Paul & Co Gmbh & Co Kg

What Paul & Co Gmbh & Co Kg does

Paul & Co GmbH & Co KG is a German manufacturer of paper cores (Hülsen), transport edge protectors (Kantenschutz), and core board (Hülsenkarton), operating as the core specialty-converting arm of the family-owned Kunert Gruppe. The company runs approximately 470 employees at its Wildflecken headquarters in Lower Franconia and is part of a broader group footprint of roughly 2,000 employees across 17 production sites in Europe and Asia, including German plants in Peiting, Soest, and Wedderstedt, plus sites in Switzerland, Austria, France, Hungary, Thailand, and Indonesia. Its two owned core board mills — Carl Macher Hülsenpapiere (Hof/Brunnenthal, 210,000 t/yr, described as Europe's most efficient) and Papeteries du Rhin (Illzach, France, 90,000 t/yr) — supply the group's internal raw material need, producing core board from 0.19 to 1.0 mm thickness at 250–1,000 Joules ply bond strength.

The product portfolio spans standard and high-strength spiral-wound paper cores (Standard, K-Core, NOVUM, FS, HKB, AR, NG/NP, PG/PGG), specialized hygienic and cleanroom variants (Active Hygiene Core with antibacterial surface impregnation tested to JIS L 1902 and JIS Z 2801; Cleanroom cores classified to ISO 14644-1 Class 6), and a full edge protector range (angular, roll, U-profiles, flat profiles, Circoflex, 2U-Box). Differentiated technology includes proprietary winding pressure measurement and simulation, RFID-based Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI), and a Cutting Centre for application testing with Eberlé SAS cutting machines. The company sells through direct enterprise sales and dedicated regional representatives (Loadlock for UK/Ireland, Maxoll for Romania, Aljaz Naraks for Slovenia/Croatia/Bosnia/Macedonia), targeting film and foil manufacturers, pharmaceutical and medical firms, food and beverage producers, paper manufacturers, and metal/construction customers.

Paul & Co operates a B2B hardware-and-services revenue model: sale of paper cores and edge protectors (core), sale of core board to internal and external converters (core board), RFID-enabled VMI managed inventory services, and cutting-centre testing and used-equipment resale. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company holds ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), ISO 22000 (food safety across Wildflecken, Wedderstedt, Lenzhard, and Asia), ISO 50001 (energy management), FSC C131122 chain-of-custody, and EcoVadis Silver (top 15% in packaging, awarded 2024). In April 2025 the group completed a company-wide IFS ERP migration across all German plants, and in October 2025 it launched the Paul & Co Forum as a recurring industry gathering.

Name

Paul & Co Gmbh & Co Kg

Legal name

Paul & Co GmbH & Co KG

Website

https://paulundco.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Paul & Co GmbH & Co KG is a German manufacturer of paper cores, edge protectors, and core board, part of the family-owned Kunert Gruppe, serving industrial B2B customers across film, pharmaceutical, food, beverage, paper, and metal sectors in Europe and Asia with certified, customized solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Paper Packaging

NAICS

Paperboard Mills (322130), Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills (3221), Paper Mills (322120)

SIC

Paperboard Mills (2631), Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Paperboard Cores, Tubes & Edge Protectors (IMALACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paper Converting Services (slitting, sheeting, coating, laminating, rewinding) (IMAMAHAJ), Specialty Paper Manufacturing (Coated, Release, Thermal, Filter, Security) (IMAMAEAC), Paper Finishing & Coating Services (Calendering, Coating, Supercalendering) (IMAMAEAI)

Keywords

• Paper core manufacturing
• Edge protection products
• Core board production
• Industrial packaging materials
• Transport securing solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Wildflecken

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Paper Core Sales: Sale of paper cores for various applications including paper, films, foils, flexible packaging, metal, textiles, and special applications. Core product line with multiple quality grades and customization options.
2. Edge Protector Sales: Sale of angular edge protectors, roll edge protectors, U-profiles, flat profiles, and Circoflex products for transport protection and load securing.
3. Core Board Sales: Production and sale of core board in various qualities (250 to 1,000 Joules ply bond strength), grammages, and thicknesses from own paper mills.
4. VMI Services: RFID-based Vendor-Managed Inventory service providing automated inventory management, monitoring, and scheduling functions for customers.
5. Cutting Centre Services: Testing services for paper cores on different cutting machines at the Wildflecken site. Also includes sale of used cutting machines from Eberlé SAS.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Paul & Co manufactures spiral-wound paper cores (Hülsen) for winding paper, films, foils, metal, textiles, and special applications, alongside edge protection products (Kantenschutz) including angular edge protectors, U-profiles, and Circoflex for transport securing. The company also produces its own core board (Hülsenkarton) at two paper mills and offers RFID-based Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI) services and a cutting centre for paper core testing.

