What KOHLSCHEIN GmbH does

KOHLSCHEIN GmbH & Co. KG is a German family-owned industrial manufacturer and distributor of paper-based display boards, cardboard qualities, and large-format plate materials, headquartered in Viersen, Germany and operating since 1932. The company's proprietary portfolio centers on the KROMA® display board range (Displayboard, All White, All Black, Outdoor, Natural White, Kraft), STUDIOCARD® PRO fiber-based specialty board, and STUDIOBOARD® chromo board, all produced in-house through glued cardboard and fiber-based plate manufacturing. In parallel, KOHLSCHEIN functions as the leading distributor in Germany and Switzerland for 3A Composites brands including KAPA®, DISPA®, FALCONBOARD, SMART-X®, FOAM-X®, AKYPLAC®, and Mirri, supplemented by in-house value-added services such as roll lamination, sheet lamination, cutting, and die-cutting.

The underlying technology is conventional paper and board converting — fiber-based substrates with proprietary lamination and cutting operations — combined with FSC®/PEFC-certified sustainable sourcing and certifications relevant to food contact (ISEGA), quality management (ISO 9001:2015), and ESG performance (EcoVadis Silver, top 15% in 2026). The company operates from a single headquarters in Viersen with stock formats up to 1530 x 3050 mm, and serves primarily B2B customers (Unternehmer as defined under § 14 BGB) including print shops, sign makers, display and POS/POP manufacturers, and packaging producers across Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, with worldwide shipping on request.

KOHLSCHEIN generates revenue almost entirely through one-time product sales rather than subscriptions or licensing, distributed via its own B2B e-commerce storefront with transparent unit pricing, free shipping above €1,000 within Germany, and structured parcel and freight shipping rates for international orders. The company is structured as a Kommanditgesellschaft (KG) under family ownership, with Oliver Höflich (Chairman) and Tobias Höflich as Managing Directors, and shows no external investment, public listing, M&A, or restructuring activity in the input data.

Name

KOHLSCHEIN GmbH

Legal name

KOHLSCHEIN GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://kohlschein.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KOHLSCHEIN GmbH is a German family-owned industrial manufacturer of paper-based display boards, cardboard, and laminated substrates, and the leading DACH distributor for 3A Composites brands, serving B2B print shops, sign makers, and packaging manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Paper & Display Board Manufacturing

NAICS

Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing (32222), Paperboard Mills (32213)

SIC

Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670)

akta.pro primary industry

Paper Bags & Sacks (retail, industrial, multiwall) (IMAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Solid Unbleached Sulfate (SUS) Paperboard Manufacturing (IMAMAFAG)

Keywords

• Paper-based display materials
• Cardboard manufacturing
• Laminated paper products
• POS display boards
• Sustainable packaging materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Viersen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: KOHLSCHEIN generates revenue through the sale of paper-based display materials, including display carton, cardboard, paper plates, sandwich plates, lightweight foam plates, plastic plates, and aluminum composite plates. The company sells both proprietary branded products (KROMA®, STUDIOBOARD®, KAPA®) and distributes third-party brands. Revenue is primarily one-time product sales with no subscription component.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KOHLSCHEIN is an industrial manufacturer of paper-based display boards, laminated paper, and coated cardboard qualities (including its proprietary KROMA®, STUDIOBOARD®, and STUDIOCARD® PRO lines), as well as a wholesaler/distributor in Germany and Switzerland of large-format plate materials from other providers (KAPA®, DISPA®, FALCONBOARD, SMART-X, FOAM-X, Akyplac®, etc.). The company also offers in-house services including lamination (roll and sheet), cutting, and die-cutting.

