What VOG Sudtirol does

VOG Sudtirol — legally the Consortium of South Tyrolean Fruit Growers Cooperatives coop. soc. agr. — is an agricultural cooperative consortium headquartered in Terlano, South Tyrol, Italy, founded in 1945 on the cooperative principles of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen. The organization consolidates more than 4,000 apple producers organized through 11 member cooperatives (including Coop. Cafa Meran, Coop. Fruchthof Überetsch, Coop. Lana, Coop. Roen, Coop. Laurin, Coop. Pomus, Coop. Melix Bressanone, Frubona Coop. Terlano, Coop. Grufrut, Coop. Kurmark-Unifrut, and Coop. Biosüdtirol) into a single marketing, post-harvest, and distribution entity. Annual production is approximately 515,000 tonnes of integrated and 35,000 tonnes of organic apples, representing roughly 32% of Italian and 6% of European apple output. The portfolio spans more than 20 varieties including Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Red Delicious, and Braeburn, marketed under owned brands (Marlene®, Biosüdtirol®, Südtiroler Apfel g.g.A., yello®, Joya®, RedPop®, Giga®, Crimson Snow®, Evelina®) and licensed club varieties (Pink Lady®, Kanzi®, envy™, Jazz™, SweeTango™, Cosmic Crisp®).

The consortium's commercial model is wholesale B2B: VOG sells branded and bulk apples to retailers, supermarket chains, wholesale markets, and international distributors through negotiated contracts, augmented by retail point-of-sale support, trade-show participation across Fruit Logistica, BioFach, MACFRUT, Fruit Attraction, Asia Fruit Logistica, APAS SHOW, and Artigiano in Fiera, and brand marketing campaigns that include Warner Bros. Discovery IP collaborations. Distribution spans over 70 countries (the website references over 75 countries), with member cooperatives also operating retail storefronts for direct consumer sales. Technology is centered on controlled-atmosphere storage (extending commercial availability up to 12 months), modern sorting and packaging systems, integrated and organic cultivation methods, and brand-level marketing infrastructure; cooperative formation through mergers (notably Coop. Roen in 2016 and Coop. Laurin in 2019) continues to consolidate upstream producer membership. Leadership comprises CEO Gerhard Dichgans and President Harald Weis.

Name

VOG Sudtirol

Legal name

Consortium of South Tyrolean Fruit Growers Cooperatives coop. soc. agr.

Website

https://vog.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

VOG Sudtirol is an Italian agricultural cooperative consortium that consolidates more than 4,000 apple producers across 11 member cooperatives, producing 550,000 tonnes of apples annually and exporting them under owned and licensed brands to retailers and distributors in over 70 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Apple Production and Distribution

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)

Keywords

• Apple production
• Fresh produce distribution
• Cooperative consortium
• Integrated fruit cultivation
• Branded apple varieties

Headquarters

HQ city

Terlano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Apple Production and Sales: VOG generates revenue through the production, sorting, packaging, and sale of apples to retailers, supermarket chains, and wholesale distributors globally. Member cooperatives supply fruit which is marketed under various brand names.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VOG (Consortium of South Tyrolean Fruit Growers Cooperatives) is an agricultural cooperative consortium that cultivates, harvests, sorts, packages, and markets a portfolio of more than 20 apple varieties. It operates 11 member cooperatives representing over 4,000 producers, with 515,000 tonnes of integrated production and 35,000 tonnes of organic production distributed to retailers, supermarket chains, and wholesale distributors in over 70 countries under owned brands (Marlene, Südtiroler Apfel g.g.A., Biosüdtirol) and licensed club varieties (Pink Lady, Kanzi, envy, Jazz, Cosmic Crisp).

Product overview

VOG (Consortium of South Tyrolean Fruit Growers Cooperatives) operates as an agricultural consortium producing and marketing apple varieties. The portfolio includes owned brands (Marlene®, Südtiroler Apfel g.g.A., Biosüdtirol®, yello®, Joya®, RedPop®, Giga®, Crimson Snow®, Evelina®) and licensed brands (Pink Lady®, Kanzi®, envy™, Jazz™, SweeTango™, Cosmic Crisp®). Products are available in both integrated production (515,000 tonnes) and organic production (35,000 tonnes) formats, distributed across over 70 markets globally. The product range includes more than 20 apple varieties including Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Red Delicious, Braeburn, and specialty varieties like Coop38/GoldRush®, Pilot, Pinova, Topaz, Inored/Story®, Bonita, SQ159/Natyra®, Morgenduft, and Stayman Winesap.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Marlene®: Flagship apple brand with 30-year history, celebrated for intense fruity aroma. Associated with South Tyrol origin and creative marketing campaigns.
• Südtiroler Apfel g.g.A.
• Biosüdtirol®
• Pink Lady®
• Kanzi®
• envy™
• yello®
• Jazz™
• Joya®
• SweeTango™
• RedPop®
• Giga®
• Cosmic Crisp®
• Crimson Snow®
• Evelina®

