The story of Andreas Franzi
Andreas Franzi is CEO of BergBlüten AG. He also acts as production manager of the plants for our CBD products. As a young boy, he developed an interest in the various plants in his mother's garden. Every day he smelled the different plants in his mother's beds. Especially the smell of the cannabis plant made an impression on him. He liked the smell of the cannabis plant so much that he kept putting buds in his wallet without really knowing what the plant was all about.
As a bright, cheeky young lad who felt at home in the world of snowboarding and skateboarding, like many young people he sooner or later came into contact with cannabis. After an apprenticeship as a motorcycle mechanic, he completed four years of commercial training. Then his path took a decisive change in direction: Andy had an old school colleague who ran a cannabis cultivation during his commercial training. Due to the great interest on the part of Andreas and the old acquaintance, he was given the opportunity to help out on this cannabis farm for a few months. This commitment served as a door opener for him. On this cannabis breeding he was able to acquire his first know-how and learn a lot about the cannabis plant.
However, Andreas did his first oil extraction a few years earlier, at the age of 12. At the time, he read in a grow magazine how to make honey with the help of butane gas. Andreas' father organized a PVC pipe for him. With that PVC pipe, they then used cannabis and buthanga to make honey.
In 2014 Andreas traveled to America. Through various acquaintances he received an offer to work with a club just outside of Washington in the cultivation of cannabis. At that time, cannabis was not yet legal. However, there was the possibility of joining that association as a member. As a member, you could regularly use the club's cannabis. During this time, Andreas has met various experienced growers in the industry, who, combined with the experience he has gained himself, have always taken him further. True to the motto "don't just talk to professionals, but also train a lot". Andreas stayed in America for about a year and a half. However, he missed entering the cannabis market that was opening up in the USA because, like his friend who was traveling with him, he did not want to stay in the States all the time.
After his stay in America, Andreas wanted to see the world. He has been traveling for a long time, going through different areas in Asia or South America, always with the aim of getting to know himself better. It was already clear to Andreas during the trip that he wasn't the type for a 9 to 5 job. For a short time, the idea floated in the air to set up a permaculture project with the aim of living autonomously and running a small business with things that we grew ourselves. This project ultimately failed due to the start-up capital, which would have had to be raised for the property.
After returning to Switzerland, Andreas' telephone line was glowing. He received daily calls from people who wanted to venture into the newly opening Swiss CBD market. Because of his knowledge, he was a sought-after man. Over time, he came into contact with most of the CBD companies that were new to the market. He was motivated by various people to join. Although he was undecided for a long time whether he should take this step or not, he finally decided to get into the business.
When CBD became legal in Switzerland, he wanted to meet people who were well versed in the subject. Unfortunately, there were very few in the business who really had a lot of knowledge. In the CBD business, Scott Blakey was among the very few who, in addition to Andreas, also knew a great deal about cannabis. On the one hand he knew a great deal about breeding with different plants and their genetics, on the other hand he was well versed in the terpene profile and the effects of the plants. Andreas was able to exchange ideas and learn a lot with Scott Blakey at the highest level. "If you want to constantly improve, you come into contact with people with the same mindset and who enjoy philosophy the same way."
Andreas (left) with Scott Blakey
Immediately after entering the CBD scene, he drew attention to himself, one can even speak of a first big breakthrough: Andreas bred the first stable CBD genetics called "Sour Widow". From now on, the grow market in Switzerland was really open. With his own company, Stammbaum GmbH, Andy was the first grower to market seedlings with stable CBD genetics. Demand has been immense: startups and other emerging CBD companies have been buying his genetics. Through the seedlings of his genetics "Sour Widow" he sooner or later came into contact with all players in the Swiss CBD market.
Some time later the price of the seedlings on the market collapsed. The prices collapsed more and more. Other growers have followed his genetics and started selling cuttings themselves. Andreas closed his grow room and then founded Hanfpfoten GmbH to find a market for his own fields. This idea also worked and in 2018 he was on his own but didn't have the resources needed to grow the way the company could have grown.
CBD seedling “Sour Widow”
In 2019, Stammbaum GmbH, Hanfpfoten GmbH and BergBlüten AG merged with one another, although the name BergBlüten was retained. The core of the merger was the bringing together of the different activities that the three companies initially pursued separately. Thanks to the merger, a steadily growing range of high-quality CBD products can now be ensured, which BergBlüten produces step by step in Switzerland and processes every day with the utmost respect for nature.
Today Andreas is CEO of BergBlüten AG. Basically, he is the CEO of the company and acts as a link to the shareholders. He conducts intensive discussions with customers throughout Switzerland on a daily basis. Andreas is always authentic towards his customers and convinces with a lot of expertise. According to Andreas, people notice whether someone knows their way around or not. His duties also include maintaining partnerships with other companies. Andreas' guiding principle is to always improve his knowledge and the products produced, while not only he or his company, but also other people can benefit from this improvement. He wants to sell products to others that he would like to buy himself. In the end, Andreas is a person who, due to the lack of educational opportunities, has found his own way of pursuing his passion.
