Carl Macher

What Carl Macher does

Carl Macher is a German core board (Hülsenkarton) manufacturer operating from Brunnenthal near Hof, Germany, founded in 1821. It is a subsidiary of the Kunert Gruppe, a family-owned diversified conglomerate with approximately 2,000 employees across 17 sites in Europe and Asia. The company manufactures high-quality core board from 100% recycled waste paper on a modern 3.65-meter-wide paper machine, producing standardized grades (K05, K10, K20, K40, K50) with ply bond strengths ranging from 250 to 500 Joule/m², thicknesses from 0.19 mm to 1.0 mm, and grammages from 150 g/m² to 630 g/m². The Brunnenthal facility is self-described as the most productive core board plant in Europe, with an annual production capacity of 210,000 tonnes, and combined with sister company Papeteries du Rhin, the Kunert Group's two core board plants are targeted to exceed 330,000 tonnes per year.

The product portfolio spans three core lines: standard core board grades for industrial paper core manufacturers (its primary segment), specialized formulations for composite can manufacturing, and grades tailored for hygiene core production. The Brunnenthal site features fully automated logistics infrastructure, including a 14,000 sqm automated logistics hall connected to production via a 28-meter elevator and 280-meter bridge, plus a two-stage wastewater treatment plant that achieves water and energy consumption significantly below industry averages and has contributed to a reduction of more than 70% in CO2 emissions.

Carl Macher operates a B2B direct sales model targeting industrial paper core manufacturers, film manufacturers, hygiene product companies, and composite can producers. Revenue is generated through transactional product sales on a quote-based pricing model, with both internal supply to Kunert Group sister companies (notably Paul & Co and Papeteries du Rhin) and external sales across European markets. The company is supported by regional representatives in key markets such as Turkey (Genpa Ltd) and France (Papeteries du Rhin), and it actively participates in industry events such as the FachPack trade fair. It holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and FSC C131122 certifications and is managed by Jürgen Schaller as Managing Partner.

Name

Carl Macher

Legal name

Carl Macher GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://macher.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1821

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Carl Macher is a German core board (Hülsenkarton) manufacturer in Brunnenthal near Hof, founded in 1821 and part of the Kunert Group. It operates Europe's most efficient core board plant with 210,000 tonnes annual capacity, serving paper core, composite can, hygiene, and film manufacturers across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Paper Manufacturing

NAICS

Paperboard Mills (322130)

SIC

Paperboard Mills (2631)

akta.pro primary industry

Recycled Paperboard & Containerboard (IMAMAKAG)

Keywords

• Core board manufacturing
• Recycled paper production
• Industrial paper materials
• Paper core raw materials
• Recycled packaging materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Brunnenthal

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Core board (Hülsenkarton) manufacturing and sales: Carl Macher operates as a B2B manufacturer of high-quality core board for paper core production. The company produces core board in all standard qualities and grammages, supplying both internal Kunert Group paper core plants (Paul & Co) and external industrial customers throughout Europe. Revenue is generated through product sales on a transactional basis with a focus on delivery reliability and long-term customer relationships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carl Macher manufactures core board (Hülsenkarton) from 100% recycled waste paper at its Brunnenthal facility in Germany, producing 210,000 tonnes annually on a modern 3.65m wide paper machine. The product range includes standard grades (K05-K50), composite can core board, and hygiene core board, supplied as raw material to industrial paper core manufacturers, hygiene product companies, film manufacturers, and composite can producers across Europe.

Product overview

Carl Macher Hülsenpapiere is a core board (Hülsenkarton) manufacturer operating as part of the Kunert Gruppe. The company operates the most efficient core board plant in Europe, located in Brunnenthal near Hof, Germany. Their product portfolio centers on high-quality core board produced from 100% recycled paper (waste paper), available in three main product lines: standard grades (K05, K10, K20, K40, K50) with ply bond strengths from 250-500 Joule/m²; specialized grades for composite cans; and grades optimized for hygiene cores. All products are 100% recyclable and certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and FSC® C131122 standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• K05, K10, K20, K40, K50: Core board product grades with ply bond strength ranging from 250 Joule/m² to 500 Joule/m²
• Core board for composite cans
• Core board for hygiene cores

Products and services

• Core Board K05, K10, K20, K40, K50

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 emissions reduced by more than 70 percent through environmentally friendly energy generation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• Kunert Gruppe (Kunert Group)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarl Macher has been part of the Kunert Group since 2008. As a subsidiary, it works closely with other group companies including Paul & Co (paper cores and edge protectors), Kunert Wellpappe (corrugated board packaging), Papeteries du Rhin (sister paper mill in France), and various other European and Asian operations. The group comprises 17 sites with 2,000 employees producing 330,000 tonnes of cores, edge protectors, and packaging annually.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Glatfelter: US-headquartered specialty paper manufacturer producing engineered paperboard for filtration, wallcoverings, and composite substrates. Comparable as a specialty paperboard producer serving industrial converters with technical, high-spec board products analogous to Carl Macher's core board grades.

Regional players

• Burgo Group: Italian-based European paper producer manufacturing coated and specialty papers from virgin and recycled fibers across multiple European sites. Comparable as a regional European paperboard manufacturer with overlapping converter customers and recycled-fiber inputs.

Broad incumbents

• Stora Enso: Nordic paper and biomaterials group producing containerboard, packaging boards, and specialty papers across European mills. Comparable as a broad European paperboard incumbent with overlapping B2B converter customers and similar recycled-fiber sustainability positioning.
• Smurfit Kappa: European paper-based packaging leader producing containerboard and recycled paperboard at scale across Europe. Relevant comparator on the recycled-paperboard production side; supplies into similar downstream converting customers including core and tube manufacturers.
• UPM-Kymmene: Finnish forest products group producing label materials, communication papers, and specialty papers across European mills. Comparable as a broad European paper incumbent with sustainability leadership and overlapping industrial converter customer base.
• Sappi Europe: Major European coated and specialty paper manufacturer with multiple mills producing graphic, packaging, and specialty paperboard. Comparable as a broad European paperboard incumbent competing for similar B2B industrial customers with a sustainability-focused portfolio.
• Mondi Group: Global paper and packaging group producing containerboard, kraft paper, and specialty paperboard across multiple European mills. Comparable as a broad incumbent in recycled paperboard manufacturing serving similar B2B converter customers, though Mondi's portfolio is far more diversified than Carl Macher's niche core board focus.

Direct peers

• Koehler Paper: German family-owned specialty paper manufacturer producing thermal paper, decor paper, and specialty paperboard at its Oberkirch mill. Comparable as a German family-run specialty paper mill serving B2B industrial customers with strong sustainability credentials and continuous capex programs.
• Heinzel Group: Austrian pulp and paper group operating mills including Heinzel Pöls that produce market pulp and uncoated paper, with interests in recycled paper. Directly comparable as a European producer of paper-based raw materials serving industrial converters; overlap with Carl Macher's customer base.
• Papeteries du Rhin: French sister company within the Kunert Group that manufactures core board (Hülsenkarton) from recycled fiber, listed alongside Carl Macher on the group website and contributing to a combined 330,000+ tonnes/year capacity. It is the most direct comparable, operating in the same niche with identical input materials and end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 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 Carl Macher