bpv BRAUN PARTNERS assisted EcoFinance Group in establishing the joint venture Čerstvě utrženo Haná a.s. with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olomouc

bpv BRAUN PARTNERS provided comprehensive legal advice to its client, EcoFinance Group, in establishing a joint venture with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olomouc. The transaction will secure a strategic alliance and cooperation between these two partners in the area of growing vegetables and fruits under the brand name Čerstvě utrženo.

The marketing co-op Čerstvě utrženo was created in 2017 by several Czech farmers with a shared vision: to grow high-quality vegetables and fruit in the Czech Republic, without unnecessary chemicals, in a way that is good for the planet and for people, and to create a brand that will become a symbol of local quality. The co-op is made up of several subjects, including Farmy Kopeček and Agro Haná, which are owned and operated by the innovative family holding ECO Finance Group. At the present time Čerstvě utrženo is made up of tomato farms in Mutěnice, Velké Němčice, Kostelec na Hané and Smržice, a blueberry farm in Hovorany and a blueberry and apricot farm in Velké Bílovice.

ECO Finance Group is now establishing a new entity, Čerstvě utrženo Haná, with investment support from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olomouc. The shared goal is to expand production and build new greenhouses in and around Olomouc to continue providing high- quality local fruit and vegetables for the region and the Czech Republic as a whole. Customers will still find them in stores under the brand Čerstvě utrženo.

“Combining the long years of experience and stability of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olomouc with the modern, innovative approach to growing fruit and vegetables at AGRO Haná a.s. and Farmy Kopeček s.r.o. is going to make them one of the most important agricultural producers in the Olomouc region next year,” comments Marek Jedlička, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Čerstvě utrženo Haná a.s.

The legal team, led by partner David Vosol with the support of attorney Ondrej Poništiak and trainee attorney Filip Baloušek, helped make the transaction go smoothly, including setting up the joint venture and preparing and negotiating all the related documentation.

ECO Finance Group s.r.o. is a fast-growing, innovative holding that invests in agriculture, energy and real estate. It owns and operates 7.5 hectares of greenhouses in the Prostějov region, where it grows different varieties of premium tomatoes in order to supply local, fresh and high-quality fruit and vegetables to all available chains and thus contribute to the food independence of the Czech Republic.

In its move to self-financing, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olomouc is entering into business ventures in order to secure its primary religious activities and charitable activities in social care. Given its history, it prefers to invest in forestry and agriculture, but is also opening up to more modern forms of those industries. It places great emphasis on the ethical nature of its investments.