What Westfleisch does

Westfleisch SCE mbH is one of Europe's largest meat producers, operating as a European Cooperative (SCE) founded in 1928 and headquartered in Münster, Germany. The company runs an integrated value chain from livestock through five meat centers in northwest Germany (Coesfeld, Hamm, Oer-Erkenschwick, Bakum, Lübbecke) to processed meat, convenience products, and pet food, generating approximately €3.3 billion in 2023 group revenue on roughly 900,000 tonnes of annual sales volume. The business is owned by more than 5,200 farmer-members who supply pigs, cattle, and calves through long-term contracts; Westfleisch guarantees purchase, pricing options, and access to quality programs including BestSchwein (over 2,200 partner farms), BestFerkel (over 175 contract partners, over 1.7 million piglets marketed annually), HF3, BauernLiebe, Strohwohl, and Mehr Tierwohl.

The group sells to all major German food retail chains, German food wholesale, and the meat processing industry domestically, with one-third of volume exported to 40 countries (two-thirds EU, one-third third countries). Operations span wholly-owned subsidiaries including WestfalenLand (SB fresh meat and convenience, ~1,500 employees), Gustoland (sausage and cooked ham), IceHouse Convenience (frozen products), Westfood (large-customer sales platform), The Petfood Company (premium wet pet food, acquired February 2024), and Dog's Nature (natural dried dog snacks); a 50:50 joint venture with Danish Crown called WestCrown handles sow slaughtering. In-house logistics is provided by Wetralog and Coldstore Hamm.

Technology and quality infrastructure include the QS quality assurance bundler role (since 2002), Initiative Tierwohl partnership (since 2015), AI-powered animal health monitoring cameras (Westfleisch Offensive Tiergesundheit, launched November 2022), AutoFOM III carcass evaluation, and the ExtraNet 2.0 cloud-based farmer data platform. Following the termination of subcontractor work contracts in December 2020, Westfleisch directly employs approximately 7,600 people across the group. Recent leadership refresh includes Dr. Wilhelm Uffelmann as CEO since September 2023 and Jochen Westermann as Chairman of the Supervisory Board since June 2023.

Name

Westfleisch

Legal name

Westfleisch SCE mbH

Website

https://westfleisch.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Westfleisch is a European cooperative meat producer founded in 1928 and headquartered in Münster, Germany, operating five meat centers, ~900,000 tonnes of annual sales volume, and approximately €3.3 billion 2023 group revenue across German retail, exports to 40 countries, and pet food.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Meat Production and Processing

NAICS

Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116), Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering (311611), Meat Processed from Carcasses (311612), Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (424470)

SIC

Meat Packing Plants (2011), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Hog Slaughtering (Harvest & Evisceration) (AFANABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pork Fabrication & Primals Cutting (Carcass Breakdown) (AFANABAB), Pork Export Processing & Compliance (USDA/FSIS, EU/China Specs) (AFANABAI), Sausage & Ground Pork Manufacturing (Fresh & Cooked) (AFANABAF), Cooked/Ready-to-Eat Pork Products (Fully Cooked, Sliced, Diced) (AFANABAG)

Keywords

• Meat processing
• Pork production
• Beef processing
• Convenience foods
• Pet food manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Münster

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Meat Products Sales: Core revenue from slaughtering, processing, and selling pork, beef, and veal products. Total sales volume approximately 900,000 tonnes per year. 30% exported to 40 countries worldwide. 2023 group revenue approximately 3.3 billion euros.
2. Convenience & Processed Products: Revenue from value-added products through subsidiaries including WestfalenLand (SB fresh meat, ground meat, grill and convenience products), Gustoland (sausage, cooked ham specialties, convenience), IceHouse (frozen meat and convenience), and Westfood (customized solutions for large-scale consumers).
3. Pet Food: Revenue from pet food production through The Petfood Company (premium wet food) and Dog's Nature (natural dried dog snacks).
4. Logistics Services: Cold store and logistics services through Coldstore Hamm and Wetralog for the Westfleisch group and external customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Westfleisch slaughters, processes, and distributes pork, beef, and veal products through five meat centers and a network of subsidiaries in northwest Germany. The cooperative supplies fresh meat, convenience products, frozen foods, and pet food to German food retailers, wholesalers, food processors, and export markets across 40 countries, with an annual sales volume of approximately 900,000 tonnes.

