Elco

What Elco does

Elco AG is a Swiss paper processing and conversion company headquartered in Brugg, Switzerland, and a subsidiary of the Wipfgruppe (Wipf Group) conglomerate. Founded in 1914, the company manufactures and distributes a broad range of paper-based products organized into four main categories: Bürobedarf (office supplies such as envelopes, notebooks, pads, and writing cards), Packaging (paper carrier bags, shipping solutions, gift packaging, and archive boxes), Gastro & Event (disposable plates, cups, cutlery, napkins, and take-away containers), and Hygiene (hygiene and medical papers). Production takes place at the company's own facility in Brugg under FSC-certified, "Swiss Made" positioning, and the offering includes customization for branded merchandise (e.g., personalized paper carrier bags from 50 units). The portfolio is supported by sub-brands — Pure Colors, Paper+Design, Linea Verde, and Green Hygiene — that target the event sector with themed sustainable ranges.

The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce via the elcoworld.ch storefront, shipping across Switzerland with a minimum order threshold of CHF 100 and tiered shipping fees. Revenue is generated through unit-priced product sales, supplemented by premium pricing on customized and branded items; the pricing model is pay-as-you-go with no subscription or recurring-contract component disclosed. The primary customer segments are Swiss SMBs, offices, retail, and HORECA buyers seeking office supplies, sustainable packaging alternatives, and event disposables, with a secondary use case in branded/personalized merchandise for marketing and events. Marketing relies on the company website, a three-track email newsletter (corporate news, product innovations, promotions), and a sustainability-led content campaign ("Papier statt Plastik"), with no disclosed paid acquisition channels.

No public revenue, funding, or headcount-growth data is available, and Elco AG does not appear to raise external capital as a private subsidiary of Wipfgruppe. The parent group was awarded Gold Status in the Deloitte Private Best Managed Company program in 2026, citing Elco AG as a contributor. The company's strategic posture is best characterized as a long-tenured Swiss SME focused on incremental product-line expansion, sustainability-led positioning, and in-house production of a broad but largely commodity product range within a single-country market.

Name

Elco

Legal name

Elco AG

Website

https://myelco.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Elco AG is a Swiss paper processor and converter, producing envelopes, packaging, paper carrier bags, gastro/event disposables, and hygiene products at its Brugg facility. Operating via e-commerce (elcoworld.ch) under a "Swiss Made" sustainability positioning, it serves Swiss SMBs, offices, and HORECA customers across Switzerland as a subsidiary of the Wipfgruppe conglomerate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paper Products and Packaging

NAICS

Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers (4241), Packaging and Labeling Services (56191)

SIC

Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110), Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging, Materials & Sustainable Fulfillment Solutions (CRAFAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

E-commerce Packaging Optimization & Sustainable Packaging Operations (TLAIADAL)

Keywords

• Paper packaging products
• Office stationery supplies
• Paper carrier bags
• Sustainable packaging solutions
• Disposable tableware

Headquarters

HQ city

Brugg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (B2C/B2B e-commerce): Elco generates revenue through direct product sales via its e-commerce platform. Products are sold in various volumes with minimum order thresholds. Premium pricing is applied to personalized/customized products with company branding, logos, or custom designs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Elco AG is a Swiss paper processing company that manufactures and sells paper-based office supplies, packaging solutions, gastro/event products, and hygiene papers from its own production facility in Brugg, Switzerland. The company produces envelopes, notebooks, pads, writing cards, paper carrier bags, gift packaging, archive boxes, disposable tableware, napkins, candles, take-away packaging, and hygiene papers. It sells these products directly to Swiss customers through its e-commerce platform elcoworld.ch, with customization services for branded merchandise available from minimum order quantities of 50 units. Elco is part of the Wipfgruppe conglomerate and emphasizes Swiss Made quality and FSC-certified sustainable paper production.

