STEA

What STEA does

Stea A/S is a Danish manufacturer, dealer, and buyer of wooden pallets, pallet frames, and related wood packaging accessories, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Engesvang, Denmark. The company produces standard solutions (euro pallets, export pallets), custom-made pallets tailored to customer specifications (half-pallets, lightweight pallets, one-way pallets, branded pallet frames), and operates a circular pallet service spanning collection, sorting, repair, and redelivery of used pallets, with end-of-life pallets chipped for use in local district heating. The company is ISPM 15 heat-treatment certified for wood packaging exports outside the EU, and has on-site solar generation supporting its production operations.

In October 2024, Stea A/S was acquired by Foresco Group (Foreseco), a European specialist in pallets, custom wood packaging, and circular logistics solutions, and now operates as Foresco DK, a wholly-owned subsidiary. Following the acquisition, Stea A/S retained its local team, customer contacts, and day-to-day processes while gaining access to Foresco's pan-European network, capacity investments, and ESG infrastructure. The business serves B2B customers across Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands via country-specific direct sales teams and a webshop (foresco.shop), targeting Danish firms and industries needing transport, logistics, and storage wood packaging solutions. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of new and refurbished pallets, custom wood packaging, and ancillary consulting services for pallet specification optimization.

Name

STEA

Legal name

Stea A/S

Website

https://stea.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Foresco DK (formerly Stea A/S) is a Danish manufacturer and dealer of ISPM 15-certified wooden pallets, custom wood packaging, and circular pallet repair/recycling services, serving B2B transport and logistics customers across Northern Europe as a subsidiary of Foresco Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wooden Pallets & Industrial Packaging

NAICS

Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (32192), Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (321920)

SIC

Wholesale-Misc Durable Goods (5090)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMALAFAF

Pallets (Wood, Plastic, Metal, Presswood)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Packaging & Containers/Protective & Transport Packaging (Foam, Dunnage, Pallets, Crates)

SECONDARYIMADADAJ

Wood Pallets, Crates & Industrial Wood Packaging

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Building Materials & Products/Timber, Lumber & Engineered Wood Products

SECONDARYIMALAFAL

Export & Compliance Packaging (ISPM-15, Heat-Treated Wood Packaging)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Packaging & Containers/Protective & Transport Packaging (Foam, Dunnage, Pallets, Crates)

SECONDARYIMALAFAN

Material Handling Protective Accessories (Slip Sheets, Corner Boards, Pallet Collars)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Packaging & Containers/Protective & Transport Packaging (Foam, Dunnage, Pallets, Crates)

SECONDARYTLAIAGAC

Tertiary Packaging & Unitization (Palletizing, Slip-Sheeting, Strapping)

Transportation & Logistics/Third-Party & Fourth-Party Logistics (3PL/4PL) / Contract Logistics/Packaging, Repackaging & Co-Packing Services

Keywords

• Wooden pallets
• Custom wood packaging
• Pallet recycling
• ISPM 15 certification
• Circular pallet services

Headquarters

HQ city

Engesvang

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New Pallets Sales: Sale of new wooden pallets including standard solutions (euro pallets, export pallets) and custom-made pallets tailored to customer specifications and product requirements.
2. Used/Refurbished Pallets: Sorting, repairing, and redelivering used pallets. Circular business model offering sustainable alternatives to new pallets.
3. Custom Wood Packaging: Special design wood packaging solutions including pallet frames with or without customer logo, half-pallets, lightweight pallets, and one-way pallets.
4. Consulting and Advisory Services: Customer consulting to find optimal pallet solutions for specific products and logistics requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

STEA (now Foresco DK) manufactures, sells, and recycles wooden pallets and custom-designed wood packaging for transport, logistics, and storage. The portfolio covers euro pallets, export pallets, half-pallets, lightweight and one-way pallets, pallet frames with optional customer logos, bespoke packaging, and a circular collect/repair/reuse service for used pallets. Operations are ISPM 15 heat-treatment certified, supporting both domestic distribution and exports outside the EU.

