META-Regalbau

META-Regalbau GmbH & Co. KG, commonly written as META, is a German manufacturer of shelving systems and warehouse technology headquartered in Arnsberg in the Sauerland region. The company traces its origins to a nail factory founded in 1896 by the merchant August Linneborn and the smith Caspar Schnettler, which began operations on 1 January 1896 as Caspar Schnettler & Co. Nagelfabrik in Hüsten. Over the following decades the business evolved from nail and pin production into metalworking, and in 1963 it began manufacturing steel shelving in a modular bolt-together system. In 1969 the company relocated to the Große Wiese industrial area in Arnsberg-Bruchhausen and was renamed META-Regalbau GmbH & Co. KG, focusing thereafter on shelving production. Since 1986 META has belonged to the Joachim-Loh-Unternehmensgruppe, which is its sole shareholder. Within the group the company concentrates on warehouse technology. META designs and produces shelving systems for commercial and industrial applications, including boltless shelving, wide-span shelving, pallet racking, cantilever and long-goods racking, mobile and live storage systems, multi-tier installations such as META MULTIFLOOR, steel structures and system platforms, and conveyor technology. Its products are manufactured in its competence centres for racking and steel construction and sold worldwide. META operates through subsidiaries and sales offices in several European countries as well as the United States. The first foreign subsidiary was founded in Austria in 1972, followed by additional subsidiaries from 2000 onward in the Czech Republic, Poland, the United Kingdom, Romania, the United States, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. The company employs around 380 people in total, with 261 in Germany at the end of 2025, and reports annual revenue of approximately 120 million euros. Managing director since 2014 is Klaus Vatter. At its Arnsberg site META continues to invest in modern production and logistics. In 2025 it commissioned a fully automatic welding system for pallet racking beams at a cost of around 2.3 million euros, and it is investing 10 million euros in the demolition and reconstruction of Plant 2 (Werk 2) at Westring as a modern logistics centre, scheduled for completion in early 2027. The company positions itself around quality, innovation and sustainability, describing itself as a partner for high-quality shelving systems, individual warehouse solutions and warehouse automation.

META-Regalbau traces its origins to the Caspar Schnettler & Co. Nagelfabrik, founded by the merchant August Linneborn and the smith Caspar Schnettler, who signed a partnership agreement on 31 December 1895 and began operations on 1 January 1896 in Hüsten. The factory produced nails cut from sheet metal. After Heinrich Schnettler, the founder's son, joined, the company was converted into a GmbH in 1898 and expanded its range to include upholstery and special nails as well as drawing-board pins. To become less dependent on suppliers, the firm built its own cold-rolling mill for strip steel in 1913, obtaining warm-rolled input material partly from the neighbouring Hüstener Gewerkschaft. Several legally interlinked nail factories existed in Hüsten alongside the main operation, including the Westfälische Metallwaren- und Nagelfabrik GmbH (founded 1901) and the Hüstener Nagelfabrik Kemmerling & Hockelmann GmbH (founded 1915). In 1919 parts of these businesses were merged into Metall-Industrie GmbH, which at times used the abbreviation "META". The original Schnettler company continued until 1924. The production programme still included nails and pins, and later furniture glides were added. Drawing-board pins and drawing and upholstery nails were sold under the company's own brand names, including Perfekt, Gloria, Regent and Meta. During the Nazi era the Metall-Industrie GmbH benefited from rearmament. In the Second World War it switched production to "Wehrmachtsanfertigung" (Wehrmacht manufacturing), making aircraft parts for armament purposes among other things. Workers conscripted for military service were replaced by women and by forced labourers. Building records document the use of forced female labourers: on 1 May 1942 the Lüdenscheid armaments command approved the construction of a barracks for "female Russian workers"; in a letter to the city building office dated 14 September 1942, Metall-Industrie GmbH justified enlarging a control room with reference to "Wehrmachtsfertigung", and a building permit of 5 February 1943 provided for a common room and a sickroom for so-called "Ostarbeiterinnen". According to research by Nadja Thelen-Khoder, an "Ostarbeiterinnenlager" with about 30 people existed at H. Schnettler in Hüsten. On 10 April 1945 US troops occupied the operation; in the summer of 1945 the forced labourers left the factory. As a further processing branch for its self-produced strip steel, the company began in 1963 manufacturing steel shelving in a modular bolt-together system for household, office and commercial use. The shelves were delivered in standardised sizes with accessories, ready for dispatch in individual cartons. In 1969 the firm relocated to the Große Wiese industrial area in the Arnsberg district of Bruchhausen and was renamed META-Regalbau GmbH & Co. KG, with the focus now on shelving production. In the following years META expanded its range beyond simple boltless shelving. In 1980 the Meta Clip boltless shelving system came onto the market, followed in 1984 by the bolted wide-span shelving system Meta Mini-Rack. Also in 1984 the company acquired the shower-enclosure manufacturer Kusto in Bad Salzuflen. At the beginning of 1986 META was taken over by Joachim Loh and integrated into the Joachim-Loh-Unternehmensgruppe; the corresponding commercial register entry is dated 3 April 1986. Within the group the company concentrated on warehouse technology. In 1996, for its 100th anniversary, the commemorative publication META – das Unternehmen im Wandel appeared. In 1997 the toolmaking department was spun off as the independent company Lotec. Between 1998 and 2000 META introduced several shelving systems that are still offered today, including pallet and cantilever racking. In 2000 the company moved into a new administration building in Arnsberg. After the closure of the plant in Fröndenberg-Dellwig, acquired in 1997, at the end of 2003, steel construction production was relocated to the Czech site of České Budějovice. META founded its first foreign subsidiary in Austria in 1972. From 2000 onward further subsidiaries followed, including in the Czech Republic (2000), Poland (2002), the United Kingdom (2008), Romania (2011), the United States and Scandinavia (2013), and the Netherlands (2019). Sales offices exist in additional countries. In 2016 META took over the neighbouring former Selecta plant at Westring in Arnsberg as additional storage space. At the Arnsberg site in 2025 META commissioned a fully automatic welding system for manufacturing pallet racking beams, at a cost the company put at around 2.3 million euros. The company is also investing 10 million euros in the demolition and reconstruction of Werk 2 at Westring as a modern logistics centre, scheduled for completion in early 2027.

