Bell Food’s Eisberg unit sells three Eastern Europe plants

Switzerland-headquartered Bell Food, which supplies meat and convenience food products to the retail and foodservice channels, is offloading the facilities to Green Factory for an undisclosed sum, according to a statement.

The Eisberg business sells fresh convenience products such as chopped salads, fresh herbs, and pre-cut fruit and vegetables to retailers and wholesalers.

Poland-based Green Factory operates in similar categories with factories in its home market and also in Hungary, Lithuania and Ukraine. The company will take on all the employees – numbers not disclosed – at the three Eisberg sites, Bell Food said.

Eisberg’s plants in Switzerland and Austria, as well as its purchasing company in Spain, are not included in the sale.

As a consequence of the plant disposals, Mike Häfeli, head of the Eisberg business unit, will be leaving the company.

Tobias Wölfle, currently the CFO of Eisberg, will take on the role left vacant by Häfeli from 1 June.

Just Food has asked Bell Food to confirm the underlying reasons for Eisberg’s exit from the three markets beyond its decision to focus on the DACH countries, which include Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Bell Food also has operations in the markets Eisberg is leaving, according to its website. This publication has also asked if Eisberg’s exit has any implications for the wider group business.

As well as meat, poultry, fresh salads and vegetables, Bell Food supplies charcuterie, meals, pizza, sauces and sandwiches.

In 2024, Eisberg contributed SFr369.8m ($444.6m) to Bell Food’s net revenue, which reached SFr4.72bn, marking a 5.7% rise from 2023, according to the group’s annual results issued in February.

Bell Food reported EBITDA of SFr350.7m, a 3.6% increase year-on-year, with EBIT rising 1.3% to SFr167m.

However, due to higher taxes and interest, net income of SFr124m was down 4.6% from the previous year.

Bell Food said in those results that it is modernising operations in Oensingen, Switzerland, with new facilities to be commissioned as 2025 progresses in slaughtering, logistics and a processing centre.