Hildebrandt Group

What Hildebrandt Group does

Hildebrandt Group (legal entity: August Hildebrandt GmbH) is a 5th-generation, family-owned German industrial manufacturer and Europe's largest producer of cable drums, headquartered in Schwerin, Germany. Founded in 1868 as a sawmill and carpentry, the company transitioned into cable drum production in the late 1960s and today manufactures wood, plywood, and steel cable drums for the global cable, tube, and rope industries, alongside reusable drum systems (the Hildebrandt Return Model for steel and Refund Model for iron-rimmed wooden drums) and a digital Release Reporting App that coordinates pan-European reverse logistics.

The product range spans single-use and reusable drums with flange diameters from small-format plywood up to 10,000mm steel drums capable of carrying 250 tons, supported by ISO 9001/14001/3834-2, PEFC, IPPC ISPM15, CPR EN1090, and REACH certifications. The business model is a mix of one-time hardware sales of drums and equipment, subscription-style rental of reusable machine drums, professional services for logistics (including oversized drum transport, on-site dismantling/reassembly) and repair, and managed drum services. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales to globally renowned cable, tube, and rope manufacturers, reinforced by industry trade shows (Wire in Düsseldorf) and the firm's own Mastermind Conference on industrial CO2 reduction.

Operations span 10 manufacturing and assembly sites in Germany (Schwerin, Isernhagen, Mönchengladbach, Stolberg), the Netherlands (Haaksbergen), France (Sens, Forbach, St. Pourcain — acquired via EMS SAS in 2014), and Tunisia (El Alia). A new 4,250 m² steel drum production facility at Industriepark Schwerin was completed in January 2025 following a €10 million investment, materially expanding capacity for high-tonnage steel reels used in energy transition infrastructure such as the SüdLink project. Revenue is disclosed at €90 million, and ownership remains concentrated in the founding family with managing directors Sabine von Köppen and Mathias Lohraff representing the 5th generation.

Name

Hildebrandt Group

Legal name

August Hildebrandt GmbH

Website

https://cabledrum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1868

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hildebrandt Group is a 5th-generation German family-owned manufacturer and Europe's largest producer of wood, plywood, and steel cable drums, serving global cable, tube, and rope manufacturers from 10 European and North African production sites with €90M in revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Cable Drum Manufacturing

NAICS

Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (32192)

SIC

Metal Shipping Barrels, Drums, Kegs & Pails (3412)

akta.pro primary industry

Wood Pallets, Crates & Industrial Wood Packaging (IMADADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Metal Drums (Steel Drums) (IMALADAD)

Keywords

• Cable drum manufacturing
• Industrial packaging solutions
• Reusable steel drums
• Wooden cable reels
• Circular economy packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Schwerin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cable Drum Sales: Sale of cable drums made from wood, plywood, and steel including single-use and reusable variants. Drums are produced in own international manufacturing and assembly sites.
2. Equipment and Supplies: Sale of equipment and supplies for cable, rope, and cable laying industry.
3. Rental Services: Rental of machine drums and their equipment as part of service offerings.
4. Logistics Services: Customized logistic solutions for delivery including truck and ship transport, especially for oversized drums. Delivery can be dismantled and reassembled on site.
5. Repair and Retrieval Services: Retrieval and repair of used drums, enabling reuse and extending product lifecycle.
6. Drum Management Services: Full drum management services including delivery coordination to production sites, minimizing administrative burdens for customers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Hildebrandt Group manufactures and supplies cable drums (wood, plywood, and steel) for the cable, tube, and rope industry through its own European and North African production network. The company sells single-use shipping drums, reusable drum systems (Return Model for steel, Refund Model for wood), and provides complementary services including equipment and supplies, customized logistics for oversized drums, retrieval and repair, and full drum management. A digital Release Reporting App coordinates the return of empty reusable drums across Europe.

