Laufenberg
Laufenberg GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of siliconized release papers and films serving B2B customers in adhesive tapes, medical, composites, and food packaging, with a second business area in hydrogen components (CCM and silicone gaskets) for fuel cells and electrolysis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersKrefeld, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Laufenberg does
Laufenberg GmbH is a family-owned German specialty industrial manufacturer founded in 1947 and headquartered in Krefeld-Hüls, Germany. The company produces siliconized release papers and films — including paper liners (Glassine, SCK, CCK, MGK, PCK, Greaseproof) and film liners (PET, PP, PE, APET) — for B2B customers in adhesive tape, medical/pharmaceutical, composites, graphic arts, industrial, and food & bakery applications. Its technology differentiation rests on proprietary silicone coating capabilities, including solvent-free coating, super smooth PET films, antistatic finishes, aluminum metallization, and high-speed release formulations. The company also operates a second business area supplying hydrogen components — catalyst-coated membranes (CCM) for PEM fuel cells and electrolysis, silicone flat gaskets, and process liners for membrane electrode assembly (MEA) manufacturing — developed through partnerships including the i-skaB consortium with thyssenkrupp.
Laufenberg monetizes through direct B2B sales of release liner products and hydrogen components, supplemented by contract coating (Lohnbeschichtung) services where it applies silicone coatings to customer-supplied materials. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year contracts and tailored to customer specifications, particularly for medical (MED-certified), automotive, and hydrogen applications. The company sells directly to enterprise customers without intermediaries, relying on technical consultation and trade show presence (JEC World, Hannover Messe, Tape & Functional Film Expo, F-Cell, Hyvolution) for lead generation.
The company employs over 300 people across Germany and the United Kingdom following its 2019 acquisition of Advanced Coated Products' release paper know-how and 2021 integration of Cotek Papers Limited, a UK release liner manufacturer founded in 1964. Cotek operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary with manufacturing in Draycott, Moreton-in-Marsh. Laufenberg holds an extensive certification portfolio (ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 50001, ISO/IEC 27001, EMAS, FSC, PEFC) and achieved EcoVadis Silver, placing it in the top 15% of companies worldwide for sustainability. The company is privately held with no external institutional investors disclosed.
Laufenberg firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Laufenberg
- Legal name
- Laufenberg GmbH
- Website
- https://laufenberg.info
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Laufenberg GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of siliconized release papers and films serving B2B customers in adhesive tapes, medical, composites, and food packaging, with a second business area in hydrogen components (CCM and silicone gaskets) for fuel cells and electrolysis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Laufenberg industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Paper and Release Liner Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255), Adhesive Manufacturing (32552)
- SIC
- Paper Mills (2621), Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Adhesives & Sealants (2891), Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Paper Labels & Paper-Based Release Liners (IMALACAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Adhesives & Sealants Chemicals (IMAEABAA), Pharmaceutical & Medical Plastic Packaging Manufacturing (IMANAEAK)
Keywords
Where Laufenberg is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Krefeld
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Laufenberg business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Release liner products: Manufacture and sale of silicone-coated release papers and films for industrial applications. Products include paper liners (Glassine, SCK, CCK, MGK, PCK, Greaseproof) and film liners (PET, PP, PE, APET) with single or double-sided silicone coating.
- Hydrogen components: CCM (Catalyst Coated Membranes) and silicone gaskets for fuel cell and electrolysis applications in the hydrogen economy.
- Contract coating services: Lohnbeschichtung (contract coating) services where Laufenberg applies silicone coatings to customer-supplied materials.
- Customized solutions: Tailored release liner products developed to customer specifications for specialized applications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Standard release liners |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom/specialized solutions |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Contract coating services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Laufenberg product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Laufenberg manufactures siliconized release papers and film-based release liners used as carrier substrates for self-adhesive products. The company also produces hydrogen fuel cell and electrolyzer components, including catalyst-coated membranes (CCM) and gaskets, serving adhesive tape, label, medical, composites, food/bakery, graphics, and clean energy manufacturers from facilities in Germany and the UK.
Product overview
Laufenberg is a premium manufacturer of high-quality release liners and hydrogen components, operating two main business areas. The first is release papers and films under the Laufenberg Cotek Release Liner portfolio, offering silicone-coated paper liners (Glassine, SCK, CCK, MGK, PCK, Greaseproof) and film liners (PET, PP, PE, APET) in various thicknesses and finishes including super smooth, antistatic, aluminum-metallized, and colored variants, plus sustainable liners and contract coating services. The second business area is hydrogen components, providing catalyst-coated membranes (CCM) for fuel cells and electrolysis, silicone flat gaskets for PEM systems, and process liners for MEA production. Founded in 1947 (over 75 years of experience), the company employs over 300 people across Germany and the UK, with locations in Krefeld-Hüls and Draycott, Moreton-in-Marsh.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Silicone Release Paper (Glassine/CCK) Siliconized paper liners (glassine and clay-coated kraft grades) used as carrier substrates for self-adhesive tapes, labels, medical products, composites, and graphics films. Sold to industrial converters.
