Zollikofer Expands into France
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- Zollikofer acquires REKO ENERGIE BOIS (REKO)
- REKO operates sites in France, handling 120,000 metric tons of wood per year
- Frank Andlauer takes over management team
- Maurice Schott to support the management team for another two years
Zollikofer is an international logistics and commercial company that focuses on sawmill byproducts and reclaimed timber, forest wood, and fuelwood. It has been part of the Koehler Group since 2021. With the acquisition of REKO Energie Bois (REKO), Zollikofer is tapping into the eastern French market. REKO provides comprehensive solutions for supplying fuelwood and primarily specializes in utilizing wood in the French market, particularly to prepare fuels for biomass combined heat and power plants.
Expertise in Wood Processing and Marketing in France
REKO, founded in 2007, is a leading company in the wood processing and trade sector in France. The company currently boasts 16 employees and offers a wide range of wood products. With sites in Réding (administrative headquarters, production, and storage location), Morville (production and storage location), and Strasbourg (production site) handling 120,000 metric tons each year, REKO plays a key role in the wood and biomass industry.
REKO provides a variety of wood processing and marketing processes and services. These include wood sourcing and purchasing ‘standing timber’, where the wood is purchased and felled directly on-site in the forest. In addition, REKO markets all its wood stocks in material and thermal industries, thereby maximizing both the material and energy-related benefits of the wood.
Another of their key activities is utilizing natural and recycled biomass. This biomass is processed in such a way that it is suitable either for recycling or as a fuel for biomass furnaces. REKO is therefore making a significant contribution to the sustainable use of wood resources. What’s more, REKO trades in all log grades and biomass from natural and recycled sources, meaning it can offer a wide range of products and serve various market requirements.
“This acquisition of REKO is a key strategic step for Zollikofer to expand its activities into the French market and an important step toward growing further in the biomass sector,” explains Dr. Philipp Hill, Managing Director at Zollikofer.
Another Building Block in the Koehler Group’s Sustainability Strategy
The acquisition of REKO and the associated expansion of business activities into France will also further optimize and ensure the secure supply of the Koehler Group’s biomass combined heat and power plants. At the Oberkirch site, Koehler Paper’s combined heat and power plant is currently being converted from coal to biomass. This project will decarbonize one of the largest generators of greenhouse gas emissions in the entire Koehler Group and therefore improve the family company’s climate footprint dramatically. REKO’s additional resources and expertise on utilizing wood will also allow the Koehler Group even greater planning security in future when it comes to the long-term supply of natural fuels for the biomass plants.
Using Years of Experience to Grow Together
Frank Andlauer, head of forest wood at Zollikofer, will take over the operational management of REKO together with founder and previous shareholder Maurice Schott. “Maurice Schott will be with us every step of the way for another two years before starting his well-earned retirement. Over this period, we will work together to make REKO’s new journey both future-oriented and sustainable,” emphasizes Frank Andlauer.
Best regards
Alexander M. Stöckle Corporate Director Marketing & Communications Press Spokesperson
Koehler Holding SE & Co. KG
Tel: +49 7802 81-4749 Fax: +49 7802 81-5749 mailto:alexander.stoeckle@koehler.com