Product overview

KOHLSCHEIN ist ein führender Hersteller von nachhaltigen Papier- und Kartonqualitäten aus nachwachsenden Papierfasern sowie ein Distributor für großformatige Plattenmaterialien in Deutschland und der Schweiz. Das Produktportfolio umfasst ein umfangreiches Sortiment anDisplaykarton (KROMA®-Linie: Displayboard, All White, All Black, Outdoor, Natural White, Kraft), Spezialkarton (STUDIOCARD® PRO, STUDIOBOARD®), Leichtschaumplatten (KAPA®-Linie: line, fix, tech, plast, FOAM-X®, SMART-X®), Papier- und Wabenplatten (DISPA®, FALCONBOARD), Kunststoffplatten (Akyplac®, Akyprint®, Akylite®) sowie Holzpappe (EKA). Ergänzt wird das Angebot durch umfangreiche Services wie Rollen- und Bogenkaschierung, Schneiden und Stanzen. Die Eigenmarken KROMA®, STUDIOBOARD®, STUDIOCARD® PRO werden selbst hergestellt, während Produkte wie KAPA®, DISPA®, FALCONBOARD und weitere als Distributor angeboten werden.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KROMA: Premium display cardboard brand including KROMA Displayboard, KROMA All White, KROMA All Black, KROMA Outdoor, KROMA Natural White, KROMA Kraft, KROMA Mountingboard, KROMA Selbstklebend
• STUDIOBOARD
• KAPA
• DISPA
• FALCONBOARD
• STUDIOCARD
• BEELite Print
• Mirri
• Smart-X
• FOAM-X
• AKYPLAC
• EKA
• Akyprint
• Akylite

Products and services

• KROMA® Displayboard (Displaykarton) Double-sided white display board with excellent direct-printing and processing properties; stable plate material for displays, signs, POS/POP displays, and packaging; FSC® or PEFC-certified, paper-fiber based, 100% recyclable.
• KROMA® All White (Zellstoffkarton) Bright-white premium carton made from pure alpha cellulose with identical smooth surfaces, excellent flatness and high strength for luxury packaging, cartons, cards and hang tags; FSC®-certified, wood-free, acid-free.
• KROMA® Outdoor (Displaykarton) Robust, water-resistant display board for temporary outdoor use; PVC-free, without PE coating, 100% recyclable; designed for election signs, billboards, customer stoppers and displays.
• KROMA® All Black (Zellstoffkarton) Deep-black through-dyed cellulose carton with very smooth, matte surfaces; premium carton with high material volume, excellent flatness and high stability.
• KROMA® Natural White (Displaykarton) Natural-white display board with ideal printing and processing properties; eco-friendly plate material for display and packaging applications.
• KROMA® Kraft (Displaykarton) Double-sided printable display board with natural-brown, unbleached cover layers and a natural look and feel; designed for displays and packaging.
• STUDIOCARD® PRO (Spezial Karton) Fiber-based plate material with excellent stability and strength plus very smooth surfaces and high-quality haptics; alternative to PVC and polystyrene for signs, displays, customer cards and door hangers.
• STUDIOBOARD® (GC 2S/Duo) Double-sided bright-white chromo board with identical surfaces (2S/Duo) for high-quality packaging and large-format printing; glued carton with high volume, stiffness and strength.
• KAPA® line (Leichtschaumplatten) Double-sided white lightweight foam board with ideal printing and processing properties; light and stable plate material for signs, displays and model-making.
• KAPA® fix (Leichtschaumplatten) Self-adhesive lightweight foam board with excellent flatness and high adhesive strength for laminating large-format digital prints, photos, maps and posters; available in one-sided or two-sided self-adhesive variants.
• KAPA® tech (Leichtschaumplatten) White-lacquered, flame-retardant and moisture-resistant lightweight foam board with aluminium cover layers for advertising displays, visual communication and industrial applications; Euroclass B-s2, d0 to DIN EN 13501-1.
• KAPA® plast (Leichtschaumplatten) Double-sided bright-white plate material with FSC®-certified cardboard covers and grey polyurethane foam core; primer-finish coated surfaces are moisture-repellent and wipeable.
• FOAM-X® (Leichtschaumplatten) Double-sided white lightweight foam board with paper covers and light foam core for displays and decorations; high heat resistance, acid-free/pH-neutral, easy to cut.
• SMART-X® (leichte Polystyrolplatten) Weather-resistant plastic plates with double-sided white hard cover layers for signs, ceiling hangers and advertising displays; all-plastic panel for outdoor use up to about 2 years; 100% recyclable.
• DISPA® (Papierplatten) Double-sided white, multi-layer paper board with embossed paper core; FSC®-certified, paper-fiber based, 100% recyclable; for displays, ceiling hangers, signs, POS displays and decorative applications.
• FALCONBOARD (Wabenplatten) Honeycomb boards for various applications in display and packaging.
• Akyplac® (PP-Hohlkammerplatten) White, light-transmissive polypropylene (PP) hollow-chamber boards with high weather resistance; 100% recyclable; for temporary indoor and outdoor use such as signs, outdoor posters and POS displays.
• Akyprint® (Polypropylenplatten) Double-sided smooth nodule-structure boards with high-opacity white surfaces; flame retardant (B1 to DIN 4102-1), moisture-resistant, oil- and chemical-resistant; for advertising displays, POS/POP displays and posters.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 3A CompositescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKOHLSCHEIN is a leading 3A Composites distributor in Germany and Switzerland, offering their full range of brands including KAPA®, DISPA®, FALCONBOARD, SMART-X, FOAM-X, and ALU-PLAST. This distribution partnership extends KOHLSCHEIN's product portfolio beyond their own proprietary brands.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stora Enso Oyj: Finnish-Swedish listed forest products company producing packaging materials, biomaterials, and paperboard. Comparable in paperboard manufacturing expertise, particularly for folding boxboard and food-grade applications, but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• Mayr-Melnhof Karton: Austrian-listed paperboard manufacturer producing coated recycled and virgin fiber cartonboard for packaging applications across Europe. Comparable as a paperboard producer serving packaging converters, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint than KOHLSCHEIN.
• Mondi plc: UK/Austria-listed global paper and packaging group producing containerboard, kraft paper, and corrugated packaging. Overlaps with KOHLSCHEIN in the paper-based packaging substrate space but operates at massive scale across multiple continents with integrated pulp-to-packaging operations.
• Smurfit Westrock: Global paper-based packaging leader formed from the merger of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock. Produces containerboard, corrugated packaging, and consumer packaging across more than 40 countries. Overlaps with KOHLSCHEIN's packaging substrate business but operates at incomparably larger scale with vertically integrated operations.
• Sappi Limited: South African-listed global paper and packaging company producing coated woodfree paper, packaging board, and specialty papers. Overlaps with KOHLSCHEIN in coated specialty paper grades but operates at much larger scale with global distribution and integrated pulp production.

