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History & Stories

We have a lot to tell!

ERBACHER the food family is a company with tradition. Our family history goes back to 1941 and we have grown a lot since then! We utilise our experience from the past to move into the future, and we are open to new ideas and change. And we have lots of exciting stories to tell!

1941

Company foundation

Joseph and Pauline ERBACHER set up a production plant for feed lime in Weilbach in Lower Franconia. This lays the foundations for the company JOSERA - whose name goes back to the initials of JOSef ERbacher Agrar (Agriculture). The company grows steadily. In 1980, the company relocates to its current premises in Kleinheubach where, in addition to a new agricultural production facility, a laboratory, a technical centre and a creative office space with open-plan workstations are built.

test
1988

Start of pet food production.

As a specialist in animal nutrition, JOSERA enters the pet food market - the knowledge and decades of experience from the agricultural sector are channelled into new product lines for the healthy nutrition of pets. The pet food range constantly evolves and prides itself on always being up to date with the latest scientific findings as well as being optimised for nutritional physiology and environmental friendliness.

dog with a josera jacet is laying on the gras in the mountains having his foot on the josera seppl toy.
1989

ERBACHER foundation

The ERBACHER Foundation is established in 1989 as a charitable foundation. Among many other countries over the years, it supports development projects in rural regions of the focus countries Tanzania, Uganda and India. The aim is to improve the living conditions of local, rural populations. The focus lies on projects promoting livestock farming, crop cultivation and a good drinking water supply, as well as environmental and climate protection. Around 650 development projects have been supported since the organisation was initially founded. In this way, aid has already reached around 650,000 people. The foundation is currently focused on the renaturation and regreening of the Tanzanian landscape in cooperation with local partners.

Ein farbiges Kind sitzt in der Schule, hat die Arme verschränkt und lacht zufrieden.
1990

Start of food production

The family business expands its expertise and produces spelt-based foods. Various types of muesli and snacks are produced using extrusion technology and marketed under the brand name "ERBACHER - Your Spelt Specialist". Since then, ERBACHER has developed into a comprehensive B2B partner for solution-orientated nutritional concepts.

Cerealien im Extruder
1999

Expansion into Poland

Exports to Poland and other Eastern European countries rise sharply over the years. Josera Agrar (Josera Agriculture) responds to the growing demand by building a state-of-the-art mineral feed plant in Nowy Tomyśl, Poland. The new manufacturing plant produces to the highest levels of quality, ensured by the company's own in-house laboratory.

Josera Polen Werk
2013

Foundation of foodforplanet

With foodforplanet, we establish our in-house marketing agency. Our focus is to tap into the increasingly important online market. With our new pet food brand Green Petfood, we also concentrate on the growing need for sustainable solutions.

Frau sitzt am Lapop, im Hintergrund laufen Leute
2017

Foundation of ERBACHER the food family

ERBACHER the food family is born and functions as our umbrella and employer brand. All companies under this umbrella share the joint mission of creating sustainable nutrition.

ERBACHER the food family als Dachmarke. Die Logos aller Marken darunter.
2021

Foundation of Josera Petfood Sp. Z o. o.

Josera Petfood Sp. Z o. o. is founded to further expand the family business’s European expertise. The market for pet food continues growing and with it the popularity of our Josera Petfood brand. To meet the increasing demand, we start building our production facility in Poland, solely for pet food. This ensures that we are well-positioned for new products, product lines and brands in the future.

6 Männer stehen vor dem Werk in Polen

ERBACHER Foundation

Giving rural life a future

The ERBACHER Foundation has been committed to sustainable livelihoods in rural areas for over 30 years. As healthy soil is the basis for good nutrition, our foundation supports projects to regenerate natural resources in India and Tanzania. Successful regeneration methods are implemented, in collaboration, with partners such as the LEAD Foundation and Just Diggit. The foundation actively supports projects in the planning process and encourages long-term independence.

A car in african landscape

Our stories told...

We are family!

Good nutrition has been our business since 1941. This means taking responsibility for people, their animals and nature. We can only do this sustainably if we consider the soil and the climate, as well as long-term profitability for our partners and customers. Over three generations in Kleinheubach, in Europe and worldwide, we have created a network of like-minded people with whom we can think ahead and lead the way together. We call this family spirit: ERBACHER the food family spirit.

Zwei Mitarbeitende in der Küche

One step ahead, with innovation.

The well-being of animals is close to our hearts. We share this passion with other animal lovers and breeders, for whom we develop food and many extras. We focus on the high quality of our products, using gentle manufacturing processes to preserve the natural benefits of the raw materials. We aim to strengthen the relationship between humans and animals by thinking from the animal's perspective.

Der Durchmesser der Hundefutter Kroketten wird geprüft.

Milk from healthy cows.

We started out in 1941 with the aim of ensuring that family farms are successful, and farmers enjoy their work. Animal health has remained our core expertise. From animal feed to services for smart farming, we ensure that farmers work in harmony with nature while being profitable, so that high-quality food remains sustainable, available, and affordable.

Josera Zugwagon auf den Schienen auf dem Werksgelände.

food solutions, every day.

We work with our customers to find out just how diverse good nutrition can be. Together, we develop new products according to their wishes. With imagination, a flair for high-quality raw materials worldwide, and a wealth of experience in extrusion technology, product development becomes a future laboratory for nutritional trends - from breakfast cereals and snacks to meat substitutes. Perfection is the key to a good profit margin.

Fahnen von drei Marken der Erbacher food family.

Family businesses are shaping the future

We also rely on family spirit in our collaboration with other companies. Family businesses create a unique entrepreneurial DNA through their long-term orientation, family values and sustainable business practices. The combination of tradition and innovation enables flexible adaptation to market changes. In our opinion, family businesses shape the future through their unique mix of continuity, innovation, employee loyalty and social responsibility. That's why we stick together.

Viele Kollegen sitzen gemeinsam am Tisch im ff Park. Im Hintergrund wird auf dem Rasen Fußball gespielt.

We grow with our tasks.

We go the extra mile for sustainable nutrition. This means that we think and act innovatively and are always open to change. We love good ideas. We make mistakes and we learn from them. We face challenges and we grow together, sometimes over and above our own previous goals. Our work is demanding, but we know why we're doing it. This means we achieve a lot together, with real family spirit.

Kroketten (Hundefutter) werden zur Probe aus der Anlage entnommen.

Moving forward.

The development of new, sustainable markets is important to us. When it comes to food, demands, needs and conditions change rapidly. We don’t merely respond to this. We help shape it. We have our finger on the pulse and strive to offer innovative solutions that not only meet the needs of the market, but are also in harmony with people, animals and nature. Openness to new markets means that we actively face the challenges that come with an evolving world. As thought leaders and pioneers, we think ahead and lead the way.

Jemand hält mit Handschuhen Mais in einem Probenbecher fest.