Solex

What Solex does

Solex Germany GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of premium stainless steel cutlery and hollowware, founded in 1980 and headquartered in Eisingen, Germany. The company designs, finishes, and distributes tableware under three core product tiers — First (premium), Business (professional), and Economy (value) — supplemented by specialized lines for children, steakhouse use, flying buffet/minis, and serving pieces, plus a hollowware range spanning coffee service, tabletop accessories, buffet/chafing equipment, and barware. Its technical differentiation rests on in-house finishing processes applied to 18/10 stainless steel (71% iron, 18% chromium, 10% nickel, 1% carbon) and 18/0 chrome steel, including PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating in five colors, galvanic silver and gold plating (30/60/90 gram grades), vintage stone-wash and retro glass-bead mechanical finishing, and laser engraving/stamping for personalization. The company holds ISO 9001 certification and has won multiple German Design Awards (LAURA 2017, INKA BLACK 2020, NALA 2023) and the German Brand Award 2021.

Solex serves B2B hospitality customers — hotels, gastronomy, airlines, cruise ships, canteens, healthcare facilities, and institutional caterers — primarily through a dedicated field sales team and external sales representatives, with trade fair presence at Ambiente, Internorga, and Host Milan. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; minimum order is 12 pieces per item with 30-day net payment terms. A separate consumer e-commerce shop (solex-besteckshop.de) addresses private customers. The company maintains warehouse operations at Eisingen where 99% of articles are immediately available, claims delivery to 75 countries, and is currently expanding its warehouse capacity under a 'wir wachsen' growth initiative. The company is legally represented by Katja Maag, is registered as a GmbH at the Local Court of Mannheim (HRB 501662), and has no disclosed institutional investors, subsidiaries, or M&A activity.

Name

Solex

Legal name

solex GERMANY GmbH

Website

https://solex.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Solex Germany GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer founded in 1980 that designs and distributes premium stainless steel cutlery, hollowware, and custom finishing services (PVD, plating, vintage, engraving) to B2B hospitality customers across 75 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Cutlery and Tableware Manufacturing

NAICS

Metal Kitchen Cookware, Utensil, Cutlery, and Flatware (except Precious) Manufacturing (332215), Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing (33991)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420), Jewelry, Silverware & Plated Ware (3910)

akta.pro primary industry

Foodservice/To-Go Packaging (Cups, Clamshells, Cutlery) (IMALAHAM)

Keywords

• Stainless steel cutlery
• Hospitality tableware
• Cutlery manufacturing
• PVD coating service
• Hollowware supplier

Headquarters

HQ city

Eisingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cutlery and Hollowware Sales: One-time product sales of stainless steel cutlery sets and hollowware items to B2B customers in hospitality sector and B2C through online shop. Products organized in tiers: First (premium), Business (mid-range), Economy (value).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Solex Germany GmbH designs, manufactures, and distributes stainless steel cutlery and hollowware for the hospitality industry globally. The company sells cutlery collections organized in three quality tiers (First/premium, Business/professional, Economy) plus specialized lines for kids, steakhouse, and flying buffet, alongside finishing services (PVD coating, silver/gold plating, vintage, retro, laser engraving) and hollowware categories (coffee, tabletop, buffet, bar). Products are sold primarily B2B to hotels, restaurants, airlines, and institutional caterers, with a secondary consumer e-commerce channel.

Product overview

Solex Germany GmbH is a cutlery and hollowware manufacturer serving the hospitality industry since 1980. The company operates a platform-plus-modules product architecture centered on three main product lines: (1) Cutlery collections organized by quality tier (First/premium, Business/professional, Economy/budget), plus specialized lines for kids, flying buffet/minis, and steakhouse; (2) Finishing services including PVD coating, Retro, Vintage, Silver/Gold Plating, and Laser/Engraving/Stamping for customization; and (3) Hollowware spanning Coffee service, Tabletop accessories, Buffet equipment (chafing dishes), and Bar ware. The product portfolio includes over 30 named cutlery models and extensive serving pieces, with finishing options enabling extensive customization for hospitality, hotel, airline, marine, and institutional catering customers across 75 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• First: Premium cutlery collection with high-quality designs including Alexa, Anna, Baguette, Hannah, Inka, Laura, Nala, Perle, Sophia, Terra, Terra Retro
• Business
• Economy
• Kids
• PVD
• LEA BLACK DESIGN
• NALA