Product overview

Paul & Co is a manufacturer of paper cores (Hülsen), edge protectors (Transportschutz/Kantenschutz), and core board (Hülsenkarton) for industrial applications. The product portfolio includes spiral-wound and wound paper cores for paper, films, metal, and textiles applications, available in various grades from standard to premium (NOVUM) and hygiene-focused (Active Hygiene Core). Edge protection solutions encompass angular edge protectors, roll edge protectors, U-profiles, flat profiles, and specialty items like the 2U-Box and Circoflex. The company produces its own core board raw material at two mills. Services include a cutting centre for testing, RFID-based VMI inventory management, and downloadable resources. The company is part of the Kunert Group with operations across Europe and Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hülsen (Paper Cores) Spiral-wound paper cores for paper, films and flexible packaging, metal, textiles, and special applications. Available in Standard, K-Hülsen (high-strength), FS-Hülsen, HKB-Hülsen, AR-Hülsen, NG, NP, PG/PGG variants, and NOVUM premium cores.
• NOVUM Paper Cores Premium spiral-wound paper cores combining optimal surface properties, running performance, and hygiene with outstanding optics and haptics. Made from 100% renewable raw materials and fully recyclable. Suitable for steel bands under 0.22mm, cigarette paper under 30 g/m², ultra-thin polyester films, metallized films, and magnetized steel bands.
• Active Hygiene Core Paper core for sensitive winding goods in medical and food industries with unique surface impregnation providing reliable antibacterial effect and long-term protection against bacterial contamination. Tested according to JIS L 1902 and JIS Z 2801 standards.
• Self-adhesive Stretch Film Core Self-adhesive stretch film core for stretch films between 10-35 my with partial adhesive layer ensuring cores do not stick together during fully automatic roll change at full speed.
• K-Hülsen (K-Cores) High-strength paper cores designed to withstand maximum loads during winding operations. They absorb winding pressure from plastic films and withstand loads better due to their special construction.
• Transportschutz (Edge Protectors) Edge protection solutions including angular edge protectors (Winkelkantenschutz), roll edge protectors (Rollenkantenschutz), U-profiles, flat profiles, and Circoflex for round or arched edges.
• Rock-Solid Edge Protectors Angular edge protectors with significantly increased strength using cardboard with extremely high density gradient. Offers up to double the strength compared to standard qualities with reduced wall thickness and material usage.
• Type XQ Edge Protectors Angular edge protectors with 'eXtended Quality' offering up to 20% higher strength compared to standard qualities with better distribution of strapping traction and tension forces.
• Moisture-resistant Edge Protectors Moisture-resistant angular edge protectors using special paper grades and adhesives, suitable for food storage in refrigerated warehouses or building materials stored outdoors. 100% recyclable.
• Disposable Load Securing Edge Protectors (Type LS) Angular edge protectors designed for comprehensive load securing in beverage, bulk goods, and bagged cargo applications. Achieves K-value of 1.85, reducing required tension belts from 32 to 12 for beverage crates.
• Circoflex Edge Protectors Flexible edge protectors with wall thicknesses of 2-5mm and lengths up to 5,700mm for optimal protection of round or curved edges. Continuously punched for high flexibility and ideal for paper reels.
• 2U-Box Packaging solution for delicate and long goods consisting of two precisely adjusted U-profiles, providing high stability for transport protection up to 8.0 meters in length.
• Hülsenkarton (Core Board) Core board produced in-house at Papeteries du Rhin and Carl Macher paper mills with annual production of 300,000 tonnes. Produced in qualities from 250 to 1,000 Joules ply bond strength, grammages from 0.19 to 1.0mm thickness. 100% recyclable and based on waste paper.
• VMI (Vendor-Managed-Inventory) RFID-based Vendor-Managed-Inventory system that optimizes inventory management. Automatically determines stock levels via RFID readers and enables efficient inventory management with minimal error rates.
• Cutting Centre Testing facility at Wildflecken site where customers can test paper cores on different cutting machines from Eberlé SAS to find optimal cutting solutions. Also offers used cutting machines for sale.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tension belts reduced from 32 to 12 per truck load for beverage transport
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered regional, core, flagship and minor.

