Gustav Heess Gmbh & Co. Kg

What Gustav Heess Gmbh & Co. Kg does

Gustav Heess is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer and supplier of plant-based oils and fats established in 1897 and headquartered in Leonberg. The company produces and distributes a portfolio of 100+ cold-pressed and refined specialty oils across conventional and certified organic grades, serving three core B2B verticals: cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Operations span roughly 150 employees and 50,000+ tonnes of annual specialty oil volume, with proprietary production facilities in Germany (Leonberg headquarters and Bischofswiesen production site) and the United States (Caloy Company, LP in Denair, California), supplemented by regional sales subsidiaries in France (OliSud SARL) and the Czech Republic/Slovakia (M+H, Míča a Harašta s.r.o.) plus long-standing sales partners in Hungary, Ukraine, and Switzerland. The company positions itself on international sourcing reach, in-house quality management (DIN EN ISO 9001, accredited DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 fat analytics laboratory), and externally audited sustainability credentials (Sedex, TfS, EcoVadis). Sub-brands Heess Organics and Heess Quality Oils target the certified-organic and premium-specification segments respectively, while a monthly market report newsletter is used as a top-of-funnel B2B engagement tool.

Revenue mechanics are based on B2B wholesale supply of specialty oils under custom quotation, with pricing not publicly disclosed and contracts negotiated on specifications, volume, and terms. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales with regional channel partners, and customer acquisition is anchored by direct inquiry via the corporate website. Leadership rests with the Zastrow family (Alexander Zastrow and Boris Zastrow on the Geschäftsführung alongside Julian Flaitz and Marcus Tullius), supported by functional heads across accounting, quality assurance, laboratory, sustainability, R&D, operations, and warehousing. There are no public-company filings, no disclosed funding rounds, and no M&A activity in the input data; the company appears to operate as a long-tenured independent specialty ingredients business rather than a venture- or PE-backed entity.

Name

Gustav Heess Gmbh & Co. Kg

Legal name

Gustav Heess Oleochemische Erzeugnisse GmbH

Website

https://heessoils.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gustav Heess is a German family-owned manufacturer and supplier of plant-based specialty oils and fats, serving cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide through own production in Germany and the USA and a six-country European distribution network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Oils and Fats

NAICS

Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122), Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225), Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246), Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Tropical Oils Processing (Avocado, Sesame, Peanut, Rice Bran, Grapeseed) (AFAKAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virgin & Cold-Pressed Culinary Oils (AFAJALAB), Edible Oils & Fats Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAC), Fats, Oils & Lipid Ingredients (Specialty Oils, MCTs, Structured Lipids) (CRADAOAL)

Keywords

• Vegetable oils
• Plant-based fats
• Cosmetic oils
• Food grade oils
• Pharmaceutical oils

Headquarters

HQ city

Leonberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Oils and Fats Sales: B2B wholesale supply of plant-based oils and fats to cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Products include cold-pressed and refined oils in conventional and certified organic quality.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gustav Heess manufactures and supplies over 100 plant-based oils and fats in cold-pressed and refined qualities, available as conventional and certified organic products. The portfolio is structured by end-use industry into cosmetic, food, and pharmaceutical grades, with own production facilities in Bischofswiesen (Germany) and Denair, California (USA), and is sold wholesale to industrial manufacturers through direct sales, subsidiaries, and partner distributors across Europe, the USA, and parts of Asia.

Product overview

Gustav Heess is a leading manufacturer and supplier of plant-based oils and fats serving the cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical industries. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio structured around its core product range of over 100 plant oils and fats, which are available in cold-pressed and refined varieties in both conventional and certified organic quality. The product portfolio includes industry-specific lines (Cosmetic, Food, and Pharmaceutical oils and fats), proprietary sub-brands (Heess Organics for certified organic products and Heess Quality Oils for premium quality offerings), and specialty production capabilities through its Caloy production unit in California. The company emphasizes sustainable sourcing practices and maintains extensive quality management and analytical testing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Caloy: Production unit specializing in quality natural oils, located in Denair, California, USA
• Heess Organics
• Heess Quality Oils

