RHEINPFALZ Verlag und Druckerei GmbH & Co. KG

What RHEINPFALZ Verlag und Druckerei GmbH & Co. KG does

RHEINPFALZ Verlag und Druckerei GmbH & Co. KG is the parent entity of the RHEINPFALZ Mediengruppe, one of Germany's largest regional newspaper publishers, headquartered in Ludwigshafen and operating continuously since the first edition of DIE RHEINPFALZ on September 29, 1945. The group's core product is the DIE RHEINPFALZ daily newspaper, with a sold circulation of 203,326 copies (IV/2024) and 539,000+ daily readers (ma 2025), complemented by a Sunday edition, the LEO leisure magazine (~206,175 weekly copies), the Wochenblatt family of 16 weekly local Anzeigenblätter (800,000 weekly copies), and the Pirmasenser Zeitung.

The media group's technology stack spans dedicated coldset offset printing (KBA Cortina waterless technology at the Oggersheimer Druckzentrum, producing ~80,000 copies daily at 11 m/s across 355 days/year), FERAG automated prospectus commissioning at the DSW logistics subsidiary, and a multi-channel digital footprint including rheinpfalz.de (~4.5M monthly visits, 10.5M monthly page impressions), the RHEINPFALZ App with evening advance edition, e-paper, themed newsletters, and branded podcasts. A Content Development Team was established in 2023 to drive digital discoverability. The group is privately held by five founding families, with the Schaub family controlling 50.7% via the Medien Union, and is currently in its third generation of family ownership under CEO Holger Martens (Geschäftsführer).

RHEINPFALZ makes money through a mix of recurring B2C subscription revenue (print home delivery, digital subscriptions, e-paper, app), advertising sales across print and digital channels (consolidated under Mediawerk Südwest since 2019), Anzeigenblätter advertising and prospectus distribution via SÜWE, and third-party commercial printing services. Two primary customer segments serve as the commercial base: roughly 203,000+ paying individual readers in the Pfalz region, and a diversified mix of local retailers and national/regional advertisers, supplemented by external printing clients. Distribution is executed via owned morning home-delivery, the SÜWE Anzeigenblätter network, retail/newsstand sales, and self-serve digital channels.

Name

RHEINPFALZ Verlag und Druckerei GmbH & Co. KG

Legal name

RHEINPFALZ Verlag und Druckerei GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://rheinpfalz-mediengruppe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

RHEINPFALZ Verlag und Druckerei GmbH & Co. KG is the parent of the RHEINPFALZ Mediengruppe, one of Germany's largest regional media companies, publishing DIE RHEINPFALZ daily newspaper plus Sunday, leisure, and Anzeigenblätter titles, and operating integrated print, digital, advertising, and commercial printing services across the Pfalz region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120), Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Printing and Related Support Activities (3231)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Commercial Printing (2750), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Regional newspaper publishing
• Digital news media
• Commercial printing services
• Advertising media sales
• Subscription publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ludwigshafen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Newspaper Subscriptions (Print and Digital): Sale of daily newspaper DIE RHEINPFALZ through print subscriptions (including home delivery) and digital subscriptions via e-paper, app, and website. Revenue from both individual consumers (B2C) and institutional subscribers.
2. Print Advertising: Sale of advertising space in the printed newspaper, local editions, and the Sunday edition. Includes display ads, classifieds, and special advertising sections.
3. Digital Advertising and Cross-Media Marketing: Mediawerk Südwest provides digital advertising solutions including online banners, animated online banners, content campaigns, and cross-media marketing solutions. Revenue from both local and national advertisers.
4. Anzeigenblätter (Advertising Papers): SÜWE publishes Anzeigenblätter (advertising/commercial papers) including Wochenblatt, Stadtanzeiger, and Trifels Kurier, with weekly print run of 800,000 copies, generating advertising and prospectus distribution revenue.
5. Commercial Printing Services: Oggersheimer Druckzentrum provides commercial printing services for third-party clients, printing newspapers and advertising materials with full-service customer care from planning through distribution.
6. Podcast Content: The company produces branded podcasts including crime podcast 'Alles Böse' and news analysis podcast 'Wissen was läuft', generating audience and potentially advertising revenue.
7. Newsletter Subscriptions: Multiple themed newsletters (FCK, wine, hiking, cycling, crime cases, consumer tips) offered to readers as value-added subscription additions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

