Wepa

WEPA Papierfabrik, generally presented as the WEPA Group, is a German family-owned hygiene-paper manufacturer headquartered in Müschede near Arnsberg. The company began in 1948 as a wholesaler of lining, wrapping, and gift-wrap paper founded by Paul Krengel. It moved into hygiene-paper processing in 1953 and began producing its own crepe paper after installing a first paper machine in Müschede in 1958. That shift from trading and converting into integrated paper production established the industrial base on which the modern group was built. The business operates primarily in the European sanitary-paper market. Its products include toilet paper, facial and cosmetic tissues, paper towels, napkins, industrial rolls, and related washroom systems. WEPA supplies grocery retailers and specialist distributors, with private-label manufacturing forming a central part of its consumer business. It also sells branded products, including mach m!t, Snyce, and Satino by WEPA in Germany and other European markets. Through WEPA Professional and the Satino brand, the group provides away-from-home hygiene products, dispensers, washroom equipment, service concepts, and paper-towel collection systems for offices, public facilities, healthcare, industrial sites, and other institutional customers. WEPA expanded from a regional German producer into a multinational European group through a combination of new facilities, acquisitions, and integration of distressed or partner businesses. Important steps included the 2001 acquisition of Kriepa GmbH in Kriebethal, the creation and subsequent restructuring of international ventures from 2004 onward, the acquisition of facilities associated with Fabryka Papieru Piechowice and Kimberly-Clark, and the integration of Kartogroup locations in Italy, Germany, and France from 2008. The Kartogroup transaction was strategically significant and operationally demanding because the target was close to WEPA in scale and entered insolvency during the global financial crisis. WEPA ultimately integrated the operations without retaining the proposed outside-investment arrangement with Pamplona Capital. Further expansion added locations in France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Poland. The group acquired the Van Houtem business in 2017, took full ownership of UK Northwood & WEPA in 2018, and acquired the Greenfield plant in Château-Thierry in 2019. In 2023, its WEPA Professional unit acquired Star Tissue UK, strengthening its British away-from-home hygiene operation. By 2025, the group operated 14 production sites in six European countries, with 22 paper machines and more than 80 converting machines. Reference material describes annual turnover as exceeding €1.7 billion and the company as one of Europe's largest hygiene-paper manufacturers; these figures should be read in relation to the relevant reporting period rather than as a permanent valuation. The company emphasizes short regional supply chains because tissue products are bulky relative to their selling price. Its production network therefore places mills and converting facilities close to major European markets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, unusually high toilet-paper demand led WEPA to simplify production temporarily around basic products so that machines could run with fewer program changes. In 2022, exceptional energy costs forced partial production suspensions, reportedly the first such interruption in the company's history. Sustainability is a major part of WEPA's current positioning. The group states that its hygiene-paper production uses recovered paper or fairly traded and certified fibres from sustainable forestry. Its circular-economy activities include collecting used paper towels and processing them into new paper products. Since 2023, the company has also described a process for converting recovered cardboard into recycled paper through multiple fibre-use cycles. WEPA markets recycled and resource-efficient products under its own brands and supplies recycled pulp as a semi-finished industrial material. The company received the German Federal Ecodesign Award in 2023 and the German Sustainability Award in 2024, according to the supplied reference material. Ownership and governance remain closely connected to the founding family. Paul Krengel's four sons gradually joined the company during the 1970s and 1980s and later assumed management responsibilities. Martin Krengel and his son Andreas Krengel represent a later generation in the leadership structure. The family also established the WEPA Foundation in 2021 to support hygiene, sustainability, lifelong learning, and family entrepreneurship initiatives. Overall, WEPA combines private-label industrial scale with professional washroom solutions and sustainability-oriented paper recovery, while remaining focused on European tissue and hygiene markets.

