What Duttenhöfer Gruppe does

Duttenhöfer Gruppe is a German, family-owned manufacturer of sheet-steel industrial packaging, headquartered in Haßloch with a trading branch in Brühl. Founded in 1884, the group produces open-top drums, tight-head drums, and poly-composite drums in capacities from roughly 6 to 216.5 litres, alongside sealing machines used in drum closing. Its products serve regulated and quality-sensitive end-markets including the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, aroma, and mineral-oil industries, with more than 130 type-tested approvals covering dangerous-goods packaging under UN, ADR, IATA, and IMDG regimes.

The business combines in-house steel forming, seam welding (including laser-based seam inspection), foaming, and assembly into certified packagings, supplemented by a sealing-machine product line used in drum closure operations. Go-to-market is direct sales from Haßloch and the Brühl trading branch, complemented by an established dealer network across the UK, France, Norway, and Spain. The firm operates under ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental), and ISO 50001 (energy management) certifications, and is actively investing in new production capacity, new foaming equipment, and product-line extensions (notably 1A2T salvage packagings and liquid-tight open-top drums).

Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is privately held and has not raised external funding rounds, so its economics are inferred from headcount (over 240 employees across the two locations) and specialty industrial-packaging revenue-per-employee benchmarks. Duttenhöfer Gruppe monetizes primarily through B2B sales of certified steel and composite drums into regulated industrial customers, with sealing machines serving as a complementary revenue stream; no pricing model, ARR, or customer concentration data is publicly available.

Name

Duttenhöfer Gruppe

Legal name

Gottlieb Duttenhöfer GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://duttenhoefer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Duttenhöfer Gruppe is a German family-owned manufacturer of sheet-steel industrial drums (open-top, tight-head, and poly-composite, 6-216.5L) and sealing machines, serving chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, aroma, and mineral-oil customers with 130+ type-tested dangerous-goods approvals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Metal Packaging (Steel Drums)

NAICS

Other Metal Container Manufacturing (332439), Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993), Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing (3324), Metal Crown, Closure, and Other Metal Stamping (except Automotive) (332119)

SIC

Metal Shipping Barrels, Drums, Kegs & Pails (3412), Metal Cans (3411), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Drums (Steel Drums) (IMALADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metal Packaging Coatings & Linings (BPA-NI, Epoxy, Internal Coatings) (IMALADAK), Hazardous Materials & UN-Certified Bulk Packaging (IMALAGAH), Capping, Sealing & Closing Machines (IMAHAOAG), Capping, Closing & Sealing Equipment (Capper, Induction, Heat Seal) (IMALAOAC)

Keywords

• Industrial steel drums
• Dangerous goods packaging
• Sealing machine systems
• Metal packaging manufacturing
• Chemical industry packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Haßloch

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Packaging Products: Sale of standardised and individual sheet steel packaging including open-top drums, tight-head drums, and poly-composite drums ranging from 6 to 216.5 litres. Products are sold with various configurations: interior coating or plain steel, with optional HD-PE inliner, and in stainless steel for smaller volumes up to 60 litres.
2. Sealing Machine Solutions: Automated system solutions for production and filling processes including sealing machines for closing rings and seam sealing machines. Offered as an independent business division providing flexible automation for customers' production chains.
3. Consulting, Procurement and Logistics Services: Individual consulting, procurement, and logistics services complementing the product offering. These services are integrated into the customer value proposition and support the core packaging products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Duttenhöfer Gruppe manufactures and markets type-tested steel packaging for industrial use, including open-top drums, tight-head drums, and poly-composite (steel/HD-PE) drums in volumes from 6 to 216.5 litres, certified for dangerous goods transport across air, sea, and road. The company also operates an independent business division producing automated sealing machines for closing rings and seam sealing, complemented by consulting, procurement, and logistics services for the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, aroma, and mineral oil industries.

