ecco-jäger Früchte und Gemüse AG

What ecco-jäger Früchte und Gemüse AG does

ecco-jäger Früchte und Gemüse AG is a family-owned Swiss fresh-produce wholesale distributor headquartered in Bad Ragaz, Graubünden, tracing its origins to a vegetable business founded in 1930 by the Egger-Coray family. The entity in its current form dates to a November 2001 merger that integrated Selvagemüse Laax, and ownership has rested with the Gschwend family since 2007, with Philipp Gschwend leading operations since 2017. The company operates a full-range ("Vollsortiment") wholesale business spanning fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, dairy, chilled, and frozen products, supplied to more than 1,000 customers across six days per week in Graubünden (excluding Engadin), Sarganserland, Werdenberg, Liechtenstein, Rheintal St. Gallen, and Obertoggenburg.

The underlying operating technology is a temperature-controlled cold chain rather than a software platform: a fleet of approximately 30 refrigerated vehicles maintains +2°C to +5°C for chilled products and at least -18°C for frozen products in compliance with the Swiss food law (Schweizer Lebensmittelgesetz). A wholly on-site aquaponics rooftop facility at Bad Ragaz — described as Switzerland's largest urban aquaponics rooftop farm — uses waste heat from the company's refrigeration units to produce salads and herbs that supplement the assortment. Ordering is supported by a web shop (appshop.ecco-jaeger.ch) with public guest credentials and a monthly promotional PDF (EccoNews), but the dominant channel remains direct delivery via the owned fleet.

The business model is B2B wholesale on a transactional, delivered basis, with pricing set through direct commercial relationships rather than publicly disclosed lists. Customer segments split across gastronomy and hospitality (primary), institutions and hospitals (primary), and food retail, canteens, and swimming-pool facilities (secondary). The company has grown through a steady regional roll-up — Frutalpina Laax (2013), Frutalpina Arosa (2016), Frisch AG Chur (2020), Chäs-Fritz AG (2023), and FHL Frisch Handel Logistik GmbH (2024) — and has extended its perimeter into light processing (ready-to-cook fresh products, 2019) and agrotourism (Ustria Bargaus, 2024) while preserving acquired sub-brands (Selva Gemüse, Chäs Fritz, Frutalpina, FHL) under the parent AG.

Name

ecco-jäger Früchte und Gemüse AG

Legal name

ecco-jäger Früchte und Gemüse AG

Website

https://ecco-jaeger.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ecco-jäger Früchte und Gemüse AG is a family-owned Swiss fresh-produce wholesale distributor in Bad Ragaz that delivers a full assortment of fresh, chilled, and frozen products — plus cheese, dairy, and own-grown aquaponics salads — to over 1,000 gastronomy, hospital, institutional, retail, canteen, and leisure customers across Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, and Liechtenstein via a 30-vehicle refrigerated fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables) (AFAIABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refrigerated/Chilled Foods Wholesale (Deli, Prepared, Fresh Pasta, etc.) (AFAIAHAB), Hydroponic / Controlled-Environment Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAM)

Keywords

• Fresh produce wholesale
• Cold chain logistics
• Food service supply
• Fruit vegetable distribution
• Refrigerated delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Ragaz

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce & Perishables Wholesale: Wholesale distribution of fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese, dairy, chilled, and frozen products to over 1,000 customers across eastern Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Revenue is generated through product sales with delivery included, with a focus on the full product range for food service, retail, and institutional customers. Additional own-produce items from the aquaponics rooftop farm and the Ustria Bargaus agrotourism project are integrated into the product mix.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ecco-jäger Früchte und Gemüse AG operates a full-range fresh produce wholesale business, distributing fruits, vegetables, cheese, dairy, chilled, and frozen products to over 1,000 B2B customers across eastern Switzerland and Liechtenstein six days per week via a fleet of ~30 refrigerated vehicles. The company also operates Switzerland's largest urban aquaponics rooftop farm producing exclusive salads and herbs, a kitchen-ready fresh products line, the Chäs Fritz cheese brand, and the Ustria Bargaus agrotourism project.

Product overview

ecco-jäger Früchte und Gemüse AG is a Swiss fruit and vegetable wholesale business founded in 1930, operating as an owner-managed traditional company. The core offering is a full-range wholesale supply of fresh, chilled, and frozen products (fruits, vegetables, cheese, dairy) delivered six days per week to over 1,000 customers in eastern Switzerland via approximately 30 delivery vehicles. The company has expanded through acquisitions including Selva Gemüse, Frutalpina, Chäs Fritz, and FHL Frisch Handel Logistik GmbH. Supplementary offerings include an aquaponics rooftop farm producing salads and herbs, ready-to-cook fresh products, and the Ustria Bargaus agrotourism project. Products are sold through a web-based ordering platform (AppShop) at appshop.ecco-jaeger.ch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Selva Gemüse: Fresh vegetable brand operating in Laax, serving the Surselva region
• Chäs Fritz
• Ustria Bargaus