RHEINPFALZ Verlag und Druckerei publishes the DIE RHEINPFALZ regional daily newspaper in print and digital formats, including the Sunday edition RHEINPFALZ am SONNTAG, the leisure magazine LEO, and weekly advertising papers (Wochenblatt). Through its Oggersheimer Druckzentrum, the company offers third-party commercial printing services and, via Mediawerk Suedwest, cross-media advertising products sold to commercial clients.

Product overview

RHEINPFALZ Mediengruppe operates a multi-platform media portfolio combining print and digital products. The core offering centers on DIE RHEINPFALZ, a regional daily newspaper with 203,326 sold copies and 511,000 readers, supplemented by the Sunday edition (RHEINPFALZ am SONNTAG). Digital channels include rheinpfalz.de, the mobile RHEINPFALZ App with E-Paper functionality, and various themed newsletters. Leisure publications include the weekly LEO magazine and seasonal LEO Saison planner. The group's advertising portfolio includes Wochenblatt (16 local editions, 800,000 weekly copies) and Stadtanzeiger under SÜWE, with companion online portal wochenblatt-reporter.de. Audio content features two podcasts: crime-focused 'Alles Böse' and news analysis 'Wissen was läuft.' Supporting operations include Mediawerk Südwest (cross-media advertising), Oggersheimer Druckzentrum (high-speed printing), DSW (distribution logistics), Digitale PrePress (advertising production), and VSP (administrative services).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEO: Leisure tips publication delivered weekly with the RHEINPFALZ, covering culture, culinary events, movies, TV, exhibitions, and local happenings. Circa 206,175 copies weekly.
• LEO Saison
• Wochenblatt
• RHEINPFALZ am Sonntag

