Bell Food Group’s Eisberg unit has announced the sale of three production sites in Poland, Romania, and Hungary. This strategic move aims to refocus its efforts on the DACH region.
Headquartered in Switzerland, Bell Food specializes in supplying meat and convenience food products to both retail and foodservice sectors. The company’s facilities are being sold to Green Factory for an undisclosed amount, as stated in their recent announcement.
Eisberg is known for its fresh convenience offerings, which include chopped salads, fresh herbs, and pre-cut fruits and vegetables supplied to retailers and wholesalers.
Green Factory, based in Poland, operates in similar food categories and already has factories in Hungary, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Importantly, the company will retain all employees—exact numbers have not been disclosed—from the three Eisberg sites, according to Bell Food.
Notably, Eisberg’s plants located in Switzerland and Austria, along with its purchasing company in Spain, are excluded from this sale.
Following the disposal of these plants, Mike Häfeli, head of the Eisberg business unit, will depart from the company.
Tobias Wölfle, currently serving as CFO of Eisberg, will take over Häfeli’s responsibilities effective June 1.
Additionally, Bell Food maintains operations in the markets from which Eisberg is exiting, as per their website. Inquiries have also been made to ascertain if Eisberg’s departure will affect the broader group business.
In addition to meat and poultry, Bell Food offers products such as fresh salads, vegetables, charcuterie, meals, pizza, sauces, and sandwiches.
In 2024, Eisberg contributed SFr369.8m ($444.6m) to Bell Food’s net revenue, which reached SFr4.72bn—a 5.7% increase from 2023, according to the group’s annual report released in February.
Bell Food reported an EBITDA of SFr350.7m, reflecting a 3.6% year-on-year increase, while EBIT grew by 1.3% to SFr167m.
However, due to elevated taxes and interest rates, net income decreased to SFr124m, reflecting a 4.6% dip compared to the previous year.
Bell Food has announced it is modernizing operations in Oensingen, Switzerland, with new facilities expected to launch in 2025, enhancing capabilities in slaughtering, logistics, and processing.
