Thyssenkrupp Materials Services
Thyssenkrupp Materials Services is thyssenkrupp AG's global materials distribution, processing, logistics, and supply-chain services business.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Thyssenkrupp Materials Services GmbH is the materials trading and services subsidiary of German industrial group thyssenkrupp AG. Headquartered in Essen, it supplies and processes industrial materials while also providing logistics, supply-chain planning, and digitally enabled services for business customers. Its portfolio covers rolled steel, stainless steel, non-ferrous metals, plastics, tubes, and other industrial materials used by sectors including metalworking, aerospace, mechanical engineering, construction, automotive, and industrial trade. The business was created in 1999 during the merger of Thyssen and Krupp. Its initial organization combined the trading activities of Thyssen Handelsunion AG and Krupp Hoesch International GmbH. The business also incorporated the trading operations of Mannesmann after Thyssen acquired that activity in the same year. This history gave Materials Services a broad international trading and distribution base, which it subsequently expanded through local service centers, including operations in North America. Materials Services is organized around three broad areas: Distribution & Trading, Processing, and Solutions. Distribution and trading activities involve sourcing, stocking, and supplying metals, plastics, tubes, and related products. Processing adapts materials to customer requirements through services associated with cutting, preparation, and other forms of value-added handling. The Solutions area extends the offer into logistics, supply-chain management, digital tools, automation, and connected production processes. From the middle of the 2010s, the company increasingly emphasized digitalization. The materials4me online shop, introduced in 2016, extended the business toward direct digital ordering. In 2017, the company presented toii, an industrial Internet of Things system intended to connect equipment from different manufacturers and support more automated, efficient production environments. In 2019, it announced a Materials as a Service strategy, positioning the business as more than a conventional materials distributor by linking physical supply, equipment, sites, data, and operational services. Artificial intelligence and digital supply-chain management became additional areas of development. Pacemaker, introduced as an AI-based software solution, was designed to improve material flows and resource use in supply chains. In 2022, the company launched the SteelBuy online marketplace, further expanding its digital transaction capabilities. In January 2025, thyssenkrupp announced the acquisition of Luxembourg-based Waves to strengthen Pacemaker's sustainability capabilities and support additional markets. According to the cited company description, Materials Services has more than 16,000 employees and approximately 380 locations in more than 30 countries. In fiscal 2023/24, it reported revenue of €12.126 billion, with sales distributed across Germany, the rest of Europe, and North America. In May 2025, thyssenkrupp announced preparations to establish Materials Services, among other activities, as an independent company in the coming years. That announcement indicates a possible future change in corporate structure, but does not by itself establish that the separation has been completed.
History
Thyssenkrupp Materials Services emerged from the 1999 merger of Thyssen and Krupp. The new organization combined the trading divisions of Thyssen Handelsunion AG and Krupp Hoesch International GmbH, bringing together the materials procurement, sales, and distribution capabilities of both industrial groups. In the same year, Thyssen acquired Mannesmann's trading business, which was subsequently continued under the Thyssen Handelsunion structure as Thyssen Mannesmann Handel GmbH. The combination created a large industrial materials platform with a substantial employee base and significant trading revenue at its formation. Rather than operating only as a conventional merchant, the business developed an international network of branches, warehouses, and service centers. Expansion was particularly notable in North America, where local service centers helped the company serve customers closer to their production sites and broaden its regional market presence. The company's traditional business has involved the distribution of rolled steel, stainless steel, non-ferrous metals, plastics, tubes, and other materials. Over time, it added processing and operational services intended to reduce the work customers must perform internally. These services include material preparation and related value-added processing, as well as logistics and the planning and management of supply chains. During the 2010s, digital tools became increasingly important to the business model. Materials Services introduced materials4me in 2016 as a business-to-consumer online shop. In 2017, it presented toii, an industrial Internet of Things system designed to connect production equipment from different manufacturers. The aim was to support automation and improve process efficiency across industrial operations. In 2019, Materials Services articulated its Materials as a Service strategy. This initiative sought to extend the company's role beyond supplying physical materials by connecting equipment, sites, logistics, data, and related services. It reflected a broader shift from transaction-based materials trading toward integrated industrial solutions. The company continued developing software-based supply-chain capabilities. Pacemaker was described as an AI-based system intended to improve the flow of materials and the use of resources in supply chains. SteelBuy, launched in 2022, added a digital marketplace dimension to the company's steel business. In January 2025, thyssenkrupp announced the acquisition of Waves, a Luxembourg-based company, to strengthen Pacemaker in sustainability-related applications and help open additional markets. Materials Services is structured around Distribution & Trading, Processing, and Solutions. The business serves customers in more than 30 countries through roughly 380 locations and employs more than 16,000 people, according to the cited reference material. For fiscal 2023/24, it reported revenue of €12.126 billion. Germany accounted for 28 percent of reported sales, Europe excluding Germany for 33 percent, and North America for 37 percent. Its customer base includes metalworking, aerospace, mechanical engineering, construction, automotive, and trade-related businesses. In May 2025, thyssenkrupp announced preparations to establish Materials Services, together with other activities, as an independent company in the coming years. The announcement represents a strategic and structural turning point, but the available reference does not confirm that the separation had been completed. The business therefore remains described here as an active thyssenkrupp subsidiary and brand.
