What Hemp Wolf does

HANFWOLF is a 138-year-old, family-owned industrial trading company headquartered in Bielefeld, Germany, specializing in ropes, lifting technology, films, and packaging products. The company operates through two sub-brands, Lifting Solutions and Packaging Solutions, distributing more than 12,000 SKUs across categories including wire ropes, fiber ropes, chains, round slings, lifting belts, hoists, load handling equipment, personal protective equipment, stretch and shrink films, adhesive tapes, cardboard packaging, transport/export packaging, and packaging machinery. Its proprietary portfolio includes the PAWO (Patent Wolf) rope deformation tool (registered 1936) and the HAWO brand family of films, tapes, machines, and lifting belts, complemented by partnerships with KITO, DIEPA, THIELE, VETTER, SOCO, and the ProStretch quality initiative.

The business model combines one-time product sales with recurring UVV safety inspection and testing services (annual inspections, crack testing, mobile on-site chain testing, documentation). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with a separate Deals channel for discounted inventory and surplus items. Go-to-market is predominantly direct B2B field sales staffed by technical advisors (not classic sales reps), supplemented by trade show participation (FACHPACK, A+A, METSTRADE, FMB), digital catalogs, and a website with content marketing. Customers span automotive, construction, machine building, metal, port logistics, household appliances, raw materials extraction, and forestry/agriculture verticals across Germany and Austria. The company is DIN EN ISO 9001:2023 and HACCP certified.

HANFWOLF is currently mid-restructuring and refocus: under a new generation of Wolf family leadership since October 2020, the company merged its four German legal entities into a single HANFWOLF GmbH & Co. KG in January 2021, reduced its branch network from five to three locations in 2022, divested its UK/Ireland W.H. Scott stake in 2023, and launched the Lifting Solutions and Packaging Solutions sub-brands alongside a southern Germany field sales expansion in 2025. The company operates from approximately 80 employees across Bielefeld, Merseburg, and Elixhausen/Salzburg, supported by a newly built headquarters and logistics center completed in 2018 at an investment of approximately €5 million.

Name

Hemp Wolf

Legal name

Hanfwolf GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://hanfwolf.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

HANFWOLF is a 138-year-old German family-owned industrial trading company headquartered in Bielefeld, wholesaling 12,000+ SKUs of ropes, lifting technology, films, and packaging products, plus recurring UVV safety inspections, to enterprise customers across manufacturing, construction, automotive, and logistics industries in Germany and Austria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Ropes and Lifting Technology: Sale of industrial ropes, wire ropes, lifting chains, round slings, lifting bands, load securing equipment, hoists, and lifting accessories. Includes standard DIN/EN products and custom solutions.
2. Product Sales - Films and Packaging: Sale of stretch films, bags, adhesive tapes, cardboard packaging, transport/export packaging, processing machines and equipment.
3. Inspection and Testing Services (Prüfservice): Annual safety inspections per UVV regulations, crack testing and documentation, mobile on-site testing, repair services. Covers chains, ropes, slings, cranes, fall protection equipment, and elevators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HANFWOLF is a specialized B2B industrial trading company that wholesales ropes, lifting technology, films, and packaging products. The company distributes over 12,000 industrial articles including steel wire ropes, fiber ropes, chains, round slings, lifting belts, hoists, load securing equipment, stretch films, adhesive tapes, cardboard packaging, transport/export packaging, and packaging machinery under two main sub-brands: Lifting Solutions and Packaging Solutions. Additionally, the company offers UVV safety inspection services for chains, ropes, and slings with mobile on-site testing capabilities.

Product overview

HANFWOLF is a specialized industrial trading company offering two main product portfolios under its Lifting Solutions and Packaging Solutions sub-brands. The Lifting Solutions division encompasses ropes (steel wire ropes, stainless steel, fiber ropes), chains (lifting, round steel, lashing, forestry), round slings and lifting belts, load securing and lashing technology, lifting equipment, load handling equipment, and personal protective equipment (fall protection, rescue equipment). The Packaging Solutions division provides films and bags (stretch, shrink, PE), adhesive tapes and bonding technology, cardboard packaging, transport and export packaging solutions, and packaging machines and processing equipment (stretch wrappers, strappers, carton sealers). The company also offers comprehensive UVV safety inspection services and industry-specific solutions across automotive, construction, manufacturing, logistics, metal, and energy sectors. Key proprietary brands include HAWO (films, tapes, machines), HAWOLEN (lasshing straps), and HAWO-LIFT (lifting belts). The company operates from three locations in Germany and Austria and serves customers throughout Europe with over 130 years of industry experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lifting Solutions: Sub-brand focused on lifting technology, rigging equipment, chains, and load handling, including UVV inspection services and crane maintenance.
• Packaging Solutions
• HANFWOLF Brugg

