Hans Klotz GmbH

What Hans Klotz GmbH does

Hans Klotz GmbH is a third-generation, family-owned Italian fruit and vegetable trading and supply company founded in 1947, headquartered in Bolzano (South Tyrol) with a major processing and packing facility in Cesena/Longiano. The company trades and supplies Italian fresh fruits (apples, pears, stone fruit, berries, citrus, kiwi, grapes, melons), fresh vegetables (salads, tomatoes, root vegetables, herbs, cabbage), organic produce (EG-BIO and Demeter certified), and a range of processed products including direct juices, fruit purees (delivered in aseptic tanks or bags of 3-960 liters), and Quetschie squeeze pouches in 25+ flavors, plus industrial fruit for distilleries (Brennobst) and food processors. The company serves three primary B2B segments — European and international food retailers (LEH) as the primary channel across 25 countries, food processing industry buyers (filling companies, cider producers, blenders, traders), and distilleries — through a direct sales-led motion with cross-docking and just-in-time logistics.

The underlying technology is centered on industrial fruit processing and cold chain management rather than software: a modern aseptic processing facility built in 2008 at 600m altitude, fully automated cooled aseptic tank storage, Project Sourcing collaboration (co-defining assortments with retailers before each season and overseeing cultivation), and complete field-to-consumer traceability documentation. The portfolio is supported by the JULIUS premium sub-brand and operates under IFS Broker v3.2 food safety certification plus EU organic certification.

Revenue mechanics are B2B transactional across multiple product categories — fresh produce sales (one-time license), processed products in bulk formats (transaction fee), Private Label manufacturing (licensing/royalty-style), and industrial fruit supply — with no public pricing disclosed and catalogue access gated by request. Go-to-market is sales-led through direct personal relationships, with family members (Helmut Klotz as CEO, Hans Klotz in sales, Harald Klotz, and Ingrid Klotz in accounting) anchoring key accounts. The company has received Italian state COVID-era IRAP tax relief (€10,572 for FY2019 and €50,825 for FY2020) under G.D. 34/2020 Art. 24, and operates with a registered share capital of €52,000 and no external institutional investors.

Name

Hans Klotz GmbH

Legal name

Hans Klotz Srl

Website

https://klotz.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hans Klotz GmbH is a third-generation, family-owned Italian fruit and vegetable trading company founded in 1947, supplying European retailers in 25 countries with fresh produce, organic items, juices, purees, squeeze pouches, and distillery fruit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Distribution and Processing

NAICS

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

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAIACAH

Import / Export Produce Wholesale (Cross-Border Trading)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Produce (Fresh Fruit & Vegetable) Wholesale

SECONDARYAFAKAFAD

Purees & Fruit/Vegetable Bases (Aseptic, Frozen, Drum)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Processing & Manufacturing/Fruit & Vegetable Processing (Fresh-Cut, Juices, Purees)

SECONDARYAFAIABAI

Health, Organic & Natural Grocery Wholesale

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Grocery & Supermarket Wholesale

Keywords

• Fresh produce distribution
• Fruit vegetable wholesale
• Organic fruit supply
• Fruit puree manufacturing
• Private label pouches

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolzano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Sales: B2B sales of fresh Italian fruits and vegetables to retail food markets across Europe and internationally. Products include apples, pears, stone fruit, berries, citrus, vegetables, and specialty items. Supply via direct delivery and cross-docking.
2. Processed Products (Juices, Purees, Pouches): Direct juices, fruit purees, and squeeze pouches (Quetschies) for food filling companies, cider producers, blenders, traders, fruit preparation companies, and food retailers. Products delivered in tank trucks or aseptic bags of 3-960 liters.
3. Private Label Manufacturing: Custom Private Label production for retailers in squeeze pouch format, including personalized branding in small quantities.
4. Industrial/Distillery Fruit: Supply of fruit for distillation (Brennobst) and industrial processing, including chilled fruit mash deliveries and year-round aseptic fruit purees for distilleries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hans Klotz GmbH trades and supplies Italian fresh fruits, vegetables, organic produce, direct juices, fruit purees, and processed products (squeeze pouches) to retail food markets, food processing companies, and distilleries across Europe and internationally. The company operates one of Europe's most modern aseptic fruit processing facilities (built 2008) and a packing station in Cesena/Longiano, providing full cold-chain management, traceability, and Private Label manufacturing.

