RICOTER Earth Treatment

What RICOTER Earth Treatment does

RICOTER Earth Treatment (legal name: RICOTER Erdaufbereitung AG) is a privately held Swiss manufacturer of peat-free soil substrates and agricultural lime, founded in 1980/1981 and headquartered in Aarberg with a secondary site in Frauenfeld. The company produces over 75 substrate formulations from regional Swiss raw materials — composted wood fibers, bark compost, Swiss land soil, plant fibers, and biochar (Terra-Preta) — as substitutes for peat and imported coconut coir, with certification coverage including Bio-Suisse, FIBL, Swissveg, Swiss Wood, HortiCert, and a proprietary CO2-clean label. It serves two distinct end markets through a dual-channel model: professional buyers (landscape architects, garden and landscape construction firms, plant producers) buy via a dedicated B2B webshop and receive bulk substrates with specialized project-site logistics (Dosomat, Brooken, blower trucks, crane, telebelt, helicopter delivery), while retail consumers purchase bagged products under the RICOTER, Belflor, and Primaflora sub-brands through the Swiss chains Bauhaus, Jumbo, and OBI. The sub-brand RICOKALK sells agricultural lime for factory pickup or 25-tonne truck delivery, and RICOexpert provides professional advisory support; brand activity is anchored by a long-term ambassador relationship with Swiss personality Melanie Oesch since 2020. The company reports 11–50 employees, has no disclosed parent or subsidiaries, and does not publicly report revenue.

Name

RICOTER Earth Treatment

Legal name

RICOTER Erdaufbereitung AG

Website

https://ricoter.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RICOTER Earth Treatment is a Swiss manufacturer of peat-free soil substrates and agricultural lime, selling 75+ formulations to professional landscapers, horticultural producers, and DIY retail customers across Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horticultural Substrates and Soil Amendments

NAICS

Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

Substrates & Growing Media (Coco, Rockwool, Peat Alternatives) (AFAAAHAF)

Keywords

• Peat-free soil substrates
• Horticultural growing media
• Landscape construction supplies
• Agricultural lime products
• Garden substrate manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarberg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Bagged Substrates: Sale of bagged peat-free soil products across multiple brands: RICOTER (premium), Belflor (mid-range), and Primaflora (economy), sold through retail partners to consumers and through the professional webshop to trade customers.
2. Product Sales - Bulk/Loose and Big Bag: Sale of bulk substrates and one-way Big Bags for landscape and garden construction projects, delivered directly to construction sites via specialized logistics (Dosomat, Brooken, blower trucks, crane, telebelt, helicopter).
3. RICOKALK Agricultural Lime: Sale of RICOKALK agricultural lime products from Aarberg and Frauenfeld locations, available for factory pickup or truck delivery (approx. 25-tonne loads) across Switzerland.
4. Professional Services - RICOexpert Advisory: Advisory consultation services for professional customers through the RICOexpert program, including advisor information materials and POS display materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RICOTER manufactures and distributes peat-free soil substrates and agricultural lime for the Swiss market. Its product range covers 75+ substrates for applications from indoor plants to balcony, garden, roof greening, urban gardening, and landscape construction, sold as bagged goods to consumers via retail partners (Bauhaus, Jumbo, OBI) and as bulk/loose or Big Bag deliveries to professional customers via the shop.ricoter.ch B2B webshop with specialized on-site logistics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Belflor: Sub-brand for bagged soil products including universal soil, flower soil, vegetable and herb soil, and lawn soil.
• RICOKALK
• RICOexpert
• RICOplay

Products and services

• RICOTER Premium Peat-Free Substrates (CO2-clean line) Premium peat-free soil substrates marketed under the RICOTER brand with the CO2-clean label, covering balcony, raised bed, vegetable, herb, berry, flower, and specialty applications; sold bagged to consumers via retail partners and to professionals via the B2B webshop.
• Belflor Bagged Soils Mid-range sub-brand of bagged peat-free soils for hobby gardeners, including universal soil, flower and geranium soil, vegetable and herb soil, lawn soil, moorbed soil, pot plant soil, and indoor plant soil; sold through retail partners across Switzerland.
• Primaflora Universal Soil (Peat-Free)
• Bio-Line Organic Substrates (FIBL-certified)
• Roof Garden and Trogerde Substrates
• Blähton Hydro and Drainage (Expanded Clay)
• RICOplay Playground Safety Wood Chips
• RICOKALK Agricultural Lime
• RICOexpert Professional Advisory Service
• Bulk and Big Bag Substrate Delivery Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 75 different substrates available for specific plant and application needs

