Forst Unternehmensgruppe Fürst von Hohenzollern

What Forst Unternehmensgruppe Fürst von Hohenzollern does

Forst Unternehmensgruppe Fürst von Hohenzollern is the forestry division of the privately held Fürst von Hohenzollern estate (House of Hohenzollern), operating one of Germany's largest private forests across approximately 15,000 hectares of Baden-Württemberg (12,800 ha) and Bavaria (2,200 ha). The estate is divided into five Reviere (Neckar-Donau, Alb, Josefslust, Oberland, Arber) and is managed from the Forstzentrale at Hohenzollernschloss Sigmaringen. Annual harvest is approximately 140,000 Festmeter (104,000 Fm softwood, 36,000 Fm hardwood), with timber sold through the in-house Holzvermarktung department and the partner Prinz von Hohenzollern GmbH (HZF). The forest tree nursery (Forstbaumschule), established in 2006 in Rengetsweiler, produces 200,000–300,000 plants annually from seven recognized spruce provenance areas plus certified beech, fir, and Douglasie stands, with the first Douglas fir seed plantation established in 2011.

The revenue model spans multiple distinct streams: one-time wood sales (timber and firewood with a 10 Fm minimum order), recurring hunting leases (multi-generational, with third-generation leases in some districts) and Begehscheine day permits at €300/year, recurring fishing water leases, subscription-based client forest management (Mandantenbetriebe) for external forest owners in Allgäu, Südwest, and Niederbayern, one-time burial site fees at the Ruheforst memorial forest (Sigmaringen, Zollerblick, with a third site under development), one-time wild game sales (whole game in hide, cuts, and processed products via Metzgerei Frick partnership and direct castle shops), and nursery seedling sales to regional customers. Customers include regional consumers, private hunters, external forest owners, regional nurseries, and tourists at the Hohenzollern castles, with the D2C channel supplemented by a strategic processing partnership with Metzgerei Frick (2023) and retail outlets at Hohenzollernschloss Sigmaringen and Burg Hohenzollern. Mechanization is limited to John Deere 909KH harvester, Forstspezialschlepper, Vorlieferraupe, and battery-powered felling technology — no AI/ML systems are deployed. The company was named Forstbetrieb des Jahres 2023 by Holzkurier and received the Wild aus der Region designation from the Landesjagdverband Baden-Württemberg.

Name

Forst Unternehmensgruppe Fürst von Hohenzollern

Legal name

Unternehmensgruppe Fürst von Hohenzollern

Website

https://forst.hohenzollern.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forst Unternehmensgruppe Fürst von Hohenzollern operates one of Germany's largest private forests (~15,000 ha) for the House of Hohenzollern, producing timber, wild game, tree seedlings, hunting leases, and memorial forest burial services across Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Management Services

NAICS

Forestry and Logging (113), Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (11321), Timber Tract Operations (113110)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forest Management & Silviculture Services (Cruising, Planning, Compliance) (IMAMAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Silviculture & Reforestation Services (Nurseries, Planting, Tending) (IMAMAJAC), Timberland Operations Planning & Contractor Management (AFAMAKAE), Tree Protection & Browsing Control (Guards, Fencing, Repellents) (AFAMACAH), Forest Pest, Disease & Invasive Species Control (IMAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Sustainable forestry management
• Timber harvesting sales
• Forest tree nursery
• Hunting lease services
• Memorial forest burial

