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Wooden Container Manufacturing in Germany - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Robert Maier Robert Maier Frankfurt, Germany Last Updated: July 2024 WZ C16.24DE

Revenue

€1.4bn

2024

€1.4bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€XX.Xm

Employees

8,065

Businesses

163

Wages

€XXX.Xm

Wooden Container Manufacturing in Germany industry analysis

German wood packaging manufacturers can look back on a negative sales trend over the last five years. 2019 was already a mixed year for the industry due to a slowdown in industrial activity. The coronavirus pandemic then exacerbated the declining sales trend in 2020, as activity in the industry and in parts of the retail sector as well as the volume of foreign trade fell noticeably. The interim recovery in economic activity in 2021, which was accompanied by a surge in demand for packaging materials, enabled players in the industry to achieve a significant increase in sales. In 2022, annual production was still well above the pre-crisis level. However, due to the noticeably higher timber and energy prices during this period and the increasingly weaker overall economy, the industry's sales figures have recently declined significantly. Overall, industry turnover has fallen by an average of 4.3% per year over the last five years.Over the past five years as a whole, industry participants recorded a slight increase in production volumes in their most important product category, flat pallets. In 2021, the wooden packaging industry set a new production record with around 120 million pallets produced, which was significantly higher than the average annual production of around 107 million units during this period. This figure is unlikely to be reached in the current year due to the stagnating industrial economy. In the current year, the industry is expected to generate a total turnover of 1.4 billion euros. This corresponds to a decline of 19.6% compared to the previous year.IBISWorld expects the industry's total turnover to grow again in the coming years due to an improved economic outlook and stabilising producer prices. The industry's average growth rate is expected to be 3.3% per year in the period up to 2029. In 2029, industry players are expected to generate a total turnover of 1.7 billion euros. The continued growth of wooden packaging manufacturers will also depend on whether they can successfully position and market packaging made from the sustainable raw material wood in competition with alternative packaging made from plastic or cardboard.

Trends and Insights

  • Wood is the dominant material for transport packaging in the pallet product segment. The classic Europool pallet is of particular importance for the European economy.
  • Flat pallets are by far the most important product category in the wooden packaging industry. Since their establishment in the 1950s, flat pallets have been a key material handling aid and have become an integral part of modern production and logistics processes.
  • The largest proportion of companies relevant to the industry are located in the centre region. Wood packaging manufacturers generally settle in areas where demand is generated by the manufacturing industry and trade.
  • The industry companies primarily compete with each other on price, delivery speed and delivery reliability. Although the industry products are fairly simple products, the quality of workmanship also plays a not insignificant role.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 4.3 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €1.4bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

The production of wooden packaging is an important indicator of the economy

  • Wood packaging is one of the most universal aids in industry, trade and logistics. Demand for the industry's products depends on many different factors, but the production level of the domestic economy and the business activities of wholesalers and retailers are the clear determining factors.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Wooden Container Manufacturing in Germany
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Competition from more sustainable packaging solutions from the plastics industry is likely to increase

  • In recent years, the plastics industry has intensified its efforts to increase the proportion of so-called recyclates in its products. These are plastic granulates that are obtained as secondary raw materials from plastic waste.

Biggest companies in the Wooden Container Manufacturing in Germany

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue (€m)
2024
Mercer Torgau GmbH & Co. KG
125.0
Wilhelm Schaffranick GmbH & Co. KG
64.0
Paletten-Service Hamburg AG
49.0

To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Wooden Container Manufacturing in Germany
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Flat pallets, Plywood boxes and Box pallets. Flat pallets is the largest segment of the Wooden Container Manufacturing in Germany.

Trends and Insights

Flat pallets are by far the most important product category in the wooden packaging industry

  • Since their establishment in the 1950s, flat pallets have been a key material handling aid and have become an integral part of modern production and logistics processes. A basic distinction can be made between reusable and disposable pallets.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The industry for the manufacture of wooden crates and pallets includes all companies that process wood into packaging and transport aids. This primarily includes pallets and other logistics products such as plywood and solid wood crates as well as wooden export packaging. The production of wooden cable drums, wooden drums and other wooden goods is also part of the industry.

What's included in this industry?

Production of pallets and other wooden load carriersProduction of wooden transport containers and packaging materialsProduction of boxes, crates and drums made of woodProduction of barrels and other wooden cooperage products

Companies

Mercer Torgau GmbH & Co. KGWilhelm Schaffranick GmbH & Co. KGPaletten-Service Hamburg AG

Purchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

PALETTE POOLEUROPOOLJUST-IN-TIME

Industry Code

WZ 2008

WZ 16.24 - Wooden Container Manufacturing in Germany

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Wood is the dominant material for transport packaging in the pallet product segment. The classic Europool pallet is of particular importance for the European economy.

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Flat pallets are by far the most important product category in the wooden packaging industry. Since their establishment in the 1950s, flat pallets have been a key material ha...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets
  • International Trade

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level
  • Total imports, level and trend
  • Total exports, level and trend
  • Trade Balance

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024
  • International trade, including imports by country and exports by country

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
  • Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

The largest proportion of companies relevant to the industry are located in the centre region. Wood packaging manufacturers generally settle in areas where demand is generate...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

The industry companies primarily compete with each other on price, delivery speed and delivery reliability. Although the industry products are fairly simple products, the qua...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Mercer Torgau GmbH & Co KG is one of the largest wood processing companies in Germany. The company employs around 800 people and is the largest European manufacturer of Europ...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Mercer Torgau GmbH & Co. KG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Wilhelm Schaffranick GmbH & Co. KG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Paletten-Service Hamburg AG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Mercer Torgau GmbH & Co. KG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Wilhelm Schaffranick GmbH & Co. KG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Paletten-Service Hamburg AG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Increasing demand from mail order and online retail offers industry players the potential to increase their sales. The importance of online and mail order retail has increase...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Company-specific profit margins can sometimes vary greatly. Industry players that specialise in specific products or services, such as the production of special packaging, ca...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Wooden Container Manufacturing industry in Germany in 2024?

The market size of the Wooden Container Manufacturing industry in Germany is €1.4bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Wooden Container Manufacturing in Germany industry in 2024?

There are 163 businesses in the Wooden Container Manufacturing industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.7 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Wooden Container Manufacturing industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Wooden Container Manufacturing industry in Germany has been declining at a CAGR of 4.3 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Wooden Container Manufacturing industry in Germany over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Wooden Container Manufacturing industry in Germany is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Wooden Container Manufacturing market in Germany?

The biggest companies operating in the Wooden Container Manufacturing market in Germany are Mercer Torgau GmbH & Co. KG, Wilhelm Schaffranick GmbH & Co. KG and Paletten-Service Hamburg AG

What does the Wooden Container Manufacturing in Germany include?

Production of pallets and other wooden load carriers and Production of wooden transport containers and packaging materials are part of the Wooden Container Manufacturing industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Wooden Container Manufacturing in Germany?

The company holding the most market share in Germany is Mercer Torgau GmbH & Co. KG.

How competitive is the Wooden Container Manufacturing industry in Germany?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Wooden Container Manufacturing industry in Germany.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • Cardboard Packaging & Paper Bag Manufacturing in Germany
  • Plastic Packing Goods Manufacturing in Germany

Complementors

  • Freight Road Transport in Germany
  • Cargo Handling in Germany

International industries

  • Wood Pallets & Skids Production in the US
  • Pallets and Other Wood Product Manufacturing in Australia
  • Wooden Container Manufacturing in the UK

View all industries in Germany

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Germany include:

  • German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
  • European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
  • United Nations Comtrade

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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