100 years of GoldMann in Bielefeld
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Who we are

Founded in 1919 by Sidney Goldmann in Bielefeld, Germany, the S. Goldmann Company began life as an import company shipping borax and boric acid from the USA to supply the domestic ceramics, enamel, glass and fertiliser industries.

Growing and developing from its inception, the company evolved into the Goldmann Group, today composed of the founding enterprise S. Goldmann, which continues to operate its core chemical business, GKG Goldmann Kunststoffe, specialising in engineering thermoplastics, and Goldmann Sichuan Chemical, our Chinese subsidiary.

Our business areas have steadily expanded over the decades. In addition to the original trading activities, our operations today also include the design and development of our own product groups, as well as the provision of project and supply-chain-oriented customer support.

  • Highly qualified staff

  • Expertise since 1919

Global network

Our subsidary in China and our partnerships within the PlusChem Group give us access to an extensive and well-established corporate network. Our broad scope of capacities range from product procurement and supplier factory audits to the roll-out of European products on international markets.

Qualified employees

The targeted selection, promotion and training of our colleagues ensures a high level of knowledge and competence in all things chemical, technical and commercial for the Goldmann Group.

We offer motivated junior staff a part-time business administration course parallel to their training as management assistants in wholesale and international trade, and also allow science graduates to start their careers immediately after graduation.

Armed with the knowledge thus acquired, and in combination with our employees’ high level of commitment, we stand ready to advise and support you as a reliable partner throughout the entire supply chain.

Competence since 1919

1919  Welcome to the founding year of S. Goldmann GmbH & Co KG! With the import of borax and boric acid from the USA, the Bielefeld merchant Sidney Goldmann launches his trading business – and at the same time the success story of the Goldmann Group.

1924  Sidney Goldmann adds antimony trioxide to the product portfolio, in those days used as an enamel opacifier, a pigment and an agent in glass production. A smart decision: to this day it is one of the most important products marketed by the S. Goldmann chemicals trading company. Today, antimony trioxide is mainly used in flame retardant applications.

1953 – With Walter Goldmann, the founder’s son, the second family generation now assumes responsibility for the business. The product range is continuously expanded, the business branches renamed “Specialty Chemicals and Dyes”.

1960 – With the introduction of Cycolac-ABS to the German market, Goldmann begins trading in plastic granulates. Continuous business development leads to the foundation of GKG Goldmann Kunststoffe GmbH & Co KG, which has meanwhile established itself as a trusted business partner in the plastics processing industry offering a wide product range of thermoplastics.

1994 – The company owner’s son, Rainer Goldmann, joins the enterprise. He will continue to lead the corporate group in the proven family tradition in the future too.

1996 – Up to now, the S. Goldmann GmbH & Co. KG trading business has consisted mainly of the exclusive representation of renowned producers. However, the special chemicals and dyes company has much greater potential: it aims to offer its customers individualised solutions in the future. For this purpose, the Goldmann Group plans to establish new, proprietary defined product groups and meet the increasing regulatory requirements with comprehensive expertise. To achieve these goals, PhD and other chemistry graduates are now being successively recruited.

1997 – Expansion into Asia: the first international subsidiary, Goldmann Sichuan Chemical Co. Ltd., opens its doors in Chengdu, China. This office supports our Bielefeld headquarters in the coordination of Chinese business transactions.

2000 – In cooperation with its European partners, the Goldman Group founds PlusChem EEIG, an association of independent specialty chemicals trading companies. PlusChem offers international specialty chemicals producers coordinated product marketing throughout Europe.

2006 – The Goldmann Group invests in its “next generation talent” and opens up new training prospects with the offer of a dual course of studies. In addition to commercial vocational training in the field of Wholesale & International Trade, junior staff can now also obtain a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in business administration. Practical training continues at Goldmann. The theoretical background of a degree in business studies combined with a practical apprenticeship in international trade offers committed career beginners a solid and diversified basis for starting their professional life.

2015 – Expansion of the Bielefeld headquarters: an additional storey is built onto our office building. In recent years, the Goldmann Group has enjoyed a steady increase in staff, so that the spatial capacities will soon be exhausted. To create a pleasant working environment for our colleagues, the Bielefeld office building has now been “crowned”, as the steel trade association puts it.

2019 – The company celebrates its 100th anniversary!