From 1 October 2026, EMW Stahl Service GmbH and OKS Otto Knauf GmbH will jointly operate on the market under the EMW brand. In doing so, the SCHÄFER WERKE Group is consistently continuing the integration process initiated following the acquisition of OKS in 2023.
The Iserlohn production location is and will remain an important part of the SCHÄFER WERKE Group. Its closer integration into EMW’s market presence combines OKS’s established expertise with the opportunities offered by a larger group of companies and creates new impetus for further development in the region.
OKS Otto Knauf GmbH will continue to exist as a company and production business, but will no longer operate independently in relation to customers. From 1 October 2026, all sales transactions will be handled centrally by EMW Stahl Service GmbH.
For OKS, this reorganisation primarily means access to a larger customer base, a broader material base and shared sales and procurement structures. This will improve the conditions for stable capacity utilisation and further economic development.
At the same time, OKS will contribute its many years of experience, particularly in the field of slit strip, to the joint service portfolio. Its existing processing expertise and extensive storage capacity in Iserlohn will remain an essential part of the market offering.
By reaffirming its commitment to the Iserlohn location, the SCHÄFER WERKE Group is underscoring its long-term focus as a family-owned industrial company. The reorganisation does not involve relocating production; instead, it is intended to make the existing structures fit for the future.
This will preserve industrial value creation in South Westphalia. Skilled employment, technical expertise and established customer relationships will be safeguarded locally and complemented by cooperation with EMW.
Through closer cooperation, EMW and OKS are combining their respective strengths. Together, their range of services covers the processing of steels in thicknesses from 0.25 to 16 millimetres. In addition, the Iserlohn location has a coil warehouse with capacity for up to 60,000 tonnes and a stock of finished material of up to 15,000 tonnes.
The combination of broad material availability, additional processing expertise and high-performance production and storage structures improves the conditions for supplying existing customers reliably and tapping into new market potential.
With this joint market presence, the SCHÄFER WERKE Group is strengthening the competitiveness of EMW and OKS while also creating a robust foundation for the further development of the Iserlohn location.
