WK-Paletten

What WK-Paletten does

WK-Paletten AG is a privately held Swiss family-owned manufacturer of wooden load carriers, founded in 1962 in Schüpbach, Emmental (Canton Bern). The company produces EPAL exchangeable pallets, standard, disposable, special, and CP (chemical industry) pallets, SBB exchangeable frames and covers, foldable frames, protective boards, pallet cages, and a wide range of wooden boxes and crates (potato/fruit palloxes, feed boxes, grain boxes, export crates). It also offers EPAL- and SBB-licensed pallet repair services, a used-pallet exchange portal, regional waste-wood disposal, and wood pellets produced from production by-products. Approximately 45 employees operate from a 20,000 m² site with two production halls, a 6,600 m² photovoltaic installation, a 360 m³ wood drying facility, and a pelletising system.

The underlying technology stack is industrial rather than digital: wood drying kilns, ISPM 15-compliant heat treatment, a SCHMID heating system with exhaust gas filtering that burns production waste wood to generate CO2-neutral thermal energy, and downstream pellet production. The business model is direct-to-customer sales — orders are placed by telephone or in writing, the warehouse is not open to walk-in customers, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution uses direct warehouse collection, DDP delivery arrangements, and partner-operated SBB frame locations in Frauenfeld and Otelfingen; wood pellets are distributed exclusively through Nyffenegger Holz AG.

WK-Paletten serves industrial and manufacturing companies, the agricultural sector (fruit, vegetable, potato farms, feed and grain handlers), logistics and transport firms, exporters requiring ISPM 15-certified packaging, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) as a licensed equipment partner, and private customers purchasing niche wood products. Revenue is generated from hardware sales (pallets, frames, crates, pellets, spare parts), professional services (EPAL/SBB-compliant repair, waste-wood disposal), and transaction fees from the used-pallet exchange portal. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

WK-Paletten

Legal name

WK-Paletten AG

Website

https://wkpaletten.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WK-Paletten AG is a privately held Swiss family-owned manufacturer founded in 1962, producing EPAL and SBB-licensed wooden pallets, frames, covers, boxes, and crates for industry, agriculture, logistics, SBB, and exporters from its Schüpbach facility, with licensed repair, recycling, and wood-pellet services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wooden Pallets and Load Carriers

NAICS

Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (32192), Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (321920)

akta.pro primary industry

Pallets (Wood, Plastic, Metal, Presswood) (IMALAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wood Pallets, Crates & Industrial Wood Packaging (IMADADAJ), Pallets, Bins, Totes & Returnable Transport Packaging (RTP) (IMAHABAG)

Keywords

• Wooden pallets manufacturing
• EPAL exchange pallets
• Wooden load carriers
• Pallet repair services
• Wood packaging materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Schupbach

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wooden pallets (EPAL, standard, disposable, special, CP/chemical pallets): Core product revenue from manufacturing and selling wooden pallets including EPAL exchange pallets, standard internal pallets, disposable/one-way pallets, special reusable pallets, and CP (chemical industry) pallets. Plastic pallets are also offered as merchandise for resale.
2. Frames and covers (collars, push-on frames, folding frames, pallet cages, protective boards): Revenue from SBB exchangeable frames, internal collar/push-on frames, foldable frames, pallet cages (steel wire superstructures), and protective/disposable covers. Both in-house production and European merchandise resale.
3. Wooden boxes and crates (fruit, potato, feed, grain boxes, palloxes, special crates): Revenue from agricultural and industrial wooden container products including potato/fruit boxes (paloxes), feed boxes, grain boxes, special custom-made crates, export crates, bulk containers, value transport boxes, and box pallets.
4. Repair services (pallet and equipment repair): Registered repairer of EPAL licensed pallets and SBB exchangeable equipment. Repairs in accordance with strict EPAL and SBB guidelines. Also repairs special custom pallets and customer-owned pallet pools. Sorting and transportation organisation included.
5. Used/secondary market (pallet exchange portal): Buy-back of used or defective EPAL/EUR exchangeable pallets, SBB exchangeable frames and covers. Purchase of CP/chemical and disposable pallets and folding frames on a case-by-case basis.
6. Wood pellets: Wood pellets produced from production by-products (wood shavings, sawdust, cuttings). Sold exclusively through Nyffenegger Holz AG. Two kilograms of pellets correspond to one litre of heating oil (heat energy content 9.8 kWh).
7. Waste wood disposal: Regional waste wood recycling service. Trusses, floors, panelling, wood packaging, and even whole houses accepted. Wood converted to energy via heat recovery system. Also serves as end-of-life take-back for company's own products.
8. Spare parts (pallet components, box components, frame components): Spare parts for pallets, potato boxes, feed boxes, grain boxes, and SBB exchangeable frames sold individually. Includes blocks, boards, nails, and assembly hardware.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WK-Paletten AG manufactures and supplies wooden pallets and load carriers, including EPAL exchangeable pallets, standard, disposable, special and CP chemical pallets, as well as SBB exchangeable and foldable frames, pallet cages, protective covers, and agricultural wooden containers (potato, feed, and grain boxes). The company also provides pallet repair services, waste wood disposal, foldable wooden furniture, and wood pellets.

