Wirthwein
Wirthwein SE is a family-owned German plastics processor founded in 1949 that manufactures injection-molded and blow-molded components, assemblies, and systems for automotive, rail, medical, home appliance, and energy customers across 20 global production sites, with €457M in 2025 sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1949
- HeadquartersCreglingen, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Wirthwein does
Wirthwein SE is a family-owned German plastics processor founded in 1949 in Creglingen, generating €457 million in sales in 2025 across 20 production sites in Germany, Poland, Spain, Turkey, China, and the United States, with approximately 2,700-3,500 employees. The company operates as a full-service supplier covering the entire plastics processing value chain: development, in-house tool making, injection molding, blow molding, refinement, assembly, and logistics. It is Europe's fourth largest plastic injection molding company and the world market leader in plastic rail fastening components, with a portfolio of more than 3,000 different railroad articles.
The company serves six business verticals: Mobility (automotive components including K-PROFI mounting brackets), Rail Infrastructure (rail fastening components and Cable Duct systems saving up to 50% CO2 versus concrete), New Energy (solar parks and e-mobility infrastructure), Home Appliance, Medical (WIM Ject® prefillable COC syringes and microfluidic structures manufactured in ISO class 7 clean rooms), and Interior Design (including Bembé Parkett and Winkler Design). Notable proprietary technologies include the PP-LGF Direct Processing system developed jointly with KraussMaffei (winner of the 2023 AVK Innovation Award), which bypasses LGF granulate production by feeding glass fibers, polymer, and additives directly into injection molding, and the WIM Ject® cyclo-olefin copolymer syringe system for pharmaceutical primary packaging.
Wirthwein monetizes through quote-based, project-specific B2B contracts with multi-year cadences for custom plastic components and assemblies, sold primarily to enterprise OEMs and industrial customers via a direct sales force led by the Chief Sales Officer with regional teams at each production site. Distribution is supplemented by authorized dealers in selected product lines (e.g., ÖBS GmbH for rail cable ducts in Germany). The company holds group-wide certifications including IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and ISO 13485/ISO 15378 at its medical subsidiary, and is privately held with no external parent or institutional investors following the 2023 conversion from Wirthwein AG to Wirthwein SE.
Wirthwein firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wirthwein
- Legal name
- Wirthwein SE
- Website
- https://wirthwein.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1949
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Wirthwein SE is a family-owned German plastics processor founded in 1949 that manufactures injection-molded and blow-molded components, assemblies, and systems for automotive, rail, medical, home appliance, and energy customers across 20 global production sites, with €457M in 2025 sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wirthwein industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plastic Components Manufacturing
- akta.pro primary industry
- Blow-Molded Packaging Closures & Dispensing Components (Caps, Nozzles) (IMANAGAH)
Keywords
Where Wirthwein is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Creglingen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices14 records
Markets served
Wirthwein business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Plastic Components Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of plastic-based components, assemblies and systems for industrial applications. Full-service supplier covering development, tool making, injection molding, blow molding, assembly and logistics.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom component manufacturing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Wirthwein product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wirthwein is a full-service manufacturer of plastic-based components, assemblies and systems produced through tool making, injection molding (including hybrid and PP-LGF direct processing), blow molding, refinement and assembly. The company serves mobility (automotive), rail infrastructure, new energy, home appliance, medical and interior design customers across 20 production sites in Europe, Asia and North America, offering development, tooling, production, surface finishing and logistics from a single source.
