Picard & Wielputz Gmbh & Co. Kg Besteckfabrik

What Picard & Wielputz Gmbh & Co. Kg Besteckfabrik does

Picard & Wielpütz GmbH & Co. KG Besteckfabrik is a privately held, third-generation family-owned cutlery manufacturer founded in 1927 and headquartered in Solingen, Germany. Operating under the Briefanker brand — derived from the historic Solingen 'Brief und Siegel' quality mark — the company produces over 40 stainless steel cutlery models and specialty articles in 18/10 chrome-nickel steel and 18/0 chrome steel, with optional silver and gold plating as well as PVD color variants. Its product surface spans the main Besteckprogramm (full cutlery programs for table and serving), a Gourmet-Serie of specialty tools (oyster breakers, lobster tongs, pizza knives), the Casino Plus buffet line, Event-Besteck, Kinderbesteck, and gift packaging.

The firm's core technology is a hybrid of traditional Solingen craftsmanship — including manual grinding blocks — combined with modern robotic production facilities, yielding cost-efficient volume output while preserving the heritage quality narrative. Production runs from a 3,600 sqm built facility on a 5,200 sqm site in Solingen (relocated there in 2008), certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 by SGS since 2009 across development, production, procurement, logistics, and sales. Customization is a clear capability: the company offers stamping, etching, and laser engraving for logos and text.

Commercially, Picard & Wielpütz runs a direct B2B sales model targeting the gastronomy and hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants, caterers) worldwide, supplemented by an appointment-based factory outlet in Solingen for SMB and individual buyers, trade-fair presence with a dedicated Messejournal catalog, online catalog distribution (PDF and flip-catalog), and Instagram content. It also develops and produces custom cutlery models under OEM/private-label arrangements for other notable cutlery brands, and sources portfolio-completion SKUs through long-term foreign producer relationships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on a direct-quote basis.

Name

Picard & Wielputz Gmbh & Co. Kg Besteckfabrik

Legal name

PICARD & WIELPÜTZ GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://briefanker.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Picard & Wielpütz is a third-generation, family-owned Solingen cutlery manufacturer producing 40+ Briefanker-brand stainless steel models in 18/10 and 18/0 steel for the global gastronomy, hospitality, catering, private-label, and consumer markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cutlery Manufacturing

NAICS

Metal Kitchen Cookware, Utensil, Cutlery, and Flatware (except Precious) Manufacturing (332215), Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (33221)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420), Jewelry, Silverware & Plated Ware (3910)

akta.pro primary industry

Casting, Stamping & Fabrication (OEM/ODM) (CRAKAIAF)

Keywords

• Stainless steel cutlery
• Cutlery manufacturing
• Tableware products
• Gastronomy cutlery
• Buffet utensils

Headquarters

HQ city

Solingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cutlery Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of stainless steel cutlery under the Briefanker brand, including various series (Besteckprogramm, Event-Besteck, Buffet, Gourmet, Kinderbesteck) and gift packaging solutions

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Picard & Wielpütz manufactures stainless steel cutlery and related utensils under the Briefanker brand from its Solingen, Germany facility, producing over 40 different cutlery models and special articles. The portfolio spans standard flatware, buffet tools, gourmet specialty utensils, event cutlery, and children's cutlery in 18/10 chrome-nickel steel or 18/0 chrome steel, with silver- or gold-plating and PVD coating options. The company also offers custom engraving (stamping, etching, laser) and OEM/private-label production for other cutlery brands.

Product overview

Picard & Wielpütz GmbH & Co. KG is a Solingen-based cutlery manufacturer founded in 1927, operating under the Briefanker brand. The company produces over 40 different cutlery models and special articles, offering a comprehensive cutlery portfolio organized into several product lines: the main Besteckprogramm (cutlery program) featuring various series like Ventura, Ticino, Montego, Portofino, Charisma, Frame, Lotus, Franzi, Lina, and Monterey with PVD color variants; the Gourmet-Serie (serving tools) including specialty items like oyster breakers, lobster tongs, and pizza knives; the Casino Plus Buffet Serie for professional catering; Event-Besteck for parties and events; Kinderbesteck (children's cutlery); and Geschenkboxen gift packaging. Products are manufactured in 18/10 chrome-nickel steel or 18/0 chrome steel, with options for silver or gold plating. The company combines traditional craftsmanship with modern production including robotics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Briefanker: The company's primary brand name for cutlery products, derived from the historic Solingen quality mark representing 'Brief und Siegel' (letter and seal) - a traditional confirmation of quality.