Product overview

WK-Paletten AG is a leading Swiss manufacturer and supplier of load carriers made from wood and wood materials. The product portfolio consists of five main categories: (1) Pallets including EPAL exchangeable pallets, standard/internal pallets, disposable pallets, special pallets, CP (chemical industry) pallets, and plastic pallets; (2) Frames and Covers including SBB exchangeable frames, foldable frames, protective covers/boards, and steel grid pallet cages; (3) Wooden Products including fruit/potato boxes (Palloxes), feed boxes, grain boxes, custom-made special boxes/crates, foldable marquee furniture, and other custom wooden products; (4) Services including pallet repair (EPAL/SBB licensed), waste wood disposal/recycling, a used pallet exchange portal, and wood pellet manufacturing from production by-products. The company operates as a traditional manufacturing business with no software, API, or AI products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EPAL Exchangeable Pallets Standardized EPAL-licensed exchangeable wooden pallets produced under EPAL licence for participation in the open European EPAL exchange pool, for industrial, manufacturing, and logistics customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2-neutral energy production — thermal energy generated by burning wood, a renewable resource, with exhaust gas filtering
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EPAL (European Pallet Association e.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWK-Paletten AG is a licensed EPAL pallet manufacturer and repairer. EPAL (European Pallet Association) sets quality standards and guidelines for exchange pallets. WK-Paletten AG produces EPAL exchange pallets in-house and is authorised to repair EPAL-licensed pallets. The partnership is central to the company's core business of pallet manufacturing.
• Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWK-Paletten AG is a licensed manufacturer and repairer of SBB exchangeable frames and covers. SBB exchangeable equipment is available from Schüpbach as well as partner locations in Frauenfeld and Otelfingen. EPAL and SBB guarantee product repair quality through spot checks.
• Nyffenegger Holz AGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of WK-Paletten AG wood pellets in the Emmental region. Nyffenegger Holz AG, Hornbach 1534, CH-3457 Wasen im Emmental, sells WK-Paletten pellets directly to end consumers. WK-Paletten uses production by-products for pellet manufacturing.
• MURGHOF Werkstätten, FrauenfeldminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for assembly and storage of SBB exchangeable frames in Frauenfeld. WK-Paletten supplies SBB frames to this partner for local distribution and assembly services.
• IWZ AG, OtelfingenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for assembly and storage of SBB exchangeable frames in Otelfingen. WK-Paletten supplies SBB frames to this partner for local distribution and assembly services.
• Linde Material HandlingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEquipment partner for forklift trucks and material handling equipment. Referenced as 'our partner for example for forklifts' — Linde provides the warehouse/forklift equipment used in WK-Paletten's operations.
• HPE (Bundesverband Holzpackmittel, Paletten, Exportverpackung e.V.)minorOthersGerman Federal Association of Wood Packaging, Pallets, Export Packaging. Listed as a partner/link on WK-Paletten's website, suggesting membership in this industry association.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brambles Limited: Brambles operates the CHEP and IFCO pooled pallet and container businesses globally, serving supply chains with reusable platforms. It is a broad incumbent offering pallet-related services that overlap with WK's repair and exchange operations, though at vastly greater scale.
• CHEP: CHEP is the global leader in pallet and container pooling services, operating a massive exchangeable pallet and container network. It competes with WK-Paletten in standardized pallet supply but at a much larger scale and with a pooling rather than sale model, making it a broad incumbent in the same end markets.
• Stora Enso Oyj: Stora Enso is a major European forest products company with a packaging materials division producing wooden pallets, containers, and sustainable packaging. It is a broad incumbent whose wooden load carrier business overlaps with WK's product range, though it operates across a much wider portfolio.

Direct peers

• Falkenhahn AG: Falkenhahn AG is a leading German manufacturer of EPAL and custom wooden pallets, load carriers, and wooden packaging for industry and logistics. It directly competes with WK-Paletten in EPAL-licensed pallet manufacturing and serves a comparable B2B customer base across the DACH region.
• PalletBiz: PalletBiz is a European network of pallet manufacturers offering EPAL and custom wooden pallets. It directly competes with WK-Paletten in the supply of standardized and custom wooden load carriers to industrial and logistics customers across Europe.
• Karl-Heinz Peters GmbH & Co. KG (Paletten-Service): Paletten-Service Peters is a German EPAL-licensed pallet manufacturer and pallet recycling/repair specialist. It directly competes with WK-Paletten in EPAL production and pallet repair services for industrial customers in the DACH region.
• INKA Paletten GmbH: INKA Paletten is a leading European manufacturer of presswood (compressed wood) pallets and load carriers. It is a direct competitor in the wooden pallet and load carrier space with overlapping product formats, though differentiated by its presswood material versus WK's sawn timber focus.
• Palm Pallet GmbH: Palm Pallet is a major European pallet manufacturer with EPAL-licensed production and a broad range of wooden pallets and load carriers. It competes directly with WK-Paletten in EPAL and custom pallet supply across European industrial and logistics customers.

Others

• EPAL European Pallet Association e.V. EPAL is the licensing body that sets quality standards and licenses EPAL exchange pallet manufacturers and repairers. WK-Paletten operates as a licensed EPAL producer and repairer under this network, making EPAL a central ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• GEBHARDT Intralogistics Group: GEBHARDT is a German manufacturer of intralogistics equipment and load carriers including pallets and pallet cages for industrial customers. It is comparable to WK in pallet cage and load carrier manufacturing but primarily serves the German market rather than Switzerland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WKPalettenAG?fref=ts

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 WK-Paletten