Heidenheim-based publicly-listed manufacturer-distributor of wound care, infection prevention, incontinence and hygiene medical devices — a pillar of the German MedTech distribution landscape since 1818.
Paul Hartmann AG (commonly referred to as Hartmann Group or simply Hartmann) is one of Germany's oldest medical device companies, founded in 1818 in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Baden-Württemberg. The company operates as both a manufacturer of its own product lines and as a distributor for partner brands across its core verticals, with sales in roughly 130 countries and a workforce of approximately 11,000 employees worldwide.
Hartmann is publicly listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker: PHT2) and reports annual revenues in the order of €2.4 billion. The company is majority-owned by the Hartmann family through Karl Hartmann GmbH & Co. KG, which has provided strategic stability uncommon in the German MedTech sector.
Hartmann's product portfolio is organized into four business divisions, each with a distinct go-to-market channel:
The MoliCare brand is Hartmann's flagship in adult and pediatric incontinence. Distribution runs primarily through nursing homes, home care providers and hospital procurement, with a smaller pharmacy retail footprint. MoliCare competes directly with TENA (Essity), Abena, and Attends in the European market — a category where Hartmann has held leadership positions in DACH for over four decades.
The Hydrocoll, Hydrosorb, Atrauman, and Branolind families cover the full wound care spectrum — from advanced dressings for chronic wounds to traditional gauze products. This is the highest-margin division and the one with the most clinical specialization. Distribution runs through hospital tenders, clinic chains, and specialist wound care networks. Direct competition with Mölnlycke, Smith & Nephew, Coloplast and Convatec is intense.
The Sterillium hand disinfectant brand is one of the most recognizable in European hospital infection prevention, alongside Bode (Bode Chemie, a Hartmann subsidiary). The category also covers surgical scrubs, surface disinfectants, and instrument decontamination products. Hospital-driven channel, heavily regulated.
A smaller division focused on diagnostic products, decubitus prevention, and surgical drapes. Less visible internationally but commercially important in DACH.
Hartmann is one of the most established German medical device companies with reach into every major German Einkaufsgemeinschaft (hospital purchasing group). The company is pre-listed on framework agreements with GDEKK, Sana Einkauf, P.E.G., AGKAMED, and most of the major private hospital chains (Asklepios, Helios, Rhön, Schön). For a manufacturer entering Germany with a wound care, infection prevention or incontinence product, Hartmann is either a candidate partner or a competitor — there is no middle ground.
Hartmann operates direct subsidiaries in most major European markets — Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Poland, Czech Republic, and Nordic markets. The company's pan-European structure means that a distribution agreement with the German parent can in principle deliver pan-European coverage, though in practice manufacturers often negotiate country-by-country to preserve flexibility.
As a major German publicly-listed manufacturer-distributor, Hartmann maintains its own EU MDR / IVDR compliance infrastructure, ISO 13485-certified quality management, and serves as Authorized Representative for several partner brands sold in Europe. The company has full Medizinprodukteberater coverage as required under German MPDG (Medizinproduktedurchführungsgesetz).
If you're a non-German manufacturer considering Hartmann as your European or DACH distributor, the key diligence points are:
If you want Hartmann to evaluate your product, the realistic entry path is through:
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