Resilience in times of crisis: Dussmann Group achieves record sales and increases profitability in 2025

Berlin, May 12, 2026 ­– Dussmann Group increased its sales and earnings in the 2025 financial year. Consolidated Group sales of the family-owned company rose by 3.8% to €3.4 billion­, a new record. The EBITDA margin on consolidated Group sales was 5%, exceeding the prior-year level. ­“The fact that we were able to grow profitably and generate record sales during the longest economic crisis in post-war history is the result of our diversified­ and therefore resilient ­business model. Our Group strategy Road to 2030, which focusses on sustainable growth, and our 72,000 employees once again proved to be the foundation of this success. We can also report a record in headcount,”­ said Wolf-Dieter Adlhoch, CEO of Dussmann Group, at the annual press conference in Berlin. “Never before have we invested as much in new business areas and in our digitalization­ and thus in the future of the company and its employees ­as we did in the past fiscal year,”­ Adlhoch continued. 

Investments first went toward the acquisition of Lynskey Engineering, an Irish specialist in mechanical plant engineering. To a significant extent, Dussmann Group also invested in a transformation program to renew key elements of its IT infrastructure. This will serve as the foundation for digital business models and the use of AI. In addition, process optimizations are planned in the DACH region in procurement, sales, in the commercial organization, as well as in services. 

Sales and earnings growth was driven primarily by strong business performance in facility management and food services. Dussmann Technical Solutions, which specializes in technical plant engineering, also delivered strong operational performance in 2025. 

On the economic situation in Europe and geopolitical tensions, Adlhoch said: “­The difficult global political environment is leading to high volatility and significant investment restraint among companies ­including our clients. Thanks to our broad set-up, we can cushion this to a certain extent and respond flexibly to market changes. At the same time, this opens up new business opportunities for us in security- and technology-focused services. We reliably support our clients even in uncertain times, as we did during the Covid-19 pandemic”,­ Adlhoch continued. 

The number of Dussmann Group employees worldwide rose at year-end 2025 from around 70,000 to 72,000 across 23 countries. With 25,000 employees in Germany, the figure remained stable compared to the previous year. 

Development of Business divisions  

Dussmann Group increased consolidated Group sales in fiscal year 2025 by 3.8% to ­€3.4 billion (2024: €­3.3 billion). The EBITDA margin was also at a good 5%, up from the previous year (2024: 4.6%). 

The Dussmann business division, which includes Integrated Facility Management (IFM), Food Services, and Technical Solutions ­increased sales by 3.8% to €2.8 billion (2024: ­€2.7 billion). This corresponds to a share of 82.4% of total sales. The two service areas Dussmann Facility Management and Dussmann Food Services, together, accounted for ­€2.4 billion, ­an increase of 6.9% (2024: ­€2.3 billion). 

Business in Facility Management and Food Services was successful internationally and contributed substantially to sales and earnings growth. Dussmann­`s Italian subsidiary achieved sales growth of 11%, surpassing the ­1 billion € mark. Dussmann Italy increased its share of the private market and now serves clients such as UniCredit Bank and fashion companies including Armani, Prada, and Versace. The largest new contracts in Italy came from the police and military sector, particularly the Carabinieri, the Ministry of Defense, and the Polizia di Stato. In addition, Dussmann Italy entered the construction and maintenance of data centers in 2025. 

Dussmann is one of the largest integrated FM service providers in Europe and has thus achieved one of the key goals of the Group strategy Road to 2030, IFM Readiness. New contracts ­such as that of a Europe-wide retail company show that Dussmann is a capable partner for large, bundled, and international contracts. For the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, with which the Dussmann Group has worked for almost 50 years, the two partners expanded the service package at the Biberach and Ochsenhausen sites to include maintenance and special cleaning, cleanroom cleaning, and cleaning and disinfection services for laboratories in highly sensitive production environments. Dussmann is advancing automation in building cleaning by implementing robot-assisted solutions for floor and window cleaning for its clients—such as at Continental’s tire plant in Otrokovice (Czech Republic). 

