What Schades does

Schades Group is a privately held, pan-European manufacturer and distributor of paper rolls and self-adhesive labels, headquartered operationally in Germany and owned by Harbour Investment GmbH. The group operates six production hubs and around ten sales and distribution offices across Germany, France, the UK, Poland, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, and Turkey, producing more than 200 million paper rolls and 50 million square metres of self-adhesive labels per year and supplying over 4,000 companies. Its product portfolio spans thermal paper rolls (ATM, POS/cash register, credit card verification, food wrap, lottery and gaming, reverse vending machine), self-adhesive labels (food packaging, industrial, logistics, pharmacy, self-service, reduced price), and linerless label variants, with sustainability-positioned products such as Blue4est fully recyclable thermal paper and PapairWrap paper-based packaging. Manufacturing technology centres on ROBOPLUS converting and printing lines (Lemu Group) at the Sarstedt site, an MPS EFA430 six-colour press and a new Digicon Series 3 five-colour press at the Bordeaux site, six-colour flexographic printing, and linerless label production. The group also operates a cloud-based warehouse management system with GS1 barcode integration across European warehouses.

Schades generates revenue through B2B hardware sales of manufactured paper rolls and labels. Its go-to-market combines direct sales via regional sales managers and key account managers organised by European sub-region, a reseller programme targeting office supply dealers and wholesalers for SMB reach, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel (thermopapier.ch) operated by Swiss subsidiary Prontro AG. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per order based on volume, specifications, and contract terms; no tiered pricing or public rate card exists. Customer segments span retail (supermarkets, clothing), logistics and eCommerce, food and beverage (including slaughterhouses and lottery operators), financial services (ATM operators), gaming, pharmacy, and industrial users, with enterprise logos including Tesco, La Française des Jeux, Marlish Waters, and undisclosed global clothing and eCommerce retailers.

The corporate trajectory since 2024 reflects consolidation and capital investment: legacy brands R+S Group, Hamilton-Schades, Heipa, Prontro, and Omeko were unified under the Schades Group brand in mid-2024; Hamilton Adhesive Labels was acquired out of administration in September 2024; and the group committed to major capital projects (ROBOPLUS lines in Germany and Digicon Series 3 press in France, both announced for June 2026). Strategic priorities evident in the data include sustainability compliance (EUDR partnership with Osapiens, FSC, EcoVadis, BPA-free and Phenol-free credentials), linerless label growth, and continued M&A under Chief Strategy Officer Younghoon Seo. The group has over 100 years of operating history through its constituent companies.

Name

Schades

Legal name

R+S Group GmbH

Website

https://schades.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Schades Group is a privately held, pan-European manufacturer of paper rolls and self-adhesive labels, producing 200 million rolls and 50 million square metres of labels annually across six production hubs and supplying more than 4,000 companies in retail, logistics, food, financial services, and pharmacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Paper and Label Manufacturing

NAICS

Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (3222), Printing and Related Support Activities (323)

SIC

Papers & Allied Products (2600), Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670)

akta.pro primary industry

Wraparound Roll-Fed Labels (IMALAKAE)

Keywords

• Thermal paper rolls
• Self-adhesive labels
• Linerless labels
• POS paper supplies
• Industrial label manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ripley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Paper Rolls Manufacturing and Sales: Schades Group generates the majority of its revenue from manufacturing and selling paper rolls including ATM paper rolls, cash register/POS rolls, credit card rolls, food wrap rolls, industrial rolls, lottery and gaming rolls, and reverse vending machine rolls. Products are sold to large retailers, logistics companies, food producers, financial institutions, and entertainment companies across Europe.
2. Self-Adhesive Labels Manufacturing and Sales: The company manufactures and sells a comprehensive range of adhesive labels including food packaging labels, industrial labels, logistics labels, pharmacy labels, self-service/scale labels, and reduced-price labels. Linerless labels are also a growing product line. Labels are sold across all European market segments as a complement to paper roll sales and represent a strategic growth area.
3. Wholesale and Distribution (Switzerland - Prontro): Prontro AG operates thermopapier.ch, a Swiss e-commerce platform distributing thermal paper and label solutions to Swiss B2B customers, representing both a wholesale and D2C revenue channel within Switzerland.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schades Group manufactures and distributes thermal paper rolls and self-adhesive labels across Europe, producing over 200 million paper rolls and 50 million square metres of self-adhesive labels per year from 6 production hubs in Germany, France, the UK, Poland, and Denmark. The portfolio spans ATM rolls, cash register/POS rolls, credit card verification rolls, food wrap rolls, industrial rolls, lottery and gaming rolls, reverse vending machine rolls, self-adhesive labels for food packaging, industrial, logistics, pharmacy, self-service and reduced-price applications, and linerless label variants. The group sells to enterprise customers in retail, logistics, financial services, food and beverage, industrial, and pharmacy sectors, and to wholesalers and resellers through a partner programme.