Product overview

Westfleisch is a European cooperative (SCE) and one of Europe's leading food producers, operating a fully integrated value chain from livestock (pig, cattle, and calf farming through contract programs) through five meat centers to processed meat products and convenience foods, as well as pet food. The portfolio includes the core Westfleisch SCE parent entity with five meat centers (Coesfeld, Hamm, Oer-Erkenschwick, Bakum, Lübbecke), alongside a dozen subsidiaries and brands spanning primary processing (WestfalenLand for fresh meat and convenience, Gustoland for sausages and cooked meats), frozen products (IceHouse Convenience), B2B sales (Westfood), a joint venture for sow processing (WestCrown with Danish Crown), and pet food (The Petfood Company and Dog's Nature). The company also operates several contract farming programs (BestSchwein, BestFerkel, HF3, and multiple cattle programs) and animal welfare programs (Aktion Tierwohl, Initiative Tierwohl, Strohwohl, Bauernliebe, Mehr Tierwohl), supported by its own digital farmer platform ExtraNet 2.0 and QS/ITW quality assurance bundling services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WestfalenLand: Leading German producer of SB fresh meat, minced meat, grill and convenience products for food retail in Germany and abroad.
• Gustoland
• Westfood
• IceHouse
• The Petfood Company (TPC)
• Dog's Nature
• WestCrown
• BestSchwein
• WestCrown
• BestFerkel
• Westcrown
• BauernLiebe
• Mehr Tierwohl
• Strohwohl
• Aktion Tierwohl
• Partnervertrag Rind-Plus
• Partnervertrag Rind Direkt
• Partnervertrag Färse