Products and services

• DIE RHEINPFALZ
• RHEINPFALZ am SONNTAG

Quantifiable outcome

• 539,000+ daily newspaper readers (ma 2025)
• +3 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Escola Artística e Profissional Árvore, Porto, PortugalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2025ERASMUS exchange program partner for media commerce apprentices (Medienkaufleute Digital & Print). October 2025 exchange included participation in classes on graphic design, fashion design, drawing, corporate identity, and printing techniques (lithography and intaglio printing). Visit to local Porto printing press also included.
• Bundesverband Deutscher Anzeigenblätter (BVDA)coreOthers · 3 July 1987SÜWE is a long-standing member of the BVDA (Bundesverband Deutscher Anzeigenblätter), founded July 3, 1987 in Bonn, now based in Berlin. BVDA represents 222 publishers with 886 titles and a weekly circulation of 64.7 million copies, covering approximately 75% of total German Anzeigenblatt circulation. SÜWE representatives serve in three BVDA specialist groups.
• Anzeigenblatt Verbund Süd WestcoreOthersRegional association of 15 Anzeigenblatt publishers working together under the Anzeigenblatt Verbund Süd West. SÜWE is a member of this regional cooperative.
• Techniker KrankenkasseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual health promotion activities conducted in cooperation with Techniker Krankenkasse and Eulen Ludwigshafen, covering topics such as health, motivation, mindfulness, and resilience.
• Eulen LudwigshafenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual health promotion activities conducted in cooperation with Techniker Krankenkasse and Eulen Ludwigshafen, including active lunch breaks, workshops on running and back fitness, and smoking cessation courses.
• BikeleasingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompany offers Jobrad (company bike) leasing program through Bikeleasing as a mobility benefit. Employees receive bikes through salary conversion schemes, with the company covering the comprehensive insurance package (Rundumschutz Premium bicycle insurance).
• Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) MannheimcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThree-year dual study program conducted in cooperation with DHBW Mannheim. Students alternate between lectures at the university and practical phases at the company every three months. Programs include Business Informatics and Business Administration with Marketing Management focus.
• Berufsbildende Schule Wirtschaft 1 LudwigshafencoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVocational school partner for dual training programs in media commerce. Training includes theoretical education through block instruction at the school, with practical experience in various company departments.
• Berufsbildende Schule Technik 1 (BBS Technik 1) LudwigshafencoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVocational school partner for the dual apprenticeship as IT specialist for system integration (Fachinformatiker für Systemintegration). Berufsschulunterricht takes place at BBS Technik 1 in Ludwigshafen.
• Arbeitskreis für Aus- und Weiterbildung im Verband der Zeitungsverleger Rheinland-Pfalz und SaarlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-day block seminars for Volontäre (journalist trainees) are planned and organized by this working group, providing theoretical training alongside practical editorial work.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Madsack Mediengruppe: One of Germany's largest regional newspaper groups, publishing titles such as Hannoversche Allgemeine and Lübecker Nachrichten. Directly comparable as a multi-title, family-influenced regional publisher with integrated printing and digital operations serving a defined German region.
• Verlagsgruppe Rhein Main (VRM): Regional newspaper group publishing titles including Allgemeine Zeitung (Mainz) and Wiesbadener Kurier. Comparable as a multi-title regional publisher in the broader Rhine-Main / Rhineland-Palatinate area, with integrated digital and Anzeigenblatt operations.
• Mannheimer Morgen: Regional daily newspaper published by Mannheimer Morgen Großdruckerei und Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, serving the Mannheim/Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region directly adjacent to RHEINPFALZ's Pfalz territory. Closely comparable in scale and product offering, and historically attempted by RHEINPFALZ's owner for acquisition in 1971.
• Südwest Presse: Regional newspaper group based in Ulm publishing Südwest Presse and affiliated titles. Comparable as a family-influenced regional publisher with print + digital portfolio serving southwestern Germany, geographically adjacent to RHEINPFALZ's Pfalz footprint.
• Stuttgarter Zeitung / StZ Mediengruppe: Regional newspaper group publishing the Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten. Closely comparable to RHEINPFALZ as a regional daily with strong digital presence, affiliated Anzeigenblatt, and integrated commercial printing for the Baden-Württemberg market.
• Saarbrücker Zeitung: Regional daily newspaper serving the Saarland region adjacent to the Pfalz. Comparable in scale, regional daily focus, and family-influenced ownership structure, with a similar print + digital monetization model.

Broad incumbents

• Funke Mediengruppe: Major German publishing group with regional newspapers (Westfalenpost, Braunschweiger Zeitung) and national magazine titles. Comparable as a large multi-regional publisher with parallel print and digital monetization, though operating at greater scale and geographic breadth than RHEINPFALZ.
• Axel Springer: Germany's largest digital publisher (Bild, Welt) with a national footprint and significant international digital media assets. Comparable as a benchmark for what a successful German print-to-digital transformation looks like, though operating at vastly larger scale than RHEINPFALZ.

Regional players

• Pirmasenser Zeitung: Regional newspaper serving Pirmasens, published by Adolf Deil GmbH & Co. KG — a company actually owned by RHEINPFALZ Mediengruppe. Included as a peer because it operates as a distinct regional title within the broader group, illustrating how the parent consolidates adjacent regional papers.

Others

• KBA (Koenig & Bauer): Manufacturer of the KBA Cortina waterless coldset press used in RHEINPFALZ's Oggersheimer Druckzentrum. Included as an enabling/infrastructure peer representing the printing-machinery ecosystem that supports RHEINPFALZ's in-house production capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DIE_RHEINPFALZ
• Facebookfacebook.com/rheinpfalz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rheinpfalz-verlag-und-druckerei-gmbh-&-co.-kg
• Instagraminstagram.com/die_rheinpfalz/channel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries11 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 RHEINPFALZ Verlag und Druckerei GmbH & Co. KG