With the new contract from integrated logistics company Maersk, Dussmann won another renowned client in the transport and logistics sector and took over comprehensive cleaning and service activities at the Philippsburg site. Under a new contract with a leading German mobility provider, Dussmann ensures reliable, smooth 24/7 operations in several regions of Germany with security and enforcement services. 

To help operators of critical infrastructure implement Germany­`s KRITIS umbrella law (KRITIS-Dachgesetz) and the NIS-2 Directive, Dussmann offers solutions for the substantial new requirements related to security, risk analysis, emergency preparedness, and proof obligations. These include holistic risk and protection concepts for critical sites, comprehensive emergency and crisis management with clearly defined escalation processes, and a security organization that can withstand revisions and audits. 

The Dussmann Technical Solutions business unit, where the Dussmann Group has consolidated its specialists for technical plant engineering since 2019, ­accounted for ­€388 million in sales (2024: €­441 million). This corresponds to a sales share of 11.4% of Dussmann Group consolidated Group sales. However, due to the requirements of the German Commercial Code (HGB), performance is not yet fully reflected in the 2025 financial statements: Several major projects were in execution in 2025 but will not be completed until 2026 and can therefore only be recognized in sales and earnings then. In recent years, Dussmann Technical Solutions has grown strongly through organic growth and targeted acquisitions, expanding with major clients into new countries and markets. Target segments for Dussmann Technical Solutions include pharma and life sciences, data centers, infrastructure/network operators, as well as retail and logistics. 

An acquisition project derived from the Group strategy Road to 2030 was the purchase of Lynskey Engineering in July 2025. This strengthened Dussmann Technical Solutions, making Dussmann an international full-service provider of electrical and mechanical plant engineering. “­We are very satisfied with Lynskey Engineering`s business performance. The combined effect of Dussmann STS and Lynskey is particularly important to us, as it enables us to act as a general technical contractor. After the acquisition, we immediately secured our first contracts,”­ said Adlhoch. 

The acquisition of Lynskey was in the right segment and gives Dussmann broader access to industrial clients, especially data centers which have a high demand for availability, security, power supply, and operational reliability. Dussmann is positioning itself along two strategic dimensions here: services across the entire life cycle of data centers, and geographic delivery capability in hubs such as Germany (Frankfurt am Main), Ireland, the United Kingdom, Poland, Italy, and the Middle East. The newly established Competence Center Data Center bundles these international capabilities and serves as a central knowledge broker. It ensures that the Dussmann Group operates safely and competitively in this highly regulated, growing market segment. 

In 2025, the first major joint projects of Dussmann STS for the electrical trades and Lynskey for the mechanical trades included two data center projects with a contract value for the Dussmann units of around €­300 million. In addition, Dussmann supported science and technology company Merck in building its production facility for filtration products in Blarney Business Park in Cork, Ireland. The facility, with 3,000 square meters of cleanroom space, is designed for fully climate-neutral operation. Through its subsidiary Dussmann STS, Dussmann Technical Solutions was responsible for the complete electrical installation.  

These demanding projects exemplify the strategic direction of the Dussmann Group: On the one hand, it is expanding its service portfolio with a focus on industrial clients with complex technical requirements. On the other hand, it is focusing on clients with mission-critical systems. 

Dussmann Technical Solutions is also pushing ahead with its consistent organizational alignment to clients’ needs. As planned, it completed the merger of all refrigeration and air-conditioning specialists under the umbrella of Dussmann Kälte- und Klimatechnik GmbH in June 2025. At the beginning of 2026, Dussmann also founded Dussmann Elektrotechnik und Automation GmbH. The new company bundles the relevant capabilities and offers solutions for industrial clients in automation and power distribution. 

