GASA Group
The GASA Group is an international Danish wholesaler of all kinds of ornamental plants and accessories. GASA is the largest Danish exporter of potted plants . The GASA Group is the European market leader in the wholesale of flowers . The group's headquarters are in Odense .
history
GASA Group (GASA stands for Gart Nernes Salgsforeninger , trade union of gardeners) resulted from the merger of Denmark's largest vegetable export companies: the founded in 1929, gardeners cooperatives GASA Aarhus , GASA Odense Blomster and exposé . After the previous conversion of GASA Odense into a stock corporation and the legal spin-off of the fruit and vegetables division, they merged in 1994 as still independent companies under the umbrella of the GASA Group. From the fruit and vegetable business which was created GASA Nord Grønt , the largest Danish Trade Organization for fruit and vegetables. The merger of the independent plant trading companies, which had been planned since 1994 , initially met with great resistance, especially within the members and employees of GASA Aarhus, which delayed completion until July 1, 2000. The original companies are now GASA Group Denmark , the largest subsidiary within the GASA Group. Until the mid-2000s, the GASA Group found itself in considerable economic adjustment difficulties and was in the red, so that by the end of 2006 the share capital was used up. In 2007 the group was restructured and all companies and activities of the GASA Group were brought together in GASA Holding , into which the GASA Group initially contributed 75% of its shares. In addition, the shareholders Dänische Landwirtschaftsgesellschaft (DLG), Gartneriet PKM , Gartnernes Forsikring (Gärtnerversicherung) and a number of other plant producers carried out a capital increase, making DLG the majority shareholder in 2008.
structure
The shops are divided into four areas according to customers:
- Wholesale : Sales to wholesalers, especially pot plant nurseries; Share of total sales in 2007: 57%.
- Retail : sales to retail chains such as discount grocery stores and hardware stores ; Share of total sales in 2007: 32%.
- Garden Center : sales to garden centers
- Young Plants : Sale of seeds, cuttings , young plants, semi-finished plants, bulbs or tubers and accessories from global purchases to nurseries. This branch has existed since 1975; Sales approx. 200 million plants per year, annual turnover over 26 million euros, 40% of which in Denmark, 60% in Norway, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom and France. In this business area, there is a joint venture with the Danish brewery group Carlsberg , which is also active in biotechnology research , the Danbloom located in the Carlsberg research center . Danbloom researches the development of new varieties and crops in cooperation with Danish plant producers.
By country, the GASA Group is divided into four Danish subsidiaries (the full subsidiaries GASA Blomsterselskabet Danmark A / S and GASA Young Plants A / S as well as a 60% stake in Danita and 50% in ZenFlora), each with several subdivisions and in three foreign national companies (GASA Holland with headquarters in Aalsmeer - Kudelstaart , GASA Germany with headquarters in Kevelaer on the Lower Rhine and GASA Italia with headquarters in Albenga ). There are separate sales companies in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Italy.
Products
- Potted plants (flowering and green plants)
- Garden and container plants (including bedding and balcony plants)
- Onions and tubers
- Plants for nurseries for further cultivation
- Arrangements
- Fir green and Christmas trees
Shareholders
The company's shares currently hold (as of the end of 2007):
- the Danish Agricultural Society (DLG, whose members are around 30,000 Danish farmers): 47%
- several banks and the Danish gardeners insurance (Gartnernes Forsikring): 26%
- several large Danish pot plant producers (including in particular the nursery PKM, European market leader for bluebells and one of the leading producers of Christmas and Easter cacti, brand name "Fairytale Flowers"): 27%
Key figures
The GASA Group achieved a total turnover of 2.1 billion Danish kroner in 2014 , 25% of which in Denmark. At the end of 2015 it had around 400 employees. The company's CEO is Lars Sørensen.