POLO Handels GmbH was founded in 1986 as a sales and marketing arm for the paper groups Mayr-Melnhof and Frantschach – today Mondi for the far East market.

Since we started exploring unknown Asian markets, just like famous traveller Marco Polo, we decide to go on this long journey with a name Polo.

Political changes in Europe lead to a new focus for Polo and since that time the strategy has been to become a leading sales, marketing and service organisation in the paper and packaging industry in CEE.

The expansion of Polo in the markets of CEE starts by opening a first office in Slovenia covering all ex-Yugoslavia markets. Since then, offices in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Ukraine and Baltics were successfully established.

In 1991, we entered into a new partnership with Hamburger Containerboard, tapping into their expertise as a leading European producer of high-quality corrugated and packaging paper made entirely from recycled materials.

Our company entered into a partnership with Arctic Paper, a European manufacturer of premium graphic and packaging papers, known for strong sustainability standards and high-quality brands such as Munken and Arctic Volume.

We began collaborating with WEIG Group, specializing in paper and cardboard across recycling, cartonboard, and packaging sectors. This enabled us to strengthen our access to sustainably produced recycled cartonboard and benefit from WEIG’s integrated, closed-loop production methods.

We opened our 12th regional office in Latvia, strengthening our company’s presence in the Baltic region. In 2005, we also diversified our activities through a new cooperation with R. Bosch GmbH, expanding into the process and packaging machinery sales for national and international brand producers in CEE, while adding spare parts and field service to our offerings.

A change in the ownership of the Polo shares has taken place in 2022. Mr. Johannes Binder-Krieglstein and Mr. Wilhelm Massegg took on the 37 % of shares of the trust of Mr. Thomas Prinzhorn. This will strengthen POLO in respect to flexibility and speed and enable to cope with changes on the markets, our customers and suppliers and digitalisation.

In response to evolving customer and market needs, POLO has dedicated itself to expanding its portfolio, unveiling a new catalog featuring state-of-the-art technology from our new suppliers, and proudly launching our first-ever POLO machine line; greenline, designed exclusively for paper packaging.

With our greenline concept, we also introduce 360° solutions for:

• Flexible packaging with mono materials, e.g. barrier papers
• Packaging machinery engineered for using mono materials for packaging
• Service & upgrades
• Spare parts
• Co-packing possibilities

After serving as CEO and launching 360° solutions, Michael acquired 10% of Polo’s shares and took on the role of managing partner. Michael’s investment, alongside the timeless vision of Polo’s existing shareholders, Johannes Binder-Krieglstein and Wilhelm Massegg, reinforced their shared commitment to the company’s future that goes beyond present. Together, they invested in a company they believe in—one that continues to push boundaries in sustainability, innovation, customer-focused solutions, and being the solution partner.

In 2025, we started our partnership with C&D Paper. Through this cooperation, we broadened our paper portfolio with offerings including jumbo tissues, while drawing on their expertise in premium paper and sustainable packaging innovations.