EKRO LIMITED

What EKRO LIMITED does

Ekro B.V. is a Dutch veal and young beef processor headquartered in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the family-owned VanDrie Group conglomerate. The company produces and sells veal products — including technical parts, portioned cuts, whole cuts, skinned and unskinned items, and private-label consumer packs, both fresh and frozen — to four B2B customer segments: traditional wholesale and retail, food service (hotels, restaurants, caterers), meat processing companies, and meal manufacturers. Ekro runs a five-brand portfolio targeting different price and quality tiers: VanDrie Controlled Quality Veal (premium traditional veal), Vitender (young rosé veal from 6–8 month calves), Friander (young beef from 8–12 month calves), JAN (convenience burgers and sous vide items named after founder Jan van Drie), and Gourmet (portioned convenience cuts with extended-shelf-life packaging).

Ekro's underlying technical differentiator is the VanDrie Group's vertically integrated supply chain — controlling calf farming, animal feed production, dairy raw materials, and calf skins across the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, and Germany — combined with the Safety Guard Quality System, which delivers end-to-end traceability from individual feed ingredient to individual meat piece via unique calf ear numbers. The company holds IFS Food, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, ISO 14001, Vitaal Kalf, and CO2 Reduction Management certifications, and operates a sales-led go-to-market with a dedicated direct sales team of more than ten named personnel plus country-specific coordinators (e.g., Italy). Revenue is generated through quote-based B2B product sales with customization to customer specifications; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Marketing is executed primarily through international food trade fair participation (SIAL, Sirha Lyon, Tuttofood, Anuga, Grüne Woche) and country-specific content platforms such as Italy's Sfizioso.

Name

EKRO LIMITED

Legal name

Ekro B.V.

Website

https://ekro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ekro B.V. is a Dutch veal and young beef processor in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, and a subsidiary of VanDrie Group, supplying portioned, whole, and private-label veal products to wholesale, retail, food service, and meal manufacturers across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Meat Processing

NAICS

Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116)

SIC

Meat Packing Plants (2011), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Beef Processing & Packing (AFAKALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ground & Formed Meat Products Manufacturing (Burgers, Sausages, Meatballs) (AFAKALAE), Marinated, Seasoned & Enhanced Meats (Injected/Tumbled/Brined) (AFANAEAH)

Keywords

• Veal processing
• Meat products manufacturing
• Private label veal
• Food service supply
• Wholesale meat distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Apeldoorn

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Veal meat products: Ekro produces and sells veal products including technical parts, portioned cuts, whole cuts, skinned and unskinned products, fresh and frozen, to wholesale, retail, food service and meal manufacturers. Revenue is generated through product sales with customization to customer specifications.
2. Private label consumer products: Production of private-label consumer products for retailers and other business customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ekro produces and supplies veal and young beef products from its integrated slaughtering and processing facility in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. The portfolio includes technical parts, portioned cuts, whole cuts, skinned and unskinned products, and private-label consumer items delivered fresh or frozen to specifications. Customers include wholesale and retail buyers, food service operators, meat processing companies, and meal manufacturers primarily across Europe.

Product overview

Ekro is a Dutch veal producer based in Apeldoorn that operates as part of the VanDrie Group. The company offers a portfolio of five distinct veal product lines: VanDrie Controlled Quality Veal (premium traditional veal), Vitender (young rosé veal from six to eight month calves), Friander (young beef from eight to twelve month calves), JAN (convenience products including burgers and sous vide items), and Gourmet (portioned ready-to-cook convenience products). Products are produced from Ekro's own integrated supply chain and distributed primarily in Europe but also worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VanDrie Controlled Quality Veal: Premium veal with mild flavor, tender texture, easily digestible, low in cholesterol and rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Vitender
• Friander
• JAN
• Gourmet

Products and services

• VanDrie Controlled Quality Veal Premium veal with a mild flavour, tender texture, easily digestible, low in cholesterol and rich in vitamins and minerals. Produced from Ekro's own integrated chain for wholesale, retail, food service and meal manufacturers.
• Vitender Young rosé veal from calves aged six to eight months with deep pink colour, more bite and slightly heavier texture than regular veal. Sold at competitive pricing for commercial kitchens, catering companies and the meat processing industry.
• Friander Young beef from calves aged between eight and twelve months, positioned between veal and beef. Features delicious taste, pleasant texture, ease of preparation and favourable pricing.
• JAN Convenience veal products made from best cuts including succulent veal burgers and sous vide cooked veal products. Named after Jan van Drie, founder of the VanDrie Group, offering specialised proven recipes, tailor-made packaging, and availability in fresh and frozen segments.
• Gourmet Portioned convenience veal products combining flavourful veal with attractive presentation. Features innovative packaging that keeps products fresh longer and maintains juices and flavour, positioned as guaranteed bestsellers in refrigerated displays.

Named customers4 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• VanDrie GroupcoreOthersEkro is a member of the VanDrie Group, a Dutch family-owned company. The VanDrie Group is globally-oriented but works locally with companies in Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, and Germany. The group is characterized by chain integration controlling all production links including veal and beef, animal feed, raw dairy materials, and calf skins.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Pini Group: Italian meat processing group focused on beef and prepared meat products. Comparable as a regional European meat processor with a similar product portfolio of cuts and prepared items serving Italian and broader European markets.

Broad incumbents

• Bigard Group: Leading French beef and meat processor serving retail and food service across Europe. Comparable as a European beef-focused processor with similar B2B customer base, product customization capabilities, and private label offerings.
• Westfleisch: German farmer-owned meat processing cooperative specializing in beef, pork, and veal. Comparable as a European meat cooperative with integrated supply chain, multiple certifications, and similar customer channels including retail and food service.
• Danish Crown: Denmark-based farmer cooperative and one of Europe's largest pork and beef processors. Comparable as a major European protein cooperative with vertically integrated supply chain and B2B distribution across retail and food service channels.
• Tönnies Group: One of Europe's largest meat processors, headquartered in Germany, with substantial pork and beef operations serving retail and food service. Comparable as a large-scale European B2B meat supplier with similar customer mix and value-added processing capabilities.
• Smithfield Foods: Global pork and packaged meats company with European operations. Comparable as a large-scale protein processor and packager serving retail and food service customers, though primarily pork-focused rather than veal, with overlapping processing and supply chain characteristics.
• OSI Group: Global meat and food solutions provider serving major foodservice and retail brands with value-added protein products. Comparable as a large-scale B2B protein processor with similar focus on customized prepared products and private label capabilities for institutional customers.

Direct peers

• Vion Food Group: Dutch-headquartered meat processor selling pork, beef, and other proteins to retail, wholesale, and food service customers across Europe. Highly comparable as a major European B2B protein processor with similar customer base, integrated operations, and certification profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 EKRO LIMITED