Schöfer

What Schöfer does

Schöfer GmbH is a privately held, family-rooted Austrian plastic injection moulding specialist founded in 1990 by Helmut Schöfer in Schwertberg, Upper Austria. The company designs and manufactures custom plastic injection moulds and produces high-quality plastic components, serving primarily the automotive, electronics, and furniture/medical technology industries across Central Europe. Its process portfolio spans thermoplastic and PUR injection moulding, single- and multi-component moulding (up to four components), foil back-injection (IMD, IML, PMD, Varioform), internal gas-pressure technology, organosheet/tape insert moulding, in-situ polymerisation of caprolactam, HP-RTM, and PUR Clearmelt and 2K PUR foaming. Clamping-force capacity on the single 1.4-hectare site ranges from 30 to 2,300 tons, supporting mould weights up to 30 tons.

Schöfer monetises through one-time mould sales, serial component production (high- and low-volume batches), finishing/assembly services, EDI-based just-in-time logistics, and on-site commissioning and maintenance — all priced on a custom quote basis with payment terms of immediate, 14-day 3% discount, or 30-day net. The business operates on a direct, project-manager-led enterprise sales motion with no intermediary channels, and its 150+ trained staff blend long-tenured mould-making experience with younger engineering talent. R&D is reinforced through partnerships with Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Montanuniversität Leoben, Johanneum Graz, Fotec, and Business Upper Austria, and integrated ERP/PDA/MES systems were deployed in 2015.

Since 2018, Schöfer has operated as part of the Leonhard Kurz / KURZ Group following the foundation's equity investment, enabling single-source delivery of decorated-surface construction components. Leadership transitioned in August 2022 to Dr. Markus Koppe (technical) and Lars Ulbricht (commercial, representing KURZ), with founder family member Gerald Schöfer remaining as co-owner. Quality (ISO 9001, 2003) and environmental (ISO 14001, 2010) certifications are in place, and a 4,000 m² photovoltaic system installed in 2023 generates approximately 440,000 kWh annually. Schöfer has been recognised with consecutive INEO "Vorbildlicher Lehrbetrieb" awards (2022, 2023) and the 2024 German Innovation Award GOLD for an automotive Rear End Cover concept.

Name

Schöfer

Legal name

Schöfer GmbH

Website

https://schoefer.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Schöfer GmbH is a family-owned Austrian plastic injection moulding specialist, founded 1990 in Schwertberg, designing custom moulds and producing high-quality visible-surface plastic components for automotive, electronics, and furniture/medical technology customers across Central Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plastic Injection Moulding and Plastic Components Manufacturing

NAICS

Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261), Industrial Mold Manufacturing (333511)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Injection Molding & Contract Manufacturing (Job Shops/CMs) (IMANAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive & Transportation Injection Molded Parts (IMANAFAB), Medical & Life Sciences Injection Molding (Devices, Diagnostics, Cleanroom) (IMANAFAC)

Keywords

• Plastic injection moulding
• Custom mould manufacturing
• Multi-component plastic components
• PUR processing technology
• Automotive plastic parts

Headquarters

HQ city

Schwertberg

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom plastic injection moulds: Design and manufacture of plastic injection moulds for construction components with demanding surfaces and/or with focus on lightweight construction
2. High-quality plastic components: Production of high-quality plastic products used in wide range of industrial applications including automotive, electronics, furniture and medical technology
3. On-site service: Fast commissionings and optimized production with on-site service including maintenance, machine fine-tuning and replacement components dispatch
4. Finishing and Assembly: Complete assembly of all components with printing, welding, gluing and installation applications for high-volume and low-volume production batches
5. Logistics services: Full-service logistics including electronic data exchange (EDI), just-in-time delivery, on-demand supply from stock

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Schöfer designs and manufactures custom plastic injection moulds and produces high-quality plastic components using single and multi-component injection moulding, foil back-injection, gas-pressure, PUR processing, and in-situ polymerization technologies. The company serves automotive, electronics, and furniture/medical technology manufacturers with integrated services spanning mould development, engineering, production, finishing/assembly, logistics, and on-site service within Central Europe.

