Manufacturer of hygiene papers, dispenser systems and fibre-based materials at 14 European sites.
WEPA Hygieneprodukte GmbH
Arnsberg-Müschede · Marsberg-Giershagen · Kriebstein-Kriebethal · Leuna · Mainz · Lille · Troyes · Château-Thierry · Bridgend · Blackburn · Cassino · Lucca · Swalmen · PiechowiceNew on Amplifa
About WEPA
WEPA Hygieneprodukte GmbH is the headquarters of the Wepa Group, a family-owned company of the Krengel family operating throughout Europe with around 4,500 employees. The company produces hygiene papers such as toilet paper, facial tissues, kitchen towels, hand towels, cosmetic tissues, napkins, centerfeed and cleaning rolls as well as medical examination rolls. Production takes place on 22 paper machines with a capacity of 850,000 tonnes per year; more than 80 converting machines carry out further processing. Raw materials include recovered paper, certified pulps from sustainable forestry as well as the company's own secondary-fibre pulp Premium Recycled Pulp; deinked recycled pulp (DIP) is produced at the Château-Thierry site. The products are sold predominantly as private labels to the European food retail trade; in addition, WEPA offers its own brands, professional washroom solutions, dispenser systems and fibre-based materials such as lignin for industry and chemistry.
- Site
- Arnsberg
- Processes
- Manufacture of hygiene papers (toilet paper, facial tissues, kitchen towels, hand towels), Manufacture of dispenser systems and washroom equipment, Paper production (paper machines, crepe papers), Production of deinked recycled pulp (DIP), Converting of hygiene paper (converting machines), Development of private labels (Private Label), Dispenser systems and washroom equipment, Services such as hand towel recovery
- Materials
- Recovered paper / recycled fibres, Premium Recycled Pulp (secondary-fibre pulp), Tissue Jumbo Rolls (recycled and virgin fibre qualities), Lignin (bio-based raw material), Certified pulps from sustainable forestry, Premium Recycled Pulp, Deinked recycled pulp, Tissue Jumbo Rolls
- Founded
- 1948
- Employees
- 4500
- Industries
- Food retail trade, Specialist retail, Commercial customers / Away-from-Home (offices, industry, healthcare), Paper industry, Packaging industry, Chemical industry
- 01
Raw material preparation (recovered paper, DIP, pulp)
- 02
Paper production on paper machines
- 03
Converting into hygiene paper products
- 04
Assembly of dispenser systems and washroom equipment
- 05
Distribution as private labels and own brands
Materials and Processes
Recovered paper / recycled fibres
Raw material base for hygiene papers made from 100 % recycled fibres.
Premium Recycled Pulp
Own secondary-fibre pulp as a semi-finished product for industrial customers, including packaging of dry food.
Deinked recycled pulp
Recycled fibres cleaned of printing ink, produced at the Château-Thierry site.
Tissue Jumbo Rolls
Semi-finished products in recycled and virgin fibre qualities for further processing.
Certified pulps
Virgin fibres from sustainable forestry or fairly traded fibres.
Lignin
Bio-based raw material for the paper, packaging and chemical industries.
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacture of hygiene papers (toilet paper, facial tissues, kitchen towels, hand towels)Paper processing | – | – | 850,000 tonnes/year (total capacity) | – | Recovered paper, Recycled fibres, Virgin fibre/pulp, Premium Recycled Pulp (secondary-fibre pulp), Lignin |
| Manufacture of dispenser systems and washroom equipmentAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Paper production (paper machines, crepe papers)Paper processing | – | – | – | – | Recovered paper, Certified pulps, Fairly traded fibres |
| Production of deinked recycled pulp (DIP)Paper processing | – | – | – | – | recycled fibres cleaned of printing ink (DIP) |
| Converting of hygiene paper (converting machines)Paper processing | – | – | – | – | – |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper machine | – | 22 | – | – | various sites (Arnsberg-Müschede, Marsberg-Giershagen, Kriebethal) |
| Converting machine | – | over 80 | – | – | various sites |
| Paper machine (crepe paper, first own machine) | – | 1 | – | 1958 | Arnsberg-Müschede |
| New paper machine (investment) | – | 1 | – | 2025 | Bridgend |
| Converting lines (new investment) | – | 2 | – | 2025 | Bridgend |
Additional services
History
- 1948
Founding of Wepa (Westfälische Papierfabrik) by Paul Krengel as a wholesaler for cabinet, wrapping and gift paper
- 1953
Start of processing hygiene papers in Arnsberg
- 1958
Start of the company's own paper production with the first paper machine for crepe papers in Müschede
- 1960
Company named "Wepa Papierfabrik P. Krengel K.G."
- 1963
Construction of the plant in Marsberg-Giershagen for further processing
- 1980
Development of the first private labels; focus of the company from the 1980s onwards
- ca. 1980
Paul Krengel's four sons (Paul junior, Wolfgang, Joachim, Martin Krengel) join as limited partners and later take over the management of the company
- 2001
Acquisition of Kriepa GmbH in Kriebethal (today Wepa Sachsen); previously a joint venture with Papierfabrik Kübler & Niethammer since 1990
- 2004
Founding of the joint venture GC & Wepa S.L. in Spain, majority stake in Fabryka Papieru Piechowice SA (Poland) and acquisition of the Mainz plant from Kimberly-Clark
- 2008
Integration of Kartogroup sites in Italy (Lucca, Cassino), Germany (Leuna) and France (Lille)
- 2010
Cooperation with investment company Pamplona Capital, later terminated
- 2015
Sale of the shares in the Spanish joint venture, acquisition of a site in Troyes (France)
- 2017
Acquisition of the family-owned company Van Houtum, site Swalmen (Netherlands)
- 2018
Acquisition of all shares in the joint venture UK Northwood & Wepa LTD Bridgend (today Wepa UK)
- 2019
Acquisition of the greenfield plant in Château-Thierry (France), production of deinked recycled pulp (DIP)
- 2020
Increased demand for toilet paper during the COVID-19 pandemic; production standardised on the base product
- 2021
Andreas Krengel becomes part of the management alongside Martin Krengel
- 2022
Energy crisis: for the first time in the company's history, partial production standstill due to high energy prices
- 2023
Wepa Professional acquires Star Tissue UK (Blackburn); 25 % market share in hygiene paper in Germany, 8 % in Europe
- 2025
Investment in Bridgend: new paper machine, two new converting lines, complete modernisation of palletising