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swiss Safety CentercoreOthersRICOTER is ISO 14001 certified through Swiss Safety Center, demonstrating environmental management system compliance and reinforcing its sustainability credentials in the Swiss market.
• Bio-SuissecoreOthersRICOTER products carry the Bio-Suisse auxiliary substance certification, enabling use by Bio-Suisse certified growers and demonstrating organic production standards compliance.
• FIBL (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture)coreOthersFIBL-certified product line (Bio-Line) with FIBL-approved inputs including composted bovine manure and Terra-Preta biochar technology. Products carry the FIBL seal indicating suitability for organic farming.
• HortiCertcoreOthersHortiCert certification indicates compliance with horticultural substrate quality and sustainability standards, supporting RICOTER's professional market positioning.
• Swissveg (V-Label)minorOthersRICOTER products carry the Vegan label (via Swissveg V-Label), confirming no animal-derived ingredients in substrates.
• Swiss Wood (Schweizer Holz)minorOthersSwiss Wood certification verifies Swiss origin of wood-based raw materials, supporting RICOTER's regional sourcing claim for wood fiber and bark components.
• FairrecyclingminorOthersFairrecycling partnership demonstrates commitment to circular economy principles in sourcing secondary raw materials from Swiss industry for substrate production.
• Drehscheibe Kreislaufwirtschaft (Swiss Recycling Platform)minorOthersAssociation membership supporting Switzerland's circular economy objectives by recycling agricultural, forestry, and industrial by-products into high-quality growing media.
• Melanie OeschcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss singer and TV personality Melanie Oesch serves as long-term brand ambassador since 2020. Previous collaboration on poster campaigns has evolved into a comprehensive campaign for environmental protection and next-generation gardening awareness.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Florentaise: French manufacturer of peat-free and reduced-peat substrates using local wood fiber, compost, and coir alternatives (Terrafertil, Terreaux, Terre de Bruyère brands). Comparable peat-alternative technology approach, regional circular raw-material sourcing model, and direct overlap with European professional horticulture demand.
• Klasmann-Deilmann: Germany-headquartered global substrate producer and the largest peat-based and growing-media manufacturer in Europe; competes head-on with RICOTER in the Swiss professional and consumer substrate market and is the most likely multinational entrant to challenge RICOTER's domestic incumbency.
• Jiffy Group: Norwegian-headquartered global producer of growing media including peat-free and coir-based substrates, propagation products, and grow bags. Comparable in product category (substrates and growing media for horticulture) and competes for the same professional horticulture buyer.
• Floragard: German substrate brand owned by the Floragard Group selling bagged hobby soils, growing media, and lawn substrates through European DIY retailers including the same channel partners (OBI, Bauhaus) where RICOTER products are positioned.
• Gramoflor: German peat-reduced and peat-free substrate producer (Gramoflor Professional substrates including Bio-Line, Gartenkläre, and Terra BR substrates). Directly comparable product mix (certified organic, peat-free hobby and pro substrates) and overlapping DACH customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Compo Group: Major German gardening-products group producing substrates alongside fertilizers, lawn care, and plant protection. Sells competing peat-free and standard substrates via the same Swiss retail partners (Bauhaus, Jumbo, OBI) under brands including Compo, Capito, and Neudorff-adjacent lines.
• Westland Horticulture: UK-based gardening-products major (Westland, Levington, Miracle-Gro UK, DeadFast) producing bagged substrates alongside lawn care, seeds, and growing media. Overlaps with RICOTER in bagged consumer substrates and competes in the same pan-European DIY channel-partner shelf set.
• Premier Tech: Canadian-based horticulture and peat-alternative producer behind the Pro-Mix brand, with growing presence in European peat-free substrates through SPNA (Premier Tech SPNA — formerly Premier Tech Horticulture). Comparable substrate manufacturing technology stack and target customers in professional horticulture and landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 RICOTER Earth Treatment