Titus GmbH

TITUS is a German skateboard retailer and private-label brand headquartered in Münster. Founded in 1978 by Titus Dittmann, a teacher and skateboarding pioneer, the company began as one of Europe's first skate shops and grew into a multi-channel retailer with physical stores, franchising, mail order, and a significant online presence. TITUS sells skateboards, skateboard accessories, skate shoes, streetwear, and safety gear for men, women, and kids, representing a wide range of third-party brands as well as its own TITUS-branded apparel and hardware. The company has been closely tied to the history of skateboarding in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Europe, actively supporting the culture through team sponsorship, contest organization, and media production. After a period of rapid expansion in the 1990s and early 2000s, TITUS faced financial difficulties, underwent restructuring, and in 2025 entered insolvency proceedings. Its core assets were acquired by 24/7 Distribution GmbH, a company founded by Julius Dittmann, ensuring continuation of the TITUS brand and much of its workforce. Today TITUS remains a prominent name in European skateboarding retail, with a strong online shop and a network of stores across Germany.

TITUS traces its origins to the activities of Titus Dittmann, a pioneer of the German skateboarding scene, in the late 1970s. Dittmann moved to Münster in 1971 to study teaching and began his teacher training at the Wilhelm-Hittorf-Gymnasium in 1978. Fascinated by the new US trend sport of skateboarding, he started a skateboarding club with his students and wrote his exam thesis on the topic 'Skateboarding in school sports lessons?'. Because skateboards were difficult to obtain in Europe at the time, Dittmann bought skateboards and equipment in California for himself and his friends, laying the foundation for an import and mail-order business. In 1978, his wife Brigitta Dittmann applied for a traveling trade license, as Dittmann as a teacher was not allowed to apply for a business license. She was also the official operator of the skateboard shop Titus. Titus Rollsport was an early small shop in a Münster basement and one of the first skate shops in Europe. After some time, importing skateboard material from the USA became too expensive for Dittmann. Together with his friends Claus Grabke and Florian Böhm, he built a board press for their own skateboard production. They tested various types of wood and shapes until they achieved usable results. Dittmann was also a pioneer in graphics, allowing pro skaters and teams to design their own boards. However, the efforts to produce skateboards in Germany were later discontinued. In 1987, Titus Dittmann and his wife founded Titus Sport + Mode Handels GmbH. At the end of the 1980s, the skateboard boom waned. Many companies that had established themselves in the skate scene went bankrupt and dissolved. Dittmann managed to keep his skateboard company and pro team. In the early 1990s, Jens Schnabel, then editor-in-chief of Monster Skateboard Magazine, joined the Titus Skates Show Team to design new boards with Dittmann. They wanted to create a counterpart to the large US skate companies. The boards sold well in Germany, Europe, and even the USA. In 1992, Dittmann founded Titus GmbH. In 1994, Dittmann decided to expand the wholesale business into a branched corporate network focusing more on retail, mail order, and franchising. He also founded media and event agencies and built joint ventures for logistics and IT systems. By 2002, the founded Titus AG operated 30 stores nationwide, employed around 500 people, and reported annual sales of 75 million euros. In the same year, Titus AG fell into an existential crisis. In 2007, Dittmann managed to restructure Titus AG. He bought back the company, which had been under bank control, completely and took over operational management again. It was renamed Titus Dittmann GmbH and later Dittmann GmbH. All other companies of the group were merged into Titus Mailorder GmbH, which was later renamed titus GmbH. In 2008, the company consisted of 85 employees, two premium locations, four outlets, 28 franchise stores, and mail order in Germany and German-speaking abroad. In the summer of 2009, Titus Dittmann and Julius Dittmann completed a generational change in Titus GmbH. Since then, Julius Dittmann has led the company in partnership with Peter Vincent Schulz and Brigitta Dittmann. Julius Dittmann brought a new focus on 'skateboarding' and was responsible for a relaunch of the online shop in 2011. As of February 2017, the company consisted of 17 retail stores, four outlets, and 15 franchise locations. In 2025, it became known that Titus was insolvent. The main reason given was the introduction of a new merchandise management system combined with the establishment of a new logistics location. In January 2025, the Amtsgericht Münster approved the self-administered restructuring procedure applied for by Titus GmbH. In February 2025, a restructuring procedure was initiated, as a result of which 24/7 Distribution GmbH, founded by Titus Dittmann's son Julius Dittmann and also based in Münster, took over central assets of Titus GmbH and continued to employ a large part of the workforce.

• 2025

  Titus GmbH files for insolvency; Amtsgericht Münster approves self-administered restructuring; 24/7 Distribution GmbH acquires core assets.

• 2017

  Company consists of 17 retail stores, four outlets, and 15 franchise locations.

• 2013

  Titus GmbH begins producing the print medium Brettkollegen, published four times a year.

• 2011

  Relaunch of the online shop under Julius Dittmann.

• 2009

  Generational change: Julius Dittmann takes over leadership in partnership with Peter Vincent Schulz and Brigitta Dittmann.

• 2008

  Company consists of 85 employees, two premium locations, four outlets, 28 franchise stores, and mail order.

• 2007

  Titus Dittmann buys back the company from bank control and restructures it; renamed Titus Dittmann GmbH and later Dittmann GmbH.

• 2002

  Titus AG operates 30 stores, employs around 500 people, and reports 75 million euros in annual sales; the company enters an existential crisis.

• 1994

  Expansion into a branched corporate network focusing on retail, mail order, and franchising.

• 1992

  Titus GmbH is founded.

• 1987

  Titus Dittmann and his wife found Titus Sport + Mode Handels GmbH.

• 1978

  Titus Dittmann starts importing skateboards from California; his wife Brigitta obtains a traveling trade license and opens Titus Rollsport, one of Europe's first skate shops.

Authentic, heritage-driven skate shop and brand for skateboarders of all levels, combining deep community roots with a broad product range.

• TITUS The Cargo pants

  Loose-fit cargo pants with robust fabric, side entry pockets, back and cargo pockets with Velcro, zip fly, and subtle TITUS branding.

• Skateboards and completes

  Full range of skateboards, completes, and cruisers for beginners to pros.

• Skate shoes and sneakers

  Wide selection of skate shoes from various brands.

• Streetwear

  Apparel for men, women, and kids, including TITUS-branded items.

• Safety gear

  Helmets, pads, and protectors for skateboarding.

• TITUS X YEYE WELLER
• skate-aid

• 2020-06-25

  HelpSystems announced its acquisition of Titus and Boldon James[7]HelpSystems宣布收购Titus和Boldon Jamesfinanznachrichten.de

  Reported: 2020-06-25

  HelpSystems announced the acquisition of data-classification providers Titus and Boldon James.

1. 1Dein Skateshop seit über 45 Jahren – TITUStitus.de
2. 2Flame Thrasher Hoodie in black für Herren – TITUStitus.de
3. 3Rails Pig Skate-Zubehör in black – TITUStitus.de
4. 4The Cargo TITUS Cargohose in darkolive für Herrentitus.de
5. 5Titus GmbH – Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Titus (Unternehmen) – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
7. 7HelpSystems宣布收购Titus和Boldon Jamesfinanznachrichten.de