Håndverksgruppen (HG) continues its growth in Germany and proudly welcomes Malerbetrieb Klaus Barth GmbH. With this addition, Håndverksgruppen now brings together nine companies in Germany, with a combined revenue of over EUR 50 million, and more companies are currently in dialogue.
– Malerbetrieb Klaus Barth GmbH is exactly the kind of company we want in Håndverksgruppen. Skilled craftspeople, a strong local footprint, loyal customer relationships built over decades, and a management team with real ambition. This is what HG Germany is all about, says Sascha Gellrich, Managing Director of Håndverksgruppen Germany.
Malerbetrieb Klaus Barth GmbH was founded in 1999, when Klaus Barth passed his master craftsman examination in painting and decorating and immediately set up his own business. What started as a team of three has grown into a company of around 28 employees over 27 years – driven by a consistent focus on quality, reliability, and fair partnership with customers.
Since 2005, the company has been based at Oftersheim near Heidelberg in southwestern Germany, south of Frankfurt. From here, the team carries out a wide range of work: painting, plastering, thermal insulation, concrete repair, complete building restoration, and more. Customers range from private homeowners and housing associations to property managers and public sector clients, all of whom keep coming back because the work is done right.
A particular emphasis has always been placed on developing people. Regular specialist training, including certification in concrete repair, combined with a genuine commitment to apprenticeships ensures that Klaus Barth not only delivers quality today, but is actively building the skilled craftspeople of tomorrow.
The business is today led by co-General Manager Sven Wörns, who oversees project management and sales, and Katharina Becker, who leads the commercial side. Together, they have built a well-run operation with a clear identity and a loyal customer base and they are the ones who will take the company forward as part of Håndverksgruppen.
For Katharina Becker, joining the group was a decision rooted in both ambition and values:
– We were not looking for just any partner. We were looking for the right one – a partner who thinks long-term, who treats people as partners, and who shares our belief that quality and trust are what this business is really built on. Håndverksgruppen ticked every box.
Being part of a wider group opens up new possibilities, and the team at Klaus Barth is clear about what excites them most.
– What we are most looking forward to is the exchange with the other companies in the group. New perspectives, new ideas, and the chance to learn from people who face the same challenges we do every day. At the same time, we want to bring our own experience and know-how to the table – so that everyone in the group can benefit. That is what a real community looks like, says Becker.
She adds:
– We are also genuinely excited about finding common solutions to the challenges of our industry. The construction sector is changing fast. Being part of a group where you can talk openly, try new things, and build on each other's strengths – that is something we could not have done on our own.
For Sascha Gellrich, the addition of Malerbetrieb Klaus Barth GmbH is another important step in building something lasting in Germany.
– What makes me genuinely proud right now is watching our group of companies in Germany become more and more tight-knit. We are not just a collection of separate businesses, we are becoming a real community of craftspeople who support each other, share what works, and push each other to be better. With Klaus Barth on board, that community just got stronger.
He adds that the momentum in Germany shows no sign of slowing down:
– We are in active dialogue with several more companies, and the interest we are seeing reflects something important; that the best craft businesses in Germany recognise the value of being part of something bigger.
Picture (from left to right): Shayenne Jansen (Apprentice Office Management Assistant), Jannis Kufner, Katharina Becker, Sven Wörns, and Alessia Schembri (Apprentice Office Management Assistant).