WEISS

What WEISS does

WEISS-Gruppe is a German family-owned media conglomerate founded in 1875 in Monschau and now in its fourth generation of family ownership under Managing Partner Georg Weiss. The group operates across three core business units: Printing (WEISS-Druck in Monschau and DVH WEISS-Druck in Elsterheide/Saxony), Publishing (WEISS-Verlag with the WochenSpiegel regional weekly newspaper at 600,000+ weekly circulation, plus the jointly-controlled S-W Verlag) and Media Services (WEISS-Intermedia, WEISS-Direktservice for lettershop and distribution, MW Grafiksatz for typesetting, and Weigro retail). Together with approximately 25 additional subsidiaries and entities, the group employs roughly 1,200 people across western Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate), eastern Germany (Saxony, Brandenburg), and Benelux sales coverage.

The Printing business runs a diversified machine park spanning coldset web offset (newspapers, 160+ editions weekly, 5+ million copies), heatset web offset (magazines, catalogues, advertising supplements at 10,000-100,000+ copies per run), sheet-fed offset, and digital short-run printing, with full in-house prepress (Computer-to-Plate, Kodak InSite PrePress Portal), postpress finishing (binding, inserting, foil finishing, automated addressing up to 12,000 pieces), and automated guided vehicle logistics. Publishing generates revenue from WochenSpiegel and WochenKurier local newspapers plus the wochenspiegellive.de digital news portal, monetised primarily via advertising. Media Services delivers lettershop, direct marketing, geomarketing-based distribution, postage optimisation, crossmedia/e-paper and augmented-reality production. The most recent strategic initiative, Eco Flex Pack (launched 2025), applies web offset to flexible paper packaging for brand owners substituting plastic.

WEISS serves enterprise customers in German newspaper and magazine publishing, major retail chains requiring advertising supplements, brand owners (sustainability-focused), and smaller businesses/individuals via digital short-run. Revenue derives from transaction fees on print jobs, advertising on owned publications, and professional services for logistics/crossmedia. Pricing is custom-quoted, not publicly disclosed, and the group is 100% equity financed with no external investor funding. Sustainability credentials (FSC, PEFC, Blue Angel, EU Ecolabel, ISO 50001, Nature Office CO2-neutral) are a stated differentiator across all business units.

Name

WEISS

Legal name

WM-Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs-GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://weissgruppe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WEISS is a 145+ year-old German family-owned media group operating printing, publishing, and media services across Germany and Benelux, serving newspaper publishers, retail chains, and brand owners with offset/digital printing, local newspaper publishing, and direct marketing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Printing and Related Support Activities (3231), Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (513120), Books Printing (323117), Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Book Printing (2732), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & Offset Printing (Sheetfed/Web) (MPAJALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mailing, Inserting & Distribution Services (Addressing, Direct Mail, Kitting) (MPAJALAH), Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C) (MPAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial printing services
• Newspaper printing
• Advertising supplements
• Flexible paper packaging
• Distribution logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Monschau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Newspaper Printing: Coldset web offset printing of newspapers and time-sensitive print products. Weekly production of over 160 newspaper editions with circulation exceeding 5 million copies. Includes production of partial editions for metropolitan newspapers.
2. Magazine and Catalogue Printing: Heatset web offset and sheet-fed offset printing of magazines and catalogues with finishing, binding, packaging and logistics services.
3. Advertising Supplements: Production of retail advertising brochures and newspaper inserts for major retail chains, including single and four-colour printing on newsprint or recycled paper.
4. Digital Printing: Short-run digital printing from 1 copy for business cards, flyers, brochures, photo albums, posters, roll-ups, backlits with various finishing options.
5. Publishing: Publication of WochenSpiegel weekly newspaper (over 600,000 weekly circulation) and other local newspapers, magazines and special publications across multiple German states. Digital publishing via wochenspiegellive.de news portal.
6. Logistics and Distribution: Lettershop services, direct marketing, geomarketing-based distribution, addressing, postage optimisation. Distribution of up to 20 million supplements domestically and internationally.
7. Crossmedia Services: Conversion of print products to e-paper or augmented reality presentations via WEISS-Intermedia agency.
8. Eco Flex Pack (Flexible Paper Packaging): Sustainable packaging printing using web offset for paper-based flexible packaging, targeting brand owners seeking to replace plastic with paper.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WEISS is a German family-owned media group providing comprehensive B2B printing services including web offset (coldset/heatset), sheet-fed offset, and digital printing of newspapers, magazines, catalogues, and advertising supplements. The group also operates publishing companies (WochenSpiegel with 600,000+ weekly circulation), media services (crossmedia, e-paper, AR), logistics and lettershop distribution, and the Eco Flex Pack initiative for sustainable flex