Product overview

Schades Group operates as a unified platform offering paper rolls and labels across Europe through multiple sub-brands and production facilities. The core product portfolio consists of three main categories: Labels (including Food Packaging, Industrial, Logistics, Pharmacy, Self-Service, and Reduced Price Labels), Linerless Labels (Logistics and Self-Service variants), and Paper Rolls (ATM, Cash Register/POS, Credit Card Verification, Food Wrap, Industrial, Lottery & Gaming, and Reverse Vending Machine Rolls). The company also offers PapairWrap as a sustainable packaging solution. Schades Group unifies its legacy brands including R+S Group, Schades, Hamilton-Schades, Heipa, Prontro, and Omeko under one brand identity since 2024, producing over 200 million paper rolls and 50 million square meters of self-adhesive labels annually across 6 production hubs and 10 office locations throughout Europe. The recent acquisition of Hamilton Adhesive Labels (now Hamilton-Schades) in September 2024 expanded their label manufacturing capabilities and product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• R+S Group: German production entity specializing in paper rolls and labels
• Hamilton-Schades
• Heipa
• Prontro
• Omeko
• PapairWrap

Products and services

• Paper Rolls Thermal paper rolls for ATMs (NCR, Diebold, Wincor, Fujitsu, Siemens compatible), cash registers and POS printers (NCR, ICL, ADS, IBM, Omron, Epson compatible), credit card verification machines (1/2/3-ply, up to 6-colour printing), food wrap (PFOS, PFOA, C6+ free), industrial applications, lottery and gaming (officially approved for European lottery printers, 6-colour flexo), and reverse vending machines. All rolls are BPA-free with Phenol-free options available. Sold to banks, retailers, logistics companies, food producers, gaming operators, and wholesalers across Europe.
• Self-Adhesive Labels Self-adhesive labels for food packaging (heat-resistant, chilled/frozen food), industrial applications (asset management, safety compliance, product identification, quality control), logistics and transport (weather- and temperature-resistant), pharmacy (medication dispensing, patient safety), self-service scales in retail (customisable prices, descriptions, barcodes; blank or in 8 colours), and reduced-price marking. Includes award-winning printed labels on film substrates produced by Hamilton-Schades. Sold to retail chains, food producers, logistics companies, industrial firms, and pharmacies across Europe.
• Linerless Labels Sustainable linerless label solutions that eliminate backing liner waste. Available as Linerless Logistics Labels (for tracking and shipping with reduced downtime and environmental impact) and Linerless Self-Service Labels (for fruit and vegetable scales in supermarkets, enabling price and barcode printing for weighed products). Offer up to 40% more labels per roll and reduce waste by up to 30% compared to standard self-adhesive labels. Sold to logistics operators and retailers across Europe.
• PapairWrap Sustainable paper-based packaging wrap solution, part of Schades Group's innovative product offering for environmentally conscious packaging needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production capacity of over 200 million paper rolls per year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lemu GroupcoreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2026Schades Group invested in two advanced ROBOPLUS converting and printing lines from Lemu Group for its R+S Group GmbH site in Sarstedt, Germany. The ROBOPLUS 214/1420 + IM4 AL (4-colour) and ROBOPLUS 212/1420 + IM2 AC (2-colour) machines represent significant capital investment in high-performance, automated production technology.
• OsapienscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Schades Group partnered with Osapiens to ensure full compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Osapiens provides integrated tools for transparency and reporting to drive sustainable growth and streamline compliance processes. This partnership is critical for Schades to meet the December 2025 EUDR compliance deadline.
• Two SidescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Schades Group became a member of Two Sides, a global not-for-profit print and paper advocacy group. The partnership enables Schades to promote the sustainable attributes of print, paper, and paper packaging, and to combat misleading 'go paperless' greenwashing claims. Two Sides supports Schades' sustainability messaging and environmental credentials campaign across Europe.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Hansol Paper: South Korean thermal paper manufacturer (Hansol Thermal) producing POS, ATM, and label thermal papers for global markets. Comparable product offering to Schades' core paper roll business but primarily serves Asia and competes via export into European markets.
• Appvion Operations Inc. North America's largest specialty and thermal paper producer, manufacturing direct thermal labels and paper for receipt, ATM, and label applications. Comparable product portfolio to Schades' thermal paper rolls and self-adhesive labels, but serves the Americas rather than Europe.

Direct peers

• Koehler Paper: German family-owned paper manufacturer with a thermal paper division (Koehler Thermal Paper) producing POS and ticket rolls and self-adhesive label stock. Direct competitor in European thermal paper and label substrates, with comparable flexographic printing capability.
• Jujo Thermal Oy: Jujo Thermal is one of Europe's largest thermal paper manufacturers, producing coated and top-coated thermal papers for POS, ATM, and label applications — directly overlapping with Schades' paper roll and self-adhesive label portfolio. Both serve European B2B customers with comparable thermal paper products.

Broad incumbents

• Mondi Group: Europe-listed packaging and paper group producing containerboard, kraft paper, and uncoated papers. While not a direct competitor in thermal rolls, Mondi overlaps in paper-based packaging, paper converting, and serves many of the same European retail and industrial customers.
• Avery Dennison Corporation: Global leader in pressure-sensitive label materials and retail branding solutions. Directly comparable to Schades' self-adhesive label business across logistics, retail, and industrial segments, but operates at a much larger scale globally.
• CCL Industries: Global specialty label manufacturer with operations across healthcare, consumer, and industrial labels. Comparable to Schades' self-adhesive label business with similar flexographic/digital printing capability and similar enterprise customer base in retail, food, and pharma.
• Sappi Europe: European coated and specialty paper manufacturer producing label papers, packaging boards, and graphic papers. Comparable in European paper substrates and label stock supply chain, although Sappi is upstream of Schades (paper producer vs. converter).
• UPM-Kymmene Corporation: Finland-based global paper and biomaterials company producing label materials, specialty papers, and communication papers (including thermal substrates via UPM Raflatac). Comparable in label substrates and FSC-certified paper; UPM Raflatac is also a Schades supplier.

Emerging players

• Lecta Group: European specialty paper manufacturer with thermal, self-adhesive, and label paper divisions. Closely comparable mid-sized European paper converter with overlapping thermal paper roll and label-stock product categories, though smaller scale than Schades.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Schades