WBV Worldwide

What WBV Worldwide does

WBV Worldwide is a German B2B wholesaler and importer of packaging materials, film products, and adjacent consumables, operating under the legal name WBV Westdeutscher Bindegarn-Vertrieb Eselgrimm GmbH & Co. KG and headquartered in Oelde, Germany. Founded in 1917 as a regional binding-yarn supplier to agriculture, the company has grown into a European importer-exporter with revenue exceeding €170 million, distributing more than 10,000 SKUs across 12 product categories that span stretch films, cardboard boxes and strapping, adhesive tapes, packaging machines, garbage bags, carrier bags, occupational safety supplies, cleaning consumables, food-service disposables, agricultural and harvest packaging, rope products, and installation materials.

The business model is a sales-led, catalog-driven wholesale distribution model. WBV sources globally and resells to wholesale distributors, trade intermediaries, and large end-users (agricultural cooperatives, packaging and cleaning wholesalers, technical trade, supermarkets and discount retailers, sanitary wholesalers, rope manufacturers, and industrial consumers) across the European continent. There is no field sales force and no trade show presence; instead, the company runs a website with a 10,000+ SKU catalog, an internal 'Quality TÜV' inspection process, and an in-house logistics operation backed by 28,000 m² of warehouse space, 40,000+ pallet positions, 600+ pallets dispatched daily, 100+ trucks per week, and a 48-hour delivery commitment. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set per inquiry, with revenue derived from one-time product sales where unit economics are driven by import scale and supplier breadth.

WBV is privately held by the Eselgrimm family, currently in its 5th generation under Managing Director Moritz Haupt (who took over from Joachim Haupt in 2021), and has no disclosed external institutional or private-equity backing. The company carries a stack of product and process certifications (Blue Angel, FSC, EU Ecolabel, INGEDE 12, DVGW, DLG, ERDE, REACH, Bureau Veritas, Intertek) and a 2025 Handelsblatt 'Best Training Employer' recognition, and it runs a continuous apprenticeship pipeline of 10-15 new trainees per year against a total workforce of 160+ employees split across administration, logistics, and customer-facing sales.

Name

WBV Worldwide

Legal name

WBV Westdeutscher Bindegarn-Vertrieb Eselgrimm GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://wbv-worldwide.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WBV Worldwide is a German family-owned B2B wholesaler and importer, founded in 1917 and now in its 5th generation, that distributes more than 10,000 packaging, film, and consumable SKUs to wholesale distributors, retailers, and industrial customers across the European continent from a 28,000 m² logistics hub in Oelde, with revenue exceeding €170 million.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging Wholesale

NAICS

Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423840), Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (4234)

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wholesale/B2B Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Packaging materials wholesale
• Industrial film products
• B2B packaging distribution
• Agricultural packaging supplies
• Logistics consumables wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Oelde

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale product sales: WBV generates revenue through the import and distribution of packaging, film, and safety products to B2B distributors, retailers, and industrial customers across Europe. Revenue is derived from the sale of goods with pricing based on volume, product type, and order size. The company reports annual revenue exceeding €170 million.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WBV Worldwide is a B2B wholesaler and importer that supplies more than 10,000 packaging, film, hygiene, agricultural, and installation consumables across 12 categories to trade distributors, retailers, and industrial customers in Europe. It sells exclusively through its own order catalog and website, supported by expert advisory and an in-house logistics operation that delivers orders within 48 hours.

