PRESS RELEASE
Wiesbaden, 25 July 2016 / pma 1916
Service company for the pet industry celebrates 50 years
German Pet Trade & Industry Association ZZF founded its service subsidiary WZF in 1966 / Wiesbaden-based WZF (service company for the pet industry) provides a wide range of services to the German and international pet industry / Interzoo is its flagship event
The service company for the pet industry is turning 50: on 3 August 1966, German Pet Trade & Industry Association ZZF established its subsidiary WZF as a service company for the pet industry. For five decades it has been making an important contribution to the economic development of the German and international pet industry and helping it to communicate effectively with all stakeholders.
On the occasion of this milestone, WZF Managing Director Herbert Bollhöfer talks about the company’s development, its various business segments and objectives.
Why did the ZZF establish a limited company at that point?
Herbert Bollhöfer: Under the law at that time, the association was not permitted to engage in commercial activities and make a profit, so it created the wholly-owned subsidiary. WZF and ZZF share an office in Wiesbaden.
What kind of matters does the company deal with today?
Herbert Bollhöfer: WZF GmbH sees itself as a service company for the entire pet sector. Every two years, in collaboration with ZZF as sponsor, it organises our flagship event, the Interzoo in Nuremberg, which is the largest international trade fair for the pet industry. With more than 1,800 exhibitors and over 39,000 trade visitors from 117 countries at the last event, Interzoo is the undisputed leading international fair for the pet supplies industry.
ZZA-Verlag, the publishing arm of WZF, produces "zza-ZoologischerZentralanzeiger", a trade journal for the pet industry. In addition, the company hosts the industry website zza-online.de and the pet owner advice portals my-fish.org and my-pet.org. It also organises the ZZF Symposium as well as training and professional development seminars at regular intervals.
We are particularly passionate about training pet specialists, so together with the Wiesbaden Chamber of Commerce and Industry we developed an add-on qualification "Specialist pet industry knowledge", for which WZF provides suitable study materials like training files and exercise books.
Another important business segment is our animal ID service, which issues protection of species IDs and bird rings for more than 1,000 species on behalf of the Federal Environment Ministry. Bird owners, for example, can use our free tracing service to locate birds that have flown away, or birds that have been found can be reunited with their owners.
What goals does WZF have for the coming years?
Herbert Bollhöfer: Our main role is to be a service provider for the industry, and to do this we need to be a healthy company. This is why the economic development of WZF is important to us. In the next few years we intend to continue to strengthen Interzoo as the global meeting place for the pet industry. We provide effective support to our industry members so we always take up their concerns. We also place great importance in the satisfaction and well-being of our employees. In October, the Wiesbaden office was honoured as a “healthy company” by the Wiesbaden branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Press contact:
Antje Schreiber
Phone: +49 611 447553-14
Kathrin Handschuh
Phone: +49 611 447553-15