Product overview

Hildebrandt Group is Europe's largest cable drum producer offering a comprehensive portfolio of wood, steel, and plywood cable drums. The product range includes single-use drums (Holztrommeln, Stahltrommeln, Sperrholztrommeln) and two reusable circular economy systems: the Return Model for steel drums and the Refund Model for wooden drums. All products are supported by comprehensive services including logistics, repair, and drum management. The company also supplies equipment for the cable industry and offers a digital Release Reporting App for coordinating drum returns across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wood Drums (Holztrommeln) Wooden cable drums made from PEFC-certified sustainable forestry wood, available as single-use shipping or reusable drums, with flange diameter up to 4,500mm and load capacity up to 60 tons. Can be IPPC-treated or untreated, with optional iron rings. Intended for industrial cable, tube, and rope manufacturers.
• Steel Drums (Stahltrommeln) Steel cable drums available as shipping, reusable, or machine drums with flange diameter up to 10,000mm and load capacity up to 250 tons. Welding certified to DIN EN ISO 3834 and DIN EN ISO 15614-1 for S355. Suitable for high-voltage cables in on- and offshore industry. For industrial cable manufacturers and large infrastructure projects.
• Plywood Drums (Sperrholztrommeln) Plywood cable drums for shipping or reuse with flange diameter up to 1,500mm and load capacity up to 2 tons. Barrels made from phenolic paper, plywood, hard fibre, or plastic. Advantage: usable without IPPC labelling. For industrial cable, tube, and rope manufacturers.
• Return Model (Reusable Steel Drums) Multi-cycle reusable steel drum system with flange diameter up to 2,500mm and load capacity up to 10 tons. Sturdy design with long service life. Return via the Release Reporting App with GPS tracking available. For cable manufacturers participating in circular-economy drum programs.
• Refund Model (Reusable Wood Drums) Advanced sustainable reusable system for iron-rimmed wooden drums with flange diameter up to 2,950mm and load capacity up to 10 tons. Maximum flexibility with full cost transparency, optional GPS tracking. For cable manufacturers seeking reusable wooden drum solutions.
• Equipment and Supplies Equipment and supplies for the cable, rope, and cable laying industry, including handling equipment and accessories for cable drums. For industrial cable and rope manufacturers and cable-laying operators.
• Drum Management, Logistics, and Retrieval/Repair Services Service bundle covering customized logistics (truck and ship transport for oversized drums, including on-site disassembly and reassembly), retrieval and repair of used drums, and full drum management coordinating delivery to production sites. The Release Reporting App coordinates empty-drum returns across Europe. For industrial cable, tube, and rope manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO₂ reduction through wood material choice
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sonoco Products: US-based global industrial packaging conglomerate with reels and industrial drums divisions serving cable, wire, and similar manufacturers. Comparable as a large diversified player operating in the industrial reel/drum space, though cable drums are a small part of Sonoco's broader portfolio.
• Greif Inc: Global industrial packaging producer of steel, plastic, and fibre drums and containers, including products for industrial logistics and chemical/material handling. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving similar industrial drum end-uses, though Greif's portfolio is far wider than cable-specific drums.

Direct peers

• General Steel Drum: US-based manufacturer of new and reconditioned steel drums, pails, and specialty containers for industrial customers. Comparable as a direct steel drum peer serving similar industrial packaging use cases to Hildebrandt's steel drum business, though at smaller scale and different geography.
• Mauser Packaging Solutions: Global manufacturer of industrial packaging including steel drums, plastic drums, and IBCs used in chemical, lubricant, and industrial logistics applications. Directly comparable as a steel drum manufacturer with overlapping industrial customer base and similar product categories to Hildebrandt's steel drum business.
• Skolnik Industries: US-based manufacturer of steel drums, barrels, and specialty industrial containers, including products for hazardous and industrial applications. Comparable as a direct steel drum peer with similar product category, customer overlap (industrial buyers), and focus on quality-certified drum production.
• PalletOne: US-based manufacturer of wood pallets, crates, and industrial wood packaging — directly comparable to Hildebrandt's wooden cable drum and wood packaging business in terms of raw materials, processes (lumber-based industrial wood packaging), and customer overlap in industrial logistics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AugustHildebrandtGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/august-hildebrandt-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/augusthildebrandtgmbh

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Hildebrandt Group