BERGLANDMILCH REG. GEN.MBH

Austria
Schärdinger Strasse 1
4066 Pasching, Austria
Tel: +43 7229 684 154 Fax: +43 7229 684 150
Milk Products
www.berglandmilch.at

Milk Products, Cheese

COMPANY INFO...

 

The History of Berglandmilch

When it was founded Berglandmilch was an amalgamation of Austria’s six most important dairies with 27 production sites in Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Styria, Carinthia and Burgenland. 

Schärdinger Landmolkerei (Ried, Taufkirchen, Münzkirchen, Geinberg, Peuerbach, Feldkirchen)
Linzer Molkerei (Milchhof Linz, Bad Leonfelden, Pregarten)
Milchunion Alpenvorland (Steyr-Garsten, Baumgartenberg, Königswiesen)
Bäuerliche Milchunion Kärnten (Klagenfurt, Wolfsberg, St. Veit a.d. Glan, Völkermarkt)
Molkerei im Mostviertel (Aschbach, Erlauf)
Milchverarbeitung Desserta (Graz, Feldbach, Fürstenfeld, Güssing, Hartberg, Leoben, Voitsberg, Weiz)

In the New Year of 1996 the newly founded Berglandmilch took over the dairy activities of the AMF (Austrian Milk and Meat) as well as the brands belonging to it with a view to safeguarding the position of Austrian dairy farming in the European market.

The years following were marked by a tight restructuring and modernisation programme: of the 27 original sites 20 have been closed or merged.  Berglandmilch currently operates 6 factories in Austria (Geinberg, Feldkirchen, Garsten, Aschach, Voitsberg and Klagenfurt) as well as one in Bavaria since 1999 (Rottaler Milchwerk).

Today Berglandmilch is the largest food-producers in Austria.  With approximately 900 employees it processes about 1 billion kilograms of milk a year under the three family brand names of Schärdinger, Desserta and Fidus.  Roughly 350 articles are produced in the fields of fresh products, long-life milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt and curd cheese.  The Berglandmilch group numbers some 12,000 suppliers who are also the owners of the concern.

Berglandmilch seizes every opportunity to win new growth markets. The search for such opportunities is based on the strategic principles of growth, collaboration and innovation. With an annual turnover of approximately 540 million Euros and an export quota of approximately 35%,  Berglandmilch and Rottaler Milch in Bavaria, Germany are considered one of the most important dairies in Central Europe.

Tradition of the Schärdinger Trademark

Berglandmilch production dates back to 1900 when some innovative farmers in Schärding founded the First Austrian Central Butter Co-operative in order to collect and use the butter they produced. Less than 10 years after it was first founded 15 co-operative dairies joined the Central Butter Co-operative Selling Association.

The ensuing period of growth and stability was not disrupted by the Great Depression.  In 1937, shortly before the outbreak of war Schärdinger already boasted 34 member co-operative associations and had developed into the largest and most efficient dairy sales organization in Austria. On the occasion of its 40th anniversary Schärdinger comprised 41 co-operative dairies, 6 cheese-making co-operatives and 40,000 members.  In 1952 the butter selling co-operative was renamed the “Schärdinger OÖ Molkereiverband” (the Schärding Upper Austrian Dairy Association).  There followed extensive investment activity in the main sites at Schärding, Linz and Vienna and Schärdinger began to look around for new export markets.  In the middle of the 1960s Schärdinger exceeded the 1 billion Schilling turnover mark and focused on production and the sale of trademarked cheeses and butter.  By 1980 turnover already amounted to 4.3 billion Schillings. This growth continued into the 1980s with Schärdinger extending its central storage depot in Pasching and investing in its Viennese dairy, the Schärdinger Milchhof .

In the course of the preparations for membership to the EU the oldest marketing co-operative as well as five other dairy associations became a part of  the AMF (Austria Milk and Meat Marketing Co-operation Limited),  founded in 1990.  Since then Schärdinger OÖ Molkereiverband has changed into a limited association - Schärdinger OÖ Molkereiverband reg. Gen.m.b.H (Schärdinger Dairy Association Limited), a part of the AMF (Austria Milk and Meat Marketing reg. Company Limited).

In 1995 Berglandmilch took over the dairy business of the AMF including its trademark rights.

 

Business Philosophy

1.  The Company

Berglandmilch natural products make a substantial contribution to increase the quality of life of its consumers.

2.  The Farmers

Every year Berglandmilch pays out on average 450 million Euros milk money to its rural owners.  For many farmers these amounts are substantial. They even represent the most important part of the rural income for many farmers (belonging to the Berglandmilch Group).

3.  The Co-operative

The structure of our company which is based on a farmers’ co-operative has not been changed in the past nor will it be so in the future.  Berglandmilch will continue to remain in the hands of farmers who own the company.  Working and managing together and the active participation of its rural owners will ensure the company’s survival and will, of course, guarantee the farmers’ futures likewise.

4.  The Future

Important brands such as Schärdinger, Desserta, Bergbaron, Sommerbutter, Traungold, Fidus as well as modern technology and innovative concepts are the key to long-term success for Berglandmilch.
From this point of view Berglandmilch is optimally equipped for any challenges it might face in the future.

 

Hintergrundinformation

Bei einem Gastreferat eines Vorstandes der Campina (Holland) wurde der dort eingeführte Jugendbeirat vorgestellt. Der Vorstand der Berglandmilch hat daraufhin beschlossen ein ebensolches Gremium in der Berglandmilch zu installieren.

Der Jugendbeirat ist ein Gremium neben Vorstand und Aufsichtsrat in dem die Interessen der jugendlichen Eigentümer diskutiert und in das Unternehmen Berglandmilch eingebracht werden können. Die Strukturen befinden sich im Aufbau, aktuell sind 12 Jugendliche (Hofübernehmer) im Beirat vertreten. Ihnen obliegt es mit Unterstützung der Berglandmilch (Herrn Georg Lehner georg.lehner@berglandmilch.at) weitere Jugendliche anzusprechen und eine breitere Organisation aufzubauen.

Der Schärdinger Jugendbeirat hat eine beratende Funktion und bringt Ideen der Schärdinger Jugendlichen in die anderen Eigentümergremien (Vorstand und Aufsichtsrat) ein. Es entsteht eine win/win Situation. Die Jugendlichen bringen sich ein, lernen die Genossenschaft und das Unternehmen kennen und es rekrutieren sich aus ihrem Kreis ev. zukünftige Funktionäre der Berglandmilch (Die Qualität einer Genossenschaft definiert sich vor allem durch die Qualität ihrer Funktionäre). Die Berglandmilch verbessert die Kommunikation mit ihren Eigentümern, erhält Ideen und Anregungen, das Miteinander wird gestärkt. Die Jugendlichen erhalten Einblick in das Unternehmen und die Entscheidungsfindungsprozesse.

 

Käse ist ein reines, naturbelassenes Qualitätsprodukt, welches ein wichtiger Bestandteil der heimischen Ess- und Genusskultur ist.
Und Käse ist schon lange mehr als nur ein simpler Brotbelag: Er ist Snack für zwischendurch, Dip oder zu finden auf Käseplatten, in Fondues, Raclettes, Suppen, Salaten, Omelettes und Käsekuchen. Das Schärdinger Käseangebot ist facettenreich, bietet für jeden Geschmack etwas und ist in drei Geschmackswelten unterteilt: mild-fein, g’schmackig und würzig-kräftig.