Product overview

WEISS is a traditional German media group (founded 1875) operating three core business units: Printing (WEISS-Druck, DVH WEISS-Druck), Publishing (WEISS-Verlag, S-W Verlag), and Media Services (WEISS-Intermedia, WEISS-Direktservice, MW Grafiksatz, WEIGRO). The printing companies offer comprehensive offset and digital printing services including prepress, web offset (heatset/coldset), sheet-fed offset, and postpress finishing. Publishing includes WochenSpiegel regional newspapers (600,000+ weekly circulation) and digital news portal wochenspiegellive.de. The group also operates Eco Flex Pack (sustainable paper packaging initiative), maintains the Druckereimuseum WEISS printing museum, and is governed by the WEISS-Druck Stiftung foundation. WEISS serves customers in Germany and internationally (Netherlands/Belgium), with locations spanning western Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate) and eastern Germany (Saxony, Brandenburg).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WEISS-Druck Full-service printing company offering newspapers, magazines, catalogues, advertising supplements, prepress, digital printing, web offset (heatset/coldset), sheet-fed offset, and postpress finishing services. Located in Monschau (Eifel), serves as the primary printing operation of the WEISS Group.
• DVH WEISS-Druck Leading newspaper printing company in East Saxony/Lausitz region, specializing in roll offset (coldset) newspaper production. Operates in Elsterheide, Sachsen, and is one of the largest employers in the region.
• WEISS-Verlag Publishing company (100% subsidiary of WEISS Group) with locations in Monschau and Trier, publishing the WochenSpiegel local weekly newspaper and numerous magazines and special publications.
• S-W Verlag Publishing company for local information located in Mayen, jointly owned by WEISS Group and Verlag für Anzeigenblätter (subsidiary of Rhein-Zeitung). Publishes local weekly newspapers distributed in Rhineland-Palatinate.
• Eco Flex Pack WEISS Group initiative to establish web offset printing in flexible paper packaging, aiming to help brand owners switch from plastic to paper. Combines WEISS-Druck's web offset expertise with packaging and food-compliant production knowledge.
• WochenSpiegel Local weekly newspaper published by WEISS-Verlag with a weekly circulation exceeding 600,000 copies, distributed in southern North Rhine-Westphalia and northern Rhineland-Palatinate. Also available digitally via wochenspiegellive.de news portal.
• Druckereimuseum WEISS Printing museum showcasing the history of printing from antiquity to modern digital age. Includes hands-on exhibits, workshops for school classes and kindergartens, cinema screenings, and serves as venue for the WEISS Academy's in-house seminars.
• Kodak InSite PrePress Portal WEISS-Druck's web portal system enabling customers to upload PDF files for print jobs via the Internet, handle proof, correction, and approval processes, and track progress online.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5+ million newspaper copies produced weekly across 160+ editions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• manroland|GOSScoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing supplier of printing presses and systems, specialising in web offset printing presses for newspapers, magazines, flyers and packaging. WEISS operates six high-performance manroland printing machines enabling optimal job-to-machine matching.
• Koehler PapercoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal expert in speciality papers, with flexible packaging papers already trusted by numerous brand owners. Partnership supports Eco Flex Pack sustainable packaging initiative.
• hubergroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationReliable and globally active manufacturer of printing inks and printing auxiliaries. Core business comprises development, production and sale of high-quality printing inks for offset, gravure and flexographic printing.
• Pizza A ManominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Tyrol pizza producer serving as project participant for Eco Flex Pack initiative. Open to sustainability concepts and incorporating paper packaging vision into their products.
• KodakcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of InSite PrePress Portal System enabling customers to handle print job data exchange via internet, including PDF upload and proof/correction/approval processes.
• IHK Aachen (Chamber of Industry and Commerce)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEISS actively participates in expert committees, economic committees and working groups of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Staff serve as voluntary judges or apprenticeship examiners.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mohn Media (Mohn Druck): Mohn Media is a German print services company (part of the Bertelsmann/Arvato network) offering web offset printing for newspapers, magazines, catalogues, and advertising materials. It is the closest direct competitor to WEISS in scale, technology mix, and German-market focus.
• Schlott Gruppe (Freundl & Carl): Schlott Gruppe is a long-established German commercial and newspaper printing group operating multiple web offset and sheet-fed sites. Directly comparable in product mix (coldset newspapers, heatset magazines, catalogues) and customer base (German publishers and retailers).
• Druckhaus Cramer: Druckhaus Cramer is a German printing company in Münster producing newspapers (coldset), magazines, and advertising supplements. Direct peer in coldset newspaper printing for German regional publishers.
• Bonifatius GmbH (Bonifatius Druckerei): Bonifatius is a German printing and publishing company combining book, magazine, and newspaper printing with its own publishing houses. Comparable to WEISS in its combined printing + publishing model and family/charitable ownership structure.

Broad incumbents

• Funke Mediengruppe: Funke is one of Germany's largest regional newspaper and magazine publishers with in-house and contracted printing capacity. Comparable to WEISS as a regional publisher that is also a significant print customer/operator across advertising supplements and periodicals.
• Madsack Mediengruppe: Madsack is a major German regional newspaper group publishing titles across northern and eastern Germany. Comparable to WEISS's owned publishing operations in scale, regional newspaper model, and as a potential large-scale print customer.
• Axel Springer SE: Axel Springer is a large German media company with newspaper (BILD, Welt) and digital operations. Comparable to WEISS's publishing arm in German print media, though much larger and more diversified toward digital subscriptions.

Regional players

• Apenberg & Partner / ProPress (German printing consolidators): Apenberg & Partner is a German M&A advisor specialized in the printing and media industry, frequently involved in consolidating German offset printers. Relevant as an indicator of the consolidation dynamics reshaping WEISS's competitive landscape in DACH.

Others

• Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen is the world's leading manufacturer of sheet-fed offset presses and a key supplier to WEISS and its competitors. Comparable as an ecosystem participant whose technology roadmap (offset vs. digital vs. packaging) shapes WEISS's investment decisions.
• Koehler Paper Group: Koehler Paper is a German specialty paper manufacturer and a Core strategic partner to WEISS for the Eco Flex Pack initiative. Comparable as a key upstream supplier whose flexible paper innovations enable WEISS's sustainable packaging strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries13 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 WEISS