Product overview

Duttenhöfer is a leading European supplier and marketer of steel packaging, offering a comprehensive portfolio of metal drums complemented by automated sealing technology solutions. The core product line consists of three main drum types: Open-top Drums (Deckelgebinde) for solid goods, Tight-head Drums (Spundgebinde) for liquids and solids, and Poly Composite Drums (Kombinationsgebinde) combining steel with HD-PE inliners. Volumes range from 6 to 216.5 litres with over 130 type approvals for hazardous goods transport. The company also operates an independent business division for sealing technology, producing automated Sealing Machines for Closing Rings and Seam Sealing Machines. Logistics, consulting, and procurement services complement the hardware portfolio, providing complete industrial packaging solutions for the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, aroma, and mineral oil industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open-top Drums (Deckelgebinde) Steel open-top drums for solid goods, available in standard and stainless steel versions. Volumes range from 6 to 216 litres with various closure types and type-tested approvals for hazardous goods transport by air, sea, and road. Targeted at industrial buyers in chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, aroma, and mineral oil sectors requiring certified containment for solid substances.
• Tight-head Drums (Spundgebinde)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 130 approvals for dangerous goods packaging covering all transport modes (air, sea, road)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kreislaufsystem Blechverpackungen Stahl GmbH (KBS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuttenhöfer partners with KBS (Kreislaufsystem Blechverpackungen Stahl GmbH) for compliance with the German Packaging Act (VerpackG). KBS acts as Duttenhöfer's recovery partner for the take-back and recycling of transport packaging, fulfilling the company's statutory obligation to take back packaging free of charge under VerpackG.
• EIPA (European Industrial Packaging Association)coreOthersDuttenhöfer is a member of EIPA and plays an active role in shaping industry-relevant developments in quality, environment, and recycling.
• SEFA (European Association of Steel Drum Manufacturers)coreOthersDuttenhöfer is a member of SEFA and plays an active role in shaping industry standards and developments in quality, environment, and recycling for steel drum manufacturers in Europe.
• EMPAC (European Metal Packaging)coreOthersDuttenhöfer is a member of EMPAC and plays an active role in shaping industry-relevant developments in quality, environment, and recycling in the European metal packaging sector.
• DIN Standards Committee Packaging (NAVp)coreOthersDuttenhöfer is actively involved in the DIN Standards Committee Packaging (NAVp), contributing to the development and harmonisation of packaging standards.
• m/e brand communication GmbH GWAminorOthersm/e brand communication GmbH GWA, Düsseldorf, Germany handled the idea, concept, and text for Duttenhöfer's website production, design, and implementation.
• Fritz Wedthoff GmbH & Co. KGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBranch office in Brühl near Cologne serving industries along the Rhine and Ruhr rivers. Acquired through takeover of the Wedthoff trading branch.
• O'Neill GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive sales office covering the United Kingdom market, located at Wollaston Industrial Estate, Northamptonshire.
• Hirschfeld EmballagescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales office covering the French market, located in Strasbourg, France.
• Renor AScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales office covering the Norwegian market, located at Holtermoen Industriområde, Bjørkelangen, Norway.
• EvopackcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales office covering the Spanish market, located in Barcelona, Spain.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Amcor plc: Global packaging giant serving healthcare, food, and industrial markets with rigid and flexible packaging. Overlaps with Duttenhöfer in industrial rigid-container applications but is a broad incumbent serving many end markets rather than specializing in dangerous-goods steel drums.
• Sonoco Products Company: Global diversified packaging manufacturer with industrial-container operations including steel and plastic drums. Comparable to Duttenhöfer in industrial-container product categories but at much larger scale and with broader packaging-portfolio diversification.

Direct peers

• Skolnik Industries: US-based manufacturer of new and reconditioned steel drums, including UN-certified containers for hazardous materials. Comparable to Duttenhöfer in the dangerous-goods steel drum niche, though primarily serving the North American market.
• Cleveland Steel Container: US manufacturer of steel pails, drums, and containers serving the chemical, paint, and lubricants industries. Comparable to Duttenhöfer in steel-container manufacturing with similar regulatory-compliance requirements for hazardous contents.
• Greif Inc. US-headquartered global industrial packaging company with a large steel-drum product line serving chemical, petroleum, and food customers. Closely comparable to Duttenhöfer in dangerous-goods certified steel drum manufacturing, with overlapping European operations and similar regulatory-certification requirements.
• Promens (a Sulzer company): European rigid plastic packaging manufacturer serving chemical, food, and industrial customers. Adjacent competitor to Duttenhöfer in the industrial-packaging space, with overlap in chemical-industry containers though specializing in plastic rather than steel.
• Envases Group: European metal packaging group producing steel and tin containers across multiple European countries. Directly comparable to Duttenhöfer in metal-container manufacturing for regulated industrial customers, though with a broader product portfolio including food cans.
• Mauser Packaging Solutions: Global industrial packaging manufacturer producing steel drums, tight-head and open-head containers, and IBCs, plus reconditioning services. Directly competes with Duttenhöfer in the European chemical, pharma, and hazardous-goods drum segments and operates at substantially larger scale.
• Schutz GmbH & Co. KGaA: German manufacturer of intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), steel drums, and specialty industrial packaging, with strong European chemical-industry presence. Directly comparable to Duttenhöfer in serving European chemical customers with type-tested metal packaging, though with a broader plastic-IBC portfolio.

Others

• Fritz Schaefer GmbH (SSI SCHAEFER): German-headquartered intralogistics and packaging solutions provider with broader operations. While not a direct drum competitor, it serves overlapping European industrial customers with adjacent packaging and warehouse-logistics services similar to Duttenhöfer's logistics offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• Instagraminstagram.com/duttenhoefer_gruppe

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Duttenhöfer Gruppe