wilhelm knepper gmbh & co.

What wilhelm knepper gmbh & co. does

Wilhelm Knepper GmbH & Co. KG, operating commercially as Knepper Gruppe, is a privately held, family-owned industrial services group headquartered in Lippstadt, Germany. Founded in 1951 and celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2026, the company runs an interdisciplinary portfolio organized around the demolition-to-recycling value chain: demolition and dismantling (including specialized high-altitude industrial work), earthworks through its WK Erdbau subsidiary, recycling and certified waste disposal, scrap and non-ferrous metal processing and trading, logistics and transport (including the METALXPRESS logistics concept), container services, and food/by-product recycling through WerPro GmbH & Co. KG. A public Wertstoffhof recycling yard in Lippstadt supplements direct B2B distribution.

The group serves industrial companies, construction firms, manufacturing clients, and government/municipal customers on a project-based contracting basis, with named project work for clients including Heidelberg, Grauthoff Holding, Heinrich Send, and the IHK. Operations are conducted nationally in Germany and across Europe with approximately 300 employees and no external equity, venture, or public ownership. Revenue is generated through one-time project contracts (demolition, earthworks), transaction fees (recycling, scrap trading), and professional services (logistics, container, food recycling); pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. Distribution combines enterprise field sales, container services, and the public recycling yard, with brand presence via the corporate website and LinkedIn, and a digital marketing partnership with Amplio announced in July 2026.

Name

wilhelm knepper gmbh & co.

Legal name

Wilhelm Knepper GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://knepper-recycling.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Wilhelm Knepper GmbH & Co. KG (Knepper Gruppe) is a family-owned German industrial services group operating since 1951, delivering demolition, earthworks, recycling, scrap and non-ferrous metal trading, logistics, container, and food recycling services to industrial, construction, and municipal clients across Germany and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Demolition and Recycling Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (5621), Other Nonhazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562219), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)

akta.pro primary industry

C&D Waste Collection, Hauling & Container Services (Roll-off/Dumpsters) (EUAIAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Non-hazardous Waste Collection & Hauling (EUAIAGAB), Hauling, Spoil Management & Disposal (Muck Away) (IMAFAKAJ)

Keywords

• Demolition services
• Scrap metal recycling
• Industrial dismantling
• Construction earthworks
• Waste management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lippstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Demolition & Dismantling Services: Industrial demolition, dismantling, and deconstruction services for industrial facilities, buildings, and infrastructure including precision work at height (e.g., 65-meter cyclone decommissioning)
2. Recycling & Waste Management: Processing and recycling of construction materials, waste, and scrap with certified disposal services
3. Scrap & Non-Ferrous Metal Trading: Purchase, processing, and sale of scrap metals and non-ferrous metals
4. Earthworks & Construction Services: WK Erdbau subsidiary providing earthworks for construction projects including large hall construction and dam projects
5. Logistics & Transport: Transportation and logistics services including METALXPRESS intelligent logistics for material cycles
6. Container Service: Container service for efficient waste disposal tailored to customer needs
7. Food Recycling (WerPro): Sustainable solutions for by-products through WerPro GmbH & Co. KG subsidiary

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Wilhelm Knepper GmbH & Co. KG (Knepper Gruppe) is an industrial services group offering demolition and dismantling, earthworks, recycling and waste disposal, scrap and non-ferrous metal trading, logistics and transport, container services, and food recycling (through WerPro GmbH & Co. KG). The company delivers these services to industrial, construction, and public-sector clients across Germany and Europe, supported by an integrated METALXPRESS logistics concept and a public Wertstoffhof recycling yard in Lippstadt.

Product overview

The Knepper Gruppe operates as an integrated industrial services company offering a unified portfolio of complementary services centered on demolition, earthworks, recycling, and waste management. The core offerings include Abbruch & Demontage (demolition and dismantling), WK Erdbau (a subsidiary for earthworks), Recycling & Entsorgung, Schrott & NE-Metalle (scrap metal and non-ferrous metals), WerPro/ Foodrecycling (a subsidiary for food waste recycling managed by WerPro GmbH & Co. KG), Logistik & Transport, Containerdienst, and the Wertstoffhof public recycling center. The METALXPRESS intelligent logistics concept integrates with the transport and materials handling operations. The company is family-owned and has been operating since 1951, serving customers nationally and throughout Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Abbruch & Demontage (Demolition & Dismantling) Precision demolition and dismantling services for projects of any scale, covering complete structural removal, selective deconstruction, interior strip-outs, and high-altitude industrial dismantling such as 65-meter cyclone decommissioning. Targeted at industrial companies, construction firms, and municipalities.
• WK Erdbau (Earthworks)
• Recycling & Entsorgung (Recycling & Waste Management)
• Schrott & NE-Metalle (Scrap & Non-Ferrous Metal Trading)
• WerPro / Food Recycling
• Logistik & Transport (Logistics & Transport)
• Containerdienst (Container Service)

Quantifiable outcome

• 75 years of successful company history and continuous operation since 1951

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AmpliominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Digital marketing partnership with Amplio for digital brand presence enhancement. Knepper announced partnership with Amplio for digital brand strategy and online visibility improvements, indicating a collaborative effort to strengthen digital marketing capabilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• REMONDIS: One of Europe's largest privately held waste management and recycling groups, offering collection, recycling, and disposal services across industrial, commercial, and municipal customers. Comparable to Knepper across recycling, scrap, and C&D waste collection, but operating at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Aurubis AG: European leader in non-ferrous metals smelting and recycling, publicly listed. Relevant comparable for Knepper's downstream non-ferrous metals output and scrap-supply role, though operating at vastly larger scale in primary and secondary smelting.
• Veolia Deutschland: German arm of global waste management and environmental services group offering collection, treatment, recycling, and disposal to industrial and municipal clients. Comparable to Knepper's recycling, container, and waste management streams, but with national/EU scale and integration into broader utility services.
• Strabag SE: Major European construction group with significant demolition, earthworks, and civil engineering operations. Comparable to Knepper's demolition (Abbruch & Demontage) and WK Erdbau earthworks activities, but operating at substantially larger construction-and-civil-engineering scale.
• PORR AG: Austrian-headquartered European construction group with active demolition and environmental technology lines. Comparable to Knepper's demolition and WK Erdbau earthworks activities, though much larger and more diversified across general construction.

Direct peers

• ALBA Group: Family-owned German recycling and scrap metal group with integrated collection, sorting, and raw materials marketing. Closely mirrors Knepper's mix of recycling services, scrap/non-ferrous metals trading, and container logistics at a larger German footprint.
• TSR Recycling: German-headquartered scrap metal recycler and trader (formerly Scholz) operating extensive yards across Europe. Directly comparable to Knepper's Schrott & NE-Metalle and recycling operations, with similar transactional revenue model on secondary metals.
• Cronimet Holding: German family-owned scrap and non-ferrous metals trading group with global sourcing. Directly comparable to Knepper's non-ferrous metals business and scrap recovery stream, with a similar mid-sized Mittelstand character.
• Knettenbrech + Gurdulic: German Mittelstand demolition, remediation, and recycling contractor operating across Hesse and NRW. Closely comparable to Knepper in scope of services (demolition, recycling, container service) and regional industrial customer base.

Emerging players

• PreZero: Schwarz Group's environmental services arm providing recycling and waste management in Germany and Europe. Comparable to Knepper's recycling, container, and circular-economy positioning, but with rapidly growing scale backed by the Schwarz Group capital base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knepper-gruppe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 →

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