Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rhein-Main

Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rhein-Main AG (RWZ) is a German agricultural cooperative group headquartered in Cologne. It is one of the five main agricultural cooperatives (Hauptgenossenschaften) in Germany and ranks among the country's largest agricultural trading houses. The RWZ Group combines fully consolidated subsidiaries, holdings and alliances, and operates around 200 locations. Its sales territory covers Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and parts of North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse; through subsidiaries and holdings it is also active in Bavaria, Thuringia, Lower Saxony as well as in France, Benelux and Austria. The group's business segments include agricultural products, agricultural machinery, farm inputs (seed, fertilizer, crop protection, feed), retail (Raiffeisen markets, building materials, bakeries), energy, wood, potatoes, professional horticulture and viticulture/cellars. RWZ acts as a wholesaler for farm inputs and agricultural products. Its goods and services are aimed primarily at farmers, vintners, gardeners and forest owners. Farmers can also market their harvests — grain, oilseeds, legumes or potatoes — through RWZ and its subsidiaries. RWZ cleans and stores the harvest products and sells the bundled volumes to large processors in the food industry, such as flour and oil mills and potato factories, also handling logistics. In addition, RWZ offers services and technical advice, including online sales via the akoro trading platform, and has expanded its commitment to more sustainable, regenerative agriculture, for example through the KlimaHumus-Gesellschaft. For private customers, especially in rural areas, RWZ is active as a dealer in fuels, lubricants and building materials and as an operator of home and garden markets. The company has around 2,500 employees, including about 240 apprentices. In 2024 the RWZ Group generated total revenue of EUR 2.9 billion, EBIT of EUR 20.6 million, EBT of EUR 7.9 million and a consolidated net profit after tax of EUR 2.0 million. The pre-tax profit margin (EBT) was 0.3%; the consolidated balance sheet total was EUR 792.1 million, of which around 21% was equity. Since 2021 the management board has consisted of CEO Christoph Kempkes and CFO Michael Göthner. The company's history reaches back to the 19th century, and its current legal form is a stock corporation (AG), converted from a registered cooperative (eG) in July 2023.

The corporate history of RWZ reaches back to the 19th century. In 1890, the "Central-Genossenschaft der hessischen landwirthschaftlichen Consumvereine" was founded as the first predecessor cooperative of RWZ. The foundation of today's RWZ was laid in 1953 with the establishment of the "Rheinische Waren-Zentrale Hauptgenossenschaft landwirtschaftlicher Genossenschaften eGmbH". In 1983, the "Rheinische Warenzentrale Köln" merged with the "Raiffeisen Hauptgenossenschaft Koblenz" to form "Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rheinland eG". In 1999, this merged with the "Raiffeisen Hauptgenossenschaft Frankfurt eG" to form Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rhein-Main eG. In July 2023, the cooperative was converted into a stock corporation (AG). In September 2015, the RWZ supervisory board adopted a comprehensive plan for the realignment of the company in response to changes in the agricultural sector (the "Great Transformation"). This was developed and implemented in subsequent years by CEO Christoph Kempkes and his fellow board members as the so-called PRIO strategy. Since 2020, the financial, asset and earnings situation has been stable and positive again. Since 2024, the corporate strategy "weiter|säen" has replaced the previous "PRIO" strategy. Since 2021, the management board of RWZ has consisted of CEO Christoph Kempkes and CFO Michael Göthner. In 2024, the RWZ Group generated total revenue of EUR 2.9 billion, EBIT of EUR 20.6 million, EBT of EUR 7.9 million and a consolidated net profit after tax of EUR 2.0 million. The pre-tax profit margin (EBT) was 0.3%; the consolidated balance sheet total was EUR 792.1 million, of which around 21% was equity. The headquarters has been located at Gaedestraße 9 in Cologne-Marienburg since May 1, 2025.

• 2026

  RWZ bundles energy activities in Raiffeisen Energie Köln GmbH (April 1); AB Texel takes over bulk transport activities (September 1).

• 2025

  Headquarters moves to Gaedestraße 9 in Cologne-Marienburg on May 1.

• 2024

  New corporate strategy "weiter|säen" replaces "PRIO". Group revenue reaches EUR 2.9 billion.

• 2023

  Conversion of the registered cooperative (eG) into a stock corporation (AG) in July.

• 2021

  Management board consists of CEO Christoph Kempkes and CFO Michael Göthner.

• 2020

  Financial, asset and earnings situation becomes stable and positive again.

• 2015

  Supervisory board adopts comprehensive realignment plan (PRIO strategy) in response to agricultural sector changes.

• 1999

  Merger with "Raiffeisen Hauptgenossenschaft Frankfurt eG" to form Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rhein-Main eG.

• 1983

  Merger of "Rheinische Warenzentrale Köln" and "Raiffeisen Hauptgenossenschaft Koblenz" to form "Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rheinland eG".

• 1953

  Foundation of "Rheinische Waren-Zentrale Hauptgenossenschaft landwirtschaftlicher Genossenschaften eGmbH", the cornerstone of today's RWZ.

• 1890

  First predecessor cooperative, "Central-Genossenschaft der hessischen landwirthschaftlichen Consumvereine", founded.

A leading German agricultural cooperative group serving farmers, vintners, gardeners and forest owners with inputs, marketing, logistics and advisory services.

• Seed

• Fertilizer

• Crop protection products

• Animal feed

• Agricultural machinery

• Grain and oilseeds

• Potatoes

• Wood

• Energy (fuels, heating oil)

• Building materials

• Wine

1. 1RWZ AGrwz.ag
2. 2Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rhein-Mainwikidata.org
3. 3Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rhein-Mainde.wikipedia.org