Dr. Jan Keller (Member of the Executive Board, Vereinigte Hagel), Jens Stechmann (Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Vereinigte Hagel), Christian Senft (Chairman of the Executive Board, Gartenbau-Versicherung), Dietmar Brauer (Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Vereinigte Hagel), Dr. Philipp Schönbach (Spokesman for the Executive Board of Vereinigte Hagel), Frank Werner (Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Gartenbau-Versicherung), Lothar Dahs (Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Gartenbau-Versicherung), Dr Dietmar Kohlruss (Executive Board member of Gartenbau-Versicherung), Thomas Gehrke (Executive Board member of Vereinigte Hagel)
Vereinigte Hagelversicherung and Gartenbau-Versicherung celebrate a milestone of shared strength.
What began as a response to increasing demands in the insurance sector has since become a proven success story: the AGRORISK Group is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Since 1995, Gartenbau-Versicherung VVaG and Vereinigte Hagelversicherung VVaG have combined their expertise in this strategic partnership – consistently following the principle: strong together, specialized individually.
As early as the 1990s, both insurers faced similar challenges: demand for customized insurance solutions was growing, while regulatory pressure on the European market was intensifying. The logical consequence: closer cooperation, leveraging synergies – without compromising their own identity.
Since then, the AGRORISK Group has united the best of both worlds: extensive expertise in crop insurance and in-depth sector knowledge in horticulture. Throughout, both partners have maintained their financial independence – as well as their clear focus on the needs of their respective members.
Protecting Members Comes First
Both companies have a similar structure and share the same ethos as mutual insurance associations. The well-being of their member businesses and ensuring their reliable protection remain the top priority. As such, members benefit in multiple ways from the AGRORISK Group. Through continuous exchange at board and operational levels, many synergies have been achieved over the past decades – for example, through joint trade fair appearances and process optimization.
“We combine our expertise, analyze market trends, and fine-tune the strategic direction of both companies efficiently and sustainably. In addition to saving time, this has undoubtedly freed up financial resources that we’ve been able to use elsewhere to benefit our members,” says Dr. Philipp Schönbach, Spokesman of the Board at Vereinigte Hagel.
Joint Commitment to Future-Ready Strategies
A current challenge for both insurers is the structural transformation in agriculture and horticulture. Added to this are increasing natural hazards due to climate change and innovative technologies that call for new insurance products.
“With the internationalization of our business, we are creating a counterbalance and have been able to further strengthen our financial stability,” explains Christian Senft, Chairman of the Board at Gartenbau-Versicherung. The picture is similar at Vereinigte Hagel. Broader risk diversification through international business, a sharp eye on industry trends, careful modeling of possible future scenarios, and product development that ideally anticipates tomorrow’s needs today are all part of their future-proofing strategy. In this effort, the two partners work closely together at many levels.
Their shared goal: “We want to continue offering our members affordable and reliable insurance protection while supporting their professions. Above all, the principle of mutuality in insurance is something we hold very dear,” emphasize Christian Senft and Dr. Philipp Schönbach with conviction.