Direct peers

• Karl Knauer KG: German family-owned packaging and display manufacturer based in Steinach. Produces cartons, folding boxes, and promotional packaging from paperboard with in-house finishing services. Comparable in size, German mid-market positioning, and customer base of brand owners and retailers requiring display and packaging solutions.
• Felix Schoeller Group: German specialty paper manufacturer based in Osnabrück producing photographic, decor, and packaging papers. Comparable as a German specialty paper converter serving industrial B2B customers with coated and treated paper products. Family-owned with multi-generational heritage similar to KOHLSCHEIN.
• Drewsen Spezialpapiere: German specialty paper mill in Lachendorf producing security, label, and packaging papers. Comparable as a German specialty paper manufacturer with similar niche positioning in technical and specialty paper grades for industrial B2B customers.
• 3A Composites: Swiss-headquartered manufacturer of lightweight foam boards, paper boards, and aluminum composite panels under brands KAPA, DISPA, FALCONBOARD, SMART-X, and FOAM-X. KOHLSCHEIN is a leading distributor of these very brands in DE/CH, and the product portfolios directly overlap in display board, signage, and POS/POP applications.

Emerging players

• PAPACKS Europe GmbH: German sustainable packaging manufacturer producing molded fiber and recyclable packaging solutions. Comparable as a German-based player serving brands seeking sustainable paper-based packaging alternatives, though focused on molded pulp rather than board-based display materials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kohlschein
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/kohlschein

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 KOHLSCHEIN GmbH