WaldSchweiz Verband der Waldeigentümer

What WaldSchweiz Verband der Waldeigentümer does

WaldSchweiz Verband der Waldeigentümer is the national association of Swiss forest owners, founded in 1926 and headquartered in Solothurn, Switzerland. It is a private, member-governed non-profit (Verband) that represents the interests of forest owners — covering approximately 1.27 million hectares, roughly one-third of Switzerland's land — through cantonal member associations, a central board (Zentralvorstand) chaired by Ständerat Daniel Fässler, and a staff of roughly 33 employees. The association also acts as the principal voice for Swiss forestry before federal bodies such as BAFU on forest policy, timber trade regulation (EUTR, EUDR, declaration duties), and wood-market coordination.

The association's product and service portfolio spans six core lines: (1) federally-recognized vocational training and certification (Forstwart EFZ, Forstpraktiker EBA, Holzfachspezialist with eidgenössischer Fachausweis) delivered through cantonal training centers and the ForstBar remote-support platform; (2) knowledge publishing via the monthly WALD und HOLZ professional journal, the Wissen knowledge platform, fact sheets, and the Waldhandbuch; (3) commercial retail through the WaldShop e-commerce storefront for forestry equipment, tools, and safety gear; (4) wood-market services including price reporting (Holzmarktkommission, Holzpreise) and trade-customs documentation; (5) authority and member information systems including the Behördenbox and MyWald portal; and (6) advocacy and events anchored by the annual WaldKongress and Delegiertenversammlung. Digital product launches in 2025–2026 include the DokuTool Zukunftsbaumarten for climate-adapted tree species and the WaldPass loyalty program.

The revenue model is diversified across subscription/recurring streams (membership fees from cantonal associations, WALD und HOLZ subscriptions), professional services (training and certification fees), hardware sales (WaldShop e-commerce), advertising and job listings (Stellenmarkt, Inserate), and event-driven engagement. The customer base is a long tail of private forest owners, ~660 forest operations, ~900 mobile forestry companies, farmers, and landscape maintenance organizations — collectively part of a Swiss forest and wood sector that contributes CHF 4.7 billion in annual gross value added and roughly 100,000 jobs. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven rather than commercially promoted, leveraging 100 years of brand recognition and statutory recognition as the national owners' association.

Name

WaldSchweiz Verband der Waldeigentümer

Legal name

WaldSchweiz Verband der Waldeigentümer

Website

https://waldschweiz.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WaldSchweiz is the Swiss national association of forest owners, providing vocational training, federal certifications, wood-market services, knowledge publishing, and policy advocacy for private forest owners, forestry operations, and the broader Swiss wood sector across roughly 1.27 million hectares.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Association Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Forestry and Logging (113)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Timberland Operations Planning & Contractor Management (AFAMAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Timber Procurement & Wood Dealer/Timber Buying Services (IMAMAAAF), Timberland Leasing & Contract Administration (Hunting, Grazing, Recreation) (AFAMAKAD)

Keywords

• Forest owner association
• Forestry professional training
• Wood market services
• Forestry equipment retail
• Forest policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Solothurn

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Publication Subscriptions: Sale of WALD und HOLZ magazine subscriptions (monthly professional journal covering Swiss forestry topics) and other specialized publications.
2. Training and Education Services: Revenue from professional training courses for forestry workers, forest rangers, farmers, and landscape maintenance personnel. Includes certification programs like Holzfachspezialist with federal certification.
3. WaldShop E-commerce: Sale of forestry equipment, tools, safety gear, and related products through the WaldShop online store.
4. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from member associations representing Swiss forest owners.
5. Advertising and Job Listings: Job market (Stellenmarkt) and classified advertisements in publications and on the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WaldSchweiz is a member-based association that represents Swiss forest owners and provides professional training and federal certifications (Forstwart EFZ, Forstpraktiker EBA, Holzfachspezialist), wood market information and pricing data, the WALD und HOLZ professional journal subscription, and operates the WaldShop e-commerce platform for forestry equipment. The association also delivers policy advocacy, technical consulting through ForstBar, member services via the MyWald portal, and regulatory information through the Behördenbox authority information system.

Product overview

WaldSchweiz is the Swiss association of forest owners offering a unified service platform focused on forest management, education, and wood commerce. The core offerings include the Waldshop for forestry equipment procurement, the Wald und Holz professional magazine for industry knowledge sharing, the ForstBar remote training platform, and the Behoerdenbox authority information portal. Additional services include the MyWald member portal, WaldPass membership program, and comprehensive education and training courses for forestry professionals, forest owners, farmers, and landscape workers. The association also facilitates wood market activities and organizes events like the Waldkongress (Forest Congress).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WaldShop: Online shop for forestry equipment and tools
• Wald und Holz
• MyWald
• WaldPass
• WaldKongress
• ForstBar

