Swiss Tobi Seeobst AG is expanding its field of activity by taking over the fresh fruit trade of Ernst Zuber AG. The takeover ensures that the needs of customers and suppliers in Northwestern Switzerland will be optimally covered in the future, comments Benno Neff, Managing Director of Tobi Seeobst AG.
Benno Neff, manager of Tobi Seeobst AG
As a traditional family business, Ernst Zuber AG has been operating a distillery since 1933 and it has been active in the fruit trade. In order to concentrate fully on the operation of the distillery and the purchase of fruit and industrial fruit, the company wants to withdraw from the fresh fruit trade. With Tobi Seeobst AG, an ideal partner for the takeover of the fruit trade was found. With 135 employees, Tobi is one of the leading companies in the Swiss fruit trade. "The management of Ernst Zuber AG has been looking for a successor solution for the fresh food area, and has come to a cooperation in the past, we have already cooperated on a smaller scale," says Benno Neff.
A fertile milestone for northwestern Switzerland
The cooperation results in multiple benefits for all participants: Firstly, customers' demands for regional products are still met. For decades, the Zuber company has had more than 100 fruit growers as suppliers in the area Baselland, Schwarzbubenland and Fricktal. The fruit trading division of Ernst Zuber AG sells more than 200 tons of cherries per year, 300 tons of plums and 200 tons of apples per year. The main focus of the family-owned company is the direct supply of Migros branches in northwestern Switzerland.
The acquisition is not only a good addition to the existing capacity of Tobi Seeobst AG, but also creates a long-term perspective for the supply of fresh food in northwestern Switzerland, said Neff.
The acquisition will not be completed overnight, Neff explained. The existing collection points will continue to be operated in 2019 in cooperation with Ernst Zuber AG. "In the near future, Ernst Zuber AG will still be providing the service to us, so employees will not be dismantled or taken over for the time being. As the harvest is due soon, we will still need the existing infrastructure this year."
Expansion of the customer base
Tobi Seeobst AG has existed in its present form since 2008. It operates mainly in eastern Switzerland and works together with around 400 suppliers. Large distributors and other fruit trading companies are the main buyers of top fruit, berries and stone fruit. The core business at the interface between producers and customers is the storage, sorting, packaging and sale of fruit. With the acquisition of the fruit trade of Ernst Zuber AG, Tobi expands its customer base and ensures the acceptance of the fruits for the regional producers.
For more information:
Tobi Seeobst AG
GF: Benno Neff
Ibergstrasse 28
CH-9220 Bischofszell
Tel. +41 71 424 72 27
Fax: +41 71 424 72 97
E-Mail: info@tobi-fruechte.ch
www.tobi-fruechte.ch
Ernst Zuber AG
Spezialitätenbrennerei
Mühlemattstrasse 20
CH-4422 Arisdorf
Tel. +41 61 811 13 04
Fax +41 61 811 18 85
E-Mail: info@zuber-ag.ch
www.zuber-ag.ch