List of the 50 largest glass and ceramics companies Germany [2023]

List of the 5 largest glass & ceramics companies in Germany

In Germany, there are about a thousand companies involved in the production of glass and ceramic products – not only for end consumers, but also for industrial applications. The industry is dominated by medium-sized companies – with some big players. These are the top 5:

1. SCHOTT AG, Mainz

Glass and glass ceramics form the business model of SCHOTT in Mainz. The company’s history is closely linked to Zeiss Jena. The Carl Zeiss Foundation owns SCHOTT and Carl Zeiss AG. SCHOTT manufactures glass products for household appliance manufacturers and other industries (including pharmaceuticals, electronics, optics, automotive).

Update 2023: The specialty glass manufacturer from Mainz could soon be involved in the lucrative smartphone market. In this context, SCHOTT recently developed a so-called UTG (ultra-thin glass) that could be used in foldable displays. The special glass developed is thinner than a human hair and can be folded up to 500,000 times.

2. Gerresheimer AG, Düsseldorf

Gerresheimer Glas has been around since 1864. The company specializes in primary packaging made of glass and plastic for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. The Group employs around 10,000 people and is represented at 58 locations in Europe, Asia and America.

3. Villeroy & Boch AG, Mettlach

Villeroy & Boch is one of the traditional German manufacturers of porcelain, stoneware and earthenware. The company was founded in 1748 and after more than 250 years is still true to its original business model. The Mettlach-based company with 7,100 employees exports to over 120 countries.

4. Glas Trösch Euroholding AG & Co. KGaA, Bad Krozingen

Glas Trösch Euroholding acts as the German holding umbrella for the Swiss Glas Trösch Group and bundles a whole range of glass-related company holdings. Glas Trösch manufactures basic glass (float glass, laminated safety glass and coated construction glass) and carries out glass processing (insulating glass, laminated safety glass and toughened safety glass).

5. CeramTec GmbH, Plochingen

CeramTec develops and produces technical ceramics for various industrial sectors – including automotive engineering, the chemical industry, electronics, medical technology, equipment and mechanical engineering. The company’s history began in 1903 and today it delivers all over the world. CeramTec has 3,400 employees and is considered the world market leader in technical advanced ceramics.

Special glass manufacturers and ceramix experts

We present the largest glass and ceramics companies in Germany in our unique lists. The glass and ceramics industry is an important component of the German economy. The company with the highest turnover is Schott AG, which is based in Mainz and has an annual turnover of approximately two billion euros. Schott AG manufactures numerous products, from Ceran cooktops to fiber optic Internet cables, and plays a significant role as a supplier to core German industries, such as the automotive sector.

This information is included in the database

• Company name
• General contact data (address, e-mail address, telephone number, URL)
• Serial letter suitable for addressing the management (e.g. “Sehr geehrter Herr Dr. Müller”)
• Name of the management
• Sales figures for the years 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 as well as employee figures for the years 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 (taken from the annual and consolidated financial statements)
• Field of activity

Note: If the sales and employee figures are not included in a company’s own financial statements but in the parent company’s consolidated financial statements, the data from the respective consolidated financial statements are provided.