (green waste compost), Mischtorf (mixed peat), Schwarztorf (black peat), and Weißtorf (white peat). For commercial landscaping, soil blending and substrate production.
• Substrate (Substrate Mixes) Custom substrate blends combining natural soils with additives (Perlit, Quarzsand, Lava) for optimal plant growth, RAL-certified, developed in the company's in-house laboratory for industrial and horticultural applications. Sold loose to commercial customers.
• Grünschnittentsorgung (Green Waste Disposal Service) Ecological collection and disposal of garden waste (Grünschnitt) and shrub cuttings. Customers can deliver green waste themselves or use the Big Bag collection service, where Big Bags are delivered and picked up through partner company Manfred Laubsch in Falkensee. Material is processed ecologically by Störk GmbH.

Segments2 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

One partnership is on record.

• Retec Group / JartenmeesterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJartenmeester (part of Retec Group) is displayed as a partner on the company website with a logo link to retecgroup.com. Nature of partnership appears to be commercial collaboration in the gardening/landscaping sector.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brill Substrate GmbH & Co. KG: German peat and substrate producer serving both professional horticulture and consumer gardening. Overlaps with Störk in substrates, soil mixes, and growing media, competing in German and European markets.
• Gramoflor GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of peat-reduced and peat-free substrates, professional growing media, and garden soils. Closely comparable in product mix (Blumenerde, specialty substrates) and German Mittelstand profile, competing for the same wholesale and retail buyers.
• Floragard Vertriebs GmbH: German manufacturer and distributor of branded garden soils, potting soils, and substrates sold through retail channels. Direct overlap with Störk's NATUMERA-branded soils and decorative mulches in the German retail garden category.
• ASB Grünland Helmut Aurenz GmbH: German producer of substrates and growing media for horticulture and landscaping. Comparable in substrate/blend offering and B2B sales motion to professional and retail customers.
• Einheitserde Werkverband eG: Cooperative of German substrate manufacturers producing professional and hobby growing media. Direct peer in substrates and soils, sharing RAL certification standards and competing for similar wholesale and retail customers in Germany.
• Hawita Gruppe: Northern German producer of growing media, substrates, and garden soils under brands including Hawita and Florabella. Direct overlap with Störk in substrates, Blumenerde, and specialty mixes, also serving retail and wholesale channels.

Broad incumbents

• W. Neudorff GmbH KG: German garden-products manufacturer spanning soils, fertilizers, and natural pest control with strong sustainability positioning. Overlaps with Störk in peat-free soils and eco-certification, but with national brand presence and broader product portfolio.
• Klasmann-Deilmann: One of the world's largest producers of growing media and substrates, including peat-based and increasingly peat-reduced soils. Directly comparable as a soil/substrate manufacturer but operates at much larger scale with international production footprint, putting competitive pressure on Störk's peat-free positioning.
• COMPO GmbH: Major German garden-care brand across soils, fertilizers, and lawn care, with national retail distribution. Comparable end-customer overlap in retail soils and mulches but operates as a broader, marketing-driven consumer brand rather than a focused regional manufacturer.

Regional players

• Retec Group / Jartenmeester: Northern European gardening and landscaping substrate/commercial partner already displayed on Störk's website. Comparable in substrates and green-waste adjacent services but primarily serving Benelux/Nordics rather than the German market where Störk is concentrated.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@stoerkgmbh

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Stork Gmbh