- Film Release Liners (PET/BOPP) Silicone-coated PET and BOPP film liners used as carriers for self-adhesive labels, graphic films, and industrial tape applications where dimensional stability or transparency is required.
- Catalyst-Coated Membranes (CCM/MEA) Catalyst-coated membranes (also referred to as membrane electrode assemblies) for PEM fuel cells and PEM electrolyzers. Sold to hydrogen OEM manufacturers.
- Hydrogen Stack Gaskets Engineered gaskets designed for service in hydrogen fuel cell stacks and electrolyzer assemblies, providing sealing between cells and stack components.
Quantifiable outcome
- Top 15% worldwide in EcoVadis sustainability assessment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Laufenberg
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Laufenberg technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Laufenberg partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- thyssenkrupp (i-skaB project)coreLaufenberg participates in the i-skaB project (innovative skaB) together with thyssenkrupp and 6 project partners, researching the fuel cell production of the future. The project aims to advance manufacturing processes for fuel cell components.
- Advanced Coated Products Ltd. (ACP)coreLaufenberg GmbH and Advanced Coated Products Ltd. signed an agreement to take over customers in the paper siliconization sector, expanding market presence and acquiring additional know-how in release paper business.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Laufenberg competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lintec Corporation: Lintec is a Japanese specialty paper and film manufacturer with a substantial release liner business serving adhesive tape, label, and electronics customers in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Closely comparable product portfolio and customer base to Laufenberg's silicone-coated liners.
- Loparex: Loparex is one of the world's largest release liner manufacturers, producing silicone-coated papers and films for tape, label, medical, and industrial converters. Directly comparable to Laufenberg's release liner core business across product portfolio and end markets.
- Infiana Group: Infiana is a European specialty manufacturer of silicone-coated films and papers used as release liners in hygiene, tape, and medical applications. Closely comparable to Laufenberg's film liner portfolio and customer segments, particularly in personal care and medical.
Broad incumbents
- 3M: 3M is a diversified industrial giant with adhesive tape, medical, and energy materials divisions that consume release liners. Comparable in medical and tape end-markets and a potential large customer for Laufenberg's products.
- Avery Dennison: Avery Dennison is the global leader in pressure-sensitive label materials with substantial internal release liner sourcing. Comparable in end-market exposure to labels and tapes, though primarily downstream of release liner producers like Laufenberg.
- Sappi: Sappi is a global coated paper and release liner producer serving label, tape, and packaging converters. Overlaps with Laufenberg in glassine and SCK substrates, though Sappi is much larger and more diversified across graphics and packaging papers.
- UPM (Release Liner Business): UPM produces specialty papers including release liner base papers for label and tape converters in Europe. Direct material overlap with Laufenberg's paper liners (Glassine, SCK), with UPM positioned as a larger incumbent in the value chain.
- Mondi (Release Liner Business): Mondi is a major European paper and packaging group with a release liner specialty kraft paper offering. Comparable substrate technology and EMEA customer overlap, though broader portfolio makes Mondi a scaled incumbent rather than a niche specialist.
Emerging players
- Wacker Chemie: Wacker is a global silicone and specialty chemicals producer whose release coating silicones are inputs to release liner manufacturers like Laufenberg. Adjacent rather than directly competing; a potential upstream partner or technology licensor.
- Momentive Performance Materials: Momentive supplies silicone release coatings and specialty elastomers, including for tape and medical applications. Comparable chemistry to Laufenberg's silicone coatings; partial overlap as a chemistry supplier rather than finished liner producer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Laufenberg social profiles
Digital presenceLaufenberg compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Laufenberg financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Laufenberg leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Laufenberg subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Laufenberg funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Laufenberg M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Laufenberg
What does Laufenberg do?
Laufenberg manufactures siliconized release papers and film-based release liners used as carrier substrates for self-adhesive products. The company also produces hydrogen fuel cell and electrolyzer components, including catalyst-coated membranes (CCM) and gaskets, serving adhesive tape, label, medical, composites, food/bakery, graphics, and clean energy manufacturers from facilities in Germany and the UK.
Is Laufenberg a public or private company?
Laufenberg is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Laufenberg founded?
Laufenberg was founded in 1947. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Laufenberg based?
Laufenberg is headquartered in Krefeld, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Laufenberg make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Release liner products are the primary driver. The others are hydrogen components, contract coating services and customized solutions.
Who are Laufenberg's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lintec Corporation, Loparex and Infiana Group. Broad incumbents are 3M, Avery Dennison, Sappi, UPM (Release Liner Business) and Mondi (Release Liner Business). Emerging players are Wacker Chemie and Momentive Performance Materials.
Does Laufenberg have an API?
No public API is recorded for Laufenberg.
What industry is Laufenberg in?
Laufenberg's product category is Specialty Paper and Release Liner Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALACAK, Paper Labels & Paper-Based Release Liners, with a secondary code of IMAEABAA, Adhesives & Sealants Chemicals. Its NAICS code is 3255 and its SIC code is 2621.