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Waterpipe tobacco · Charcoal · Hookahs · Accessories
Distribution and market entry for waterpipe tobacco in Germany and the EU.
O&L Import imports, clears, taxes and sells international waterpipe tobacco and accessory brands into the German trade — and takes brands that are new to Europe through registration, labelling and their first national listing.
| Management | Kevin Lasarz, Mike Obuch |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017, Germany |
| Business activity | Import, wholesale and distribution of waterpipe tobacco and smoking accessories |
| Headquarters | Stuttgart, Germany |
| Trade customers | approx. 1,200 lounges, tobacconists and wholesalers |
| Markets served | Germany and 8 further EU markets |
| Excise handling | Bonded warehouse, German tax stamps, EMCS |
| Delivery | 48 hours standard within Germany |
Portfolio
Brands we have represented and supplied.
Some ranges we carry under exclusive agreement, others we source on order for our trade customers. Availability and pricing on request.
- Al FakherSupplied since 2018
- Al WaziriSupplied since 2019
- Al WahaSupplied since 2018
- AdalyaSourced on order
- AeonSourced on order
- NamelessSourced on order
- Charcoal linesCoconut, briquette, cube
- HardwareHookahs, bowls, hoses, foils
Who we supply
One supplier for every counter in the category.
Tax-paid goods, mixed pallets across brands, and a named contact per account. Trade registration required before the first order.
Shisha lounges and bars
Weekly replenishment of tobacco, charcoal and consumables, plus the hardware behind the bar.
Tobacconists
Shelf-ready ranges for retailers adding or expanding a waterpipe section.
Wholesalers
Pallet and container quantities, including brands under our exclusive agreements.
E-commerce
Reliable stock levels and data for shops that cannot afford out-of-stock listings.
Retail chains
Listing proposals, planogram support and agreed promotional calendars.
Ranges
Waterpipe tobacco
German-market blends and international flavour ranges, tax-stamped and label-compliant.
Charcoal
Coconut and briquette lines in retail and horeca pack sizes.
Hookahs
Entry-level to premium hardware, spare parts held in stock.
Accessories
Bowls, hoses, heat management, foils, hygiene mouthpieces.
For brands and manufacturers
Germany is not a logistics problem. It is a paperwork problem.
Containers are easy to move. What stops brands at the border is excise duty, tax stamps, EU-CEG notification and German-language labelling — followed by a trade that only buys from suppliers it already knows. We carry all of it.
- 01
Import and customs
Freight coordination from origin, customs clearance and receipt into a bonded facility, so duty and tax fall due only on release.
- 02
Excise and tax stamps
Duty calculation, application of German tax stamps, EMCS movement documents and the excise filings that go with them.
- 03
Regulatory and labelling
EU-CEG product notification, TPD conformity of packaging, German warning notices, ingredient and emission reporting.
- 04
Warehousing and fulfilment
Controlled storage, batch and lot tracking, pick and pack from single carton to full pallet.
- 05
Sales and key accounts
Field sales into lounges and tobacconists, plus negotiation with buying groups, cash & carry and online retail.
- 06
Private label
Blend and flavour direction, tin and carton design, compliant artwork, produced with partner manufacturers.
Contact card
Met us at the trade fair? Swap details here.
We walk the floor rather than hold a stand. Leave your business email and our full contact details appear straight away, together with a contact file you can save to your phone. We follow up once, with our range and terms.
Thank you — we have your address and will be in touch after the show.
Onboarding a new brand
From first sample to national listing.
Eight to sixteen weeks is typical, depending on how complete your documentation is when we start.
- 01
Assessment
We review your range, pricing and certifications and say plainly which SKUs will move in this market and which will not.
- 02
Compliance and registration
Product notification, label adaptation and excise registration. Nothing ships before the file is clean.
- 03
Terms and first shipment
Volumes, margins, territory and exclusivity agreed in writing. First consignment enters the bonded warehouse.
- 04
Launch and placement
Seeding with lounges that set trends, listing with wholesalers, presence at the relevant trade fairs.
- 05
Reorder and scale
Monthly sell-through reporting by SKU and region, forecast-based reordering, expansion into neighbouring markets.
Company
We ran the bar before we supplied it.
O&L stands for Obuch and Lasarz. Two names on the door, which is also who you negotiate with. We began in 2017 out of a shisha lounge, so we also know what a bad delivery week does to a venue, why a blend sells in one city and fails in the next, and what a buyer needs to hear before listing a brand nobody has asked for yet.
- 2017
First shisha lounge opened. Buying directly from manufacturers for our own venue.
- 2019
Supply extended to neighbouring venues. First wholesale customers.
- 2021
Move into import and excise handling. Own warehouse capacity.
- 2023
First exclusive distribution agreement for the German market.
- 2026
Portfolio extended to charcoal, hardware and accessories across nine EU markets.
Management
Two owners. Both reachable.
No account managers between you and a decision. Terms, exclusivity and pricing are agreed with the people whose names are on the company.
Kevin Lasarz
Commercial and marketing
Brand positioning, trade marketing and the digital side of the business. Built and operated the group's first shisha venue before moving into supply.
Mike Obuch
Sourcing and operations
Manufacturer relationships, purchasing, and the flow of goods from origin to warehouse, including excise and documentation.
Frequently asked
What brands ask us first.
Do you take exclusivity?
Usually yes. National exclusivity for an agreed term against agreed minimum volumes. If the volumes are not met, exclusivity lapses — that protects both sides.
Who carries the tobacco tax?
Goods enter a bonded facility, so excise duty falls due only when they are released for sale in Germany. We handle the calculation, the tax stamps and the filings.
What does the regulatory work cover?
EU-CEG product notification, TPD conformity of packaging, German-language warning notices, ingredient and emission reporting, and the documentation your production site has to supply.
What is the minimum quantity for a market entry?
We start with a defined launch quantity rather than a full container, so a range can be tested before you commit to volume production. Exact quantities depend on SKU count.
Do you develop private label?
Yes. From blend and flavour direction through tin, carton and compliant artwork, produced with partner manufacturers we have worked with for years.
How do I become a trade customer?
Send us your trade registration and VAT number. After verification you receive the current price list and can place a first order; credit terms are discussed after the first three orders.
Do you sell to consumers?
No. O&L Import supplies registered businesses only — wholesalers, tobacconists, lounges and retail chains.
Contact
Tell us what you make. We will tell you if it moves here.
Send your range and current markets. You receive a straight answer on market fit, the compliance steps required and indicative terms, usually within three working days.
O&L Import GmbH
Street, 70000 Stuttgart, Germany
info@ol-import.com · +49 000 000000