Products and services

• Marlene® Flagship umbrella apple brand of VOG with a 30-year heritage, marketed to retailers and consumers as the signature identity of South Tyrolean apples.
• Südtiroler Apfel g.g.A. Protected Geographical Indication (g.g.A.) certification guaranteeing apples are grown, harvested, and packaged in South Tyrol, providing regional authenticity assurance for retailers and consumers.
• Biosüdtirol® Organic apple brand produced by over 300 organic apple farmers using biological cultivation methods, supplied to retailers seeking certified organic produce.
• Pink Lady® Licensed premium club apple variety marketed by VOG under license, distinguished by its pink color, floral notes, and refreshing juiciness; available in integrated and organic production.
• Kanzi® Licensed club apple brand (Nicoter-Nicored variety) offering refreshing juiciness and fine acidity, available in Kanzi® Bio organic and standard integrated versions.
• envy™ Licensed premium apple brand featuring the Scilate variety, marketed for its intense fruity flavor and tropical notes.
• yello® Owned apple brand featuring the Shinano Gold variety, marketed for its distinctive yellow skin and exotic flavor profile.
• Jazz™ Licensed apple brand (Royal Gala × Braeburn cross) marketed for aromatic crunch, sweet taste with subtle acidity; available in Jazz™ Bio organic and standard integrated versions.
• Joya® Owned apple brand featuring the CR Brisset variety, characterized by sparkling flavors that awaken the taste buds.
• SweeTango™ Licensed early-season apple brand (Minneiska variety) harvested from mid-August, positioned as a bicolor ruby-red and yellow summer apple.
• RedPop® Owned apple brand (CIVM49 variety) marketed as a small apple snack with great sweetness, available in RedPop® Bio organic and integrated versions.
• Giga® Owned apple brand (Ipador variety) marketed with a 'Mighty good' positioning, available in Giga® Bio organic and integrated versions.
• Cosmic Crisp® Licensed premium apple brand (WA38 variety) marketed for its 'Heavenly Taste' with exceptional crunch and flavor; available in Cosmic Crisp® Bio organic and standard integrated versions.
• Crimson Snow® Owned apple brand (MC38 variety) characterized by purple color, crunchiness, and freshness.
• Evelina® Owned premium apple brand (RoHo 3615 variety) marketed for its seductive aroma.

Quantifiable outcome

• 32% market share of Italian apple production
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Warner Bros. DiscoveryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026VOG has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery for co-branded marketing campaigns. Giga apple variety collaborates with Superman (Superman Day celebration), and RedPop partners with Supergirl for movie premiere marketing activities in 2026.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stemilt Growers: Family-owned US apple grower, packer, and marketer offering branded apples (including club varieties). Comparable to VOG in combining owned production with branded marketing at retail across multiple apple varieties.
• Melinda: Italian apple consortium from the Val di Non and Val di Sole (Trentino) regions, with roughly 4,000 grower families. A direct domestic competitor to VOG in the premium Italian apple segment, marketing under the Melinda and La Trentina brands.
• VI.P - Verband der Vinschgauer Produzenten: The other major South Tyrolean apple cooperative consortium (Val Venosta), directly competing with VOG in Italian and European apple supply. Operates the same farmer-cooperative model and serves overlapping retail customers with similar club-variety strategies.
• CMI (Columbia Marketing International) / CMI Orchards: US-based apple packer and marketer distributing multiple branded and club apple varieties to retail. Comparable to VOG in the multi-variety branded-apple approach and reliance on club-variety licenses.

Broad incumbents

• Zespri International: New Zealand-headquartered kiwifruit marketing cooperative, comparable to VOG as a producer-driven cooperative that uses brand marketing and global distribution to capture category leadership. Useful analogue for the cooperative brand-led GTM model even though the fruit category differs.
• Pink Lady America / Apple and Pear Australia Ltd: Owner/licensor of the Pink Lady club variety that VOG markets under license. Comparable in that Pink Lady operates the same club-variety licensing model in apple categories globally, and is a structural counterparty to VOG's premium assortment.
• Driscoll's: Global berry marketer operating a grower-network model and proprietary variety licensing. Comparable to VOG as a global fresh-produce brand owner that sells under club/own brands across geographies.
• Washington Apple Commission: Industry body representing Washington State apple growers, the largest US apple-producing region. Relevant comparable for the scale and export orientation of VOG's apple business, even though it is an industry body rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• New Zealand Apples & Pears (NZAPI): Industry body representing New Zealand apple exporters (e.g., Rockit, Jazz, Envy originators). Comparable to VOG in the export-led, brand-driven apple business model, but operating in a different hemisphere and not directly competing in European retail.

Emerging players

• La Fruitière du Val Evel: French apple cooperative marketing the Blue Label Evel brand, with comparable focus on club varieties and integrated production. A direct European cooperative competitor to VOG in the premium apple segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vog-apples
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries12 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 VOG Sudtirol