• 2025

  Fully automatic welding system for pallet racking beams commissioned in Arnsberg (around 2.3 million euros).

• 2019

  Subsidiary founded in the Netherlands.

• 2016

  Former Selecta plant at Westring in Arnsberg taken over as additional storage space.

• 2014

  Klaus Vatter becomes Managing Director.

• 2013

  Subsidiaries founded in the United States and Scandinavia.

• 2011

  Subsidiary founded in Romania.

• 2008

  Subsidiary founded in the United Kingdom.

• 2003

  Plant in Fröndenberg-Dellwig closed; steel construction production relocated to České Budějovice, Czech Republic.

• 2002

  Subsidiary founded in Poland.

• 2000

  New administration building occupied in Arnsberg; subsidiary founded in the Czech Republic.

• 1997

  Toolmaking department spun off as independent company Lotec.

• 1996

  100th anniversary; commemorative publication META – das Unternehmen im Wandel published.

• 1986

  Taken over by Joachim Loh and integrated into the Joachim-Loh-Unternehmensgruppe (commercial register entry 3 April 1986).

• 1984

  Meta Mini-Rack wide-span shelving system launched; Kusto shower-enclosure manufacturer acquired.

• 1980

  Meta Clip boltless shelving system launched.

• 1972

  First foreign subsidiary founded in Austria.

• 1969

  Relocation to Große Wiese in Arnsberg-Bruchhausen and renaming to META-Regalbau GmbH & Co. KG.

• 1963

  Manufacturing of modular steel shelving begins.

• 1919

  Parts of the businesses merged into Metall-Industrie GmbH, which at times used the abbreviation "META".

• 1913

  Own cold-rolling mill for strip steel established.

• 1898

  Company converted into a GmbH; range expanded to upholstery and special nails and drawing-board pins.

• 1896

  Caspar Schnettler & Co. Nagelfabrik begins operations in Hüsten on 1 January.

• Modern logistics centre at Werk 2, Westring, Arnsberg, scheduled for completion (10 million euro investment).

Manufacturer of high-quality shelving systems, individual warehouse solutions and warehouse automation, emphasising quality, innovation and sustainability since 1896.

• Fachbodenregale (boltless shelving)

• Palettenregale (pallet racking)

• Weitspannregale (wide-span shelving)

• Kragarm- & Langgutregale (cantilever and long-goods racking)

• META CLIP shelving system

• META MULTIFLOOR multi-tier installations

• Stahlbau und Systembühnen (steel structures and system platforms)

• Fördertechnik (conveyor technology)

• META-ILS warehouse automation

1. 1META Regalbau | Regalsysteme, Lagertechnik, Lagerautomationmeta-online.com
2. 2Über uns | Innovative Lagerlösungen | META Regalbaumeta-online.com
3. 3Werk 2 | META Regalbaumeta-online.com
4. 4Anfahrt | META Regalbaumeta-online.com
5. 5Meta-Regalbau – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
6. 6Meta-Regalbau – Wikidatawikidata.org