Products and services

• Früchte & Gemüse Grosshandel (Fruit & Vegetable Wholesale Distribution) Full-range wholesale supply of fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese, dairy, chilled, and frozen products delivered six days per week (Monday to Saturday) to over 1,000 B2B customers across eastern Switzerland and Liechtenstein via a fleet of approximately 30 refrigerated vehicles.
• Aquaponik-Dachfarm (Aquaponics Rooftop Farm) Switzerland's largest urban aquaponics rooftop farm, producing fresh salads and herbs that supplement the company's wholesale product assortment, powered by waste heat recovered from refrigeration units.
• Küchenfertige Frischprodukte (Ready-to-Cook Fresh Products) Small-scale in-house production of ready-to-cook fresh products for gastronomy and institutional kitchen customers, offering prepared convenience produce.
• Chäs Fritz (Cheese Products Brand) Cheese wholesale brand offering cheese products through the ecco-jäger distribution network; cheese cellar now operated from Bad Ragaz following 2024 relocation.
• Selva Gemüse (Selva Vegetables - Laax Branch) Fresh vegetables wholesale brand operating from the Laax branch, serving the Surselva region with approximately 10 employees.
• Ustria Bargaus (Agrotourism Project) Agrotourism offering at the Rhine Gorge including a restaurant, fish pond, and on-site vegetable cultivation, diversifying the company beyond pure wholesale distribution.
• AppShop (Online Ordering Platform) Web-based B2B ordering platform at appshop.ecco-jaeger.ch allowing customers to browse the full product range and place orders digitally, with a guest login option ([email protected]).

Named customers6 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LussocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEstablished in 2004, Lusso is a sales distribution partnership covering all of eastern Switzerland. This partnership extends ecco-jäger's market reach beyond its own direct delivery fleet, enabling product distribution to customers across the wider Ostschweiz region through Lusso's established commercial network.
• Frutalpina LaaxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness operations of Frutalpina Laax (including employees) were taken over by ecco-jäger, integrating into the Laax branch. This acquisition expanded ecco-jäger's product sourcing capabilities in the Surselva/Graubünden region.
• Frutalpina ArosacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness operations of Frutalpina Arosa (including employees) were taken over in 2019, extending ecco-jäger's footprint to the Arosa region in Graubünden.
• Chäs-Fritz AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness operations of Chäs-Fritz AG in Chur were taken over in 2022. In 2024, Chäs Fritz relocated from Chur to Bad Ragaz and opened a new cheese cellar there. The brand remains integrated under ecco-jäger's portfolio.
• Frisch AG ChurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrisch AG in Chur was acquired in 2020 including employees, expanding ecco-jäger's presence in the Chur region of Graubünden.
• FHL Frisch Handel Logistik GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFHL Frisch Handel Logistik GmbH in Chur was taken over in 2024, strengthening ecco-jäger's logistics and supply chain operations in the Chur area.
• Selvagemüse LaaxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelvagemüse Laax was integrated into ecco-jäger in 2001 as part of the fusion that created the current ecco-jäger Früchte und Gemüse AG. The tax domicile was set in Graubünden. The brand continues to operate from the Laax branch.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bell Food Group AG: Large Swiss food manufacturer and broad-line supplier including chilled and convenience products. Comparable as a much larger incumbent whose assortment overlaps ecco-jäger's fresh/chilled/frozen range but is national rather than regional.
• Emmi Group: Swiss dairy and fresh products manufacturer. Comparable to ecco-jäger where dairy products overlap with its Vollsortiment, though Emmi is a much larger, publicly-listed national/international producer rather than a regional distributor.
• Müller Handels AG (Volg / Spar Switzerland): Swiss food retail and wholesale group operating convenience and rural retail formats. Comparable to ecco-jäger at the food-retail customer overlap, though at vastly larger scale and with a different operating model.

Direct peers

• Pistor AG: Swiss cooperative wholesale for gastronomy, hotels and institutions. Comparable to ecco-jäger as a regional full-line food distributor with cold-chain logistics and a customer base of food-service operators across Switzerland.
• Bianchi AG: Swiss fresh fruit and vegetable wholesaler supplying gastronomy and retail. Directly comparable to ecco-jäger in product mix (fresh produce focus) and customer type (food service / retail).
• Saviva AG: One of Switzerland's leading B2B wholesalers to the gastronomy, hotel and care-home sectors. Comparable to ecco-jäger because both serve HORECA customers with a broad food assortment, cold-chain delivery, and full-range procurement.
• Frischknecht AG: Swiss fresh produce specialist serving gastronomy and food retail in eastern Switzerland. Comparable to ecco-jäger in geography and product/customer overlap.
• Transgourmet / Howeg: Major Swiss HORECA wholesale brand (part of Coop). Comparable to ecco-jäger in serving restaurants, hotels and institutions with a full assortment including fresh, chilled and frozen foods delivered via owned cold-chain logistics.
• Lüchinger + Schmid AG: Swiss fresh produce wholesaler serving gastronomy and food service. Comparable to ecco-jäger as a B2B distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables with daily direct delivery in a defined Swiss territory.

Regional players

• Frutalpina AG: Swiss fruit sourcing and distribution company operating in alpine regions. Listed because parts of Frutalpina (Laax/Arosa) were absorbed into ecco-jäger; comparable as a regional player with overlapping cold-chain produce sourcing in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecco-j%C3%A4ger-fr%C3%BCchte-und-gem%C3%BCse-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 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 ecco-jäger Früchte und Gemüse AG