Headquarters

HQ city

Sigmaringen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wood Sales (Holzvermarktung): Annual timber harvest of approximately 140,000 Fm (Festmeter), comprising 104,000 Fm softwood (90,000 Fm in Baden-Württemberg, 14,000 Fm in Bavaria) and 36,000 Fm hardwood (35,000 Fm in Baden-Württemberg, 1,000 Fm in Bavaria). Sales conducted through the Forstbetrieb and through Prinz von Hohenzollern GmbH (HZF). Firewood sales to private customers with minimum order of 10 Fm.
2. Wild Game Marketing (Wildvermarktung): Sales of wild game meat and products including whole game in hide, cuts, and processed specialties (sausages, ham, salami). Distributed via Metzgerei Frick partnership and direct sales through Schloss shops.
3. Hunting Leases (Jagdverpachtung): Long-term hunting lease arrangements with private hunters, with leases extended annually after initial six-year term. Some leases in third generation. Begehscheine (day hunting permits) available for 300 €/year.
4. Fishing Lease (Fischgewässer): Pach arrangements for numerous fishing waters of varying types and sizes.
5. Quiet Forest (Ruheforst): Forest burial services at multiple locations (Hohenzollern Sigmaringen, Zollerblick) offering special resting places with tree planting memorials. Currently three sites with two operational and one under development.
6. Tree Nursery Sales: Sale of forest tree seedlings and plants grown from own seed sources. Excess production beyond own forest planting needs sold to regional customers. Seed sales from recognized fir and beech seed stands.
7. Client Forest Management (Mandantenbetriebe): Forestry management services for external forest owners (Mandanten) in Allgäu, Südwest, and Niederbayern regions. Managed by dedicated Revierleitungen.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Forst Unternehmensgruppe Fürst von Hohenzollern manages approximately 15,000 hectares of private forest land across Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, operating one of Germany's largest private forests. Core operations include sustainable forestry with annual timber harvest of about 140,000 Fm, a proprietary forest tree nursery producing 200,000–300,000 plants annually, hunting operations across roughly 20,000 hectares with leases and managed hunts, wild game meat sales, and forest burial (Ruheforst) services.

Product overview

Forst Unternehmensgruppe Fürst von Hohenzollern operates as a diversified forestry and hunting enterprise managing approximately 15,000 hectares of private forest land in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The core product portfolio centers on traditional forestry operations (Forstbetrieb) including timber harvesting and marketing (Holzvermarktung) of approximately 140,000 Fm annually. Supporting services include a forest tree nursery (Baumschule) producing 200,000-300,000 plants per year, wild game marketing (Wildvermarktung) with processed products, hunting operations (Jagdbetrieb) with managed hunts (Regiejagd), hunting lease services, fishing waters leasing, memorial forest burial sites (Ruheforst), and the StammBaum® family tree memorial product. The company also provides client forest management services (Mandantenbetriebe) for external forest owners. These offerings are unified under the Fürst von Hohenzollern brand and coordinated from Hohenzollern Castle in Sigmaringen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• StammBaum®-Wald: A memorial forest concept offering burial sites among trees, operated at multiple locations including Sigmaringen and Zollerblick.
• RuheForst Hohenzollern
• RuheForst Zollerblick