The Care & Kids business division with senior care and nursing (Kursana) as well as all-day childcare (Dussmann KulturKindergarten and Kinder, Kinder) ­increased sales in 2025 to €­555 million (2024: € ­536 million), up 3.5%. This sales growth is primarily due to a slightly higher occupancy rate and increases in care rates. The positive earnings development of this segment is partly due to the focus on the German market: In April 2025, Kursana discontinued operations of its last facility outside Germany, the senior residence in Austria. 

By restructuring the operational management team at the beginning of 2026, the Care & Kids business division is tackling the ongoing challenges in the German long-term care market. 

With more than 40 years of experience in long-term care, Kursana stands for stability, quality, and continuous modernization and innovation. In the coming years, Kursana aims to create additional urgently needed housing and care capacity for seniors as well as attractive jobs, and to advance digitalization in care. 

Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus increased sales in 2025 by 6.7% to €­48 million. The online shop also continued to post strong growth. Online sales now account for more than 10% of the media store­s total sales. A major draw was the new KulturKafé on the second floor of Europe`­s largest media store. It was launched in July 2025 and is open from morning until night, offering a unique view of Friedrichstraße.  

Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus and KaDeWe are jointly developing a new cultural and media retail space. Under the name Dussmann -­ Kultur im KaDeWe, a new cultural meeting place is being created on the fourth floor of KaDeWe on approximately 1,500 square meters, combining curated media offerings with a high-quality visitor experience. 

­“Culture thrives on exchange and on places that bring people together,”­ said Catherine von Fürstenberg-Dussmann, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of Dussmann Group, at the annual press conference. ­“Together with KaDeWe, we as Berlin‘s largest family-owned company are creating a new cultural favorite spot in the western part of Berlin-City, ­one that sparks curiosity, invites people to linger, and enriches urban life.”­ 

In addition to the cultural and media offering, the concept includes a food and beverage area with around 150 seats as well as an event stage. Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus and KaDeWe will jointly present the project in due course. 

Outlook 

In light of volatile geopolitical conditions and the global economic situation, Dussmann Group takes a cautiously optimistic view of the current fiscal year 2026. One strength may prove to be the Dussmann Group`­s setup, diversified both regionally and across business divisions, which has helped the company navigate crises robustly in the past. The company continues to plan investments in future growth areas consistently yet prudently ­both through organic growth and through targeted acquisitions. 

Development of consolidated Group sales and EBITDA margin

Media contacts: 

Dr. Markus Talanow
Head of Group Communications
Tel. +49 172 3867464
markus.talanow@dussmanngroup.com

Michaela Mehls
Press Officer
Tel. +49 172 3902076
michaela.mehls@dussmanngroup.com

About the Dussmann Group

Across 23 countries, around 72,000 people work at the Dussmann Group with ideas and passion for people. Headquartered in Berlin, the service company generated group revenue of ­3.4 billion € in 2025 across its three business divisions. The largest division, Dussmann, is a passionate solution partner for Integrated Facility Management, Food Services, and Technical Solutions. Dussmann Facility Management bundles all integrated facility management services with a high degree of in-house delivery: building cleaning, security services, building technology, and electrical and communications engineering. Dussmann Food Services offers diverse and sustainable catering concepts for children, employees, patients, and guests in senior facilities ­with warm hospitality. Dussmann Technical Solutions comprises business units in technical plant engineering and technical services. They provide solutions across the entire life cycle of plants and buildings ­from planning, construction, and commissioning to maintenance and repair ­in the fields of mechanical and electrical plant engineering, automation technology, refrigeration and air-conditioning technology, and elevator technology. With two joint-venture companies in Germany and Italy, Dussmann offers cybersecurity solutions that protect companies before, during, and after cyberattacks. The Care & Kids segment, with the brand ­Kursana,­ provides care and nursing for seniors, and with the brand ­Dussmann KulturKindergarten­ provides employer-supported childcare. Germany­s largest media store, ­Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus­ in Berlin, is also part of the family-owned Dussmann Group. More information at news.dussmanngroup.com.

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