The Belgian based VCF (Vandermarliere Cigar Family) acquired Wörmann & Scholle and Wörmann Cigars on July 1st. 2022.
At the same time, VCF came to an agreement with Wolfertz GmbH to take over their activities as of January 1st 2023. The cigar business of VCF that is being handled by Kohlhase & Kopp, with brands such as De Olifant and J. Cortès, will also be transferred to the new German organization. Until the end of this year, the business will remain as it is.
CEO of VCF, Fred Vandermarliere says: “I am very excited about this important step for our company in the German market. With our own sales organization and distribution set-up, we will be able to give optimal service to the tobacco channel and realize our growth ambitions. I am very proud that Peter Wörmann and Thorsten Wolfertz have expressed so much confidence in us. All being family-owned businesses, sharing similar values, we realized that only by combining forces we will be able to remain successful and deal with regulatory challenges such as track and trace. I am also very grateful for the cooperation we received from Kohlhase & Kopp in this respect, as they have been a very loyal partner for us for many years”
Wörmann Cigars, with office and warehouse in Rödinghausen, is known for brands such as Woermann, Seefahrer, Gelbstreifen and La Galera. This will be the base of the new company that will continue to service the tobacco trade with high-quality cigars, rums, and accessories as well as private label offers. Peter Wörmann will remain in the company and stays responsible for all operations. He will be supported by Wiljo van Maren, who will help to integrate the business into the VCF structure and to determine the strategy for the coming years.
Wolfertz GmbH, with an office and warehouse in Solingen, will continue to sell all the cigars brands such as Oliva, NUB, Alec Bradley, My Father, A.J. Fernandez, Condega, and Plasencia until the end of this year. This also includes the rums and accessories such as Xikar. At the beginning of next year, all this business will be transferred to the location in Rödinghausen. Thorsten Wolfertz will join the new company and will remain responsible for all commercial activities.
Kohlhase and Kopp, based in Rellingen, will continue to handle the business of De Olifant, J. Cortès, and Sonderangebot until the end of this year, after which also this business will be transferred to the location in Rödinghausen.
Fred Vandermarliere and everyone at VCF is very thankful to Kohlhase & Kopp for what they have done for our brands in the last decades. “It is tough to make such a decision when you get along so well, but for both sides, it was clear that this was the only way forward. I want to thank the families for their understanding and the very gentle way they accepted that our roads would head in another direction. We will continue to respect each other and the relationship was always based on trust and reliability.” In the month of December, more information will be shared on the new company and its organization.