Products and services

• Seile (Ropes/Cables) Comprehensive range of industrial ropes including steel wire ropes, stainless steel/architecture ropes, hemp/synthetic/fiber ropes, and accessories for various industrial applications such as mining, construction, automotive, and machine building.
• Ketten (Chains) Lifting chains, round steel chains, lashing chains, forestry chains, and accessories for load handling and securing applications in industrial settings.
• Rundschlingen & Hebebänder (Round Slings & Lifting Belts)
• Ladungssicherung & Zurrtechnik (Load Securing & Lashing Technology)
• Hebezeuge (Lifting Equipment)
• Lastaufnahmemittel (Load Handling Equipment)
• PSA - Arbeitsschutz (PPE - Work Protection)
• Folien & Beutel (Films & Bags) Stretch films, shrink films, PE bags, and plastic packaging materials for transport protection and packaging applications in industrial and food industry settings.
• Klebebänder & Klebetechnik (Adhesive Tapes & Bonding Technology) Complete range of adhesive tapes including PVC, PP, crepe, and technical industrial tapes, plus double-sided tapes and hotmelt adhesives from premium brands like 3M, Tesa, and Monta.
• Kartonagen (Cardboard Packaging)
• Transport- & Exportverpackungen (Transport & Export Packaging)
• Maschinen & Verarbeitungsgeräte (Machines & Processing Equipment) Packaging machines and processing equipment including stretch wrappers, strapping machines, carton sealers, and battery-powered strapping tools from SOCO and HAWO brands.
• Prüfservice (UVV Safety Inspection Service)
• Architekturseile (Architecture Ropes)

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces customer downtime with mobile inspection services and immediate repair capabilities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partnership for plastic packaging in Germany. Supports the association's initiatives and contributes to industry standards development.
• Initiative Pro StretchcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerQuality guarantee initiative for stretch films. Members commit to precise labeling of film specifications (width, thickness, length, net film weight, roll weight) with guaranteed tolerance compliance.
• CANAPA Verpackungstechnik GmbH & Co. KGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership for packaging machine import and distribution. Machines from Strapac, Robopac, and SOCO.
• KITO Europe GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for chain and lifting technology products. KITO has been developing, producing, and distributing world-leading hoists, cranes, and accessories since 1932.
• DIEPAcoreTechnology or IntegrationPremium rope manufacturer partner for lifting solutions. Known for high-quality special ropes and lifting equipment.
• THIELEcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for chain and lifting components. Provides quality-assured products integrated into HANFWOLF's lifting solutions portfolio.
• VETTER KrantechnikcoreTechnology or IntegrationFuture partner for crane technology products. Partnership to expand lifting solutions portfolio.
• SOCO System GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner for packaging automation equipment including carton sealing machines. Joint automation solutions for customers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FROMM Packaging Systems: European specialist in strapping, stretch-wrapping and packaging consumables and machines. Closely comparable to HANFWOLF's Packaging Solutions sub-brand across films, tapes, cardboard and packaging machinery.
• Gunnebo Industries: Provider of lifting, rigging and material-handling equipment with safety inspection services across Europe. Overlaps HANFWOLF's lifting technology, load securing and UVV inspection offerings for industrial buyers.
• Tractel: Global supplier of hoists, lifting and load-securing equipment with strong European industrial customer base. Comparable to HANFWOLF's Hebezeuge and load-handling portfolio and similar recurring inspection model.
• Pfeifer Seil- und Hebetechnik: European manufacturer and supplier of wire ropes, fiber ropes, chains and lifting equipment. Comparable to HANFWOLF on rope-centric lifting solutions, industrial customers, and DIN/EN standard product portfolios.
• SpanSet: Specialist in load-securing, lifting and height-safety solutions including roundslings, lashing and PPE. Closely mirrors HANFWOLF's Ladungssicherung, Hebebänder and PPE categories and shares UVV-style recurring inspection services.
• Carl Stahl: German-based global specialist in rope, lifting, load-securing and safety technology with a similar product mix to HANFWOLF's Lifting Solutions division. Directly comparable on industrial customers, technical advisory sales and rope manufacturing heritage.
• Mosca: German manufacturer of strapping machines and consumables plus stretch-wrapping systems. Directly overlaps with HANFWOLF's Packaging Solutions, particularly packaging machinery and processing equipment from SOCO/Hawo.

Broad incumbents

• THIELE: German manufacturer of chains, lifting components and finished chain slings. Comparable to HANFWOLF's Ketten and lifting components ranges; acts both as a technology partner (source of premium supply) and as a competing brand in DIN/EN chains.
• KITO Europe: European arm of Japanese hoist and crane manufacturer with whom HANFWOLF has a core partnership. Highly comparable lifting technology line-up but with proprietary global manufacturing scale and brand power HANFWOLF resells under.
• Columbus McKinnon (Yale Lift): Large global incumbent in hoists, cranes, lifting and rigging with the Yale and Pfaff brands. Comparable to HANFWOLF's lifting business but operates at much broader portfolio and international scale, including direct competition with KITO and THIELE partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hanfwolf

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Hemp Wolf