Horticultural Center Papenburg

Name

Horticultural Center Papenburg

Legal name

Gartenbauzentrale eG

Website

https://gartenbauzentrale.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Greenhouse Herb & Microgreens Production (Culinary Herbs, Microgreens) (AFAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh Herbs & Microgreens Wholesale (AFAIACAC), Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) / Vertical Farming (Indoor LED Farms) (AFAGAHAJ)

Keywords

• Fresh produce wholesale
• Greenhouse horticulture
• Potted herbs distribution
• Cooperative agriculture
• Fruit vegetable supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Papenburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale produce sales through cooperative model: As a cooperative (eG), the company generates revenue by marketing products from member farms. Revenue comes from the sale of herbs, vegetables, salads, and ornamental plants to retailers and wholesale partners, with centralized marketing, logistics, and quality management services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Gartenbauzentrale eG is a cooperative of approximately 50 family farms that produces and wholesale-distributes fresh potted and cut herbs, fruit vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants), salads and root vegetables, and ornamental plants to German food retailers, hardware stores, and European partners. All output flows through a centralized logistics center at the Papenburg headquarters for quality management, packaging, and 24-48 hour delivery.

Product overview

Gartenbauzentrale eG is a cooperative of approximately 50 family businesses operating 100 hectares of greenhouse and 100 hectares of outdoor growing area in Papenburg, Germany. The company operates as a unified product portfolio centered around four core product categories: (1) Pot and cut herbs including extensive basil varieties (Genovese, Thai, cinnamon, lemon, red/green, bush), 10+ mint varieties, and classic kitchen herbs; (2) Fruit vegetables including vine tomatoes, mini vine tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, beef tomatoes, mini Roma tomatoes, salad cucumbers, mini cucumbers, snack cucumbers, bell peppers in four colors, and eggplants; (3) Salads and vegetables including head lettuce, root salad Trio, oak leaf lettuce, Lollo varieties, and carrots; (4) Flowers and ornamental plants including geraniums, poinsettias, summer perennials, carnations, asters, houseleek, Christmas cactus, tomato plants, lucky clover, lavender, and cat grass. All products are produced under food-grade standards with many certified organic (EU Bio, Bioland, Demeter, Naturland) and meet IFS Logistics, IFS Broker, QS, and GLOBALG.A.P. quality standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Potted & Cut Herbs
• Fruit Vegetables
• Salads & Vegetables
• Flowers & Ornamental Plants

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 emissions reduced by 6% by end of 2024 from baseline 2021 (11,000 tCO2)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Genossenschaftsverband Weser-Ems e.V.coreOthersResponsible auditing association for the cooperative according to §54 Genossenschaftsgesetz. Conducts regular audits and provides professional support for cooperative governance compliance.
• Emsland (Emsland GmbH)minorOthersRegional economic development organization for the Emsland area, supporting local businesses and economic growth in the region.
• DRV (Deutscher Raiffeisenverband)minorOthersGerman Raiffeisen Association representing agricultural cooperatives and promoting the cooperative model in Germany.
• BEVO (Bundesverband Eigenössische Obst- und Gemüseorganisationen)minorOthersFederal Association of Swiss Fruit and Vegetable Organizations, international partner for fruit and vegetable sector coordination.
• DMG (Deutsches Obst und Gemüse)minorOthersGerman Fruit and Vegetable association promoting consumption and representing the industry.
• 5amTagminorOthersGerman marketing initiative promoting daily fruit and vegetable consumption for healthy eating.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Fruitmasters Group: Dutch cooperative of soft fruit, top fruit and pear growers supplying European retail with fresh fruit. Comparable as a producer-owned cooperative with centralized marketing and quality management, though specialized in fruit rather than the herb and vegetable focus of GBZ.
• The Greenery BV: Dutch fresh produce cooperative supplying European retail with fruit and vegetables from member growers, now part of the Dole plc group. Comparable as a cooperative B2B produce wholesaler with similar structure and product mix, but primarily Dutch rather than German in footprint.

Direct peers

• Frutania GmbH: German fresh produce importer and wholesaler supplying German food retail with fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs year-round. Comparable as a German-headquartered B2B produce wholesaler with overlapping customer segments, though operating a different sourcing model.
• Landgard eG: Germany's largest producer cooperative for ornamental plants and fresh produce, structured as an eG and supplying German food retail with fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers from member farms. Closely mirrors GBZ's cooperative B2B wholesale model and German retail customer base.
• Reichenau-Gemüse eG: German cooperative of vegetable growers on Lake Constance producing greenhouse vegetables, salads and herbs for German retail. Comparable as a regional cooperative with similar B2B wholesale model and shared customer base of German food retailers.
• Koppert Cress BV: Dutch specialist in culinary herbs, microgreens and edible flowers supplying European chefs and food service with premium specialty herbs. Highly comparable to GBZ's specialty herb portfolio though focused on the food-service channel rather than German food retail.

Broad incumbents

• Dole plc (Total Produce): Global fresh-produce group formed through the merger of Total Produce and Dole, supplying European and global retail with fruit, vegetables and salads. Comparable as a large incumbent supplying German and European retail with fresh produce, including via acquired entities like Bakker Barendrecht and The Greenery that previously operated Dutch cooperative models.
• BayWa AG: Large Munich-based agricultural, building materials and energy group with a significant German fresh produce wholesale and marketing division serving German retail. Comparable as a broad German agricultural incumbent with overlapping produce customers and complementary energy and agronomy services.
• Royal FloraHolland: World's largest flower auction and cooperative for ornamental plants and flowers, supplying European florists and retail with cut flowers and potted plants. Comparable specifically to GBZ's ornamental plant product line (geraniums, poinsettias, perennials) rather than its herb and vegetable business.
• Greenyard NV: Belgian-headquartered, publicly listed European market leader in fresh, frozen and prepared fruit and vegetables serving major European retailers and food service. Comparable as a larger pan-European fresh-produce incumbent operating in many of the same retail customers, though at materially larger scale and with a different ownership model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61574707752417
• Instagraminstagram.com/gartenbauzentrale_papenburg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gartenbauzentrale-e-g-

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Horticultural Center Papenburg