Product overview
Wirthwein is a leading manufacturer of plastic-based components, assemblies, and systems serving innovative key industries. As a full-service supplier, Wirthwein combines state-of-the-art tool making, injection molding (including hybrid injection molding), blow molding, and assembly technologies into a uniquely comprehensive package. The company operates across six market segments: Mobility (automotive components including K-PROFI mounting brackets), Rail Infrastructure (including the Cable Duct product line and rail fastening components with over 3,000 articles), New Energy, Home Appliance, Medical (including WIM Ject® prefillable syringes and microfluidic structures), and Interior Design. Wirthwein's core offering includes in-house tool making, plastics processing, refinement, assembly, and logistics services. Key technologies include the PP-LGF Direct Processing system developed with KraussMaffei for long glass fiber reinforced plastics, which enables direct injection of fibers, polymer, and additives for improved CO2 footprint and cost optimization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cable Duct: Plastic cable duct product line for rail infrastructure applications, distributed under Cable Duct brand name with extensive accessories
- WIM Ject®
- K-PROFI
Products and services
- Cable Duct plastic cable duct system Plastic cable duct system for railway superstructures and industrial applications. The new generation features an integrated plug-in connection, higher load-bearing capacity, fire protection class K1 (DIN 53438 Part 2), load class A15 (DIN EN 124-1 / DIN EN 1433) and DB Netz AG approval for permanent installation, delivering up to 50% CO2 savings versus concrete solutions.
- Rail fastening components Plastic rail fastening components covering 3,000+ different railroad articles for railroad superstructures, in a market segment where Wirthwein holds world market leadership.
- K-PROFI Mounting Brackets for car front modules Lean-logistics mounting brackets for automotive front modules (PKW Frontmodule) delivering higher efficiency for OEMs and tier-1 suppliers.
- WIM Ject® prefillable COC syringe system Sterile, prefillable plastic syringe system made from cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC) that replaces glass primary packaging for pharmaceuticals. Delivered in tub-nest packaging, optionally with backstop and plunger rod, and produced in ISO class 7 clean rooms.
- Injection-molded plastic components Custom injection-molded plastic components and assemblies manufactured on modern injection molding equipment including hybrid injection molding technology, serving automotive, industrial and consumer applications.
- Blow-molded plastic components Blow-molded plastic components and systems for various industrial applications.
- Tool making services In-house tool and mold manufacturing for plastic processing, enabling precise control over production quality and shortening development timelines for customer projects.
- Assembly services Comprehensive assembly services for plastic components, modules and finished systems as part of Wirthwein's full-service supplier offering.
- Refinement (surface treatment) services Surface treatment and finishing services for plastic components to meet specific quality and aesthetic requirements.
- Microfluidic structures Microfluidic components and structures for medical and diagnostic applications, manufactured in ISO class 7 clean rooms.
- Prototype injection molding service Rapid prototyping service for injection-molded components, enabling quick validation of designs before mass production.
Companies that use Wirthwein
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Wirthwein technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Wirthwein partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Koç Holding A.Ş.coreMemorandum of Understanding between medical divisions. Cooperation for WIM Ject® syringe systems in Turkey and Middle East. Koç Holding is Turkey's largest conglomerate with USD 54.6 billion turnover (2022) and ~150,000 employees.
- ÖBS GmbHcoreÖBS GmbH is authorized dealer for Wirthwein Cable Duct products in Germany. Partnership covers distribution of new generation plastic cable ducts with extensive accessory range under 'Cable Duct' product name. ÖBS has network and expertise in rail construction products.
- KraussMaffeicoreJoint development of PP-LGF direct process. Special screw geometry developed as part of doctorate collaboration. Award-winning innovation that feeds glass fibers, polymer and additives directly into injection molding.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Wirthwein competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AptarGroup, Inc. US-listed global provider of dispensing systems and primary packaging for pharmaceutical, beauty, and food markets. Closely comparable to Wirthwein Medical's WIM Ject® and microfluidic components, with similar pharmaceutical customer base and ISO 13485-class regulatory requirements.
- West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. US-listed global manufacturer of primary packaging components and delivery systems for injectable medicines, including elastomeric and plastic syringe components. Directly competes with Wirthwein Medical's prefillable syringe business in pharma primary packaging, serving similar biologics and vaccine manufacturers with comparable regulatory requirements.
