WIFAG-Polytype Holding
WIFAG-Polytype Holding AG is a privately held Swiss industrial group that designs and sells capital equipment for plastic packaging decoration and aluminium can/tube forming to packaging manufacturers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1900
- HeadquartersFribourg, Switzerland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What WIFAG-Polytype Holding does
WIFAG-Polytype Holding AG is a privately held Swiss industrial holding headquartered in Fribourg, Switzerland, operating across five global locations with approximately 500 employees. The group is organized into two wholly-owned business units — Polytype for plastic packaging decoration and Mall-Herlan for metal packaging forming — and has been in operation for over 100 years, with no public listing, external investor, or parent company disclosed.
The company's core products are high-value capital equipment sold to packaging manufacturers worldwide. The Polytype unit supplies conventional and digital printing decoration machines for cosmetic tubes, jars, cups, lids, bottles, cans, and closures. The Mall-Herlan unit supplies machinery for the production of aluminium cans and tubes, with proprietary processes centered on forming hollow bodies via Impact Extrusion or Draw and Wall Ironing (DWI), followed by trimming, printing, necking, and shaping. Together the units offer an end-to-end line covering forming through finishing for both plastic and metal packaging formats.
WIFAG-Polytype generates revenue through one-time capital equipment sales with an associated aftermarket parts and service tail, with pricing conducted on a quote-based, project-specific basis. Go-to-market is executed via direct enterprise field sales, reinforced by an active trade-fair presence at major packaging industry events such as Plastimagen 2026, IPI 2026, and IPF 2026. Customer segments are concentrated in two verticals: cosmetic and personal care packaging producers, and metal packaging manufacturers serving food, beverage, and industrial applications. The board is chaired by Prof. Dr. Martial Pasquier, with Martin Tschumi serving as Vice Chairman and CEO alongside three additional non-executive directors.
WIFAG-Polytype Holding firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WIFAG-Polytype Holding
- Legal name
- WIFAG-Polytype Holding AG
- Website
- https://wifag-polytype.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1900
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- WIFAG-Polytype Holding AG is a privately held Swiss industrial group that designs and sells capital equipment for plastic packaging decoration and aluminium can/tube forming to packaging manufacturers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WIFAG-Polytype Holding industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993), Rolling Mill and Other Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (333519), Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing (33243)
- SIC
- Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Metal Cans (3411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Labeling, Coding & Marking Equipment (Labelers, Inkjet, Laser) (IMALAOAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Metal Pails & Paint Cans (IMALADAE), Rigid Plastic Containers (Bottles, Jars, Jugs) Manufacturing (IMANAEAA)
Keywords
Where WIFAG-Polytype Holding is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fribourg
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
WIFAG-Polytype Holding business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Industrial Machinery Sales: Sale of high-value capital equipment including decoration machines for plastic packaging (cosmetic tubes, jars, cups, lids, bottles, cans, closures) and forming/production machinery for metal packaging (aluminium cans and tubes). Revenue generated through one-time equipment sales with potential for aftermarket parts and service.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
WIFAG-Polytype Holding product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WIFAG-Polytype Holding AG manufactures and supplies industrial machinery for the decoration and production of plastic and metal packaging. Through its Polytype business unit it provides decoration machinery for plastic packaging formats including tubes, jars, cups, lids, bottles, cans, and closures. Through its Mall-Herlan unit it supplies metal packaging production machinery for aluminium cans and tubes based on Impact Extrusion and Drawn-and-Ironed (DWI) processes.
Product overview
WIFAG-Polytype Group operates as a dual business unit company serving the packaging industry. The Plastic Packaging unit (Polytype) provides conventional and digital printing decoration machines for cosmetic tubes, jars, cups, lids, bottles, cans, and closures. The Metal Packaging unit (Mall Herlan) supplies machinery for aluminium cans and tubes production, specializing in Impact Extrusion and DWI forming processes, trimming, printing, necking, and shaping.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Polytype: Plastic packaging division - Swiss expert for conventional and digital printing, decoration machine provider for packaging solutions such as cosmetic tubes, jars, cups, lids, bottles, cans and closures
- Mall-Herlan
Companies that use WIFAG-Polytype Holding
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
WIFAG-Polytype Holding technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
WIFAG-Polytype Holding partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
WIFAG-Polytype Holding competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Krones: Much larger German packaging machinery incumbent serving beverage and food producers with filling, labelling, and packaging equipment. While Krones is beverage-focused and broader in scope, it competes for similar enterprise packaging capex budgets.
