What Schwarz Produktion does

Schwarz Produktion Stiftung & Co. KG is the dedicated food and sustainable-packaging production arm of the Schwarz Group, operating as a private Stiftung & Co. KG headquartered in Weißenfels, Germany. The company supplies private-label food products to its sister retail chains Lidl and Kaufland, with finished goods ultimately distributed in more than 30 countries. Schwarz Produktion runs 19 wholly owned subsidiaries across approximately 18 German production sites and one international site in Derby, United Kingdom, employing roughly 6,000–6,500 people. The portfolio spans beverages and PET recycling (MEG, eight German plants plus the UK site), chocolate, nuts and dried fruits (Solent), baked goods (Bonback, including the former ARTiBack site in Halle rebranded in 2024), ice cream (Bon Gelati), coffee roasting (Bon Presso at Rheine, 50,000+ tonnes annually), pasta (Bon Pasta at Erfurt, 111,000+ tonnes annually and the largest pasta manufacturer north of the Alps), sustainable printing paper (Maxauer Papierfabrik at Karlsruhe), with planned expansion into jam and honey via the announced Göbber Group acquisition.

The business model is B2B manufacturing-for-captive-retail: products are made to retail-private-label specification under the Bellarom (Lidl) and K-Classic (Kaufland) brands, then transferred for sale through the Schwarz Group's discount and hypermarket banners. Pricing is internal/non-public, structured as a manufacturing supply relationship within the group rather than arm's-length B2B contracts. Supporting subsidiaries — Sindra (logistics and high-bay warehousing, including 48,000 pallet spaces at Rheine), Pro Projekte (expansion project management), and Schwarz Produktion Stiftung (central administration) — provide vertical integration across the supply chain. Production capacity is concentrated and capital-intensive, with notable technical differentiators including a closed-loop PET recycling system, automated high-bay cold storage, and in-plant energy recovery systems. The company is governed as a Stiftung & Co. KG under Numerus-Stiftung with leadership including CEO Jörg Aldenkott and CFO Sandro Lemmrich.

Growth is being executed primarily through acquisitions (Erfurter Teigwaren in 2022, ARTiBack in 2023, Göbber Group announced in 2025), greenfield plant openings (Bon Presso in 2022, Solent Rheine in 2024), capacity expansion (MEG Übach-Palenberg PET line in 2022–23, Bonback Halle in 2025 at over €300 million and 400+ new jobs), and internationalization (MEG Derby UK, operational since 2023). No external funding rounds, no public listing, and no disclosed revenue are present in the source data; the company has been a Top Employer Germany recipient in 2025 and 2026.

Name

Schwarz Produktion

Legal name

Schwarz Produktion Stiftung & Co. KG

Website

https://schwarz-produktion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Schwarz Produktion is the food and packaging manufacturing arm of Germany's Schwarz Group, producing private-label beverages, baked goods, chocolate, coffee, pasta, ice cream, nuts, paper, and (pending) jam and honey exclusively for sister retailers Lidl and Kaufland across 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Label Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211), Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111), Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing (3118), Cookie, Cracker, and Pasta Manufacturing (31182), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Beverages (2080), Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086), Bakery Products (2050), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Label Beverage Manufacturing (Retail/Brand-Owned Formulations) (AFAFAIAL)

Keywords

• Private label food manufacturing
• Beverage production
• PET bottle recycling
• Pasta manufacturing
• Bakery production

Headquarters

HQ city

Weißenfels

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Label Food Manufacturing: B2B manufacturing of private label food products for Lidl and Kaufland retail chains. Products include beverages, baked goods, chocolate, dried fruits, ice cream, coffee, pasta, jam, honey, and paper.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Schwarz Produktion manufactures private-label food products and sustainable packaging for the retail chains Lidl and Kaufland. Its 19 production companies produce beverages (mineral water, soft drinks), baked goods, chocolate, nuts, dried fruits, ice cream, coffee, pasta and noodles, jam and honey (pending Göbber Group acquisition), and printing paper across 18 German production sites plus one site in Derby, UK.

Product overview

Schwarz Produktion is the umbrella brand for food production facilities of the Schwarz Group, operating as a multi-segment food and packaging manufacturer. The company produces high-quality food and sustainable packaging/materials for retail chains Lidl and Kaufland. The portfolio includes MEG (beverages and PET plastic recycling), Solent (chocolate, nuts, and dried fruits), Bonback (baked goods), Bon Gelati (ice cream), Bon Presso (coffee roasting), Bon Pasta (pasta and noodles), Maxauer Papierfabrik (printing paper), and Göbber (planned acquisition for jam and honey). Supporting operations include Sindra (logistics), Pro Projekte (expansion projects), and Schwarz Produktion Stiftung (administration). The company operates 19 production companies across 18 German sites plus one in the UK, with approximately 6,000-6,500 employees producing for distribution in over 30 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MEG: Beverage and plastics production network, operating 8 plants in Germany plus MEG Derby in UK, producing mineral water, soft drinks, and operating PET recycling loop
• Solent
• Bonback
• Bon Gelati
• Bon Presso
• Bon Pasta
• Maxauer Papierfabrik
• Pro Projekte
• Sindra

