What Adler Schwarzwald does

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Name

Adler Schwarzwald

Legal name

Adler Schwarzwald GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://adlerschwarzwald.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Adler Schwarzwald is a fourth-generation family-owned producer of EU PGI-protected Black Forest ham and sausage specialties, operating production facilities in Bonndorf and Achern, Germany, with direct-to-consumer factory outlets, EDEKA retail placement, e-commerce, and US exports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cured Meats and Black Forest Ham Specialties

NAICS

Meat Retailers (445240)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Cured Meats (Dry-Cured, Wet-Cured, Hams, Bacon) (AFANAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Butcher Shops & Meat Markets (CRAHAHAB)

Keywords

• Black Forest ham
• Meat products
• Regional sausages
• Food manufacturing
• Premium charcuterie

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonndorf Im Schwarzwald

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Adler Schwarzwald generates revenue through the production and sale of Black Forest ham and sausage specialties, sold via company-owned factory outlets (Werksverkauf), retail stores, EDEKA supermarket partnerships, and e-commerce through schwarzwald-art.de for premium gift products.
2. Online Gifting (Adler SchwarzwaldArt): Premium gift hampers and specialty products sold via the dedicated online shop schwarzwald-art.de, targeting corporate gifts and gourmet consumers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Adler Schwarzwald produces and sells traditional Black Forest ham (Schwarzwälder Schinken) protected by EU PGI status, along with a portfolio of regional ham varieties, traditional Black Forest sausages, Qualivo premium regional meat products, organic ham, and ready-to-eat prepared specialties. Products are sold through company-owned factory outlets, a company retail store, Adler counters in EDEKA supermarkets, an e-commerce gift platform, and international export channels.

Product overview

Adler Schwarzwald is a family-owned food company producing traditional Black Forest meat and ham specialties. Founded in 1920, the company operates primarily in Bonndorf and Achern, Germany, with exports to the USA and EU markets. The product portfolio centers on Schwarzwälder Schinken (Black Forest Ham) with EU PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status, alongside dried and smoked specialties (Alemannenschinken, Bauernschinken, Landschinken, Bergkräuterschinken), regional products under the Qualivo sub-brand (Qualivo meat and sausages from regional Baden-Württemberg breeding with GMOfree feed and humane housing), and traditional Black Forest charcuterie (Landjaeger, Leberwurst, Schwarzwurst). The company also offers prepared specialties in cooking pouches (Schlemmerschinkle, Rollschinkle, Burehäxle, Badischer Sauerbraten). A direct-to-consumer online shop (SchwarzwaldArt) serves gift and corporate present markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Adler SchwarzwaldArt: Premium range brand for Adler specialties and gifts, introduced in 2010 for high-quality ADLER specialties and presents
• Qualivo
• Adler Qualivo

