Plastic packaging (cups, trays, lids) produced by injection moulding and thermoforming as well as extruded PS, PP and PET films for the food and dairy industry.
W. u. H. Fernholz GmbH & Co. KG
Meinerzhagen (main plant) · Schkopau (film plant)New on Amplifa
Plastic packaging and films since 1963
Since 1963, W. u. H. Fernholz GmbH & Co. KG has been producing packaging and films made from thermoplastic plastics for the dairy and food industry. At the main plant in Meinerzhagen-Valbert, yoghurt cups, trays and lids are manufactured by injection moulding and thermoforming, while PP and PS films have been produced at the Schkopau site since 2009 in a 5-layer high-performance extrusion operation. The materials processed are polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), PET/APET as well as recycled materials such as rPS and rPET; films are extruded in thicknesses of 250 to 2,000 µm and widths of 250 to 1,000 mm. The value chain includes three decoration processes (IML, pressure-sensitive labelling, direct printing), the cardboard-overwrapped Desto® cup technology and an EU-registered rPS recycling process as a Novel Technology. With around 220 employees, approximately 2,000 tonnes of granulate are processed per month, equivalent to roughly 2.5 billion packaging units per year. The expansion project in Schkopau started in 2022 comprises over 2,250 m² of additional production and warehouse space.
- Site
- Meinerzhagen
- Processes
- Injection moulding, Thermoforming, Film extrusion, In-Mould-Labelling (IML), Pressure-sensitive labelling, Direct printing / cup printing (printing and labelling), Desto® cup technology (plastic inlet with cardboard/paper overwrap), FFS process (Form-Fill-Seal) films for dairies
- Materials
- Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), APET, PET/PE, Recycled polystyrene (rPS), Recycled PET (rPET), Cardboard/paper (recycled content up to 90%)
- Certificates
- ISO 14001, ISO 50001, BRC, HACCP, GKV Code of Conduct
- Founded
- 1963
- Employees
- 220
- Industries
- Food industry, Dairy industry, Gastronomy (gastro containers)
- 01
Product development/application engineering
- 02
Film extrusion
- 03
Injection moulding
- 04
Thermoforming
- 05
Decoration (IML, pressure-sensitive labelling, direct printing)
- 06
Warehousing and logistics
Materials and processes
Polypropylene
For cups, trays and lids; microwave-safe, also as fully automatic cups at up to 54,000 pieces per hour.
Polystyrene
For cups, lids and films as well as virgin-material barrier in the rPS FFS process for dairies.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET, APET)
For transparent cups, trays and lids; APET with high oxygen barrier and good transparency.
PET/PE multi-layer films
Multi-layer films for the dairy and food industry.
Recycled polystyrene
In the EU-registered Novel Technology process with functional virgin-PS barrier for FFS films.
Recycled PET
Used as a plastic inlet in the Desto® cup technology.
Cardboard/paper
Overwrapping of the Desto® cups with a recycled content of up to 90%, detachable for single-stream recycling.
Our locations
Meinerzhagen
DEMain plant: thermoformed and injection-moulded packaging as well as film extrusion, customised special solutions and
- Lot size
- Small series to large series
- Materials
- PP, PS, PET, APET, rPS, rPET
- Injection moulding machines (continuous multi-shift operation)
- Thermoforming systems with different tool systems
- Extrusion lines
- Fully automated Inliner for PP cups (2021, up to 54,000 cups/h)
- Printing machines for direct cup printing
- Silo facility for raw materials
Schkopau
DEFilm plant: high-performance extrusion of PP and PS films, especially for the dairy industry
- Lot size
- Large series
- Materials
- PP, PS, PET, PET/PE, rPS
- Extrusion lines (film thicknesses 250–2,000 µm)
- Roll warehouse (1,400 m²)
- Silo facility (expanded by 75% in 2025)
Components and products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection mouldingPlastics | – | – | – | – | Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), PET |
| ThermoformingPlastics | – | – | – | Small series – Large series | PP, PS, PET, APET |
| Film extrusionPlastics | – | 250 mm to 1,000 mm | – | – | PS, PP, PET, PET/PE, Multi-layer films, PS with laminated film, rPS |
| In-Mould-Labelling (IML)Plastics | – | – | – | – | PP, PS, PET |
| Pressure-sensitive labellingPlastics | – | – | – | – | PP, PS, PET |
| Direct printing / cup printing (printing and labelling)Surface | – | – | – | – | PP, PS, PET |
| Desto® cup technology (plastic inlet with cardboard/paper overwrap)Plastics | – | – | – | – | PP, PS, rPS, PET, rPET, Cardboard/paper |
| FFS process (Form-Fill-Seal) films for dairiesPlastics | – | – | – | – | rPS (with virgin-PS barrier) |
| rPS recycling process (Novel Technology NTN, functional barrier made of virgin PS)Plastics | – | – | – | – | rPS, Polystyrene |
| Warehousing and logistics (customised outer packaging)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Joint product development (idea, prototype, series implementation)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection moulding machines | – | – | – | – | Meinerzhagen |
| Thermoforming systems (different tool systems, various performance classes) | – | – | – | – | Meinerzhagen |
| Extrusion lines | – | various | Film thicknesses 250–2,000 µm, widths 250–1,000 mm, roll diameters 600–2,000 mm | – | Meinerzhagen and Schkopau |
| Inliner (fully automated production system for PP cups) | – | – | up to 54,000 cups per hour | 2021 | Meinerzhagen |
| Printing machines (direct cup printing) | – | – | – | – | Meinerzhagen |
| Silo facility for raw materials | – | – | – | 2006 | Meinerzhagen / Schkopau |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and certifications
Fernholz operates certified environmental and energy management systems (ISO 14001, ISO 50001) at both sites, along with BRC and HACCP certification for food hygiene. Hygiene and safety requirements are ensured through regular training and continuous monitoring of production processes.
| Evidence | Meinerzhagen | Schkopau |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 14001 | ||
| ISO 50001 | ||
| BRC | ||
| HACCP | ||
| GKV Code of Conduct |
History
- 1963
Founded by the brothers Werner and Helmut Fernholz; production of plastic articles with one injection moulding machine.
- 1972
Inauguration of the first production hall at the current site in the Ihne industrial estate, Meinerzhagen; continuous expansion of production and warehouse space.
- 2002
Frank and Uwe Fernholz, sons of the company founders, take over the management.
- 2006
Expansion of the silo facility for raw materials at the Meinerzhagen headquarters.
- 2009
Commissioning of the film plant in Schkopau with extrusion lines for PS, PP and multi-layer films.
- 2016
Uwe Fernholz takes over sole management and becomes majority shareholder; new production space of around 1,300 m² in Meinerzhagen-Ihne.
- 2021
Commissioning of a fully automated Inliner for PP cups (up to 54,000 cups per hour, reduced set-up and energy times).
- 2022
Start of construction of the expansion of the Schkopau film plant by over 2,250 m² of production and warehouse space; investments in the low double-digit millions.
- 2025
Increase of silo capacities in Schkopau by 75% to improve security of material supply.
- 2026
Registration of the rPS recycling process as a Novel Technology (NTN) in the EU Union Register of novel technologies; five production lines registered at two sites.