- Stevanato Group S.p.A. Italian-listed manufacturer of pharmaceutical glass and plastic primary packaging including syringes, vials, and drug delivery systems. Closely comparable to Wirthwein Medical in the high-growth pharma primary packaging space, with overlap in prefillable syringe technology and similar global biopharma customer base.
- Greiner AG: Austrian family-owned industrial group operating plastics processing, foaming, and packaging divisions across automotive, furniture, and industrial markets. Comparable mid-sized European plastics processor with multi-segment industrial exposure and vertical integration from tooling through assembly, paralleling Wirthwein's Mobility, Rail, and Home Appliance segments.
- Gerresheimer AG: German-headquartered global manufacturer of pharmaceutical and medical primary packaging including glass and plastic syringes, vials, and prefillable systems. Directly comparable to Wirthwein Medical's WIM Ject® prefillable syringe business, serving the same biopharma customers with complementary material science expertise (glass vs. COC).
- Georg Utz Holding AG: Swiss family-owned manufacturer of returnable/reusable plastic transport packaging and custom-molded industrial plastic components. Comparable to Wirthwein's industrial plastics processing model with similar Mittelstand DNA, tool-making integration, and multi-segment industrial customer base across automotive and industrial markets.
Broad incumbents
- Berry Global Group, Inc. US-listed Fortune 500 manufacturer of plastic packaging and engineered materials with broad exposure to consumer, healthcare, and industrial markets. Comparable to Wirthwein in plastics processing scale and multi-segment exposure, but operates at materially larger scale (~$12B revenue) and lacks the German Mittelstand vertical-integration model.
- Sonoco Products Company: US-listed global manufacturer of industrial and consumer packaging including rigid paper, plastic, and metal containers. Comparable as a diversified industrial plastics and packaging incumbent serving automotive, appliance, and industrial markets; competes with Wirthwein's rail and home appliance segments at larger scale and broader product portfolio.
- Silgan Holdings Inc. US-listed global manufacturer of rigid packaging containers, dispensing and specialty closures for consumer goods. Comparable as a plastics-intensive industrial packaging incumbent with closures and dispensing components relevant to Wirthwein's blow molding capabilities, though operating at much larger scale and focused primarily on consumer rather than industrial markets.
Regional players
- Boryszew S.A. Polish-listed industrial group with plastics processing, automotive components, and metals divisions, primarily serving Central European OEMs. Comparable plastics processing capability targeting automotive and industrial customers similar to Wirthwein Polska's Łódź operations, though primarily competing in the Polish/Central European market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Wirthwein social profiles
Digital presenceWirthwein compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Wirthwein financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wirthwein leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Wirthwein subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries14 records
Wirthwein funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wirthwein M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wirthwein
What does Wirthwein do?
Wirthwein is a full-service manufacturer of plastic-based components, assemblies and systems produced through tool making, injection molding (including hybrid and PP-LGF direct processing), blow molding, refinement and assembly. The company serves mobility (automotive), rail infrastructure, new energy, home appliance, medical and interior design customers across 20 production sites in Europe, Asia and North America, offering development, tooling, production, surface finishing and logistics from a single source.
Is Wirthwein a public or private company?
Wirthwein is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Wirthwein founded?
Wirthwein was founded in 1949. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Wirthwein based?
Wirthwein is headquartered in Creglingen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Wirthwein make money?
One revenue line is on record: plastic Components Manufacturing.
Who are Wirthwein's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AptarGroup, Inc., West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., Stevanato Group S.p.A., Greiner AG, Gerresheimer AG and Georg Utz Holding AG. Broad incumbents are Berry Global Group, Inc., Sonoco Products Company and Silgan Holdings Inc.. Boryszew S.A. is listed as a regional player.
Does Wirthwein have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wirthwein.
What industry is Wirthwein in?
Wirthwein's product category is Plastic Components Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAGAH, Blow-Molded Packaging Closures & Dispensing Components (Caps, Nozzles).