Gebrüder Lotter KG

Gebrüder Lotter KG, commonly known as Lotter, is a family-owned German wholesale group headquartered in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg. Its core business is steel trading, complemented by wholesale of rolled steel products, hardware, building elements, tools, flooring, building services products, and liquefied gas. The group primarily serves processing and manufacturing businesses within a radius of roughly 50–100 km around each operating site, with most locations in Baden-Württemberg and Saxony and additional coverage in Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate. Deliveries from stock are largely handled by the company's own fleet. The company traces its origins to 1810, when Christoph Heinrich Lotter opened a confectionery in Ludwigsburg. The year 1840 is traditionally regarded as the founding year of today's business, and from 1850 onward iron and ironware became increasingly important. After the Second World War, Johannes Ernst brought his son and daughters into the business, which has since operated as a Kommanditgesellschaft. Over the decades the group expanded through the creation and acquisition of subsidiaries, including Industriebau Bönnigheim (1982), Dorow & Sohn (1990), Lotter Metall (1991), Lotter + Liebherr (2001), C. Schrade (2009), Stahlhandel Haug (2012), and the full acquisition of Hans Dewald GmbH in 2015. Today the Lotter-Gruppe comprises the parent Gebrüder Lotter KG and numerous subsidiaries active in steel wholesale, steel processing, industrial construction, flooring, and liquefied gas distribution. The group operates locations in Bad Friedrichshall, Bautzen, Borna, Pleidelsheim, Frankfurt am Main, Gaggenau, Glauchau, Ingersheim, Ludwigsburg, Murr, Neckarsulm, Oschatz, and Ulm-Söflingen. Its Ludwigsburg site has a rail connection via the Ludwigsburg industrial railway, and it is the last company regularly served by that line. The company remains in family ownership and continues to serve business customers through its wholesale operations, online shops such as Lotter24 and the Stahlshop, and printed and online catalogues.

The history of Gebrüder Lotter begins in 1810, when Christoph Heinrich Lotter (1787–1834) opened a confectionery at Körnerstraße 16 in Ludwigsburg. The year 1840 is traditionally considered the founding year of today's company. A turning point came in 1850, when iron and ironware became increasingly important to the business. The workforce grew from 12 employees in 1908 to 70 in 1927 and 140 by 1939. After the Second World War, Johannes Ernst brought his son and daughters into the business, which had previously been run by him alone and has since been continued as a Kommanditgesellschaft. When Johannes Ernst died in 1970 at the age of 93, Theodor Ernst was already supported in management by his sons Helmut and Gerhard. In 1981 Helmut Ernst was admitted as a personally liable partner in the family company. In the following years several subsidiaries were founded: Industriebau Bönnigheim GmbH + Co. KG in Bönnigheim in 1982; Dorow & Sohn KG in Oschatz in 1990; Lotter Metall GmbH + Co. KG in Borna in 1991; Lotter + Liebherr GmbH in Gaggenau in 2001; C. Schrade GmbH with headquarters in Neckarsulm in 2009; and Stahlhandel Haug GmbH + Co. KG in Bad Friedrichshall in 2012. On 1 March 2015, the company acquired 100% of the shares of Hans Dewald GmbH (quality and bright steel, logistics and sawing services) in Pleidelsheim. The Lotter-Gruppe today includes, alongside Gebrüder Lotter KG, subsidiaries such as Stahlhandel Haug GmbH + Co. KG (Bad Friedrichshall), C. Schrade GmbH (Neckarsulm), Hagelauer Dewald GmbH (Pleidelsheim), Hochberger Stahl-Service GmbH (Pleidelsheim), Industriebau Bönnigheim GmbH + Co KG (Bönnigheim), Dorow und Sohn KG (Oschatz), Lotter Metall GmbH + Co. KG (Borna), Krönlein (Schweinfurt), Weber Stahlhandel GmbH (Rüdesheim), Lotter GmbH (Landau in der Pfalz), as well as interests in Lotter + Liebherr GmbH (Gaggenau) and Plasto Bodenbeläge (Bonn, via Lotter + Liebherr). The group is essentially active in wholesale of rolled steel products and related goods, hardware, building elements and tools, flooring, and building services products; in this line of business it mainly supplies processing companies. It also includes large-scale distribution of liquefied gas and, to a smaller extent, retail shops for household goods. One group company is engaged in steel construction (Industriebau Bönnigheim). The main sales areas are within a radius of 50–100 km around the respective company or branch locations, which are predominantly in Baden-Württemberg and Saxony and adjacent areas, but also in Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate. Deliveries from stock are largely made with the company's own fleet.

• 2015

  Acquisition of 100% of Hans Dewald GmbH in Pleidelsheim on 1 March.

• 2012

  Stahlhandel Haug GmbH + Co. KG is founded in Bad Friedrichshall.

• 2009

  C. Schrade GmbH is founded with headquarters in Neckarsulm.

• 2001

  Lotter + Liebherr GmbH is founded in Gaggenau.

• 1991

  Lotter Metall GmbH + Co. KG is founded in Borna.

• 1990

  Dorow & Sohn KG is founded in Oschatz.

• 1982

  Industriebau Bönnigheim GmbH + Co. KG is founded in Bönnigheim.

• 1981

  Helmut Ernst is admitted as a personally liable partner in the family company.

• 1970

  Johannes Ernst dies at age 93; Theodor Ernst leads with sons Helmut and Gerhard.

• 1939

  Workforce reaches 140 employees.

• 1927

  Workforce grows to 70 employees.

• 1908

  Workforce stands at 12 employees.

• 1850

  Iron and ironware become increasingly important to the business.

• 1840

  Traditionally regarded as the founding year of today's Gebrüder Lotter company.

• 1810

  Christoph Heinrich Lotter opens a confectionery in Ludwigsburg, the origin of the company.

Family-owned German wholesale group specializing in steel trading and related industrial supplies, serving business customers regionally with own logistics.

• Steel and rolled steel products

• Reinforcing steel, welded wire mesh, prestressing steel

• Hardware, building elements, tools

• Flooring and building services products

• Liquefied gas

• Household goods (minor retail)

1. 1Gebr. Lotter KG Handelsunternehmen – official websitelotter.de
2. 2Lotter (Unternehmen) – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Lotter (Unternehmen) – Wikidatawikidata.org