- 2025
Acquisition of Waves announced
[1]Thyssenkrupp announced the acquisition of Luxembourg-based Waves to strengthen Pacemaker's sustainability functions and support market expansion.
- 2025
Preparation for possible independent-company structure
[1]Thyssenkrupp announced preparations to establish Materials Services, among other activities, as an independent company in the coming years.
- 2022
Launch of SteelBuy
[1]Materials Services launched the SteelBuy online marketplace for digital steel transactions.
- 2021
Development of Pacemaker supply-chain software
[1]The company introduced Pacemaker as an AI-based tool intended to improve material flows and resource consumption in supply chains.
- 2019
Introduction of the Materials as a Service strategy
[1]Materials Services announced a strategy focused on expanding beyond core materials trading into connected equipment, sites, digital integration, and broader operational services.
- 2017
Presentation of the toii industrial IoT system
[1]The company presented toii, a system designed to connect equipment from different manufacturers and support industrial automation.
- 2016
Launch of materials4me
[1]Materials Services introduced materials4me, an online shop that expanded its digital sales and ordering activities.
- 1999
Formation through the Thyssen–Krupp merger
[1]The trading divisions of Thyssen Handelsunion AG and Krupp Hoesch International GmbH were combined to form the materials-services business within the newly merged thyssenkrupp group.
- 1999
Integration of Mannesmann trading activities
[1]Thyssen acquired Mannesmann's trading business, which continued under the Thyssen Handelsunion organization as Thyssen Mannesmann Handel GmbH.
Products and positioning
A global, service-oriented industrial materials partner that combines material distribution and processing with logistics, supply-chain management, digital platforms, automation, and data-enabled solutions.
Industrial materials · 1999
Materials distribution and trading
The core business sources, stocks, and distributes rolled steel, stainless steel, non-ferrous metals, plastics, tubes, and other industrial materials. It serves manufacturers and industrial customers through an international network of branches and service centers, with coverage extending across Europe, North America, and other markets.
Industrial services
Material processing
The Processing business adds value to supplied materials by preparing them for customer use. The available reference identifies processing as one of the company's three principal business units, although it does not provide a complete list of individual processing techniques or machinery.
Digital commerce · 2016
materials4me
materials4me is an online shop introduced by Materials Services in 2016. It represents the company's move into digital ordering and direct online sales for materials and related products.
Industrial Internet of Things · 2017
toii
toii is an industrial Internet of Things system presented in 2017. It is designed to integrate equipment from different manufacturers, supporting automation, connectivity, and more efficient production processes.
Supply-chain software · 2021
Pacemaker
Pacemaker is an AI-based software solution intended to improve material flows and resource consumption in supply chains. Materials Services later sought to strengthen its sustainability-related capabilities through the announced acquisition of Waves.
Digital marketplace · 2022
SteelBuy
SteelBuy is an online marketplace launched in 2022. It extends Materials Services' digital business model into marketplace-based steel purchasing and selling.
Brand decisions
2025
Acquisition of WavesM&ABackground
Thyssenkrupp sought to develop Pacemaker further, particularly in sustainability-related applications and new markets.
Action taken
Thyssenkrupp announced the acquisition of Luxembourg-based Waves.
Aftermath
The transaction was intended to strengthen Pacemaker and broaden the digital and sustainability capabilities available through Materials Services.
2025
Preparation for an independent-company structureStrategyBackground
Thyssenkrupp announced a broader effort to reconsider the structure of parts of its portfolio and prepare selected activities for greater independence.
Action taken
In May 2025, thyssenkrupp announced preparations to establish Materials Services, among other segments, as an independent company in the coming years.
Aftermath
The available reference does not confirm that the separation had been completed, so the business remains treated as a thyssenkrupp subsidiary here.
2022
Launch of the SteelBuy marketplaceProduct launchBackground
Digital commerce became an increasingly important part of the materials-distribution industry and of Materials Services' own service strategy.
Action taken
The company launched SteelBuy as an online marketplace for steel.
Aftermath
SteelBuy expanded the company's digital channels beyond its earlier online-shop and software initiatives.
2019
Adoption of Materials as a ServiceStrategyBackground
The business sought to reduce its dependence on a conventional materials-distribution model and expand its role in customers' operational and supply-chain processes.
Action taken
Materials Services announced a strategy centered on connecting equipment and sites and providing broader digital and operational services around material flows.
Aftermath
The strategy provided the framework for later emphasis on connected production, supply-chain software, automation, and digital marketplaces.
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