Product overview

WBV Worldwide operates as a B2B wholesaler and distributor of packaging and film products, offering a broad portfolio of over 10,000 products organized across 12 product categories. The product range is structured as a unified catalog rather than a modular platform; it spans stretch films, cardboard boxes and strapping, adhesive tapes and office supplies, packaging machines, waste management bags, carrier bags, occupational safety equipment, cleaning supplies, gastronomy and catering disposables, agricultural and harvest packaging, rope products, and installation supplies. The portfolio is complemented by industry-specific solutions for industry and logistics, e-commerce, retail, building cleaning, healthcare, gastronomy and catering, construction and installation, and agriculture. The company positions itself as a single-point supplier for packaging and film distributors, emphasizing product quality, breadth of selection, and B2B-focused distribution across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stretch films Stretch films for pallet wrapping and load securing, including machine stretch film, hand stretch film, nano stretch film, pallet wrap net, shrink covers, and anti-slip paper for B2B distributors and industrial customers.
• Cardboard boxes and strapping Cardboard boxes, strapping tape, and edge protection strips for packaging and securing goods, supplied to B2B distributors, retailers, and industrial customers.
• Adhesive tapes and office supplies Packaging tapes, masking tapes, technical tapes, self-adhesive envelopes, address protectors, dispensers, rubber bands, and copy paper for packaging, shipping, and office use, sold to B2B customers.
• Machines (packaging machinery) Battery-powered strapping tools and stretch wrapping machines for industrial packaging operations, sold to B2B distributors and industrial end-users.
• Garbage bags and bin sacks Garbage bags, bin sacks, yellow bag recycling sacks, and paper garbage bags for waste management applications, sold to B2B distributors, retailers, and municipalities.
• Carrier bags Shopper bags, knot bags, grip hole tote bags, nonwoven carrier bags, and paper carrier bags for retail carrying solutions, sold to retailers and distributors.
• Occupational safety products Work gloves, disposable gloves, disposable clothing, and occupational safety certificates for workplace protection, sold to B2B distributors and industrial customers.
• Cleaning supplies Microfiber cloths, microfiber cloths on roll, jersey cleaning cloths, paper towels, cleaning cloth rolls, cover fleece, bed covers, and hygienic bags for building cleaning, healthcare, and industrial hygiene applications.
• Gastronomy and catering disposables Pizza boxes, salad bowls, food boxes, wooden cutlery, food sacks, flat bags, meat bags, blanks, aluminum foil, cling film, ziplock bags, cross-bottom bags, and special films for the food service industry.
• Agricultural and harvest packaging Baler twine, round bale nets, agricultural stretch films, silage film, silage net, straw protection fleece, and silo sand bags for agricultural and harvest applications, supplied to agricultural cooperatives and farms.
• Rope products Twines, butcher's twines, wrapping twines, ropemaking yarns, and ropes for industrial, food service, and commercial use.
• Installation supplies Thread sealing, corrosion protection and pipe connectors, special glues, sealants, cleaners, soldering and welding supplies, technical aerosols, and fastening and assembly materials for construction, plumbing, and installation work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivery within 48 hours guaranteed
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Moritz Haupt (Managing Director, 5th generation)coreOthers · 1 January 2021Moritz Haupt is a member of the Eselgrimm family and the 5th generation to lead the company. He assumed the role of Managing Director in 2021, succeeding his father Joachim Haupt.
• Positive Group Deutschland GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPositive Group Deutschland GmbH serves as WBV's newsletter service provider and email marketing partner, enabling WBV to manage recipient lists, design newsletters, and send promotional emails. WBV has a data processing agreement with Positive Group under GDPR Art. 28.
• DSB Münster GmbH (Data Protection Officer)minorOthersDSB Münster GmbH provides WBV's designated Data Protection Officer, André Korte, who handles data protection inquiries. Contact: Martin-Luther-King-Weg 42-44, 48155 Münster.
• External logistics service provider (external logistics partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWBV works with an external logistics service provider for the collection of goods from their warehouse. More than 600 pallets are dispatched daily across more than 100 trucks per week, partially via this external partner.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Macfarlane Packaging: UK-listed B2B distributor of protective packaging, boxes, and shipping supplies with a multi-country European footprint. Highly comparable to WBV as a packaging-focused wholesaler serving distributor and industrial customers with a catalog-driven model.
• Knüppel Verpackung GmbH & Co. KG: German specialist distributor of industrial packaging, stretch film, strapping, and shipping consumables. Direct comparable to WBV as a DACH-focused B2B packaging distributor with overlapping product range and trade customer base.
• Storopack Hans Reichenecker GmbH: German manufacturer and distributor of protective packaging and packaging foams with significant European operations. Comparable to WBV as a German-based packaging specialist with overlapping product categories (stretch film, void fill, protective packaging) and similar industrial/wholesale customer base.
• RAJA Group: French-headquartered B2B distributor of packaging, supplies, and workplace equipment across Europe. RAJA is the most direct pan-European comparable to WBV in terms of catalog breadth, B2B distributor customer base, and packaging-focused product range, with similar multi-country delivery capabilities.
• Davpack: UK-based B2B packaging supplier specializing in boxes, postal packaging, and shipping consumables. Comparable to WBV as a catalog-led packaging wholesaler serving SMB and mid-market distributors, with overlapping product categories in cardboard, tape, and mailers.
• Ratioform Verpackungen GmbH: German B2B packaging and shipping supplies distributor owned by the ratioform Group. Direct comparable to WBV in product range, customer segments (industrial and trade buyers), and German-speaking market focus.

Broad incumbents

• Smurfit Kappa Group: Global integrated manufacturer of paper-based packaging with European operations. Comparable to WBV at the category level (cardboard, paper packaging) and as a large-scale European supplier, though Smurfit operates upstream as a mill/converter rather than as a B2B distributor.
• Würth Group: Global market leader in fastening and assembly materials with a broad B2B distribution operation including packaging consumables. Comparable to WBV as a major European industrial wholesaler with overlapping trade customer relationships, though Würth's portfolio and scale are far broader than WBV's packaging focus.

Regional players

• Desco (Pty) Ltd: South African-headquartered B2B packaging and cleaning consumables distributor with European operations. Comparable to WBV as a multi-category packaging and hygiene consumables wholesaler serving distributor and trade customers, though primarily operating in different geographies.
• Hartmann Packaging: German family-owned manufacturer of industrial packaging including stretch film, strapping, and cardboard. Comparable to WBV as a German competitor in core packaging categories, though more manufacturer-tilted than WBV's distribution-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wbv_worldwide
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/wbv
• Facebookfacebook.com/wbvworldwide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wbv-worldwide
• Instagraminstagram.com/wbv_worldwide
• TikToktiktok.com/@wbv_worldwide

Compliance10 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 WBV Worldwide