WEPA was established in 1948 by Paul Krengel as a wholesale business dealing in lining, wrapping, and gift-wrap paper. The company entered hygiene-paper processing in 1953 at Arnsberg. In 1958 it installed its first paper machine in Müschede, beginning internal production of crepe paper rather than relying solely on purchased materials. A plant in Marsberg-Giershagen, opened in 1963, extended the group's ability to convert its own paper into finished products. During the 1970s and 1980s, Paul Krengel's four sons—Paul Jr., Wolfgang, Joachim, and Martin—joined the business and gradually assumed management responsibilities. In 1980, WEPA began developing private-label products. Retailer brands later became one of the company's principal business fields, especially in toilet tissue and other high-volume consumer categories. The company's first major post-reunification expansion was the 2001 acquisition of Kriepa GmbH in Kriebethal, Saxony, now associated with WEPA Saxony. Kriepa had previously operated in a joint venture with Kübler & Niethammer. Because tissue products occupy considerable transport volume compared with their price, WEPA pursued a geographically distributed European manufacturing network to limit delivery distances. From 2004, the group accelerated internationalization. It formed the GC & WEPA joint venture in Spain, acquired a majority interest in Polish hygiene-paper producer Fabryka Papieru Piechowice, and took over the Mainz mill of Kimberly-Clark. From 2008, facilities connected with the Italian competitor Kartogroup in Lucca and Cassino, the German site in Leuna, and the French site in Lille were integrated into WEPA. The transaction was challenging: Kartogroup was nearly comparable to WEPA in size and was insolvent during the period of the global financial crisis. WEPA entered a cooperation with investment firm Pamplona Capital in 2010, but the arrangement ended soon afterward because the parties differed over corporate governance. The group subsequently completed the Kartogroup integration without the outside investment. In 2015, WEPA sold its interest in the Spanish joint venture and acquired a site in Troyes, France. The 2017 acquisition of the family-owned Van Houtem business added a plant in Swalmen, Netherlands, focused on away-from-home products. In 2018, WEPA acquired all shares in UK Northwood & WEPA, a Bridgend-based joint venture established in 2014. The 2019 acquisition of the Greenfield plant in Château-Thierry added production of de-inked recycled pulp, made by cleaning recovered fibres of printing ink. The group entered the COVID-19 period with a broad European footprint. From spring 2020, exceptionally high demand for toilet paper required temporary simplification of the product mix. Standardizing production around basic items reduced machine changeovers and helped maintain output. In 2021, Andreas Krengel joined the management alongside his father, Martin Krengel, marking the participation of another generation of the owning family. The 2022 energy crisis created a severe cost challenge and caused temporary partial production suspensions. WEPA continued to expand its professional hygiene business in 2023 through the acquisition of Star Tissue UK, a Blackburn-based British supplier that became WEPA Professional UK Ltd. By 2025, reference material identified 14 production sites in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland. The network included Arnsberg-Müschede, Marsberg-Giershagen, Kriebethal, Leuna, Mainz, Lille, Troyes, Château-Thierry, Bridgend, Blackburn, Cassino, Lucca, Swalmen, and Piechowice. The modern group operates through WEPA SE and approximately 20 national and international subsidiaries. It manufactures tissue paper on 22 paper machines and converts it on more than 80 converting machines. Its consumer business is heavily oriented toward private-label supply for European grocery retailers, while WEPA Professional sells branded tissue, dispensing equipment, washroom systems, and associated services. Sustainability initiatives include the use of recovered paper and certified or fairly traded fibres, recycled-pulp production, collection and reuse of used paper towels, and efforts to extend the useful life of paper fibres. WEPA also established a foundation in 2021 to support hygiene, sustainability, lifelong learning, and family entrepreneurship. In 2023 and 2024, the company received German sustainability-related awards. Since 2025, it has been upgrading its Bridgend operation with a paper machine, converting lines, and palletizing equipment.

• 2025

  Bridgend modernization

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  WEPA began investing in a paper machine, converting lines, and palletizing modernization in Bridgend.

• 2023

  Star Tissue UK acquired

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  WEPA Professional acquired Star Tissue UK and renamed the operation WEPA Professional UK Ltd.

• 2021

  Next-generation management and foundation

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  Andreas Krengel joined management, and the Krengel family established the WEPA Foundation.

• 2020

  COVID-19 production standardization

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  WEPA temporarily simplified its product mix to maintain output during the toilet-paper demand surge.

• 2019

  Greenfield plant acquired

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  The Château-Thierry plant joined the group and specialized in de-inked recycled fibres.

• 2018

  Full ownership of UK Northwood & WEPA

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  WEPA acquired all shares in the Bridgend-based UK joint venture.

• 2017

  Van Houtem acquisition

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition of Van Houtem added an away-from-home production site in Swalmen, Netherlands.

• 2015

  French expansion and Spanish divestment

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  WEPA sold its Spanish joint-venture interest and acquired a site in Troyes, France.

• 2008

  Kartogroup facilities integrated

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  WEPA began integrating Kartogroup locations in Italy, Germany, and France.

• 2004

  European expansion accelerates

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  The group established a Spanish joint venture and expanded through interests in Polish and German hygiene-paper operations.

• 2001

  Kriepa acquisition

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  WEPA acquired Kriepa GmbH in Kriebethal, now associated with WEPA Saxony.

• 1980

  Private-label development begins

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  WEPA began developing its own private-label product programs, later a core part of its business.

• 1963

  Marsberg-Giershagen plant opens

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  A new plant marked the expansion of WEPA's converting and further-processing capabilities.

• 1958

  First paper machine

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  The company began its own paper production after constructing a crepe-paper machine in Müschede.

• 1953

  Entry into hygiene-paper processing

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  WEPA began processing hygiene papers in Arnsberg.

• 1948

  Company founded

  [1]Wepaen.wikipedia.org

  Paul Krengel founded the business as a wholesaler of lining, wrapping, and gift-wrap paper.

A European, family-owned hygiene-paper specialist combining large-scale private-label manufacturing with branded consumer products, professional washroom systems, regional production, and circular-material solutions.

