EW Group
EW Group is a German family-owned holding company focused on breeding, animal health, diagnostics, nutrition, agricultural technology and related food-chain activities.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
EW Group, also known as the Erich Wesjohann Group, is a family-owned German holding company headquartered in Visbek, Lower Saxony. It operates mainly near the beginning of the agricultural and food value chain, with activities spanning animal and plant genetics, animal health, diagnostics, nutrition, agricultural technology and selected food businesses. The group brings together more than 300 active subsidiaries and has an international operating footprint across Europe, North America, Asia, South America and other regions. Its businesses serve poultry, aquaculture, livestock, companion-animal, food-safety and horticultural markets rather than functioning primarily as a consumer-facing brand. The group emerged from the break-up of the Lohmann-Wesjohann Group, a business associated with the Wesjohann family and Heinz Lohmann that had interests in breeding, animal feed and pharmaceuticals. In the late 1990s, brothers Paul-Heinz and Erich Wesjohann acquired full ownership of the business and subsequently divided it. The division created the present EW Group, associated with Erich Wesjohann, and PHW Group, associated with Paul-Heinz Wesjohann. EW Group took responsibility for poultry breeding, mushroom breeding and grain trading, while PHW assumed slaughtering, animal nutrition and pharmaceutical activities. The company adopted the name EW Group GmbH in 2006. Poultry genetics became the group's principal international growth platform. EW Group acquired Aviagen in 2005, adding a major global broiler-breeding operation. Its poultry portfolio later expanded through turkey breeding, the Peterson Male genetic line, Hubbard Breeders and Novogen. Through companies including Aviagen, Lohmann Breeders, Hy-Line International, H&N International and Novogen, EW Group participates in broiler, turkey and layer breeding. Its genetic programs include Ross, Arbor Acres, Indian River, Rowan Range, Specialty Males, Hubbard, Nicholas Turkeys, Hockenhull Turkeys and B.U.T. The group states that approximately two to three billion of the world's laying hens originate from its breeding programs, although the scale varies by source and year. EW Group has also developed a substantial aquaculture genetics business. AquaGen, headquartered in Norway, focuses on salmon and trout breeding and became wholly owned by EW Group in 2013 after the group first acquired a majority stake. GenoMar, another Norwegian company acquired in 2017, specializes in tilapia breeding and production. Investments in Brazil expanded the group's tilapia platform through AquaBel and later AquaAmerica/AquaPorto. Beyond genetics, the group has built businesses in animal health, diagnostics, nutrition and production technology. Vaxxinova develops vaccines and veterinary medicines for poultry, swine, cattle, fish and companion animals. Hygiena, together with the businesses formerly associated with BioChek and Biotecon, provides food-safety and One Health diagnostic systems. EW Nutrition supplies feed and food additives. Agri Advanced Technologies and Innovatec Hatchery Automation develop equipment and systems for hatchery and poultry operations, including in-ovo sex determination, vaccination, grading, sorting and disinfection. The company also operates in plant breeding, vaccine-egg production, mushrooms, egg products, grain and agricultural trading. Planasa, acquired in 2023, breeds and propagates varieties of fruit and vegetables including berries, garlic, asparagus and avocados. VALO BioMedia produces specific-pathogen-free and other vaccine eggs used in vaccine manufacturing and pharmaceutical research. Pilzland manages mushroom-related activities, while EIPRO produces liquid, frozen and pasteurized egg products as well as selected plant-based products. Magdeburger Getreide manages grain storage, processing and agricultural trading. EW Group also holds a minority interest in Plukon Food Group. EW Group's structure places it largely in business-to-business markets. Its strategic…
History