Products and services

• Briefanker Besteckprogramm Main cutlery product line with over 40 different cutlery models and special articles, including standard and serving pieces, produced in 18/10 chrome-nickel steel or 18/0 chrome steel with optional silver or gold plating. Sold to gastronomy, hospitality, and consumer buyers.
• Gourmet-Serie (Specialty Tools) Specialty tools for professional gastronomy including oyster breakers, lobster tongs, lobster forks, fish servers, snail tongs, snail forks, cheese knives, pizza knives, and other unusual kitchen implements. Targets culinary professionals and hospitality operators.
• Casino Plus Buffet Serie Ergonomically designed buffet series with mattified handles and curved ends, featuring serving tongs, spatulas, salad servers, sauce spoons, cake servers, and chafing spoons. Covers all gastronomy buffet needs.
• Event-Besteck Event and party cutlery including coffee sticks/sporks, chopsticks, party articles, and piccolo items for hospitality events and large gatherings.
• Kinderbesteck Children's cutlery in fun designs including Fish & Penguin (6125), Kids (6171), Stork & Duck (6115), Animals (5991), and Traffic (6105), sized for small hands. Targets families and gift buyers.
• Geschenkboxen & Co. Gift packaging solutions including gift cartons for 24/30-piece sets, wooden cases for 72-piece sets, and magnetic closure boxes for 6-piece steak/pizza sets. Supports retail gifting and corporate gifts.
• Custom Engraving and OEM/Private-Label Production Customization services including stamping (Stempelung), etching (Ätzung), and laser engraving for logos and text on cutlery pieces, plus OEM/private-label development and production of custom cutlery models for other notable cutlery brands.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• External DesignersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal designers collaborate with the company on new cutlery developments alongside their internal engravers who also conceptualize and implement new designs
• Foreign ProducersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term relationships with foreign producers in areas where German production is not economical. Products are produced according to Picard & Wielpütz's quality specifications for portfolio completion
• Other Notable Cutlery BrandsminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerThe company develops and produces custom cutlery models for other notable brands in the cutlery market

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alessi: Italian design-led cutlery and tabletop manufacturer with designer-collaboration flatware ranges; comparable as a premium designer cutlery maker serving both retail and professional hospitality, though more design-driven than Briefanker.
• HEPP (Hepp GmbH): German buffet and banquet presentation/cutlery specialist serving hotels, airlines, and catering — directly overlapping with Picard & Wielpütz's Buffet Serie (Casino Plus) and HoReCa customer segment.
• Sambonet Paderno Industrie: Italian silverware and stainless-steel cutlery manufacturer serving HoReCa and retail worldwide, with comparable product breadth (table flatware, buffet tools, plating) and a strong B2B hospitality go-to-market motion.
• Berndorf / Berndorf Solingen: Austrian/German silverware and cutlery manufacturer with a long heritage, producing stainless-steel and silver-plated flatware for hospitality and retail — closely comparable in product, customer base, and craftsmanship-driven positioning.
• Robbe & Berking: German silverware and plated-cutlery manufacturer specializing in silver-plated and stainless-steel flatware for hospitality and retail — directly comparable premium positioning and material variants (silver/gold plating) to Picard & Wielpütz's product set.
• Zwilling J.A. Henckels: Global Solingen-headquartered cutlery and kitchenware brand offering forged knives, scissors, and stainless-steel cutlery sets to consumer and professional hospitality markets — the most direct large-scale peer competing in the same category and geography.
• WMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik): German premium housewares and professional cutlery/buffet manufacturer serving both consumer and gastronomy segments worldwide, with comparable stainless-steel flatware ranges and a hospitality distribution motion overlapping Picard & Wielpütz's Briefanker B2B channel.

Emerging players

• BergHOFF Worldwide: Belgian-headquartered tableware and cutlery brand with a strong design and value positioning; comparable as a broader tableware/flatware player expanding in European and international retail and hospitality channels.
• AMEFA: Dutch stainless-steel cutlery manufacturer supplying hospitality and retail with broad flatware ranges; comparable mid-market B2B cutlery specialist with overlapping distribution into European HoReCa accounts.

Broad incumbents

• Villeroy & Boch: Large German tableware and cutlery group with stainless-steel flatware lines sold globally through retail and hospitality channels; competes in the same category but as a much broader consumer-and-hospitality housewares portfolio rather than a cutlery specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/picardwielpuetz

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Picard & Wielputz Gmbh & Co. Kg Besteckfabrik