Product overview

Elco AG is a Swiss paper processing company offering a comprehensive B2B product portfolio organized into four main categories: Bürobedarf (office supplies including envelopes, notebooks, pads, writing cards), Packaging (paper carrier bags, shipping solutions, gift packaging, archive boxes), Gastro & Event (disposable tableware, cutlery, napkins, candles, party items, take-away packaging), and Hygiene (hygiene papers and medical papers). The company operates its own production facility in Brugg, Switzerland, and emphasizes Swiss Made quality and sustainability. Elco AG is part of the Wipf Gruppe and offers customization services for products like notebooks and paper carrier bags, with sub-brands including Pure Colors, Paper+Design, Linea Verde, and Green Hygiene for the event sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Couverts (Envelopes) Wide range of envelopes including window envelopes, non-window envelopes, side-opening, side-fold, color, voting (Abstimmungscouverts), bank, court document, and CD sleeves. Used by offices, banks, and government/administrative organizations.
• Organisationsmappen & Offertmappen (Organization and Quote Folders) Organization folders and quote folders for office administration and business documentation. Used by businesses for proposals and document organization.
• Hefte & Notizbücher (Notebooks and Exercise Books) College blocks, spiral notebooks, school notebooks, and standard notebooks for various office and educational needs. Available with company branding through personalization service.
• Blöcke (Pads and Blocks) Various pads including notepads, flipchart blocks, carbonless copy blocks, ring binder blocks, drawing blocks, meeting pads, telephone blocks, and cash books for office and business use.
• Schreibkarten & Papiere (Writing Cards and Office Papers) Writing cards in white and color variants, office papers, QR-receipt forms (Einheitsbelege für QR-Rechnung), and Creative Kids products. Used for correspondence, receipts, and creative activities.
• Papiertragetaschen (Paper Carrier Bags) Paper carrier bags with flat handles, cord handles, color variants, gift bags, and take-away bags. Swiss Made from Elco's own production in Brugg. Available with company branding from 50 units minimum.
• Verpackungen & Versand (Packaging and Shipping Solutions) Packaging and shipping solutions including cardboard boxes, postal packaging, shipping bags, filling material, accessories, tape, and stand-up pouches for e-commerce and shipping operations.
• Geschenkverpackungen (Gift Packaging) Gift packaging including gift bags, gift boxes, and gift carrier bags for various occasions including retail and corporate gifting.
• Archivschachteln (Archive Boxes) Archive boxes including storage boxes, standing files, and folder archive boxes for document management and long-term records storage.
• Teller & Schalen (Plates and Bowls) Plates and bowls in plastic, cardboard, sustainable materials, and apéro varieties for catering, events, and food service operations.
• Becher & Gläser (Cups and Glasses) Cups and glasses including plastic options, coffee cups (cardboard), and various drinking glasses for events, catering, and take-away use.
• Besteck (Cutlery) Cutlery options including plastic, sustainable, and party cutlery for events, catering, and food service operations.
• Servietten (Napkins) Napkins in plain/uniform designs for events, catering, restaurants, and household use.
• Take Away Verpackungen (Take-Away Packaging) Take-away packaging including pizza boxes, burger boxes, food boxes, and dessert cups for restaurants, food trucks, and food service businesses.
• Hygienepapiere (Hygiene Papers) Hygiene papers including hand towels, toilet paper, kitchen rolls, tissues, wipes, and dishcloths for offices, HORECA, and household use.
• Medizinalpapiere (Medical Papers) Medical papers including medical wipes for healthcare, medical practices, and hygiene-sensitive environments.
• Abstimmungscouvert (Swiss Voting Envelopes) Specialty Swiss voting envelopes for democratic elections and referendums, used by Swiss government and administrative bodies for secure and standardized voting processes.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Rivella GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for sustainable paper carrier bags. Mentioned in the company newsletter as a collaborative initiative between Elco and Rivella Group to provide sustainable packaging solutions.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wipf AG: Sister company under Wipfgruppe with a highly overlapping Swiss paper processing, packaging, and office supplies portfolio. Most directly comparable to Elco in customer base, product range, and production footprint.
• Christinger AG: Another Wipfgruppe entity operating in Swiss paper, packaging, and office supplies distribution. Directly comparable in geography and product mix, with shared group resources.
• Durland AG: Swiss wholesale distributor of paper, packaging, and office supplies serving HORECA, retail, and SMB customers. Closely comparable to Elco in product range, target segments, and Swiss-only distribution model.
• Lyreco: Major European B2B distributor of office supplies, packaging, and HORECA consumables with operations in Switzerland. Comparable in customer segments (SMB, enterprise, HORECA) and product categories, though it does not own production.

Broad incumbents

• Antalis (KPP Group): European paper, packaging, and visual communication merchant with a Swiss presence. Overlaps with Elco in office papers, packaging, and envelopes, but operates at pan-European scale and a wider portfolio.
• Mondi Group: Global paper and packaging manufacturer with significant European footprint in kraft paper, containerboard, and paper bags. Comparable in paper-based packaging production, though at vastly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Smurfit Kappa: Global containerboard and corrugated packaging producer with European operations. Comparable in sustainable paper-based packaging, but operates at far larger scale and does not focus on office supplies.
• Staples (office supplies): Global office supplies retailer with a Swiss B2B presence selling envelopes, notebooks, and packaging online. Comparable in office supplies assortment and SMB/HORECA target customers, though without owned manufacturing.
• Stora Enso: Nordic renewable packaging, biomaterials, and paperboard producer. Overlaps with Elco in paper-based packaging materials, especially renewable and FSC-certified lines, but at global scale and upstream of converting.

Regional players

• SIG Group: Swiss-headquartered packaging company specializing in carton packs and aseptic packaging. Comparable as a Swiss packaging manufacturer, though its focus on liquid cartons is distinct from Elco's paper-based office and HORECA range.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/myelco.ch

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elco