Clausen & Bosse
German book printing company based in Leck, Schleswig-Holstein, one of Europe's largest book producers.
Last updated September 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Clausen & Bosse is a German printing-industry company headquartered in the municipality of Leck in the Nordfriesland district of Schleswig-Holstein. Founded in 1951 by Ove Becker Clausen and Hinrich Bosse, it grew into one of Germany's largest book printers and, together with its sister company Ebner & Spiegel, one of Europe's largest book producers. As of 2013 it employed around 580 people, placing it among the 100 largest employers in Schleswig-Holstein. Since 2002 it has been wholly owned by the French Groupe CPI (Chevrillon Philippe Industrie). The company specializes in the high-volume production of paperbacks and hardcover books, serving major publishing houses. Its printing capacity reached 45,000 paperbacks and 6,000 hardcovers per day by 1968, and by 2004 it stood at 600,000 paperbacks and 100,000 hardcovers per working day. Clausen & Bosse has invested in digital printing technology, including an HP T400 inkjet web press installed in November 2011 and a second Quantum 480T press in 2014, upgraded to HD resolution in 2017. Ownership has changed several times: Rowohlt Verlag and the Temming paper factory acquired stakes in 1960; the Georg von Holtzbrinck publishing group bought the printer from Rowohlt in 1983; Groupe CPI took 100% in 2002. In 2003 Clausen & Bosse and Ebner & Spiegel organized a joint sales organization called CPI BOOKS. The parent CPI was acquired by the Impala group in 2013, then by the newly founded Circle Media Group in spring 2018, and again in spring 2019 by British private investor Richard Hughes and his company RHWO. Clausen & Bosse remains a key production site within this European printing network.
History
Clausen & Bosse was founded in 1951 by Ove Becker Clausen and Hinrich Bosse. Its origins trace to the printing firm Christian Jessen Sohn, a predecessor operation that Ernst Rowohlt visited as early as 1950, where he discovered a 1930s rotary press suitable for the inexpensive printing of paperbacks. In 1960, Rowohlt Verlag in Reinbek and the Temming paper factory (today Steinbeis-Temming) in Glückstadt acquired shares in Clausen & Bosse, linking the Leck company with the Rowohlt family early on. In its early years the company developed excellently. By 1968 its printing capacity reached 45,000 paperbacks and 6,000 hardcovers per day. The next institutional change came in 1983, when the Stuttgart-based Georg von Holtzbrinck publishing group (publisher of Die Zeit and Der Tagesspiegel) acquired the printing house from Rowohlt Verlag. In 2002, the Paris-based Groupe CPI (Chevrillon Philippe Industrie) took over 100 percent of the shares in Clausen & Bosse. In 2003, the two Groupe CPI companies Clausen & Bosse and Ebner & Spiegel (Ulm-Böfingen) organized themselves into a joint sales organization called CPI BOOKS. By 2004, printing capacity stood at 600,000 paperbacks and 100,000 hardcovers per working day, making Clausen & Bosse one of Germany's largest printers and, together with sister company Ebner & Spiegel, one of Europe's largest book producers. To meet the growing demands of the book market, Clausen & Bosse commissioned a new digital rotary printing machine in November 2011: a Hewlett-Packard T400 inkjet printing system, specially enlarged for this site in paper roll width so that standard book printing papers could be produced on the machine even in small print runs. In 2014 a second Quantum press followed, a 480T capable of four-color printing, which was upgraded in 2017 to higher print resolution (HD). A special feature is the folding unit behind the printing press, which produces 16-page printed sheets. On 1 August 2013 it became known that the parent group CPI was to be taken over by the Impala group, which received support in this transaction from the French bank Banque publique d'investissement (Bpifrance). As part of the takeover, CPI was to be restructured so that the company's financial liabilities would fall to 15 million euros. The new shareholders Impala, Bpifrance and the management invested 21 million euros as equity and equity-like funds to support CPI in its business development. In spring 2018 the parent group was acquired by the newly founded Circle Media Group, creating the largest printing group in Europe with revenue of around 900 million euros. In spring 2019 the parent group was sold again, this time to the private British financial investor Richard Hughes and his company RHWO.
- 2019
Parent group sold to British private investor Richard Hughes and his company RHWO.
- 2018
Parent group acquired by newly founded Circle Media Group, creating Europe's largest printing group.
- 2017
Quantum 480T upgraded to higher print resolution (HD).
- 2014
Second Quantum press (480T) installed, capable of four-color printing.
- 2013
Announcement that parent CPI is to be taken over by the Impala group with support from Bpifrance.
- 2011
Commissioning of a new HP T400 inkjet web press for digital printing.
- 2004
Printing capacity reaches 600,000 paperbacks and 100,000 hardcovers per working day.
- 2003
Clausen & Bosse and Ebner & Spiegel form joint sales organization CPI BOOKS.
- 2002
Groupe CPI (Chevrillon Philippe Industrie) takes over 100% of Clausen & Bosse.
- 1983
Georg von Holtzbrinck publishing group acquires the printing house from Rowohlt Verlag.
Products and positioning
One of Germany's largest book printers and, with Ebner & Spiegel, one of Europe's largest book producers, specializing in high-volume, cost-effective paperback and hardcover printing for major publishers.
Paperback books
High-volume paperback printing for major publishers.
Hardcover books
Hardcover book production at high volumes.
Digital printing services
Digital printing using HP T400 and Quantum 480T presses.
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/clausen-and-bosse · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled