Hesbaye Frost and Apligeer

What Hesbaye Frost and Apligeer does

Hesbaye Frost and Apligeer is a Belgian privately held frozen vegetable processor headquartered in Geer, Belgium, operating since 1985 with between 101 and 250 employees. The company processes, freezes, packages, and dispatches fresh produce supplied through the APLIGEER cooperative, which aggregates roughly 500 farmers across approximately 7,000 hectares. Its core product portfolio spans frozen vegetables — peas, spinach, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and others — alongside frozen rehydrated dry products including pasta, rice, quinoa, and lentils, with additional organic and zero-residue (MIMOSA) certified lines. Processing is supported by 7 packaging lines covering formats from 100-gram retail packs to 1-ton bulk units, an optical sorting system, water-jet cutting, deep-freezing tunnel technology, and the Frigo 7 cold-storage facility with 30,000 pallet capacity commissioned in 2014.

The business operates a B2B model, supplying food manufacturers, food service operators, and retailers across more than 85% of output going to export markets. Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; pricing and contracting are typical of European industrial frozen-food supply — multi-format volume contracts negotiated with food manufacturers and food service distributors, complemented by retail private-label and branded packs. The vertically aligned cooperative structure provides traceable raw material sourcing, while on-site renewable energy infrastructure (a 1 MW floating photovoltaic array and a 1.5 MW biogas cogeneration plant) covers more than 30% of energy requirements, partially insulating margin from grid price volatility.

Operational technology emphasizes industrial automation and sensor-driven processes rather than AI-native systems: drones equipped with infrared sensors are used for precision agriculture across the cooperative farmland, optical sorting and water-jet cutting support grading and portioning, and deep-freezing tunnels handle core processing. The company's differentiation rests on scale economics from its infrastructure, supply integration via APLIGEER, multi-format packaging flexibility, certification programmes (MIMOSA zero-residue, organic), and renewable-energy-backed cost position rather than proprietary AI/ML intellectual property.

Name

Hesbaye Frost and Apligeer

Legal name

Hesbaye Frost

Website

https://hesbayefrost.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hesbaye Frost and Apligeer is a Belgian frozen vegetable processor serving B2B food manufacturers, food service operators, and retailers with multi-format packaging (100g to 1 ton), supplying export markets through an integrated farmer cooperative of roughly 500 growers across 7,000 hectares.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Frozen Food Processing

NAICS

Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Fruits & Vegetables Manufacturing (AFAKACAF)

Keywords

• Frozen vegetable processing
• B2B frozen foods
• Frozen produce supply
• Agricultural cooperative
• Food processing logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Geer

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Frozen Vegetable Products: Hesbaye Frost freezes and packages vegetables (peas, spinach, carrots, Brussels sprouts, etc.) for B2B customers. Products are sold in packaging ranging from 100g retail bags to 1-ton bulk containers.
2. Frozen Rehydrated Dry Products: Range of frozen dry products including pasta, rice, quinoa, and lentils that are rehydrated before freezing. This diversification ensures year-round activity and employment beyond the seasonal fresh vegetable production window.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Hesbaye Frost and Apligeer is a Belgian food processing company that controls the full farm-to-fork value chain through a partnership with the APLIGEER cooperative of approximately 500 farmers cultivating around 7,000 hectares in the Hesbaye and Condroz regions. The company specializes in deep-freezing, packaging, and dispatching fresh vegetables (peas, spinach, carrots, Brussels sprouts, kale, broad beans, potatoes, parsnips) and frozen rehydrated dry products (pasta, rice, quinoa, lentils). Over 85% of production is destined for export markets, with output ranging from 100g retail bags to 1-ton bulk containers.