• Consumer hygiene paper · 1953

  Toilet paper

  Toilet paper is WEPA's largest reported product category by revenue. The group manufactures rolls for European grocery retailers, primarily for private-label programs, as well as products sold through its own branded and professional channels. Its distributed production network supports regional supply and reduces the transport burden associated with bulky tissue products.

• Away-from-home hygiene paper

  Paper towels and hand towels

  WEPA supplies paper towels and folded or rolled hand-towel formats for workplaces, public washrooms, healthcare facilities, industrial customers, and retail channels. These products are often paired with dispensers and service programs under the Satino professional offering. The company also operates collection concepts in which used paper towels can become feedstock for new paper.

• Consumer tissue

  Facial and cosmetic tissues

  The group produces facial tissues and cosmetic tissues for grocery and specialist distribution. These products extend WEPA's converting expertise beyond toilet tissue and are supplied both as retailer private labels and through selected branded portfolios.

• Table and food-service paper

  Napkins

  WEPA manufactures paper napkins for consumer and professional applications. Production can be configured for grocery private labels, food-service supply, and institutional use, fitting the group's broader strategy of serving both retail and away-from-home hygiene channels.

• Professional hygiene brand

  Satino by WEPA

  Satino is WEPA's principal professional hygiene brand. It combines hygiene paper with dispenser systems, washroom equipment, and service concepts for offices, public facilities, healthcare, industry, and other institutional settings. The proposition is based on coordinated systems rather than paper alone, including supply and collection solutions.

• Recycled hygiene paper

  Satino PureSoft

  Satino PureSoft is positioned as a recycled-paper hygiene range. The supplied reference material describes the products as being made from 100% recovered paper, linking softness and professional usability with WEPA's resource-efficiency and circular-economy messaging.

• Consumer hygiene brand

  mach m!t

  mach m!t is one of WEPA's European consumer-facing brands. It represents the group's move beyond anonymous private-label manufacturing and is associated with hygiene-paper products emphasizing practical everyday use and sustainability-oriented materials.

• Consumer hygiene brand

  Snyce

  Snyce is a WEPA-owned consumer brand marketed in Europe. Available information identifies it as part of the group's branded portfolio alongside mach m!t and Satino by WEPA, although detailed product-line information is not specified in the supplied sources.

• Industrial recycled material

  Premium Recycled Pulp

  Premium Recycled Pulp is a semi-finished material supplied to industrial customers. It is produced from recovered fibres and can be used in applications including dry-food packaging. The offering diversifies WEPA beyond finished hygiene paper while supporting its focus on recovered-paper utilization.

• 2023Circular paper-towel and fibre-use program

  Europe

  WEPA promoted collection of used paper towels and the conversion of recovered cardboard and paper fibres into new paper products.

  Outcome. The initiative supported the group's circular-economy positioning and was followed by sustainability recognition, including the German Federal Ecodesign Award.

  Source
• 2021WEPA Foundation

  Germany · Europe

  The Krengel family established the WEPA Foundation to support projects involving hygiene, sustainability, lifelong learning, and family entrepreneurship.

  Outcome. The foundation became a formal vehicle for the family's social and sustainability initiatives. Andreas Krengel and Ingmar Lohman were appointed as chairmen of its board.

  Source

• 2025

  Bridgend capacity and automation investmentStrategy

  Background

  WEPA continued modernizing its UK production network and supporting regional manufacturing capacity.

  Action taken

  The company began investing in a new paper machine, two converting lines, and palletizing modernization at Bridgend.

  Aftermath

  The project is intended to improve the site's production capability and operational efficiency; final results were not specified in the supplied material.

  Source

• 2023

  Acquisition of Star Tissue UKM&A

  Background

  WEPA sought to strengthen its professional hygiene-paper activities in the United Kingdom.

  Action taken

  WEPA Professional acquired the family-owned supplier Star Tissue UK in Blackburn.

  Aftermath

  The operation became WEPA Professional UK Ltd, expanding the group's British professional-hygiene platform.

  Source

• 2022

  Temporary production reduction during the energy crisisStrategy

  Background

  Sharp energy-price increases created exceptional cost pressure for energy-intensive paper production.

  Action taken

  WEPA partially suspended production for a period.

  Aftermath

  The suspension was described in the reference material as the first of its kind in the company's history.

  Source

• 2020

  Temporary standardization of toilet-paper productionStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic produced an exceptional surge in demand for toilet paper.

  Action taken

  WEPA temporarily concentrated production on basic products so that machines could run with fewer program changes.

  Aftermath

  The measure helped the group respond to unusually high demand while maintaining production continuity.

  Source

• 2008

  Integration of Kartogroup facilitiesM&A

  Background

  Kartogroup was a major Italian competitor with facilities in Italy, Germany, and France, but its insolvency made the transaction unusually risky, especially during the global financial crisis.

  Action taken

  WEPA integrated the Lucca, Cassino, Leuna, and Lille operations into its group.

  Aftermath

  A proposed cooperation with Pamplona Capital in 2010 ended over corporate-governance differences, but WEPA subsequently completed the integration without that investment partner.

  Source

1. 1Wepaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WEPA Group official websitewepa.de