Product overview

Foresco DK (formerly STEA) operates as a specialized provider of wooden pallets and custom wood packaging solutions in Denmark. The company offers a portfolio of products including standard euro pallets, export pallets, custom-made pallets, half-pallets, lightweight pallets, one-way pallets, and branded pallet frames. These core products are supported by complementary services: collect, repair and re-use of used pallets, and pallet recycling where damaged pallets are converted to district heating fuel. The company holds ISPM 15 heat treatment certification for wood exported outside EU borders. The products form an integrated circular economy solution combining new pallet manufacturing with used pallet recovery and recycling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wooden Pallets Standard and custom-made wooden pallets including euro pallets, export pallets, special pallets, half-pallets, lightweight pallets, one-way pallets, and pallet frames with or without customer logo. ISPM 15 heat-treatment certified for both domestic transport and export outside the EU. Sold to Danish firms and industries for transport, logistics, and warehouse storage.
• Custom Wood Packaging Specially designed wood packaging solutions tailored to specific industry or product requirements for transport, logistics, and storage. Includes pallet frames with or without customer logos and bespoke packaging engineered for particular logistic or product needs. Sold to Danish firms and industries.
• Collect, Repair & Re-use (used pallets) Circular economy service that collects, sorts, repairs, and re-delivers used pallets to customers, extending pallet lifecycle and reducing waste. Offered to Danish firms and industries as a sustainable alternative to new pallets.
• Pallet Recycling (chipped for district heating) Sustainability service that chips damaged pallets and pallets not meeting transport requirements for use as fuel in district heating for local residents in Engesvang. Sold as part of the company's circular pallet offering.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Foresco Group / ForesecocoreOthers · 1 October 2024In October 2024, Stea A/S was acquired by Foreseco and now operates as Foresco DK. This acquisition strengthens Foresco's position as one of the best suppliers in the Nordics for pallets, logistics, and custom wood packaging while maintaining local roots and market knowledge. Foresco provides scaling opportunities, stability, and strength while preserving the existing team and customer relationships.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Smurfit Kappa: Smurfit Kappa is a global paper-based packaging giant with European operations spanning corrugated, solid board, and protective packaging. It competes with Foresco DK in industrial packaging sales and increasingly in sustainable packaging solutions.
• EPAL (European Pallet Association e.V.): EPAL licenses and certifies the production of the standard euro pallet, the dominant pallet format in European logistics. Foresco DK produces EPAL-compliant euro pallets, making EPAL a structural counterparty and category-defining incumbent for its core product line.
• UFP Industries: UFP Industries is a major North American manufacturer of wood packaging, pallets, and engineered components. While primarily U.S.-focused, it represents the scale benchmark in pallet manufacturing and competes with Foresco DK for multinational customers sourcing wood packaging globally.
• Kronospan: Kronospan is one of the world's largest wood-based panel manufacturers producing chipboard, MDF, and related engineered wood products, with integrated pallet and packaging operations across Europe. A broad incumbent in the wood packaging supply chain that competes for similar industrial customers.
• CHEP (Brambles): CHEP is the global leader in pallet pooling, supplying reusable pallets and containers across multiple continents. It competes with Foresco DK for pallet demand from large logistics and industrial customers but offers a pooling business model rather than outright sale of wooden pallets.

Direct peers

• Falkenhahn AG: Falkenhahn AG is a German manufacturer of wooden pallets, wooden packaging, and special load carriers with ISPM 15 heat treatment. Operates in the same European wood packaging market as Foresco DK with overlapping product categories and customer segments in logistics and industrial supply chains.
• PalletBiz: PalletBiz is a North American and European pallet manufacturer and recycler providing new, recycled, and custom pallets, plus pallet management services. Comparable in offering integrated new/used pallet and recycling services to B2B logistics customers.
• Foresco Group: Foresco Group is the parent company that acquired Stea A/S in October 2024. It operates as a European specialist in pallets, custom wood packaging, and circular solutions across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Norway, and Sweden, with Foresco DK now serving as its Danish arm. Directly comparable in product mix and operating model.

Regional players

• Palm Recycling: Palm Recycling is a UK-based pallet recycling and wooden packaging supplier operating across the British market. Comparable to Foresco DK's circular collect-repair-reuse model, though geographically focused on the UK rather than Scandinavia or continental Europe.
• GEBHARDT Logistic Solutions: GEBHARDT is a German manufacturer of load carriers, pallets, and intralogistics solutions with a strong presence in DACH-region industrial customers. Comparable to Foresco DK in offering custom wood packaging and pallet solutions to logistics-intensive manufacturers, though with a stronger German footprint.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stea

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 STEA