Le groupe lactalisA GLOBAL COMPANY WITH A PASSION FOR UK DAIRY
€20 billion turnover
20 billion litres of milk bought per annum
266 production sites in 51 Countries
Est. 1933
85,000 employees in 94 countries
Born in France in 1968, the Président® brand is now present in over 150 countries and is a well-known global brand for cheese lovers across the world.
The Président® portfolio offers a wide range of cheeses, as well as butters and creams.
Born in a little Italian village in 1882, Galbani® has inspired Italians for more than 130 years, thanks to its undisputable quality and innovative product portfolio.
Galbani® is sold in over 120 countries bringing authentic Italian cheese traditions to the four corners of the globe.
Born in 1961, Parmalat® is a multinational Italian dairy and food corporation specialising in the production of UHT milk and milk derivatives.
Thanks to its long time dedication to innovation and high value added product development, Parmalat® has become a major player in the dairy sector, and is now present across the 5 continents.
The amazing family history of Lactalis began in 1933 in Laval, Western France, when Andre Besnier, with a single employee, collected 35 litres of milk and produced his first 17 Camembert cheeses.
Michel Besnier succeeded his father in 1955, by which time the small company had already changed considerably. 45 years later, in 2000, Emmanuel Besnier took over the reigns.
Michel Besnier knew that the industry was going through key changes and that he needed to be leading these. This is why he launched the Président brand, which would become the Group’s flagship brand. He also innovated “Lait 2000”, the first milk to be sold in Tetra Pak package which would deeply influence French consumers’ habits.
The Besnier Company changes the Group name to Lactalis, meeting the demands of internationalisation with a name that can be pronounced easily on all five continents.This same year, at the site of the historic cheese factory in Laval, Michel Besnier launched the André Besnier Lactopôle, a museum in tribute to the dairy profession.
In January 2004, Lactalis acquired UK dairy company A. McLelland & Sons to form Lactalis – the UK subsidiary of the Lactalis Group.
Since our humble beginnings in 1933, the Lactalis Groupe has grown and developed to become the World’s No. 1 Dairy Group, while remaining a family company with a passion for ‘Transforming milk in all its forms’.
