Schrott Wetzel

Schrott Wetzel GmbH is a German family-owned company based in Mannheim that has grown since the 1950s into one of the country's leading scrap metal dealers, collectors and processors. The company is owned by the brothers Henryk Wetzel, Klaus Wetzel and Reiner Wetzel. It combines environmentally friendly scrap processing with high quality standards and worldwide marketing, emphasizing climate and environmental protection. The company handles approximately 1.0 million tonnes of metal per year (as of 2014) and reported revenues of 185 million euros, making it one of the largest German scrap traders. It employs around 185 people across seven locations, including its Mannheim headquarters as well as Frankfurt am Main, Karlsruhe, Elstertrebnitz, Roßlau, Fredersdorf-Vogelsdorf near Berlin and Gent in Belgium. The official website notes over 200 employees, more than 70 vehicles and two main locations. Schrott Wetzel offers a range of services covering the recycling and trading of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Its logistics network is a key strength, featuring a modern truck fleet, its own rail infrastructure for loading and unloading, quays for inland shipping, and deep-sea operations through the ports of Rotterdam and Gent. This enables the company to move scrap metal efficiently within Germany and export it worldwide. The company gained media attention through its industrial demolition division, which dismantled, transported and shredded the 20,000-tonne steel frame of the Palace of the Republic (Palast der Republik) in Berlin. This project underscored its capabilities in large-scale industrial dismantling and metal recycling. Today, Schrott Wetzel remains a private, family-run enterprise with a strong focus on sustainability, innovation and team spirit. It continues to position itself as a reliable partner for metal recycling and global scrap trading, contributing to resource conservation and a sustainable future.

Schrott Wetzel was founded in the 1950s and has since developed into a leading company in the scrap metal industry. Based in Mannheim, Germany, it grew to become one of the largest scrap metal dealers, collectors and processors in the country. The company is owned by the brothers Henryk Wetzel, Klaus Wetzel and Reiner Wetzel, who continue to run it as a family business. By 2014, Schrott Wetzel reported revenues of 185 million euros and moved approximately 1.0 million tonnes of metal per year. It employed 185 people across seven locations: its headquarters in Mannheim, plus Frankfurt am Main, Karlsruhe, Elstertrebnitz, Roßlau, Fredersdorf-Vogelsdorf near Berlin, and Gent in Belgium. The official website highlights over 200 employees, more than 70 vehicles and two main locations, reflecting growth and operational scale. A significant moment in the company's history was its involvement in the demolition of the Palace of the Republic (Palast der Republik) in Berlin. Schrott Wetzel's industrial demolition division dismantled, transported and shredded the 20,000-tonne steel frame of the building, which brought media attention to the company and demonstrated its expertise in large-scale industrial dismantling and metal recycling. Over the decades, Schrott Wetzel has invested in logistics infrastructure, including a modern truck fleet, its own rail connections for loading and unloading, quays for inland shipping, and deep-sea operations via the ports of Rotterdam and Gent. This enables efficient transport and worldwide marketing of scrap metals. The company emphasizes innovation, sustainability, quality and team spirit, with a strong commitment to climate and environmental protection.

• 2014

  Reported revenues of 185 million euros and moved approximately 1.0 million tonnes of metal per year.

• 1950

  Company founded in the 1950s.

• Industrial demolition division dismantled the 20,000-tonne steel frame of the Palace of the Republic in Berlin.

One of Germany's largest scrap metal dealers, combining sustainability, quality and global reach.

• Scrap metal trading

• Metal recycling

• Industrial demolition

• Logistics and transport

1. 1Schrott Wetzel official websiteschrott-wetzel.de
2. 2Schrott Wetzel on Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Schrott Wetzel on Wikidatawikidata.org