Products and services

• Gesamtsortiment (Complete Product Range) Comprehensive range of over 100 plant-based oils and fats covering cold-pressed and refined varieties for use by cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Available in conventional and certified organic quality.
• Bio-Sortiment / Heess Organics (Organic Oils & Fats) Certified organic plant oils and fats meeting organic certification standards for cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Sourced with respect and audited through Sedex and TfS.
• Kosmetische Öle & Fette (Cosmetic Oils & Fats) Plant-based oils and fats specifically formulated for cosmetic and personal care product manufacturing. Sold to cosmetics industry manufacturers requiring quality-certified inputs.
• Lebensmittelöle & -fette (Food Oils & Fats) Food-grade plant oils and fats for the food industry, including cold-pressed and refined options in conventional and certified organic quality. Sold to food manufacturers and processors.
• Pharmazeutische Öle & Fette (Pharmaceutical Oils & Fats) High-purity plant oils and fats meeting pharmaceutical industry standards and quality requirements for medicinal and health applications. Supported by the company's DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory.
• Heess Quality Oils Premium quality oil products with enhanced quality assurance and specification controls, positioned as a top-tier offering within the Gustav Heess specialty oils portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ tonnes of specialty oils sold annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.

• Caloy Company, LPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction unit located in Denair, California, USA. Produces natural oils as part of Gustav Heess Group's own manufacturing capabilities. Contact: +1 209 874 3381, [email protected], www.caloyoil.com
• M+H, Míča a Harašta s.r.o.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBranch operation serving Czech Republic and Slovakia. Located in Blansko, Czech Republic. Contact: +420 516 428-860, [email protected], www.mah.cz
• OliSud SARLregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary company in France serving as distribution arm. Located in Aix-en-Provence, France. Contact: +33 4 42900001, [email protected], www.olisud.fr
• Deres ConsultminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner in Hungary. Located in Budapest. Contact: +36 1 9516391, [email protected], www.deresconsult.hu
• MH & Gustav Heess Ukraine LTDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner in Ukraine. Located in Bilogorodka. Contact: +38 050 685 4725, +38 044 361 48 66, [email protected]
• Millennium Trading AGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner in Switzerland. Located in Wollerau. Contact: +41 44 787 5800, [email protected], www.millennium-trading.ch
• TVB StuttgartminorOthersLong-term partnership supporting handball sports club and youth talent development. Reflects company commitment to regional community engagement.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Symrise: German-headquartered major supplier of flavors, fragrances, and cosmetic ingredients including plant-based oils. Comparable as a broader German specialty ingredient incumbent serving overlapping cosmetics customers.
• Croda International: Global specialty chemicals company with a significant personal-care ingredient portfolio including plant-derived oils. Comparable as a broader specialty ingredients incumbent serving cosmetics and pharmaceutical customers.
• Cargill Beauty: Personal-care-focused arm of Cargill offering a broad portfolio of natural oils and butters for cosmetics. A larger incumbent competing in the same cosmetic ingredient category as Gustav Heess, with materially greater scale.
• BASF Personal Care: Personal-care ingredients division of BASF offering emollients and specialty oils for cosmetics. Broader incumbent with deeper R&D and global scale, competing in the same cosmetic-grade oil category.

Direct peers

• Olvea Group: French family-owned specialist in plant and marine oils for cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals. Directly comparable to Gustav Heess in size, ownership profile, and specialty B2B focus across the same three verticals.
• IOI Loders Croklaan: Specialty oils and fats supplier owned by IOI Corporation, serving food and personal care manufacturers globally. Direct competitor in the specialty fats and oils space with comparable B2B customer profile.
• Henry Lamotte Oils: German B2B supplier of refined and cold-pressed vegetable oils for cosmetics, food, and technical applications. Highly comparable to Gustav Heess as a fellow German specialty oil distributor with overlapping product lines.
• AAK (AarhusKarlshamn): Sweden-based global leader in specialty oils and fats for cosmetics, food, and personal care. Closely comparable to Gustav Heess as a B2B specialty vegetable oil supplier serving the same end verticals with both conventional and organic positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gustav-heess-gmbh

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Gustav Heess Gmbh & Co. Kg