Gemüsering

What Gemüsering does

Gemüsering Stuttgart GmbH is a privately held German fresh produce company operating as a vertically integrated group spanning own cultivation, contract marketing, wholesale distribution, and foodservice supply. Founded in 1991 and headquartered at the Stuttgart wholesale market, the group serves two primary customer segments: food retail trade (national and regional retailers supplied through jointly designed regional concepts) and the foodservice/catering industry (care sector, airports, canteens, cruise ships, system and community catering). Its portfolio covers tomatoes, salads, carrots, cabbage, chicory, herbs, mushrooms, berries, and other produce, with 1,428 tonnes of cut herbs and 2 million potted herbs produced annually from in-house facilities in five German states.

The company's operations are organized through wholly-owned subsidiaries (Brandenburg Kräuter, Spreewald Kräuter, Franken Kräuter for herbs; Green Energy for solar; Gemüsering Iberia for Southern European marketing) and joint ventures (Rheinlandgemüse Hydro for hydroponic lettuce; Waterstone Berries for South African blueberries with Widmann). Core technology investments include hydroponic farming (70% water savings vs. outdoor), microgrid-powered greenhouses with full LED lighting (~25% electricity reduction at Zorbau), and a vertical farming research container with Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf. Quality and sustainability are central to the operating model: 100% of production comes from controlled and certified cultivation since 2019, the company was the first in the produce sector to achieve ZNU Standard certification (14 sites, scaling to 23 by 2026), and it holds multiple organic certifications (Demeter, Naturland, Bioland, EU-BIO) alongside the Quality Mark Baden-Württemberg and Regionalfenster seals.

The revenue model is B2B wholesale with quote-based, non-publicly-disclosed pricing: the company sells own-production output, markets produce on behalf of 50+ contracted producer partners across Germany and Europe, and supplies foodservice operators directly. The group reaches consumers only indirectly through its retail and catering customers, and supplements this with food-waste partnerships (Schwäbische Tafel, etepetete) and community initiatives (Terra Preta with VfB Stuttgart, EU School Fruit Program). The ownership remains with the management team (Jochen Schloemer, Thorsten Beckmann, Dietmar Frötscher) with no disclosed external private equity or parent company.

Name

Gemüsering

Legal name

Gemüsering Stuttgart GmbH

Website

https://gemuesering.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gemüsering Stuttgart GmbH is a privately held German fresh produce group that cultivates, contracts, and distributes vegetables, fruits, herbs, and berries to national food retailers and foodservice operators across Germany and Europe, with wholly-owned and joint-venture operations in Germany, Spain, and South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale

NAICS

Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (111219), Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Greenhouse Fruit & Berry Production (Strawberries, Specialty Fruits) (AFAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD), Root & Tuber Vegetable Farming (Carrots, Beets, Radish, Turnip, Sweet Potato) (AFAGADAC), Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities (AFAOAGAD)

Keywords

• Fresh produce wholesale
• Fruit vegetable distribution
• Contract grower marketing
• Foodservice fresh supply
• Organic produce wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Wholesale and Distribution: Core revenue through wholesale distribution of fresh vegetables and fruits to food retail trade and foodservice sector. Includes own production sales and marketing services for contracted producers.
2. Foodservice Supply: Delivery of fruit and vegetables to large-scale catering operations including care sector, airports, canteens, cruise ships, and community catering.
3. Organic/Bio Products: Certified organic produce sales with 16% of revenue from bio sales in 2022, with targets to increase to 20% by 2026 and 25% by 2030.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gemüsering is a vertically integrated fresh produce group that combines own production (tomatoes, salads, carrots, cabbage, chicory, herbs, mushrooms, berries) with contracted producer marketing across Germany and Europe, marketing and distribution services for retailers, and foodservice supply to care facilities, airports, canteens, cruise ships, and system/community catering. The company delivers year-round fresh fruit and vegetables through regional concepts, supported by hydroponic lettuce production, a 170-hectare blueberry plantation in South Africa, multiple organic certifications, and resource-efficient greenhouse technology.

Product overview

Gemüsering Stuttgart GmbH is a produce company operating as a group of specialized businesses unified under a partnership model. The core portfolio consists of four interconnected divisions: Own Production (cultivating tomatoes, salads, carrots, herbs, berries and more in greenhouses and outdoor farms), Producers/Contractual Marketing (long-term partnerships with regional growers across Germany and Europe for year-round supply), Marketing/Distribution (full-service vegetable and fruit trade with regional retail concepts), and Food Service (fresh produce delivery to catering, care facilities, airports, and canteens). The group extends its operations through organic/BIO certified products (Demeter, Naturland, Bioland, EU BIO), specialized hydroponic lettuce production via Rheinlandgemüse Hydro, South African blueberry cultivation through Waterstone Berries, and fresh herb production across multiple German facilities (Brandenburg Kräuter, Spreewald Kräuter, Franken Kräuter). Supporting operations include Green Energy (solar subsidiary) and sustainability initiatives like the Terra Preta educational garden project and vertical farming research partnership with HSWT.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Terra Preta: Sustainable soil enrichment project using recycled stadium turf from VfB Stuttgart for educational gardens.
• Rheinlandgemüse Hydro
• Waterstone Berries
• Green Energy