• Loadlock LimitedregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional sales representative for Great Britain and Ireland. Provides local sales and support for Paul & Co products in the UK and Irish markets. Contact: Unit 2 Pioneer Park, Halesfield 18, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 4FA, Phone: +44 (370) 241 14 65
• Maxoll S.R.L.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional sales representative for Romania. Provides local sales and support for Paul & Co products in the Romanian market. Contact: Str. Rákóczi Ferenz 96, Odorheiu Secuiesc 535600, Phone: +40 (266) 217 862
• Aljaz Naraks s.p.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional sales representative for Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Macedonia. Provides local sales and support for Paul & Co products in these markets. Contact: Nusiceva 14, 3000 Celje, Phone: +386 (3) 548 20 45
• Eberlé SAScoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for cutting machines. Provides high-quality cutting technology for optimal burr and dust-free cutting results for paper cores. Range from simple standard versions to fully-automated machines for plastic film manufacturers and processors.
• Kunert GruppeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company group. Paul & Co is part of Kunert Gruppe, which operates 17 sites in Europe and Asia with 2,000 employees. Group includes paper core, edge protector, corrugated cardboard packaging, and core board operations. Headquarters: Kunert Gruppe, Germany.
• Carl Macher HülsenpapierecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwned core board mill in Hof/Brunnenthal, Germany. Produces 210,000 tonnes of high-quality core board annually. Most efficient core board mill in Europe. Supplies raw materials for Paul & Co paper core production.
• Papeteries du RhincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwned core board mill in Illzach, France. Produces 90,000 tonnes of core board annually. Steam sourced from local incineration plant. Supplies raw materials for Paul & Co paper core production.
• RESY (Recycling Systems)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecycling Systems organization - alliance of corrugated board manufacturers, waste paper disposal companies, and containerboard manufacturers. Membership guarantees proper disposal and recycling of edge protector solutions.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tubacex S.A. Industrial tube and core manufacturer with global operations across energy, industrial, and other sectors. Comparable in core winding technology but oriented toward steel tubes rather than paper cores.
• Novolex (formerly Caraustar): North American paper and packaging group with paper core/tube operations serving industrial converters. Broader portfolio than Paul & Co but overlapping in tube and core manufacturing for converting industries.
• Smurfit Kappa Group: Large European paper-based packaging group with a paper cores and specialty products division serving similar industrial end-markets. Overlaps with Paul & Co in core board and core manufacturing but operates across a much broader packaging portfolio.

Others

• Kunert Wellpappe: Sister company within the Kunert Gruppe producing corrugated cardboard packaging. Sister entity, not a competitor; included as adjacent material/technology convergence for packaging applications.

Direct peers

• Sonoco Products Company: Global leader in paper cores, tubes, and protective packaging with similar product portfolio (industrial paper cores, edge protectors) and a comparable focus on winding applications for film, paper, and foil customers. Direct competitor across multiple of Paul & Co's segments.
• Conitex Sonoco: Specialized paper cores joint venture focused exclusively on cores for textile, film, and foil applications. Closest direct peer by product focus and customer overlap with Paul & Co's film/foil and textile core categories.
• Palladio Group: Italian manufacturer of paper cores and tubes for industrial winding applications. Direct European competitor with overlapping customer base in film, paper, and converting industries.
• Ernest Sutter AG: Swiss manufacturer of paper cores and tubes with deep European footprint. Closely comparable in product range (spiral-wound cores) and target customer profile in the DACH region.
• Karl-Heinz Peters GmbH & Co. KG (KHP): German-based paper core manufacturer focused on spiral-wound cores for paper, film, and textile applications. Direct regional competitor with comparable product range and customer profile.

Emerging players

• Geca Tapes: Specialty tape and film solutions provider with adjacent edge protection and winding products. Comparable on winding-assistance technology side rather than full core manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paulundco

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Paul & Co Gmbh & Co Kg