Products and services

• First Cutlery Collection Premium cutlery line featuring high-end models including Alexa, Anna, Baguette, Hannah, Inka, Laura, Nala, Perle, Sophia, Terra, and Terra Retro. Designed for upscale gastronomy with sophisticated designs and superior craftsmanship.
• Business Cutlery Collection Professional cutlery line including AVA, HELENA, Julia, Karina (18/10 and PVD variants in Gold, deep black, copper, Champagner), Katja, Laila, Lea, Lea Black Design, Lea Vintage, Lena, Maya, and Selina. Balanced quality and value for professional hospitality use.
• Economy Cutlery Collection Budget-friendly cutlery line including CARA, Easy to go, Elisabeth, Karina, Pronto, Sarah, Skai, and TM 80. Designed for cost-conscious establishments while maintaining quality standards and compatible with magnetic rinsing systems.
• Kids Cutlery Child-friendly cutlery lines including Karina Kids, Maya Kids, and Karina Bear, designed with appropriate sizing and features for young users, including optional serrated knives.
• Flying Buffet / Minis Cutlery Miniature cutlery and tasting utensils including mini spoons, tasting spoons and forks, and fry forks, available in Champagne, copper, gold, and black finishes for buffet and catering service.
• Steakhouse Cutlery Specialized cutlery designed for steakhouse environments, featuring robust construction suitable for heavy-duty restaurant use.
• Serving Items (Servierteile) Serving pieces across multiple lines including Baguette, Karina, Laila, Selina, and Function series. Includes gravy ladles, soup ladles, cake servers, meat forks, serving forks, and potato/salad spoons in various sizes.
• PVD Coating Service Physical Vapor Deposition coating service providing durable color finishes in gold, copper, rainbow, deep black, and black. Applied using professional vacuum process for food-safe metallic colors with elegant shine.
• PVD Retro Service Combines retro semi-gloss finishing with PVD color coating. Creates trendy retro effect with durable color layer applied in vacuum process.
• Retro Finish Service Surface refinement using high-pressure process with fine glass balls creating trendy retro effect with semi-gloss finishing. Makes surface particularly resistant while maintaining elegant appearance.
• Vintage Finish Service Mechanical stone-wash process creating unique vintage look surface. Each piece is unique, harmonizing with rustic, shabby chic, or classic decor. Very robust and dishwasher-safe.
• Silver and Gold Plating Service Galvanic silver plating (30g, 60g, 90g options) and gold plating services. Silver plating applied to 18/10 stainless steel base in multiple operations. Gold plating uses hard gold bath process for durable finish.
• Laser Engraving and Stamping Service Customization services including laser engraving (durable deep engraving via infrared, dishwasher safe), machine or manual engraving (raised or deepened letters), and custom stamping with name or logo using special tools.
• Coffee Hollowware Coffee service items including double-walled coffee pots (0.30L, 0.60L, 1.00L), tea pots, milk jugs, sugar bowls, sugar tongs, and MINI items for coffee service.
• Tabletop Hollowware Tabletop accessories including salt-pepper-sugar menages, etageres, multi-purpose stands, hammered design bowls and baskets, snack holders, card holders, napkin rings, service plates, buffet stairs, and trays.
• Buffet Hollowware Chafing dishes and buffet equipment including GN 1/1 and GN 2/3 chafing dishes with glass or stainless steel lids, base units, GN containers in stainless steel and porcelain, and electric heating elements.
• Bar Hollowware Bar equipment including ice tongs, hammered design wine coolers, bottle coolers, champagne bowls, ice buckets, bar spoons, shakers, jiggers, and wine cooler stands in 18/10 stainless steel.
• AVA Cutlery Model All-rounder professional cutlery model with high material thickness, elegant line design, and timeless design for daily gastronomy use. Hot-forged knives designed for professional kitchen challenges.
• NALA Cutlery Series Premium cutlery series inspired by pure elegance with pearl-shaped, haptic surface featuring sweeping circles and ovals that reflect lighting ambiance.
• LEA Black Design Cutlery Exclusive design cutlery line combining exclusivity and design with fine, slightly curved lines and exceptional black surface finish.
• LEA Cutlery Model Cutlery model combining classic and modern design with well-balanced proportions and fine, slightly curved lines.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of articles immediately available from warehouse
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BauscherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBauscher is shown as a tableware partner in product imagery, with Solex cutlery featured alongside Bauscher plates and dishes in inspiration and collection photos. The partnership appears to focus on coordinated tableware presentation for hospitality settings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pinti Inox: Italian stainless-steel cutlery and cookware manufacturer active in HoReCa channel across Europe. Comparable mid-range hospitality flatware with custom finishing services.
• WMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik): German premium cutlery and hollowware manufacturer serving hospitality and consumer markets. Direct competitor in stainless-steel flatware tiers with comparable PVD and finishing capabilities.
• Mepra: Italian cutlery and tableware manufacturer with PVD-coated color flatware for hospitality and consumer segments. Direct overlap with Solex's PVD color finishing offering.
• Amefa: Dutch cutlery manufacturer producing stainless-steel flatware across economy, business, and premium tiers for foodservice and consumer markets. Comparable multi-tier product architecture to Solex.
• Sambonet: Italian premium cutlery and hollowware manufacturer focused on hotel and restaurant tableware across global hospitality chains. Closest like-for-like competitor on design-led premium hospitality cutlery.
• Berndorf (Berndorf Brand Group): Austrian stainless-steel cutlery manufacturer serving European hospitality and HoReCa with comparable multi-tier flatware programs and customization capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Zwilling J.A. Henckels: Major German cutlery and kitchenware brand with hospitality-channel cutlery lines. Wider portfolio than Solex and stronger consumer brand, but overlapping on premium stainless-steel flatware for professional use.
• Rosenthal (Thomas): Premium German porcelain and tableware brand with hospitality channel programs that bundle cutlery into coordinated service offerings. Adjacent set-based competitor for hotel procurement.
• Villeroy & Boch: Large German/European tableware and hospitality brand offering coordinated plates, glassware, and cutlery programs to hotel groups. Overlaps with Solex in the coordinated-tableware RFP context.

Others

• Bauscher / BHS tabletop: Established German/EU professional porcelain tabletop supplier. Listed as a Solex partnership relation for coordinated tableware presentation rather than direct cutlery competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solex-germany-gmbh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Solex