Products and services

• Forstbetrieb (Forest Operations) Management of approximately 15,000 hectares of private forest land across Baden-Württemberg (12,800 ha) and Bavaria (2,200 ha), one of Germany's largest private forests, with five districts and modern mechanized operations.
• Holzvermarktung (Wood Marketing & Sales) Annual marketing and sale of approximately 140,000 Fm of timber (104,000 Fm softwood, 36,000 Fm hardwood) through the Forstbetrieb and Prinz von Hohenzollern GmbH (HZF).
• Baumschule (Forest Tree Nursery) Own forest tree nursery producing 200,000–300,000 plants annually from certified seed sources including seven recognized spruce provenance areas plus beech, fir, and Douglas fir.
• Ruheforst (Memorial Forest Burial) Memorial forest burial services at locations including Hohenzollern Sigmaringen and Zollerblick, offering natural burial sites among trees.
• Jagdbetrieb (Hunting Operations) Hunting operations across approximately 20,000 hectares, including managed hunts (Regiejagd), hunting leases, and day hunting permits.
• Wildvermarktung (Wild Game Sales) Sale of wild game meat including whole animals in hide, cuts, and processed products (sausages, ham, salami, roasts, goulash) distributed via Metzgerei Frick partnership and direct sales through Schloss shops.
• Fischgewässer (Fishing Waters Leasing) Lease arrangements for numerous fishing waters of varying types and sizes.
• Mandantenbetriebe (Client Forest Management) Professional forestry management services for external forest owners in Allgäu, Südwest, and Niederbayern regions, managed by dedicated Revierleitungen.
• Brennholz (Firewood Sales) Direct sales of firewood to private customers with a minimum order of 10 Fm, available as Flächenlos/Reissschlag or Polterholz.
• StammBaum®-Wald (Family Tree Memorial) A woodland memorial concept allowing families to designate a planted tree as a living memorial for a loved one; operated at multiple locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Own seed plantations producing 'qualified' and 'tested' category seed for superior forestry stock
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Metzgerei FrickcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Strategic partnership for processing and retail distribution of wild game meat products. Metzgerei Frick processes all wild game from Hohenzollern hunting operations at their facility in Krauchenwies, creating a full range of products including roasts, goulash, sausages, ham, salami, and cured products. Orders placed through Metzgerei Frick online shop or by phone, with Friday collection. This partnership enables year-round availability of wild products, replacing the closed Josefslust sales location.
• Staatsklenge NagoldsupportingOthersExternal seed processing facility that prepares Hohenzollern's own seed stock for use in their forest tree nursery. Seeds from the company's recognized seed stands are sent to Nagold for cleaning and preparation before planting.
• Norddeutsche Baumschulen (Northern German Nurseries)supportingOthersExternal nursery partners in northern Germany handle initial seedling cultivation (Sämlinge/Anzucht). These young seedlings are then transported to Hohenzollern's own nursery in Rengetsweiler for further cultivation (Verschulung) over 2-3 years until planting-ready.
• Prinz von Hohenzollern GmbH (HZF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe HZF business division handles timber sales (Holzvermarktung) alongside the Forstbetrieb, managing wood sales to the timber industry. HZF provides marketing services for the forest's timber production.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Wald und Holz NRW: North Rhine-Westphalia's state forest operator, one of Germany's largest public forest managers. Comparable in scale and integrated timber/hunting/silviculture operations, though serving a different regional market.
• Landesforsten Rheinland-Pfalz: State forest operator of Rhineland-Palatinate, a comparable German public forestry enterprise managing timber, hunting, and silviculture across a significant land base, though operating in a different federal state.

Direct peers

• Haus Thurn und Taxis Forstbetrieb: Forestry operations of another major German aristocratic (formerly Fürst von Thurn und Taxis) family estate, historically a large private forest owner in Bavaria. Directly comparable as a noble-family-owned private forest enterprise with similar vertical integration.
• RUHEForst GmbH: Operator and franchisor of the Ruheforst woodland burial concept across multiple German locations. Directly comparable to the company's StammBaum®-Wald and Ruheforst Sigmaringen/Zollerblick memorial forest operations.

Broad incumbents

• Bayerische Staatsforsten: The Bavarian state forest operator, one of the largest forest owners in Germany. Comparable as a large-scale German forestry operator managing timber harvest, hunting, and forest services, though publicly/state-owned rather than private-aristocratic.
• Forst Baden-Württemberg (ForstBW): State forest operator for Baden-Württemberg, directly overlapping with the company's primary operating geography. Comparable across timber harvesting, hunting management, and silvicultural services, with similar scale of forest assets.
• SCA (Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget): Swedish forest products company and one of Europe's largest private forest owners (~2.6 million ha). Comparable business model of vertically integrated forestry, timber harvesting, and forestland ownership at vastly larger scale.

Others

• Staatsklenge Nagold: State seed processing and forestry facility in Baden-Württemberg that partners with the company for seed preparation. Adjacent ecosystem participant and direct counterparty in the company's nursery value chain.
• Prinz von Hohenzollern GmbH (HZF): Sister business division within the same Fürst von Hohenzollern estate that handles timber sales and marketing. Directly comparable activities (Holzvermarktung) and formally a strategic partner, sitting inside the same parent organization.
• Metzgerei Frick: Strategic processing and retail partner for the company's wild game meat. Comparable as a regional meat processor and direct-to-consumer retailer operating in the same geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Forst Unternehmensgruppe Fürst von Hohenzollern