Products and services

• MEG — Beverages & PET Plastics B2B beverage production (mineral water, soft drinks) for Lidl and Kaufland, integrated with a unique closed-loop PET recycling system that produces new ultra-light disposable PET bottles from 100% recycled materials. Eight German production sites plus one in Derby, UK.
• Solent — Chocolate, Nuts & Dried Fruits B2B production of chocolate (high-quality), nuts and dried fruits as private-label products for Lidl and Kaufland, manufactured at the Übach-Palenberg chocolate factory and the Rheine nut roasting plant.
• Bonback — Fine Baked Goods B2B large-scale bakery producing bread, rolls, and various baked goods without preservatives using regional ingredients for Lidl and Kaufland retail bakeries. Production combines traditional artisan baking craft with modern production methods at two locations: Übach-Palenberg and Halle (Saale).
• Bon Gelati — Ice Cream B2B premium ice cream production in various formats including stick ice cream, scoop ice cream, waffle cones, and squeeze tubes for Lidl and Kaufland, operated at two production locations.
• Bon Presso — Coffee Roasting B2B coffee roasting producing over 50,000 tonnes annually of ground coffee and coffee beans under Bellarom (Lidl) and K-Classic (Kaufland) private label brands, manufactured at the Rheine roasting plant with energy-efficient operations.
• Bon Pasta — Pasta & Noodles B2B production of pasta and noodles in various shapes and sizes for Lidl and Kaufland, with over 111,000 tonnes of pasta products annually — the largest pasta manufacturer north of the Alps.
• Maxauer Papierfabrik — Printing Paper B2B manufacturing of sustainable printing paper that is recyclable, renewable, and biodegradable for Lidl and Kaufland and other customers. Located at the Karlsruhe mill, producing large volumes of versatile, high-quality supercalendered graphic paper.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced food waste by 26% for beverages and 43% for solid foods through optimization of transport and equipment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schwarz GroupcoreOthersParent company of Schwarz Produktion. Schwarz Produktion is the production arm of the Schwarz Group, which includes Lidl and Kaufland retail chains. All production is oriented toward supplying the retail companies of Schwarz Group.
• MARKANTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining partner for LKSG (Supply Chain Act) compliance training. Provides access to training materials for business partners to understand environmental and social standards requirements.
• Göbber GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanned acquisition announced June 2025. Göbber Group (founded 1888) is a premium jam and honey manufacturer with 350 employees producing 70,000 tonnes annually. Acquisition planned for Q3 2025 pending antitrust approval.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ehrmann AG: German dairy and dessert manufacturer producing private label yogurts, desserts, and chilled products for European retail chains. Comparable private label dairy/dessert manufacturing to a similar customer base.
• Südzucker AG: Europe's largest sugar producer with confectionery and fruit preparation divisions, supplying industrial and retail channels. Comparable in confectionery/preserves adjacencies to Solent (chocolate) and Göbber (jam/honey).
• Refresco: World's largest independent bottler of soft drinks and juices, producing private label beverages for European retailers. Directly comparable to MEG's private label beverage and mineral water manufacturing model and customer base of discount/grocery chains.
• Krüger Group: German family-owned manufacturer of private label beverages, instant drinks, and food products for European retail chains. Highly comparable B2B private label model serving discounters similar to Lidl/Kaufland.
• Freiberger (Frozen Foods): Major European private label manufacturer of frozen pizza and pasta dishes, serving discounters and supermarket chains. Comparable private label B2B food manufacturing model with similar customer base in the European discount retail channel.
• JDE Peet's (JAB Holding): Global coffee roasting company producing both branded and private label roast & ground coffee for retailers including Lidl/Kaufland. Directly comparable to Bon Presso's 50,000 tonnes/year coffee roasting private label model.

Broad incumbents

• Theo Müller Group: German dairy and food conglomerate producing private label and branded dairy products, frozen desserts, and convenience foods. Comparable in private label ice cream and dairy manufacturing to Bon Gelati and brand-equivalent scope.
• Barry Callebaut: World's largest chocolate and cocoa manufacturer producing for industrial and retail customers, including private label. Comparable in chocolate manufacturing scope and scale to Solent Übach-Palenberg.
• Dr. Oetker: Large German family-owned food manufacturer with diversified portfolio including frozen pizza, baking products, and desserts. Comparable diversified food manufacturing breadth serving European retail, though more branded than Schwarz Produktion's pure private label model.
• Nestlé Deutschland: Global packaged food giant operating across beverages, confectionery, dairy, and culinary in Germany. Broadly comparable in product breadth and retail channel strength, though operates primarily as a branded player rather than pure private label manufacturer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SchwarzProduktion
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/schwarz-produktion-gmbh-co-kg
• Instagraminstagram.com/schwarzproduktion_wirliefern

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries12 records

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 Schwarz Produktion