Partner of European and International food retailers
As an importer we have business relationships with suppliers in 140 countries. This means we are in a position to make an important contribution through our products to the security of supply of the European food retail trade from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective.
All aspects of business processing, analytics, packing / refining and logistics are united under one roof in Ulm. More than 120 people ensure the smooth production and loading of the products during the season.
In collaboration with our customers we develop new products on an annual basis and strive to improve the quality of our packing processes and to secure the availability of raw materials from all over the world.
Philosophy
Handling foodstuff requires the highest sensitivity
Märsch Importhandels-GmbH specialises in consumer products based on nuts, dried fruits and seeds. As an owner-managed company we stand for customer proximity, flexibility and reliability. We supply the
contractually agreed goods according to the customer’s specifications
in compliance with national laws and regulations
to the agreed location
in the agreed volume
on the agreed date at the best possible price.
As a result, all process are continually optimised and analysed in terms of
product safety
customer proximity
consumer friendliness
cost attractiveness
quality assurance
As a producer of brand names, we see our strengths in the prompt availability of the volumes required while maintaining the highest possible quality of the products supplied. We deliberately avoid classic marketing in order to guarantee this promise. Instead, we concentrate on continually increasing the productivity of our own production sites and on providing permanent and direct support for customers and suppliers.
Our staff are a crucial factor in offering our services. As a family operation we are proud of the loyalty our staff show to the company and of our very low turnover rate, which finds expression in mutual trust on a daily basis. Our staff undergo regular training and re-certification. Management positions are only given to people already working in the company. In this way we ensure that all their skills have been learnt “with our products and on the job”.
History
Family company with tradition – in Ulm since 1936
The roots of the traditional family company date back to 1936, when hikers Hans Märsch and Emil Ploss founded a company together. They parted ways shortly afterwards and Hans Märsch began to develop the company into a specialist in nuts and dried fruits after the War.
After a spell abroad working for a large English brokerage house, Hans Märsch Jr joined the company in 1964. He quickly expanded business activities both nationally and internationally. The success of the business was built on the production of brand names in particular, and this departure from a brand policy was very unusual for that time.
In 1999 Markus Märsch became the third generation of the family to join the operational management of the firm. He raised the profile of the company through internationalisation and modernisation.
Today the company is a reliable partner of German and European food retailers.
A fully automated and temperature-controlled high bay warehouse was commissioned in 2008, which provides optimum storage for nuts and dried fruit thanks to its 11,000 pallet slots. In addition, the performance and capacity of the warehouse facilitates previously unattainable efficiency in the handling of promotional shipments in high volumes and at short notice. Combined with continual investment in machinery, the infrastructure is now in place for future growth.
In July 2022, Märsch Importhandels-GmbH was sold to the OLAM Group and has since been part of the ofi family. This step has set the stage to offer our services worldwide in the future, develop new products, and gain direct access to the cultivation of raw materials in terms of the sustainability of our products. The management not only supported the sale, but will also continue to lead the company in the future.
Quality
Guaranteed freshness · Certified quality · High flexibility
Sensitive handling of foodstuffs is a matter of course for us as a producer. All processes are developed and monitored to ensure the agreed quality – from selecting suppliers and agreeing product characteristics, through logistics, storage and production, right up to the sale of the products to our customers. Märsch Importhandels-GmbH was one of the first German companies to implement the American HACCP quality concept for all business processes.
We use our own lab with several members of staff to analyse incoming raw materials, to monitor raw materials during storage and to analyse production samples and document all processes. We guarantee seamless control and documentation of all product-relevant processes for our customers and consumers.
Accordingly, quality management is incorporated at several overlapping levels, which means that products are tested multiple times through random spot checks before they leave our site. In addition to sensory and chemical analyses, mycotoxin testing is performed carefully and safely on site using two HPLC facilities.
Our staff are an important part of holistic quality management. They are regularly trained in their daily handling of foodstuffs. Furthermore, we ensure that measures to safeguard production, maintain hygiene, and our modern and safe machinery all comply with quality standards.
All measures are devised to guarantee the highest level of quality and safety for our customers.