Product overview

Hesbaye Frost & APLIGEER operates as a specialized frozen food production company offering two core product categories: fresh frozen vegetables (peas, spinach, parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts, kale, chervil, broad beans, potatoes, and parsnips) cultivated by 500 farmers across 7,000 hectares, and frozen rehydrated dry products (pasta, rice, quinoa, lentils). The company controls the entire supply chain from seed selection to distribution. Supporting infrastructure includes the high-capacity Frigo 7 automated warehouse (30,000 pallet capacity). The product portfolio spans conventional, zero-residue, and organic cultivation methods. The company is not a software/technology platform but a food production company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Frozen Vegetables Deep-frozen fresh vegetables including peas, spinach, parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts, kale, chervil, broad beans, and potatoes sourced from approximately 500 farmers in the Hesbaye and Condroz regions and packaged in formats ranging from 100g bags to 1-ton bulk containers for B2B food industry customers.
• Frozen Rehydrated Dry Products Frozen dry products including pasta, rice, quinoa, and lentils that are rehydrated before freezing, providing complementary ingredients for ready-to-eat meal production. This range ensures year-round activity beyond the seasonal fresh vegetable window.
• Zero Residue Vegetables Vegetables produced with zero residue of active ingredients, achieved through precision agriculture, varietal selection for disease-resistant plants, and optimized treatment products from the MIMOSA research programme.
• Organic Vegetables Organically cultivated vegetables following a two-year conversion period from conventional farming, supported by APLIGEER's expertise and agronomist advisory services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Doubled spinach production capacity with the new production line
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• APLIGEERcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999APLIGEER is a cooperative founded in 1999 that groups approximately 500 farmers from Hesbaye and Condroz who cultivate around 7,000 hectares of vegetables. Hesbaye Frost works exclusively with APLIGEER for its agricultural supply. The cooperative has its own team of agronomists who monitor all operations from seed selection to harvest. APLIGEER develops solutions for sustainable, residue-free vegetable production and supports farmers transitioning to organic farming.
• BIOGAZ du Haut-GeercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Biogaz du Haut-Geer is a cooperative comprising Hesbaye Frost, several farmers, and public and private partners. It produces electricity and heat through biomethanisation of agricultural inputs and organic waste from Hesbaye Frost. The site has three co-generation units with 1.5 MW installed power, covering nearly 20-30% of Hesbaye Frost's electricity needs.
• NatagoraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatagora is a Belgian nature protection organization that co-manages the Haut-Geer Nature Reserve with Hesbaye Frost and APLIGEER. The reserve, located on former settling basins of a grinding mill at Hollogne-sur-Geer, is managed by an asbl with representatives from Natagora, Hesbaye Frost, and APLIGEER, with participation from the Geer local authorities.
• Geer Local AuthoritiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe commune of Geer participates in the management of the Haut-Geer Nature Reserve as part of the asbl governance alongside Natagora, Hesbaye Frost, and APLIGEER.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Ardo: Belgian-headquartered frozen vegetable processor supplying B2B food manufacturers and retailers across Europe. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated frozen-vegetable specialist with export-led distribution, similar to Hesbaye Frost's model.
• Bonduelle: French frozen and canned vegetable leader serving B2B food service and retail worldwide. Highly comparable product portfolio (peas, spinach, carrots, Brussels sprouts) and B2B go-to-market, though much larger in scale.
• Pinguin (Westfro): Belgian frozen vegetable brand now operating under Crop's; historically a direct competitor to Hesbaye Frost in European frozen vegetable supply. Same product types, same Belgian production base.
• d'Arta: Belgian frozen fruit and vegetable processor with B2B focus across Europe. Comparable as a regional specialist competitor with similar product mix and export orientation.
• Crop's: Belgian frozen vegetable and fruit producer (also acquired the Pinguin brand) supplying retail and food service in Europe. Closely matches Hesbaye Frost in geography, customer base, and product range.

Broad incumbents

• Findus: European frozen food brand with significant frozen vegetable and fish offerings across retail and food service. Overlaps with Hesbaye Frost's frozen vegetable category but operates as a branded incumbent across multiple frozen categories.
• Lamb Weston: Global frozen potato products leader with major European operations. Comparable in B2B frozen food supply to food service customers, but specialized in potato rather than mixed vegetables.
• McCain Foods: Global frozen food incumbent with major European operations across potatoes and vegetables. Overlaps with Hesbaye Frost in frozen vegetable supply to food service and B2B, but operates at much greater scale and broader scope.
• Greenyard: Belgian-listed global market leader in frozen and prepared vegetables, fruits, and horticulture products. Comparable in frozen vegetable processing and European B2B distribution, but with a far broader portfolio and international footprint.

Regional players

• Agristo: Belgian frozen potato product specialist with significant export reach. Comparable as a Belgian-based frozen food exporter serving international B2B customers, though focused on potatoes rather than vegetables.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hesbaye Frost and Apligeer