Products and services

• Own Production Fresh Produce
• Organic / BIO Certified Produce
• Rheinlandgemüse Hydro - Hydroponic Lettuce
• Waterstone Berries - South African Blueberries
• Fresh Herbs (Potted and Cut)
• Foodservice Supply (Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Delivery)
• Producer Partnership / Contract Marketing Service
• Marketing & Regional Concept Service for Retailers

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% water savings with hydroponic lettuce cultivation vs outdoor production
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Widmann (Munich-based berry specialists)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGemüsering is investing alongside Widmann and South African partners in a 170-hectare blueberry plantation in Tulbagh, South Africa. First 150,000 blueberry plants have been planted and are bearing fruit, enabling year-round blueberry availability.
• Rheinlandkräuter (Elisabeth Graaff)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Elisabeth Graaff from Rheinlandkräuter for hydroponic lettuce production in new greenhouse complex starting winter 2022.
• vitfrisch eGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative partnership with vitfrisch eG for organic produce marketing, including multiple producer members across Germany.
• CF GastrocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational concepts partnership through CF Gastro (Freshness with System) for foodservice distribution network.
• Zentrum für Nachhaltige Unternehmensführung (ZNU), University of Witten/HerdeckecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partnership for ZNU sustainable business certification program. Gemüsering was first company in produce sector to achieve certification.
• Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (HSWT)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership providing a Vertical Farming Container ('Growtainer') for indoor farming research on product quality and resource efficiency in indoor farming systems.
• Plant-for-the-Planet FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate justice initiative partnership for CO2 compensation through tree planting programs.
• Brandenburg Kräuter, Spreewald Kräuter, Franken KräutercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerb production companies added to strengthen herb cultivation competencies and create regional concept for core products. Combined capacity of 2 million potted herbs and 1,428 tonnes cut herbs annually.
• VfB StuttgartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerra Preta educational garden project using recycled stadium turf from VfB Stuttgart for children's educational garden projects.
• Green Energy (Gemüsering subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolar energy subsidiary operating photovoltaic installations on open fields and rooftops of Gemüsering production and marketing buildings, feeding into public distribution network.
• Producer Partners Network (50+ producers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term partnerships with regional producers across Germany including Lindenhof KG (Reilingen), Dworschak & Sohn (Nürnberg), Hofburk Pilze (Rot am See), and many others, including vitfrisch cooperative members.
• Schwäbische Tafel e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood waste reduction partnership where Schwäbische Tafel collects 'surplus goods' daily from Gemüsering fresh storage for food banks in the region.
• etepeteteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood waste reduction partnership where consumers can order bio boxes with imperfect produce, supplied by Gemüsering.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Wiesenhof / PHW Group (fresh produce arm): German food group with produce and protein operations including fresh fruit and vegetable activities. Comparable as a German-rooted food producer with fresh produce distribution to retail and foodservice.

Broad incumbents

• BayWa AG: Large German agricultural and produce conglomerate with a fresh produce trading and marketing arm. Directly comparable in that it sources, markets, and distributes fresh fruit and vegetables across Germany and Europe with both own production and contracted grower networks.
• Bonduelle Group: European fresh and processed vegetable leader with significant greenhouse, open-field, and processing operations serving retail and foodservice. Comparable as a major European fresh-produce operator with own production, partner growers, and dual retail/foodservice GTM.
• Greenyard NV: Belgian-headquartered European fresh, frozen, and prepared produce company supplying retailers and foodservice across Europe. Directly comparable in the fresh produce wholesale, sourcing, and marketing business with European-wide footprint.
• Dole plc: Global fresh produce grower-marketer with significant European and global distribution. Comparable in its diversified fresh fruit and vegetable portfolio and multi-origin supply chain, though operating at much greater scale.
• Total Produce / Dole plc combined entity: Combined Dole/Total Produce global fresh-produce platform with strong European presence. Comparable in supply-chain-driven fresh produce distribution to retail and foodservice across multiple European markets.
• Fyffes plc: Irish-headquartered fresh produce company specializing in bananas, pineapples, and mushrooms with European-wide distribution. Comparable as a producer-marketer of fresh produce supplied to European retailers.

Direct peers

• Landgard eG: German producer cooperative for ornamentals and fresh produce, marketing fruit and vegetables from member growers to German food retail. Closely comparable as a Germany-centric fresh produce marketing and distribution platform with grower partnership model.
• OGEN Groep / Van Oers: Dutch fresh produce specialist marketing and distributing fruit and vegetables from partner growers to European retail. Directly comparable as a partner-grower-driven produce marketer with European retail and foodservice customer base.

Emerging players

• Westfalia Fruit: Global avocado and emerging subtropical fruit producer-marketer with vertically integrated multi-origin supply. Comparable as a vertically integrated producer-distributor of fresh produce with international footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gemüsering