Our history
It all started with Hermine and a few hens...
So, from the beginning
WECH started out after the Second World War when sisters Hermine and Germana fled into the Lavanttal area. It was initially intended to be a temporary place to stay when they came to the WECH farm, and they were very much in demand as they had studied at specialist agricultural schools. Hermine soon married the young farmer Otto WECH. She demonstrated entrepreneurial flair as she quickly saw a gap in the market for fresh poultry.
The WECHs then started out in 1956 with nine laying hens and a rooster. However, it turned out to be a false start as after the obligatory trip to church on Sunday, they unfortunately discovered that a fox had devoured the whole group. Giving up was not an option.
She founded the “Lavanttaler Geflügelring“ union in 1958 and established slaughtering facilities for poultry. The “Bauernhofgarantie” (farm guarantee) was introduced in 1960 where the origin of poultry was guaranteed to all customers - and this was the foundation for WECH’s future success.
From 9 hens and a rooster to a palace of poultry.
The company grew steadily, built large slaughtering facilities in 1967 and built on quality and automation. After the “consumption crisis” of the 1990s, turnover rose again, particularly in collaboration with REWE Austria. In 1996, Wech took over “1. Kärntner Pute“ in Glanegg and from this point offered a full range of products when it came to white meat. Expansion continued apace with takeovers of companies in both Hungary and Slovenia.
Since the death of Hermine WECH in 2009, her successor, Mag. Jakob Sintschnig has taken over in ensuring that WECH’s philosophy of fruitful partnerships is maintained and that consumers continue to enjoy perfect poultry on their plates.
