Pelz

What Pelz does

pelzGROUP is a third-generation, family-owned European manufacturer of personal-care, hygiene, and industrial nonwoven products headquartered in Wahlstedt, Germany. The company operates four subsidiaries (W. Pelz, pely-plastic, pely-tex, and Curatex) that together provide a vertically integrated production chain — from cotton processing, blown-film extrusion (down to 0.008mm), and four nonwoven bonding technologies (thermofusion, thermobonding, chemical bonding, and spunlace/hydroentanglement) through to finished-packaged hygiene, incontinence, cotton, and household-film products. Its single Wahlstedt facility includes Europe's most modern incontinence production line, a 100m production hall for pull-up pants, and a fully automated 42m high-bay warehouse with 14,000 pallet spaces, producing approximately 250 tons of finished goods daily.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market: B2B private-label manufacturing for European retailers and brand owners across feminine hygiene (pantyliners, menstrual pads), incontinence (adult diapers, pull-up pants, light-incontinence products), cotton wool, and household films, supplemented by four proprietary consumer brands — Q-tips (cotton buds, since 1926), COSMEA (acquired from Unilever in 1983), Pely (household films), and Jean Carol (cosmetic cotton pads). Long-tenured customers include Procter & Gamble's Pampers, which sources nonwoven fabrics from pely-tex for European baby diapers.

With approximately EUR 185 million in turnover and 800+ employees as of 2023 (both roughly doubled within a decade), pelzGROUP is led by third-generation CEO Dr. Nikolas P. Bastian alongside Managing Directors Martin Schacht and Götz Tiefenbacher (joined September 2023 from Colgate-Palmolive), and newly appointed COO Matthias Bross (joined November 2024 from Frostkrone Food Group / Nestlé). The company's competitive positioning rests on European scale, vertical integration, an extensive sustainability and quality certification stack (EcoVadis Gold top 5%, GOTS, OEKO-TEX, FSC, ECOCERT, BRC, IFS, ISO 9001/45001/50001), and ongoing capital investment — most recently the 2025 commissioning of what it describes as the world's most modern nonwoven production line and a strategic partnership with Kelheim Fibres and Sandler for plastic-free pantyliners.

Name

Pelz

Legal name

W. Pelz GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://pelzgroup.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

pelzGROUP is a third-generation, family-owned German manufacturer operating a vertically integrated facility in Wahlstedt that produces feminine hygiene, incontinence, cotton, household-film, and industrial nonwoven products for European private-label retailers and proprietary brands including Q-tips, COSMEA, Pely, and Jean Carol.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wahlstedt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Label Manufacturing: Contract manufacturing of feminine hygiene, incontinence, cotton wool, and household film products for European retailers and brand owners under their private labels
2. Own Brand Sales: Sales of proprietary consumer brands including pely (household films), Q-tips (cotton buds), Cosmea (feminine hygiene), and Jean Carol (cotton pads and care products) through retail distribution

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Pelz (pelzGROUP) is a vertically integrated German manufacturer producing natural cotton products, feminine hygiene items, incontinence products, household films, and industrial nonwoven materials. The company operates both as a private label contract manufacturer for European retailers and brand owners, and as the producer of proprietary consumer brands COSMEA, PELY, Jean Carol, and Q-tips sold through retail distribution.

Product overview

pelzGROUP is a leading European manufacturer of hygiene and personal care products organized under four operating companies: W. Pelz GmbH & Co. KG (cotton products and feminine hygiene), pely-plastic GmbH & Co. KG (household films and foils), pely-tex GmbH & Co. KG (nonwoven materials), and Curatex GmbH (private label manufacturing). The company operates a vertically integrated production model producing natural cotton products, feminine hygiene items (pantyliners, menstrual pads), incontinence products (adult diapers, pull-up pants), and industrial nonwoven materials. Their brand portfolio includes COSMEA (feminine hygiene), PELY (household films), Jean Carol (cosmetic care), and Q-tips (cotton buds). With approximately 800 employees and around EUR 185 million turnover, the company produces up to 250 tons of finished products daily at their Wahlstedt, Germany facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COSMEA®: Organic and natural personal care products including panty liners, menstrual pads, cotton wool products
• Pely®
• Jean Carol®
• Q-tips®