Products and services

• WaldShop Online e-commerce store for forestry equipment, tools, and supplies including professional forestry gear such as the Fällkeil TR300 remote-controlled felling wedge, targeted at forestry professionals and forest owners across Switzerland.
• WALD und HOLZ Magazine Subscription Monthly professional magazine delivering competent, understandable, and practical reporting about Swiss forests and wood for industry subscribers including forest owners, forestry professionals, and wood industry stakeholders.
• Ausbildungskurse (Forestry Training Programs) Comprehensive professional training programs for forestry apprentices, forest owners, farmers, and landscape/maintenance workers, including Forstwart EFZ (forest worker federal certificate), Forstpraktiker EBA, Holzfachspezialist with federal recognition (eidgenössischer Fachausweis), and specialized courses on wood harvesting, safety, and personal protective equipment against falls (PSAgA).
• ForstBar Comprehensive training and support service for forestry professionals including courses, newsletters, downloads, and remote support (Fernsupport) accessible through the Wissen knowledge platform.
• Behördenbox Digital information portal for authorities containing regulations, guidelines, and procedures for forest management, providing official documentation and resources for forest-related administrative decisions.
• MyWald Portal Personal online portal for forest owners providing access to WaldSchweiz association services, documents, member-specific resources, and the Extranet for member associations.
• WaldPass Membership loyalty program associated with the 100-year anniversary celebration of WaldSchweiz in 2026, providing member benefits and engagement.
• WaldShop Katalog Annual printed and digital catalog featuring comprehensive forestry equipment and professional forest work supplies distributed alongside the WaldShop e-commerce operation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Forest sector employs approximately 100,000 people in Switzerland.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Holzmarktkommission (HMK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Newly formed Wood Market Commission established in early 2026, consisting of various stakeholders in the Swiss wood market. The commission discusses current market conditions, wood pricing, and wood protection topics. WaldSchweiz participates in this commission to represent forest owner interests in wood market policy.
• Holzindustrie SchweizcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Wood Industry association. Jointly offers the Holzfachspezialist (Wood Specialist) professional certification with federal recognition (eidgenössischer Fachausweis).
• Höhere Fachschule HolzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher Technical School for Wood. Partners with WaldSchweiz and other associations to deliver the Holzfachspezialist certification program with federal examination.
• Holzwerkstoffe SchweizminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Wood-Based Materials association. Collaborates in the joint Holzfachspezialist certification program.
• Schweizer FurnierverbandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Veneer Association. Collaborates in the joint Holzfachspezialist certification program.
• Schweizerische HobelwerkeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Planing Mills Association. Collaborates in the joint Holzfachspezialist certification program.
• Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (Swiss Federal Government)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal government bodies including BAFU (Federal Office for the Environment) and BFS (Federal Statistical Office) work with WaldSchweiz on forest policy, statistics (Taschenstatistik Forstwirtschaft), and the Wald und Holz yearbook.
• SylvaTOPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partnership promoted on the WaldSchweiz website. Represents a branch solution (Branchenlösung Forst) for the forestry sector.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF): European-level federation of national forest owner associations. WaldSchweiz is implicitly aligned with this umbrella body that coordinates forest owner representation at the EU level, making it a direct functional peer at supranational scope.
• Deutscher Forstwirtschaftsrat (DFWR): National council representing forest owners in Germany. Closest functional peer to WaldSchweiz — analogous national-level association providing representation, training, and policy advocacy for private and public forest owners.
• Holzindustrie Schweiz: Swiss wood industry association and core strategic partner of WaldSchweiz in jointly delivering the federal-recognized Holzfachspezialist certification. Directly comparable in operating model and Swiss forestry stakeholder scope.

Broad incumbents

• Office National des For\u00eats (ONF): French national forestry body managing state and communal forests. Broader incumbent in adjacent geography — operates forestry assets and workforce rather than owner representation, but overlaps significantly in Swiss-French cross-border forestry activity.
• Schweizerischer Bauernverband (SBV): Swiss Farmers' Association representing Swiss agriculture. Adjacent broad incumbent — WaldSchweiz overlaps on farmer-forestry cross-training, cantonal advocacy, and rural policy positions. Comparable as a major Swiss non-profit agricultural/land-based membership body.

Others

• European Forest Institute (EFI): Pan-European research and policy organization for forests. Adjacent ecosystem participant providing research and policy support that WaldSchweiz members consume; comparable in forestry knowledge dissemination and stakeholder convening.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): Global forest certification body. Ecosystem participant that interacts with WaldSchweiz members on wood market certification (Deklarationspflicht CH, EUDR); comparable as a forest-sector standards and certification organization.

Regional players

• Bayerischer Waldbesitzerverband: Association of forest owners in Bavaria, Germany. Mirrors WaldSchweiz's role of representing regional forest owner interests, providing training, and advocating on policy — a strong structural analog in a neighboring jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/waldschweiz
• Instagraminstagram.com/waldschweiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waldschweiz

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 WaldSchweiz Verband der Waldeigentümer