- ProMach: North American packaging machinery roll-up with a broad portfolio across filling, labelling, decorating, and metal can handling. Overlaps with WIFAG-Polytype in both plastic decoration and metal packaging finishing equipment.
- Sidel: PET and beverage packaging equipment supplier, part of the Tetra Laval group. Competes for enterprise packaging line projects at beverage and FMCG customers that WIFAG-Polytype also targets.
- MULTIVAC: German packaging machinery specialist focused on tray sealing, labelling and packaging lines for food, medical, and industrial customers. Competes for similar enterprise packaging machinery budgets and serves overlapping end markets.
- Coesia: Italian industrial group with multiple packaging machinery subsidiaries serving cosmetics, personal care, and industrial packaging. Directly relevant as a competitor to Polytype's cosmetic packaging decoration equipment.
- KHS: German packaging machinery incumbent focused on filling and packaging systems for beverage and food. Overlaps with WIFAG-Polytype's metal can forming capability for beverage cans and competes in similar enterprise customer accounts.
Direct peers
- Heidelberger Druckmaschinen: German printing and packaging machinery specialist with a strong decoration equipment portfolio. Directly comparable to Polytype's conventional and digital printing decoration machinery for packaging formats including tubes, jars and closures.
- BOBST: Swiss-headquartered global supplier of packaging machinery and services, including printing, coating, laminating, and converting equipment. BOBST is one of the closest direct competitors to WIFAG-Polytype across both plastic and metal packaging decoration lines.
- Schuler Group: Global metal forming specialist whose press and can-making machinery overlaps directly with Mall-Herlan's Impact Extrusion and DWI forming equipment for aluminium cans and tubes.
- Sacmi: Italian packaging machinery group with deep capabilities in metal packaging (can making) as well as plastics processing and packaging. Sacmi directly overlaps with Mall-Herlan's can-making machinery and competes in plastic container production equipment.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WIFAG-Polytype Holding social profiles
Digital presenceWIFAG-Polytype Holding financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WIFAG-Polytype Holding leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
WIFAG-Polytype Holding subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
WIFAG-Polytype Holding funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WIFAG-Polytype Holding 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 WIFAG-Polytype Holding
What does WIFAG-Polytype Holding do?
WIFAG-Polytype Holding AG manufactures and supplies industrial machinery for the decoration and production of plastic and metal packaging. Through its Polytype business unit it provides decoration machinery for plastic packaging formats including tubes, jars, cups, lids, bottles, cans, and closures. Through its Mall-Herlan unit it supplies metal packaging production machinery for aluminium cans and tubes based on Impact Extrusion and Drawn-and-Ironed (DWI) processes.
Is WIFAG-Polytype Holding a public or private company?
WIFAG-Polytype Holding is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was WIFAG-Polytype Holding founded?
WIFAG-Polytype Holding was founded in 1900. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is WIFAG-Polytype Holding based?
WIFAG-Polytype Holding is headquartered in Fribourg, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does WIFAG-Polytype Holding make money?
One revenue line is on record: industrial Machinery Sales.
Who are WIFAG-Polytype Holding's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Krones, ProMach, Sidel, MULTIVAC, Coesia and KHS. Direct peers are Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, BOBST, Schuler Group and Sacmi.
Does WIFAG-Polytype Holding have an API?
No public API is recorded for WIFAG-Polytype Holding.
What industry is WIFAG-Polytype Holding in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALAOAD, Labeling, Coding & Marking Equipment (Labelers, Inkjet, Laser), with a secondary code of IMALADAE, Metal Pails & Paint Cans. Its NAICS code is 333993 and its SIC code is 3540.