EW Group traces its roots to the Lohmann-Wesjohann Group, which combined businesses in breeding, animal feed and pharmaceuticals and was associated with Paul Wesjohann, Heinz Lohmann and the Wesjohann family. Paul Wesjohann's sons Paul-Heinz and Erich Wesjohann became active in the business and acquired full ownership of its shares in 1997. The enterprise was subsequently divided in the late 1990s. The resulting businesses became EW Group, led by Erich Wesjohann, and PHW Group, led by Paul-Heinz Wesjohann. EW received poultry breeding, mushroom breeding and grain trading, while PHW took slaughtering, animal nutrition and pharmaceutical operations. The present group name was adopted in 2006. From 2005 onward, EW Group expanded internationally through acquisitions in poultry genetics. Aviagen became a central platform after its acquisition in 2005. The group added Aviagen Turkeys in 2006 through the combination of B.U.T. and Nicholas Turkey Breeding Farms, and acquired the Peterson Male broiler genetic line in 2010. Hubbard Breeders was acquired in 2017 and integrated into Aviagen in 2018. Layer genetics remained another major activity through Lohmann Breeders, Hy-Line International and H&N International, with Novogen and its Dutch distribution partner Verbeek added in 2022. Aquaculture became a second genetics pillar. EW Group acquired a majority stake in AquaGen in 2008 and completed its ownership in 2013. It acquired GenoMar in 2017, while AquaGen developed Brazilian tilapia operations through AquaBel in 2016 and AquaAmerica/AquaPorto in 2020. The group broadened its technology and life-sciences scope during the 2010s and 2020s. Agri Advanced Technologies was founded in 2015 to develop hatchery and poultry technologies. Vaxxinova represents animal health, while BioChek and Biotecon contributed diagnostic capabilities. EW Group acquired Biotecon through BioChek in 2020 and Hygiena in 2021, after which the diagnostic operations were consolidated under Hygiena. The group acquired Novogen in 2022 and Planasa in 2023, adding further layer genetics and plant breeding, respectively. Its current portfolio includes animal and plant breeding, veterinary health, food and animal diagnostics, nutrition, hatchery automation, vaccine eggs, mushrooms, egg products, grain and agricultural trading. The group remains family-owned and operates through a large network of subsidiaries. Its scale and role in breeding have also made it a subject of animal-welfare and market-concentration criticism, especially concerning fast-growing broiler genetics and the availability and supply structure of laying hens.
- 2023
Planasa acquisition
[1]EW Group acquired Planasa, broadening its plant-breeding and propagation portfolio.
- 2022
Novogen acquisition
[1]The group acquired French layer-breeding company Novogen and Dutch distributor Verbeek.
- 2021
Hygiena acquisition
[1]EW Group acquired Hygiena and integrated related diagnostic businesses into it.
- 2020
Biotecon acquisition
[1]BioChek, within the group, acquired food-diagnostics company Biotecon.
- 2017
Hubbard and GenoMar expansion
[1]EW Group acquired Hubbard Breeders and Norwegian aquaculture genetics company GenoMar.
- 2015
Agri Advanced Technologies founded
[1]The group established AAT to develop poultry-breeding and hatchery technologies.
- 2013
AquaGen becomes wholly owned
[1]EW Group completed its acquisition of AquaGen.
- 2008
AquaGen investment
[1]EW Group acquired a majority interest in Norwegian salmon-breeding company AquaGen.
- 2006
Name change to EW Group GmbH
[1]The former Erich Wesjohann GmbH & Co. KG adopted the EW Group GmbH name.
- 2005
Aviagen acquisition
[1]EW Group acquired Aviagen, expanding substantially into global broiler breeding.
Products and positioning
A privately owned, vertically connected life-sciences and agricultural group supplying genetics, health, diagnostics, nutrition and technology to international food and farming industries.
Broiler and turkey breeding · 2005
Aviagen
Aviagen is EW Group's principal poultry-genetics platform. Its programs support commercial broiler and turkey production and include Ross, Arbor Acres, Indian River, Rowan Range, Specialty Males, Hubbard, Nicholas Turkeys, Hockenhull Turkeys and B.U.T. The business also conducts research and development in poultry breeding.
