Manufacturer of plastic packaging with IML decoration, in-house toolmaking and injection moulding series production for the food industry.
SPIES Kunststoffe GmbH
Melle-Gesmold · MelleNew on Amplifa
About SPIES Packaging
SPIES Kunststoffe GmbH is a family-owned company headquartered in Melle-Gesmold that has been developing and producing plastic packaging for the food industry, as well as technical articles and reusable solutions, for over 60 years. The company covers the entire value chain under one roof: product development with CAD, 3D scanning, 3D printing and FEM simulation, prototyping via laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography and vacuum casting, in-house mould and toolmaking on around 2,200 m², and injection moulding series production on 130 production systems with in-mould labelling (IML). Production is predominantly from polypropylene mono-material, PET, rPET, PIR and PCR recyclates and bio-based precursors certified under ISCC PLUS. Core sectors are dairy, spreads, delicatessen and ice cream; customers include Emmi, Ysco, IJspaleis, The Family Butchers and Royal Smilde. More than 450 employees work at the Technologiepark in Melle, covering 18,000 m²; annual capacity is around 2 billion packaging units, supplemented by a high-bay warehouse with 40,000 pallet spaces.
- Site
- Melle
- Processes
- Injection moulding of plastic packaging (IML injection moulding), Thin-wall injection moulding PET/rPET (wall thickness 0.35 mm), IML decoration (in-mould labelling), Toolmaking for injection moulds (from trial moulds to multi-cavity moulds), Prototype production: laser sintering (SLS), Prototype production: stereolithography (STL), Vacuum casting (prototypes), 3D printing of samples
- Materials
- Polypropylene (PP) mono-material, rPET (recycled PET), PET, rPP (recycled polypropylene), PIR material (post-industrial recycled PP), PCR material (post-consumer recycled PP), Bio-based/circular PP precursors (ISCC PLUS), Thick-gauge film (PP)
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, ISO 50001, FSSC 22000 (Version 6), ISCC PLUS, SEDEX Ethical Standards, EcoVadis Silver, VdS 10000, VSME 2024 (sustainability report), FSSC 22000, SEDEX
- Founded
- 1964
- Employees
- 450+
- Industries
- Dairy, Spreads, Delicatessen, Ice cream, Specials/Non-food, Reusable (gastronomy, retail)
- 01
Consulting and concept development
- 02
Product development (CAD, 3D scanning, FEM simulation)
- 03
Prototyping (3D printing, SLS, STL, vacuum casting)
- 04
Toolmaking
- 05
IML decoration
- 06
Injection moulding series production
- 07
Validation and quality inspection
- 08
Warehousing
- 09
Logistics
Materials & Processes
Polypropylene (mono-material)
Single-grade recyclable material for cups, lids and reusable packaging.
PET and rPET
Thin-wall injection moulding technology with wall thicknesses down to 0.35 mm, also in contact-sensitive food applications.
PIR material (post-industrial recycled)
Recycled production waste for products without direct food contact.
PCR material (post-consumer recycled)
Post-consumer recyclate for selected applications.
Bio-based/circular PP precursors
Processing according to the mass balance principle, certified under ISCC PLUS.
Locations
Melle-Gesmold
DETechnology park with administration, three production plants, toolmaking and high-bay warehouse
- Materials
- PP, PET, rPET, PIR, PCR
- 130 injection moulding systems
- Machining centres (toolmaking)
- Laser measuring and inline measurement systems
- High-bay warehouse (40,000 pallets)
- 3D printers
Components & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection moulding of plastic packaging (IML injection moulding)Plastics | – | – | – | Small series – Large series (2 billion packaging | Polypropylene (PP) mono-material, PET, rPET, PIR polypropylene, PCR material |
| Thin-wall injection moulding PET/rPET (wall thickness 0.35 mm)Plastics | – | – | – | – | PET, rPET |
| IML decoration (in-mould labelling)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polypropylene, PET, rPET |
| Toolmaking for injection moulds (from trial moulds to multi-cavity moulds)Engineering | Precision in the thousandth-millimetre range | – | – | – | – |
| Prototype production: laser sintering (SLS)Additive | – | – | – | – | – |
| Prototype production: stereolithography (STL)Additive | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vacuum casting (prototypes)Plastics | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3D printing of samplesAdditive | – | – | – | – | – |
| FEM simulation / structural analysisEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Testing: burst tests, functional tests, migration tests, transport tests, dimensional accuracy,Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Multi-component injection moulding: embedding RFID chips (NFC/UHF) in the cup wall (SPIES smart)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polypropylene mono-material |
| Thermal and ultrasonic sealing of lids (SPIES SL)Joining | – | – | – | – | Polypropylene mono-material |
| Processing of plastics from bio-based precursors (ISCC PLUS, mass balance)Plastics | – | – | – | – | PP Packaging (PP) – bio/bio-circular/circular |
| Injection moulding film extrusion for combined buckets (SPIES FC, thick-gauge film)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polypropylene mono-material |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection moulding systems (production systems) | – | 130 | – | – | Melle |
| In-house 3D printer | – | 1 | – | – | Melle |
| Machining centres (toolmaking) | – | – | – | – | Melle |
| Laser measuring and inline measurement systems | – | – | – | – | Melle |
| High-bay warehouse | – | 1 | 40,000 pallets of warehouse capacity | – | Melle (plant 3) |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Certifications
Quality assurance includes burst, functional, migration and transport tests as well as checks of dimensional accuracy, tolerances and mechanical properties; microbiological testing complements hygiene assurance. The management system is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 50001 and FSSC 22000.
| Evidence | Melle-Gesmold |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| ISO 50001 | |
| FSSC 22000 | |
| ISCC PLUS | |
| SEDEX | |
| EcoVadis Silver | |
| VdS 10000 |
Company History
- 1964
Founded as a specialist for mould and toolmaking by Klaus and Theresia Spies
- 1967
Start of plastic article production (diversification)
- 1969
First packaging for the food industry
- 1985
Opening of production plant 1
- 1988
Production of the first IML-decorated ice cream packaging
- 1995
Specialisation in packaging
- 2000
Generational change: transfer of company management to Christof and Michael Spies
- 2003
Opening of production plant 2, internationalisation
- 2009
Production volume of approx. 1.1 billion IML-decorated packaging parts per year; IML innovation leadership
- 2015
Opening of the competence centre with new construction of toolmaking and headquarters
- 2017
Investment in production plant 3 and high-bay warehouse; technology park 18,000 m², 40,000 pallets of warehouse capacity
- 2018
Occupancy and production start of plant 3 and high-bay warehouse
- 2020
First sustainability report according to the DNK standard
- 2022
German Packaging Award (sustainability category) for SPIES honeycomb structure
- 2023
Expansion of core sectors ice cream, dairy, delicatessen, spreads, specials
- 2024
Construction of the 10-megawatt Gesmold solar park along the A30
- 2026
Entry of Alexander and Sebastian Spies into the management board (3rd generation, 01.07.2026)