Products and services

• WestfalenLand Fleischwaren GmbH Leading German producer of self-service fresh meat, minced meat, grill, and convenience products for food retail in Germany and abroad, employing approximately 1,500 people at the Münster facility.
• Gustoland GmbH Processing specialist producing sausages, cooked ham specialties, cooked and raw cured meats, and convenience products, with a focus on private-label ranges for retail and the out-of-home market.
• IceHouse Convenience GmbH Frozen meat and convenience product specialist serving retail, wholesale, gastronomy, and industrial customers with flexible solutions.
• The Petfood Company (TPC) Premium wet pet food producer operating a state-of-the-art production facility in Bocholt, leveraging Westfleisch raw materials and network to expand production.
• Dog's Nature GmbH Manufacturer of natural, mostly air-dried dog snacks made in Germany, serving Germany, Europe, and the USA with production in Oer-Erkenschwick.
• WestCrown GmbH 50:50 joint venture with Danish Crown headquartered in Dissen, focusing on sow slaughtering and marketing, pooling the pig business of both cooperative groups.
• Westfood GmbH Centralized B2B sales arm bundling products from WestfalenLand, Gustoland, and IceHouse to serve large-scale caterers, Cash & Carry markets, system caterers, and the further-processing industry.
• Coldstore Hamm Full-service cold logistics provider offering storage, packaging, cooling, various freezing methods, and export, import, and customs handling, located adjacent to the Hamm meat center.
• Wetralog GmbH Logistics subsidiary handling all transport for the Westfleisch Group, including domestic meat transport, export tours, empty container logistics, and live animal transport.
• BestSchwein contract program Contract pig farming program with over 2,200 participating farms, offering multi-week pricing, guaranteed purchase commitments, slaughter data tracking via AutoFOM III, and annual bonus payments for qualifying farmers.
• BestFerkel contract program Piglet supply contract program operated through the Nutzviehzentrum Nienberge, connecting piglet producers with fattening farms, offering defined health status, high-performing genetics, and uniform stocking weights; over 1.7 million piglets marketed.
• HF3 (Haltungsform 3) contract program Contracts for pig and cattle farmers transitioning to Haltungsform 3 (outdoor climate housing), with surcharges of 25 cents/kg carcass weight for cattle and enhanced pricing for pigs, offering farm planning support and individual animal analysis.
• QS Quality Assurance Bundling Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.3 billion euros group revenue in 2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• The Petfood CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Acquired in February 2024 to expand pet food competence. Premium producer of wet pet food with a state-of-the-art production facility in Bocholt. Westfleisch provides raw materials, experience, and network to sustainably expand production.
• Danish CrowncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201650:50 joint venture WestCrown established in January 2016 for sow slaughtering and marketing operations. Headquartered in Dissen, Germany. Combines the business areas of both companies for efficient sow processing and marketing.
• Gausepohl-GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2015Acquired beef operations including locations in Dissen and Bakum from the insolvent Gausepohl-Group in February 2015. Bakum is now one of the most modern beef operations in Europe.
• RastingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership with Rasting established in 2020 for the BauernLiebe branded meat program. Combines Westfleisch's quality meat production with Rasting's retail presence. Program offers higher welfare pork and beef from NRW farms meeting Haltungsform Stufe 3 criteria.
• QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestfleisch has been an authorized QS bundler since 2002, supporting farmers with quality assurance in the QS system. The QS system monitors the path of meat products from farmer to retail.
• Initiative Tierwohl (ITW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestfleisch has been a strong partner for farmers and bundler since the Initiative Tierwohl was launched in 2015. The initiative brings together agriculture, meat industry, and food retail for improved animal welfare. Currently over 12,000 farms participate.
• SC Preußen MünsterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsorship since July 2023. Westfleisch commits to the region and local sport through this partnership.
• HanWei Frozen FoodsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst establishment in China established in 2008 as HanWei Frozen Foods, marking Westfleisch's first foothold in the Chinese market.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tönnies: Rheda-Wiedenbrück-based (Westphalia) private meat company, one of Westfleisch's closest geographic and product competitors in pork and beef slaughtering/processing. Comparable on German retail supply, slaughter scale, and integrated livestock-to-cut business.
• Danish Crown: Denmark-headquartered farmer-owned meat cooperative and one of Europe's largest pork exporters; Westfleisch's 50:50 JV partner in WestCrown for sow slaughtering. Directly comparable on cooperative structure, pork value chain, export focus, and Nordic/Germanic retail relationships.
• Südfleisch GmbH (part of Edeka): German meat processor wholly owned by Edeka Zentrale, focused on slaughtering, deboning, and convenience production for German retail. Directly comparable as a German integrated meat supplier serving major food retail with similar product mix.
• Vion Food Group: Dutch-headquartered major European pork and beef processor; directly comparable to Westfleisch on continental European meat supply chain, multi-site slaughter operations, and B2B food service/retail customers.
• Bigard: French family-owned meat processor, one of the largest beef and pork processors in Europe. Comparable in scale, integrated slaughtering/deboning/further-processing model, and B2B food retail and food service orientation.
• Westfleisch's own co-op ecosystem (e.g., Edeka Rhein/Rasting): Edeka operates its own meat-sourcing co-operatives (e.g., associated Edeka Zentrale and Bauernliebe partner Rasting). Directly comparable retailer-aligned meat programs serving the same German retail counter as Westfleisch's BauernLiebe.

Broad incumbents

• JBS S.A. Brazilian-headquartered global protein giant operating beef, pork, poultry and prepared foods. Comparable broad incumbent across multiple meat categories with global footprint, relevant for benchmarking Westfleisch's scale, vertical integration, and export ambitions.
• Tyson Foods: US-headquartered global protein producer with pork, beef and prepared foods businesses. Comparable broad incumbent portfolio strategy and B2B food service/retail model; relevant for international comparison of integrated meat economics.
• Smithfield Foods (WH Group): World's largest pork processor, owned by China's WH Group. Comparable as a global pork powerhouse with vertically integrated operations spanning slaughter, processing, and packaged meats; relevant given Westfleisch's export reach into 40 countries including China.

Emerging players

• Wiesenhof / PHW Group: German poultry-focused integrated processor (Visbek, Lower Saxony). Comparable as a northwest German protein processor with farmer contracts and own further-processing; partial overlap because Westfleisch does not currently operate poultry — relevant as a potential adjacency into poultry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/148585405209078

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Westfleisch