Products and services

• COSMEA Feminine hygiene brand offering organic and sustainable products including pantyliners, menstrual pads, and tampons, using natural and renewable raw materials. Sold through European retail distribution under pelzGROUP ownership.
• PELY Household films and foils brand producing tear-resistant, drip-proof garbage bags and freezer bags made in Germany, featuring innovative solutions such as fixing straps and scented options. Sold through European retail distribution.
• Jean Carol Cosmetic and personal care products brand offering cotton pads, disposable wipes, cotton balls, cotton buds, and organic certified products for makeup removal, cleansing, and daily care. Includes organic and fair trade cotton product lines.
• Q-tips Cotton bud brand with 100% cotton tips and paper shafts from certified sustainable forestry (FSC), available in standard, travel, organic, and baby varieties with extra safety zones. Original Q-tips brand since 1926, currently owned and produced by pelzGROUP.
• Cotton Wool Products Natural cotton products including cotton pads, cotton buds, cotton balls, and layered cotton wool using certified organic or fair trade cotton, processed via hydroentanglement. Produced at the Wahlstedt facility.
• Feminine Hygiene Products Pantyliners, menstrual pads, and related products featuring high-performance nonwoven layers, absorbent cores with super-absorber technology, and skin-friendly topsheets. Produced both under proprietary brand COSMEA and as private label for European retailers.
• Incontinence Products Adult diapers, pull-up pants, and incontinence protection featuring 3D shaped absorbent cores with multiple layers, breathable backsheets, and waist bands with elastics. Includes hybrid underpants for LBL sufferers developed in 2023. Produced on Europe's most modern incontinence production line at the Wahlstedt facility.
• Household and Industrial Films High-performance polyethylene films and foils produced via blown film extrusion, including garbage bags, freezer bags, and industrial packaging with flexographic printing capabilities. Films produced as thin as 0.008mm (8x thinner than a human hair).
• Nonwoven Materials Industrial nonwoven materials stabilized via thermofusion, thermobonding, chemical bonding, and spunlace (hydroentanglement) processes, used in medical, hygiene, and filtration applications. Produced by subsidiary pely-tex GmbH & Co. KG. World's most modern nonwoven production line commissioned in 2025.
• Private Label Manufacturing Contract manufacturing services for retail brands including product development, custom packaging, and full private label solutions for feminine hygiene, incontinence, cotton wool, and household film products. Provides full-service capabilities from concept to launch for European retailers and brand owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• EUR 185 million turnover with doubled workforce and turnover in 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• TosamamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Exclusive strategic alliance with Tosama, Europe's second largest tampon manufacturer, established in 2011. Tosama specializes in tampon production while pelzGROUP provides expertise in other feminine hygiene products.
• Philip Morris InternationalminorOtherspely-tex, a pelzGROUP subsidiary, is a key supplier of nonwoven materials for Philip Morris International's vaporizers and nicotine pouches. Torsten Albig, Managing Director of Philip Morris Germany, visited pelzGROUP in 2024.
• Kelheim FibrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in development of plastic-free pantyliner products. Kelheim provides specialty fibers while pelzGROUP contributes product development and manufacturing expertise.
• SandlercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in development of plastic-free pantyliner products. Sandler provides nonwoven expertise while pelzGROUP contributes product development and manufacturing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kimberly-Clark: Global consumer products giant (Kleenex, Huggies, Kotex, Depend). Parent of Pampers-supply ecosystem; competes in feminine care and incontinence and is the ultimate customer behind pelzGROUP's Pampers nonwoven business, making it both incumbent competitor and indirect revenue counterparty.
• Essity: Swedish-listed global hygiene and health company (Tork, Libresse, Libero, TENA). Operates broadly across incontinence, feminine care, and baby care with overlapping products but at much larger scale; competes for private label contracts and retailer shelf space with pelzGROUP across Europe.
• Berry Global Group: Global manufacturer of plastic packaging, films, and nonwovens serving hygiene, personal care, and industrial markets. Overlaps with pelzGROUP in film extrusion and nonwoven production capabilities but at far larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Procter & Gamble: Global CPG leader and owner of Pampers, Always, and other hygiene brands. pelzGROUP manufactures nonwovens into P&G's European Pampers supply chain, making P&G both the largest single customer relationship and the dominant branded competitor in the hygiene categories pelzGROUP serves.

Direct peers

• Ontex: Belgian-headquartered manufacturer of personal hygiene products including baby diapers, feminine care, and adult incontinence. Direct competitor to pelzGROUP in European private label hygiene and incontinence manufacturing, with overlapping retailer customers and similar B2B contract model.
• Fibertex Nonwovens: Danish-based manufacturer of nonwoven materials serving hygiene, medical, filtration, and industrial applications. Directly comparable to pelzGROUP's pely-tex subsidiary in industrial nonwoven manufacturing technology and customer base.
• Drylock Technologies: European private label hygiene manufacturer focused on baby diapers, feminine care, and adult incontinence. Comparable private label B2B model serving major European retailers with similar product portfolio to pelzGROUP.
• Paul Hartmann AG: German medical and hygiene products group. pelzGROUP acquired Hartmann's feminine hygiene business in 2010, indicating direct overlap in product categories and prior competitive relationship in European feminine hygiene manufacturing.
• Tosama: Slovenian-based feminine hygiene manufacturer and Europe's second-largest tampon producer. Has a mutual exclusive strategic alliance with pelzGROUP since 2011, sharing expertise across feminine hygiene categories — making it both a partner and a direct category competitor.
• TZMO (Torunskie Zaklady Materialow Opatrunkowych): Polish personal hygiene manufacturer producing feminine care, incontinence, and baby care products under proprietary brands (e.g., Bella) and private label. Highly comparable mid-sized European private label hygiene manufacturer competing for the same retailer relationships as pelzGROUP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pelzgroup

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Pelz