About Us - Short profile of the Gartenbauzentrale eG

The Gartenbauzentrale eG is a vegetable growing and distributing cooperative of more than 50 independent growers'. It was founded on the 10th of February 1931 and a new logistics center in Papenburg was built in 1998 at the Schulze-Delitzsch-Straße 10. Today approx. 180 employees are taking care for the best distribution of fresh vegetables and living plants. In nearly 85 years of company history the Gartenbauzentrale eG always improved its standards and kept up with the newest developements.

The product range of the Gartenbauzentrale eG includes chosen species of herbs, cut herbs, outdoor perennial herbs, cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables as well as ornamental plants (patch and balcony plants). Since the early 80s, the Gartenbauzentrale eG is market leader in saling potted herbs. 2008 40% of the areas under cultivation of our herb production were changed into organic growing. With currently 35 million sold cucumbers a year the Gartenbauzentrale eG is here market-leading supplier in Germany as well.

The customers of the Gartenbauzentrale eG are mainly members of the food industry, wholesale caterer, food retailer or trader. At the moment exports are made to 13 coutries around the world (that's an export quota of about 10%). Beside Germany the Gartenbauzentrale eG supplies mainly the close by countries like Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain, France, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.

"With our quality management, we create transparency and trust." In 1995 the Gartenbauzentrale eG was nationwide the only supplier who was able to provide all its products in EAN coded pots, which is today standard. The data networking between the administration and the producers was constantly optimized, today an Internetportal allows the complete retraceability of our products.

Quality is a very important part of our work. In 1999 we have been rewarded with an ISO 9001 certification. During the following years further audits and changes were made in the logistic center and in the market gardens, so that since 2003/04 the recognitions of certifications like QS and IFS followed.

Innovations are constantly made in nearly every business sector at the Gartenbauzentrale eG. For example we are visiting our customers' premises to introduce our goods, to present new products or to arrange product trainings.

„We offer our customers more services for common growth.