Plastic packaging (cups, trays, lids) and films made of PS, PP and PET for the food and dairy industry.
W. u. H. Fernholz GmbH & Co. KG Kunststoffverarbeitung
Meinerzhagen · SchkopauNew on Amplifa
Plastic packaging solutions since 1963
W. u. H. Fernholz GmbH & Co. KG, based in Meinerzhagen-Valbert, has been producing packaging and films from thermoplastic plastics since 1963, especially for the food and dairy industry. The product range includes injection-moulded and thermoformed cups, trays and lids as well as extruded PS, PP, PET and multilayer films. Decoration is carried out by in-mould labelling, direct printing, adhesive labelling or with the Desto® cup technology, which combines a thin plastic inlet with a cardboard or paper sleeve. At the main plant in Meinerzhagen (production area 11,400 m²), custom special solutions and standard items are produced in small and large series; since 2009, the film plant in Schkopau in the Dow ValuePark has been producing high-performance PP and PS films in 5-layer operation. With around 200 to 220 employees, 2,000 tonnes of granulate are processed monthly, which corresponds to around 2.5 billion packages per year. In-house rPS and rPP recycling processes are registered as Novel Technology in the EU.
- Site
- Meinerzhagen
- Processes
- Injection moulding (plastic packaging such as cups, lids), Thermoforming (cups, trays, lids), Film extrusion (PS, PP, PET and multilayer films, printed/laminated films), Deep-drawing processes (plastic parts: cups, trays, lids), In-mould labelling (IML), Direct cup printing (printing and lacquer finishing), Adhesive labelling / labelling, Desto® cup technology (plastic inlet with cardboard/paper sleeve)
- Materials
- Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), APET, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PET/PE, rPS (recycled polystyrene), rPET (recycled PET), rPP (recycled polypropylene, under development)
- Certificates
- ISO 14001, ISO 50001, BRC, HACCP, GKV Code of Conduct, AAA recyclability (Desto® cup 2.0)
- Founded
- 1963
- Employees
- approx. 200–220
- Industries
- Food industry, Dairy industry, Gastronomy
- 01
Product development and prototyping
- 02
Film extrusion
- 03
Injection moulding
- 04
Thermoforming
- 05
Decoration (IML, direct printing, labelling, Desto®)
- 06
Warehousing and logistics
Materials and processes
Polypropylene
For cups, trays and lids; microwave-safe, also in injection moulding and thermoforming.
Polystyrene
For cups, lids and films, also as printed and laminated films.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
For cups, lids and films, partly as PET/PE multilayer composite.
APET
For trays with high oxygen barrier and good transparency.
Recycled polystyrene (rPS)
In the company's own Novel Technology process for cups and FFS films, registered as an rPS process in the EU.
Recycled PET (rPET)
For the plastic inlets of Desto® cups.
Recycled polypropylene (rPP)
Under development, pilot test for cups from the dairy recycling chain.
Cardboard/paper
Sleeve of the Desto® cups with a recycled content of up to 90%.
Production sites
Meinerzhagen
DEMain plant: injection moulding, thermoforming, film extrusion
- Lot size
- Small and large series
- Materials
- PP, PS, PET, APET, rPS, rPET, PET/PE
- Injection moulding machines (continuous shift operation)
- Thermoforming systems of various performance classes
- Extrusion lines
- Fully automated inliner up to 54,000 PP cups/hour
- Printing machines for direct cup printing
- Silo facility
Schkopau
DEFilm plant: high-performance extrusion for PP and PS films (Dow ValuePark, Building F/16)
- Part weight / size
- Film thicknesses 200–2,000 µm
- Materials
- PP, PS, PET, PET/PE
- State-of-the-art extruders in 5-layer operation
- Extrusion lines
- Roll warehouse (1,400 m²)
- Silo facility (expanded by 75% in 2025)
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection moulding (plastic packaging such as cups, lids)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), PET (polyethylene terephthalate) |
| Thermoforming (cups, trays, lids)Plastics | – | – | 5 litres volume (trays) | – | Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), APET, PET, PET/PE |
| Film extrusion (PS, PP, PET and multilayer films, printed/laminated films)Plastics | – | Widths 150–1,100 mm (PS/PP), 150–830 mm | – | – | Polystyrene (PS), Polypropylene (PP), PET, PET/PE |
| Deep-drawing processes (plastic parts: cups, trays, lids)Plastics | – | – | – | – | PP, PS, PET |
| In-mould labelling (IML)Surface | – | – | – | – | PP, PS |
| Direct cup printing (printing and lacquer finishing)Surface | – | – | – | – | PP, PS, PET |
| Adhesive labelling / labellingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Desto® cup technology (plastic inlet with cardboard/paper sleeve)Plastics | – | – | – | – | PP, PS, rPS, PET, rPET, Cardboard/paper |
| FFS process (form-fill-seal) with rPS filmPlastics | – | – | – | – | rPS (recycled polystyrene), Virgin PS (functional barrier) |
| Product development and application engineering (from idea via prototype to series production)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Warehousing and logistics (customer-specific outer packaging)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
8 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection moulding machines | – | – | – | – | Meinerzhagen |
| Thermoforming systems (various tool systems and performance classes) | – | – | – | – | Meinerzhagen |
| Extrusion lines (film extrusion) | – | – | Thicknesses 250–2,000 µm, widths 250–1,000 mm, roll diameters 600–2,000 mm | – | Meinerzhagen, Schkopau |
| Extruders (state-of-the-art, 5-layer operation) | – | – | – | – | Schkopau |
| Fully automated inliner (cup production, up to 54,000 cups/hour) | – | 1 | PP cups for the food industry | 2021 | Meinerzhagen |
| Printing machines (direct cup printing) | – | – | – | – | Meinerzhagen |
| Recycling installations for film production (rPS, Novel Technology, registered with RIN) | – | 5 | – | – | Meinerzhagen, Schkopau |
| Silo facility for raw materials (capacity in Schkopau increased by 75%) | – | – | – | 2025 | Meinerzhagen, Schkopau |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and certificates
Fernholz produces according to certified management systems for environment and energy (ISO 14001, ISO 50001) as well as according to BRC and HACCP at both sites. Regular employee training and continuous controlling of production processes ensure the hygiene and safety requirements of the food industry.
| 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
Opening of the first production hall at the current site in the Ihne industrial estate, Meinerzhagen.
- 2002
Frank and Uwe Fernholz take over the management.
- 2006
Expansion of the raw material silo facility at the Meinerzhagen headquarters.
- 2009
Commissioning of the film plant in Schkopau with extrusion systems for PS, PP and multilayer films.
- 2016
Uwe Fernholz becomes sole managing director and majority shareholder; new production area of around 1,300 m² in Meinerzhagen.
- 2020
Launch of the rPS offering; GKV certificate 2020188.
- 2021
Commissioning of a new production line with up to 54,000 PP cups per hour.
- 2022
Start of the expansion of the Schkopau film plant by 2,250 m² (investment in the low double-digit million range).
- 2023
Approval of weight-optimised cups with approx. 8–10% material savings by customers.
- 2025
Increase of silo capacities in Schkopau by 75%.
- 2026
Registration of the rPS process as Novel Technology (NTN) in the EU Union Register; 5 systems at 2 sites registered with RIN.