1873
Company founded
Olef GmbH is founded as a wood-pulp and leather-board mill, producing stapled telescopic boxes for around 240 businesses in the greater Cologne/Aachen region.
History
Growing
Growing
since 1873
From a wood-pulp and leather-board mill to modern packaging production — more than 150 years of Pappen Olef.
Pappen Olef has evolved continuously since 1873 — from a wood-pulp and leather-board mill into a modern packaging manufacturer. This history shapes who we are today.
1940s
Expansion
The plant is modernised with rotary shears and slotting-and-creasing machines, while a renowned confectionery manufacturer becomes a customer.
1950s
Letterpress printing
Production expands into colour packaging, using one- and two-colour letterpress printing.
1960s
Solid-board material
The company switches its raw material to recycled solid board.
1990s
Corrugated-board material
Production switches to glued corrugated-board blanks with four-colour flexographic printing on materials up to 5 mm thick, alongside a modernised machine fleet.
2004
New machinery
New machinery adds die-cutting capabilities of 1.1 × 1.6 m, accompanied by state-of-the-art operating processes.
2014
Continued growth
Continuous expansion of the portfolio with modern machinery.
July 15, 2021
2021
Flood & reconstruction
The flood hits the company hard — reconstruction follows.
March 1, 2022
2022
Expansion of Pappen Olef Plant 2
Expansion with new production options and services in Gemünd.
July 1, 2026
2026
The next generation of the family joins the management team, while technology, the service portfolio and production capacity continue to expand.