Products and services

• Schwarzwälder Schinken (Black Forest Ham) The company's flagship product — Black Forest ham made from selected pork hindquarters, hand-salted using traditional recipes, smoked for three weeks with Black Forest conifer wood, and aged for 12 weeks. Protected by EU PGI status since 1997. Sold to gourmet consumers, retailers, and export markets.
• Schwarzwälder Schinken Qualivo Premium Black Forest ham from the Qualivo program, with meat from regional breeding in Baden-Württemberg, non-GMO feed, and humane housing conditions.
• Schwarzwälder Schinken Bio (Organic Black Forest Ham) Organic Black Forest ham produced from organically raised pigs according to organic farming standards.
• Alemannenschinken (Alemannic Ham) Extra-tender ham with a mild, light flavor, refined for six months and made from carefully selected raw materials.
• Bauernschinken (Farmer's Ham) Ham made from selected pork hindquarters seasoned with traditional recipes and hand-salted, matured for over three months in fresh mountain air.
• Landschinken (Country Ham) Country ham seasoned according to traditional recipes and hand-salted, matured for over three months in fresh mountain air.
• Bergkräuterschinken (Mountain Herb Ham) Raw mountain ham seasoned with herbs, offering a distinctive aromatic character.
• Karreeschinken / Filet de porc fumé (Smoked Pork Loin) Smoked pork loin, a lean and flavorful cut.
• Hohlenrücken Speck (Loin Bacon) Bacon made from the pork loin.
• Filigrano Speck (Filigrano Bacon) Premium bacon product under the Filigrano brand.
• Schwarzwälder Speck (Black Forest Bacon) Traditional Black Forest bacon, a smoked and cured pork product.
• Qualivo Fleisch (Qualivo Premium Meat) Premium pork, beef, and veal from regional Baden-Württemberg breeding with non-GMO feed, straw or free-range housing, and on-site slaughter.
• Qualivo Wurstsortiment (Qualivo Sausage Assortment) Premium sausages made from Qualivo-certified regional meat.
• Landjaeger (Gendarmes) Traditional dried sausages, a classic Black Forest specialty.
• Hausmacher Leberwurst (Homemade Liver Sausage) Traditional homemade liver sausage.
• Schwarzwurst (Black Pudding/Sausage) Traditional Black Forest blood sausage.
• Fleischwurst (Meat Sausage) Sliced meat sausage.
• Schweizer Wurstsalat (Swiss Sausage Salad) Sliced meat sausage with Emmental cheese, ready to serve as a salad.
• Ungarischer Wurstsalat (Hungarian Sausage Salad) Sliced meat sausage with peppers, Hungarian-style.
• Schäufele (Pork Shoulder) Traditional pork shoulder specialty of the Black Forest, served smoked and roasted.
• Rollschinkle (Rolled Ham of Baden) Exclusive Upper Black Forest specialty — lean meat is cured, smoked, and slow-cooked. Available in cooking pouches.
• Burehäxle (Ham Hock) Ham hock cured with juniper pickle, smoked and slow-cooked. Boneless and vacuum-packed, suitable hot or cold.
• Badischer Sauerbraten (Baden Sauerbraten) Ready-to-eat marinated beef roast, traditionally prepared over several days with house recipe marinade. Available in cooking pouches.
• Schlemmerschinkle (Gourmet Ham) Extra lean cooked shoulder of ham, naturally cured in a mould, smoked and slow-cooked in its own juices. Available vacuum-packed.
• SchwarzwaldArt Online Shop Online shop for purchasing Adler Schwarzwald products as gourmet gifts and corporate presents for employees and business partners.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schutzverband der Schwarzwälder SchinkenherstellercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Adler Schwarzwald is a member of the Black Forest Ham Producers Protection Association (Schutzverband der Schwarzwälder Schinkenhersteller), founded in 1989. The association is responsible for protecting the Black Forest Ham PGI designation, quality management, marketing, and legal protection against plagiarism. Key milestones include EU PGI attainment in 1997 and the opening of the Schwarzwälder Schinkenmuseum in 2013.
• Schwarzwälder SchinkenmuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Interactive Black Forest Ham Museum located in the Feldberg Tower at 1,493 meters altitude, opened in 2013. The museum educates visitors on traditional Black Forest Ham PGI production (curing and smoking), offers recipes, and provides 360-degree views of the Alps and Vosges. Adler Schwarzwald is associated through membership in the Schutzverband der Schwarzwälder Schinkenhersteller which operates and promotes the museum.
• Qualivo Partner Farmers (Baden-Württemberg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADLER Qualivo program involves selected local farmers in Baden-Württemberg who commit to non-GMO feed, straw or free-range farming, and on-site slaughtering at Adler. This partnership ensures regional sourcing, short supply chains, and consistent quality for Qualivo-labeled premium meat products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reinert: German premium sausage and ham manufacturer producing a broad range of cured meats including regional specialties; competes with Adler in retail deli and packaged cured meat SKUs across German grocery channels.
• Stockmeyer: Long-established German sausage and ham producer (Westphalia-based) with a broad cured meat and cooked sausage portfolio competing for retail shelf space against Adler in German supermarkets.
• Kemper Wurstwaren: German producer of traditional cured and cooked sausages, including regional specialty lines, operating in the same retail and food-service channels as Adler's sausage portfolio.
• Rügenwalder Mühle: One of Germany's largest traditional sausage and cold-cut producers, also a pioneer in plant-based meat alternatives; competes directly with Adler's cured sausage and ham range while representing the broader mass-market scale Adler does not pursue.
• Böklunder Plumrose: German packaged sausage and meat-specialty brand (part of Danish Crown) selling through major German grocery retailers, overlapping with Adler's sausage and cold-cut shelf presence.
• Abraham: German producer of authentic Schwarzwälder Schinken and traditional Black Forest ham specialties, directly competing with Adler for PGI-certified Black Forest ham market share in Germany and export channels.
• Schwarzwaldhof (Müller Group): German meat and sausage producer with a dedicated Black Forest / Schwarzwaldhof sub-brand offering traditional cured hams and regional sausages, directly competing in the PGI ham and regional sausage category.
• Zur Mühlen (Tönnies Group): German sausage and ham brand within the Tönnies group producing classic German Wurst and cured specialties; competes with Adler in retail cured meat SKUs and food-service channels.

Broad incumbents

• Herta (Nestlé): Mass-market European packaged meat brand owned by Nestlé; competes in the broader German cold-cut category and represents the industrial-incumbent alternative to Adler's artisanal positioning.
• Wiesenhof (PHW Group): Germany's largest poultry processor (PHW Group) with adjacent chilled and specialty meat lines; relevant as a broad German protein incumbent competing for premium meat and gift-ham shelf space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Adler Schwarzwald