Meat is our passion
GVFI Europe B.V., based in Rotterdam, is the partner for meat imports in Europe. For our customers, we are the hub to the world market. The basis of our success is the trust built up over decades between all partners involved – from producers to consumers.
With great commitment and passion, we import first-class products from various regions around the globe. At our two company headquarters in Basel (Switzerland) and Rotterdam (Netherlands), we coordinate joint sourcing through a worldwide network in order to supply our core markets in Germany, France, Italy, England, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia and occasionally in Eastern Europe. State-of-the-art logistics and our wealth of knowledge ensure optimal distribution to our customers in Europe. As in Switzerland, our regular customers primarily include retailers, suppliers to the catering industry, industrial processors and wholesalers.
Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board consists of three members.
- Peter Kofmel, Chairman of the Board
- Samuel Sprunger
- Alexander Matejcek
Peter Kofmel
Chairman of the Board
Sam Sprunger
CEO Group management
Alexander Matejcek
CFO Group management
"GVFI is the leading provider of first-grade meat in Europe. Based on more than a century of experience, GVFI coordinates joint sourcing through a worldwide network and applies state-of-the-art technology and continuously developing logistics expertise to ensure nationwide distribution."
Sam Sprunger
CEO
Consumption figures
As confirmed by the following figures*, we make an enormous contribution to the supply of meat in Switzerland.
| Imports | in tonnes | in CHF 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 19,300 | 244,400 |
| Veal | 450 | 3,000 |
| Pork | 3,600 | 7,400 |
| Lamb | 6,000 | 88,600 |
| Poultry | 12,450 | 70,300 |
| Game | 550 | 7,200 |
| Horsemeat | 350 | 5,400 |
| Animal end products | 100 | 1,100 |
| Total | 42,800 | 427,400 |
* Consolidated figures for the GVFI Group for the 2023 financial year
Other exciting insights
Story Selection of Suppliers
Poultry farm in Brazil
We buy our meat from poultry farms located in the Brazilian back country between São Paulo and Porto Alegre. This southern region of Brazil has a good climate for keeping chickens in coops that do not have fixed walls.
A century of milestones
GVFI's story started at the beginning of the 20th century. To protect their freedom of trade and enterprise and to defend themselves against state interference, local livestock dealers founded the Association of Swiss Livestock Importers in 1902. During the next century and beyond, GVFI invested much work and passion into writing its own personal success story.
| 1902 | Foundation of the Association of Swiss Livestock Importers |
| 1947 | Foundation of the Cooperative for Livestock and Meat Trading (GVFH) with commercial imports as its main purpose |
| 1973 | Change of name to the Cooperative for Livestock and Meat Import (GVFI) |
| 1974 | Start of the commercial import business for quotas of cattle, veal and pork for Cooperative members only. Progressive diversification to include imports of lambs, lamb meat, US and high-quality beef and exports of surplus meat from Switzerland |
| 1989 | Diversification of the import range to include poultry, game and horsemeat |
| 2000 | Change of the corporate form to GVFI International Ltd |
| 2009 | Foundation of the subsidiary company GVFI Europe B.V. with head office in Rotterdam Takeover of the long-standing partner Myon B.V. with head office in Rotterdam |
| 2010 | Foundation of the GVFI Europe B.V. branch in London |
| 2014 | New corporate image for GVFI |
| 2017 | Sale of Myon B.V. |