Product overview

Schöfer is a family-owned company offering Creative Moulding Solutions, specializing in the development and manufacture of plastic injection moulds and the production of high-quality plastic components. The core offerings consist of plastic injection moulds and plastic components, supported by a comprehensive service portfolio including plastics technology, mould manufacture, development engineering, logistics, finishing and assembly, and on-site service. The company serves three main application areas: automotive (interior/exterior parts with special surface finishes), electronic applications (housings and panels), and furniture/medical technology. Key technologies include thermoplastics injection moulding, film back injection (IMD/IML/PMD), PUR processing (high-pressure and low-pressure), in-situ polymerization, and multi-component techniques. With over 30 years of experience, Schöfer provides integrated solutions from consultation and process simulation through tool construction, implementation, to complete service and logistics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plastic Injection Moulds Development and manufacture of custom plastic injection moulds for demanding surface applications and lightweight construction, serving automotive, electronics, and other industrial sectors. Production capacity covers mould weights up to 30 tons and clamping force up to 2,300 tons at the Schwertberg site.
• High-Quality Plastic Components Production of high-quality plastic parts using various injection moulding techniques including thermoplastics, PUR processing, and multi-component technology. Components are supplied for automotive visible interior and exterior parts, electronic housings, furniture elements, and medical technology applications.
• Plastics Technology Services Processing services covering single- and multi-component injection moulding, foil back-injection (IMD, IML, PMD, Varioform), internal gas-pressure technology, and organosheet techniques for series and batch production of premium components up to 4 components on fully automatic machines.
• Development Engineering Services From component idea to mould development and finished product, including process simulation, R&D, and cooperation with universities and R&D institutes to integrate the latest plastics innovations and technical improvements into mould-injection solutions.
• Logistics Services Supply flexibility with EDI electronic data exchange, just-in-time delivery, and on-demand supply from stock for small lot sizes, supporting both small and large production batches.
• Finishing and Assembly Services Complete assembly of components including printing, welding, gluing, and installation applications for both high-volume and low-volume production batches.
• On-Site Service On-site commissioning, maintenance, machine fine-tuning, and replacement component dispatch within Central Europe to support fast commissionings and optimized production.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production capacity of 30 tons mould weight and 2,300 tons clamping force
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Johannes Kepler Universität LinzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for close cooperation and permanent know-how exchange. Part of innovation capability enabling integration of latest plastics innovations and technical improvements into mould-injection solutions.
• Montanuniversität LeobenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for know-how exchange and integration of latest plastics innovations and technical improvements.
• Johanneum GrazminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerR&D institute partnership for technical cooperation and integration of innovations into mould-injection solutions.
• FotecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerR&D institute partnership for technical cooperation and integration of innovations.
• Business Upper AustriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation project cooperation started in 2017 for technical optimization and new development of injection moulding processes.
• Red Cross Upper AustriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner since 2022 enabling apprentices to participate in modules with focus on value transfer, first aid and personal development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Röchling Industrial: Diversified industrial plastics processor serving automotive, industrial, and medical markets with injection-molded and semi-finished parts. Comparable as a European contract injection molder spanning automotive visible parts and medical/industrial segments.
• Feurer Group: German custom plastics manufacturer producing technical molded parts for automotive, building, and consumer applications. Highly comparable to Schöfer as a mid-sized European injection molder focused on visible/complex components.
• Murrplastik Systemtechnik: German manufacturer of injection-molded plastic components and systems for industrial automation and electronics (cable management, enclosures). Comparable to Schöfer's electronics-housing and industrial injection molding work, with overlapping Central-European customer base.
• Weidmann International: Swiss-headquartered producer of technical plastic and insulation components serving automotive, industrial, and electronics markets. Comparable as a mid-sized European contract injection molder with multi-segment industrial exposure.

Broad incumbents

• Rehau Group: Polymer products group producing automotive, construction, and industrial plastic solutions via extrusion and injection molding. Comparable as a large European plastics processor serving automotive visible-component and industrial applications, though much broader in scope.
• Wittmann Battenfeld: Austrian/German manufacturer of injection moulding machines and automation. Comparable as a Central-European plastics-processing specialist adjacent to Schöfer's process domain; Wittmann supplies equipment and reference applications overlapping Schöfer's multi-component technology focus.
• Plastic Omnium: Global Tier-1 automotive plastics supplier producing exterior and structural parts, energy storage systems, and modules. Comparable at the customer/program level (automotive visible and structural injection molded components) but at much greater scale and vertical integration than Schöfer.
• Gerresheimer AG: European plastics manufacturer specializing in pharma and medical device packaging/injection-molded components plus cosmetics. Comparable as a precision injection molder serving medical technology customers, but at significantly larger scale and focused on regulated pharma rather than visible automotive parts.
• ENGEL Holding: Austrian manufacturer of injection moulding machines and integrated process technology; Schöfer's technology partner and equipment supplier. Comparable because ENGEL's reference parts (including Schöfer demos at K Fair) target the same automotive/electronics molding applications.

Others

• Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co. KG: German surface-decoration specialist and Schöfer's parent-group anchor. Adjacent rather than competitive: Kurz supplies decoration films and processes that Schöfer integrates into mold solutions; the partnership underpins Schöfer's DecoPUR offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sch-fer
• Facebookfacebook.com/schoeferlehrlinge

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Schöfer