Product overview

Hans Klotz GmbH is a third-generation family-run fruit and vegetable trading company founded in 1947, supplying European and international retail food markets with Italian produce. The product portfolio centers on fresh fruits (apples, pears, stone fruit, berries, grapes, melons, citrus, kiwi) and fresh vegetables (salads, tomatoes, root vegetables, herbs), complemented by a premium sub-brand JULIUS for retail. The company has expanded into processed products including Quetschies (squeeze pouch purees in 25+ flavors for private label), Direct Juices and Purees (aseptic tank storage), and Brennobst (fruit for distillation). An organic line covers bio fruits, vegetables, and citrus. The portfolio also includes industry-grade fruit for processing and a packing station in Longiano for controlled packaging and cold chain logistics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JULIUS: Premium brand of fruits and vegetables cultivated by selected producers according to the highest quality standards. The brand offers traceable quality control from field to retail.

Products and services

• Fresh Fruits

Quantifiable outcome

• Year-round supply capability through aseptic processing
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Ceccarelli GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership with Ceccarelli GmbH in Cesena established during the late 1980s/early 1990s expansion phase. This partnership contributed to building the fruit and vegetable packing station in Cesena and the transition to direct retail supply business model.
• Cadsky AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Cadsky AG, the largest Italian fruit and vegetable trader in Bolzano at the time, started during Helmut Klotz's leadership in 1977. The partnership was dissolved as the company decided to abandon traditional apple processing and focus on direct retail supply.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SanLucar: Multinational fresh fruit and vegetable marketer supplying European retailers directly with multi-origin produce. Comparable in direct-retail B2B model, broad assortment, and premium positioning built on traceability and producer relationships.
• Zuegg: Italian fruit processor producing juices, purees, jams, and fruit-based ingredients, with strong retail and private-label presence. Closely comparable in product mix (juices/purees/private label) and Italian provenance.
• VOG Products: Italian apple and fruit processing cooperative producing juices, purees, and ingredients for the food industry. Direct overlap with Hans Klotz's aseptic processing, Italian sourcing base, and B2B food-industry customer segment.
• Fruttagel: Italian cooperative processing fruits and vegetables into juices, purees, frozen, and ambient products for retail and food service. Overlaps directly on the aseptic puree/juice processing activity and Italian raw material sourcing.
• Pomì (Pomì/Conserve Italia): Italian fruit-based brand (tomato purees and fruit products) of Conserve Italia with strong private-label and retail penetration in Europe. Comparable in purees/juices and Italian-origin positioning for retail private label.

Broad incumbents

• Dole plc: Global fresh produce grower-distributor with diversified multi-origin fruit and vegetable supply to retailers. Comparable in supplying complete fresh-assortment programs to retailers, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Hero Group: International fruit-based food company (jams, baby food, juices) with strong European retail distribution. Comparable in purees, juices, and private-label capabilities, though broader in scope and substantially larger.
• Greenyard: European leader in fresh, frozen, and prepared fruit and vegetables supplying major retailers. Comparable in fresh-produce B2B retail supply and broad product mix, but vastly larger and more diversified.
• Conserve Italia: Largest Italian fruit and vegetable processing cooperative (owns brands such as Cirio, Pomì, Valfrutta). Overlaps on juice, puree, and canned produce activities, but operates at much greater scale and brand breadth than Hans Klotz.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hans-klotz-gmbh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Hans Klotz GmbH