Layer breeding
Layer breeding programs
Lohmann Breeders, Hy-Line International, H&N International and Novogen operate independent layer-breeding programs serving egg producers in international markets. Their work focuses on genetic performance and reproduction for commercial laying hens.
Aquaculture breeding · 2008
AquaGen and GenoMar
AquaGen develops salmon and trout genetics, while GenoMar focuses on tilapia breeding and production. Together they give EW Group a genetics platform in aquaculture, including operations and investments in Brazil.
Animal health · 2010
Vaxxinova
Vaxxinova develops and produces vaccines, veterinary medicines and related animal-health solutions for poultry, swine, cattle, fish and companion animals, supported by research, production and diagnostic sites in multiple countries.
Diagnostics · 2021
Hygiena
Hygiena provides food-safety and One Health diagnostic solutions. Following EW Group's acquisitions of Hygiena and related businesses, BioChek and Biotecon activities were integrated into the platform serving food, veterinary and laboratory users.
Plant breeding · 2023
Planasa
Planasa breeds and propagates fruit and vegetable varieties, including blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, garlic, asparagus and avocados. Its activities add horticultural genetics and plant material to EW Group's broader breeding portfolio.
Animal nutrition
EW Nutrition
EW Nutrition develops feed and food additives for animal-production markets. It represents the group's animal-nutrition activities alongside its genetics, health and agricultural technology businesses.
Agricultural technology · 2015
Agri Advanced Technologies and Innovatec Hatchery Automation
These businesses develop equipment and application technologies for poultry breeding and hatchery operations, including in-ovo sex determination, breeder vaccination, grading, sorting, feed and egg disinfection and related automation.
Specific-pathogen-free eggs · 2011
VALO BioMedia
VALO BioMedia produces vaccine eggs used in vaccine manufacture and pharmaceutical research. The business operates several locations dedicated to controlled biological production.
Egg products · 2019
EIPRO
EIPRO develops, produces and distributes egg products for food-service operators, large-scale consumers and retailers. Its portfolio includes liquid, frozen and pasteurized egg products, convenience foods and selected plant-based products.
Controversies
2024
Egg-market concentration criticism
Commentary surrounding US egg shortages raised concerns about concentration in the laying-hen genetics and egg-supply system, in which EW Group is a major participant.
2011
Lohmann Tierzucht animal-cruelty conviction
The subsidiary then known as Lohmann Tierzucht was legally convicted in an animal-cruelty case, according to the cited reference material.
Criticism of fast-growing broiler genetics
Animal-welfare organizations have argued that rapid-growth broiler lines can contribute to heart and bone problems, lameness, muscle disease and elevated mortality.
Brand decisions
2023
Acquire PlanasaM&ABackground
The group continued diversifying from animal genetics into plant genetics and horticulture.
Action taken
EW Group acquired Planasa, a fruit and vegetable breeding and propagation company.
Aftermath
Plant breeding became a larger component of EW Group's life-sciences and agricultural portfolio.
2021
Acquire HygienaM&ABackground
EW Group pursued a broader diagnostics platform covering food safety and animal-health applications.
Action taken
The group acquired Hygiena and consolidated BioChek and Biotecon activities within it.
Aftermath
Hygiena gained a broader international diagnostics portfolio and distribution network.
2017
Acquire Hubbard BreedersM&ABackground
The acquisition strengthened EW Group's broiler-genetics portfolio.
Action taken
EW Group acquired Hubbard Breeders from Groupe Grimaud.
Aftermath
Hubbard was integrated into Aviagen in 2018.
2005
Acquire AviagenM&ABackground
EW Group sought to expand its international poultry-genetics activities.
Action taken
The group acquired Aviagen and made it a central broiler-breeding platform.
Aftermath
Aviagen became the core of the group's global broiler and turkey breeding activities.
Recent events
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