Often things happen in life quite differently than planned: Instead of continuing to follow in the footsteps of his already launched career as an architect, August Stockmeier founded a chemical company in 1920 - and thus laid the foundation for an undreamed-of success story.
Starting out as a regional trading company, STOCKMEIER is now one of Europe's leading chemical distributors. The company is also a producer of cleaning agents, adhesives, paper and textile auxiliary materials as well as flavours for the food industry. In the long term, the company aims to become one of the top 3 chemical distributors in Europe - an ambitious goal that STOCKMEIER has successfully approached in recent years.
It all began on 12 October 1920 in Bielefeld: August Stockmeier founded his company for the distribution of chemical-technical articles and industrial supplies. The trained architect put all his eggs in one basket, because chemistry is completely new territory for him. Despite considerable competition from around 20 other chemical companies and factories in the region, the company continues to grow.
After the early death of August Stockmeier in 1959, his son Dr. Jürgen Stockmeier takes over the management of the company. Initially inexperienced, he soon dared to venture off the beaten track - as long as it was beneficial to a cause. Dr. Jürgen Stockmeier pushes the further growth of the company. As early as the 1960s, the premises on Eckendorfer Strasse are expanded through acquisitions. With STOCKMEIER Food and STOCMEIER Urethanes, manufacturing companies are founded within the STOCKMEIER Group in the 1990s. Until 2010 Dr. Jürgen Stockmeier remains part of the management of the family business until he transfers all company shares to his children.
His son Peter, who has been a member of the management since 1990, implements the growth strategy from 2000 onwards, which has brought the group of companies to its current size. In 1999 Peter Stockmeier completes the first business takeover: The purchase of Schmidt Chemikalien resulted in the formation of what is now STOCKMEIER Chemie Dillenburg GmbH & Co. KG. The largest takeover to date takes place in 2013: the acquisition of the KRUSE Group. At that time Peter Stockmeier decides within a few days to buy the broadly based group of companies and thus to save it from insolvency.
Recently the STOCKMEIER Group has grown particularly in Europe. In 2019 STOCKMEIER acquires the chemical distribution division of the Spanish INDUKERN Group and founds STOCKMEIER Química with headquarters in Barcelona. In the same year STOCKMEIER acquires the remaining 50% of Quaron SAS in France and now holds 100% of the company.
Today the STOCKMEIER Group produces and distributes more than 26,000 different standard and special chemical products. Over 1,800 employees work at more than 50 locations in Germany, Europe and overseas. They supply around 30,000 customers with chemicals for a wide range of applications. Despite all the opening up of new markets and international expansion, STOCKMEIER remains an independent family business and firmly rooted in Ostwestfalen-Lippe.
Read more about the whole history of the STOCKMEIER Group in our chronicle.