In the 1940s, the company began to grow. The number of farmers supplying milk also increased. In 1948, the company became “SARL Société Laitière de Laval A. Besnier & Cie,” and the amount of collected milk exceeded 10,000 liters. This was made possible thanks to André Besnier’s dynamic and insightful policies, as well as the support of 25 employees.
From the very beginning, Besnier’s company held the key to success, a legacy that remains more than 80 years later – a deep love for milk, high-quality standards, business acumen, and the best employees.
The farsighted businessman André Besnier significantly expanded his business in the first half of the 1950s, as the dairy sector became increasingly competitive. He diversified his offerings by beginning the production of butter and cream. Just as with Camembert—which had built the company’s reputation (rebranded as “Le Voyageur”)—the key to producing all other products was quality, all with one common goal: the pursuit of perfection.
An ambitious man, André Besnier also began selling milk and was among the first to introduce a branded one-liter milk bottle to the market under the name “SSL Le BON Lait.”
After André Besnier’s death in 1955, the company was inherited by his son, Michel. Passionate about his work like his father, Michel Besnier continued the family’s entrepreneurial venture and doubled the company’s annual turnover within two years.
The 1960s were decisive for the company. Strong consumer demand was reinforced by a favorable economic context and new distribution models. Under Michel Besnier’s leadership, a model for the company’s success was established, built on industrial expertise, quality, innovation, a strong interest in milk processing, and robust international growth.
Several dairy companies from western France continued to merge with Besnier’s company, increasing the volume of collected milk. They also contributed to product expansion and helped meet the growing demands of supermarkets in France.
Michel Besnier understood that the industry was changing and that he had to stay at the forefront. This is why he created the brand “Président,” which became the company’s flagship product. Another major innovation was “Lait 2000,” the first milk sold in Tetra Pak packaging, which had a significant impact on French consumer habits.
Besnier’s company takes its first steps into the United States market. The standout product is Brie cheese, which American consumers like the most. In 1972, confident in the potential of the Président brand and its Camembert, Michel Besnier made a bold move and established a new, modern cheese factory in Domfront, in the pastures of Normandy.
With recent innovations, the Domfront cheese factory remains a place of great importance and the largest producer of soft cheese.
For Michel Besnier, the 1980s were a period of rapid development. International operations grew, especially in the United States. The company established itself in Belmont in 1981 and built a factory in California six years later.
Loyal to his origins, Michel Besnier did not forget to develop activities in France. In the early 1980s, he acquired the cheese companies Claudel-Roustang and Atlalait. He also introduced goat cheese to the market.
At the same time, in 1984 and 1985, Michel Besnier continued investing in industrial machinery and built a yogurt factory in Laval. This was followed by establishing a cheese production site in Emmental in Charchigné, northern Mayenne, confident that this market would soon develop.
No less significant was the final acquisition of the 1980s. Lactel quickly became the company’s leading brand in drinking milk.
With successful business projects, Michel Besnier decided to continue growing in Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Poland, as well as in Egypt and Italy – another country of cheese. He began by acquiring the emblematic mozzarella sector Locatelli, which is the third largest mozzarella brand on the market.
In France, in 1990, two major companies joined the Besnier group: the historic rival Bridel and Société des Caves de Roquefort. In 1999, Besnier’s company changed its name to Lactalis to meet the demand for a name that would be easier to pronounce across all five continents.
That same year, near the historic cheese factory in Laval, Michel Besnier founded the André Besnier Lactopole museum, paying tribute to the dairy farming profession.
The new decade begins with sad news – the death of Michel Besnier, which was devastating for all employees. However, the family retained control of the company. It was taken over by his son, Emmanuel Besnier.
Despite the economic difficulties caused by the 2008 financial crisis, the Lactalis Group has maintained steady growth since 2000. Two major events occurred in 2006 with leading Italian brands – Galbani and a European joint venture for chilled dairy products with Nestlé, which allowed brands, especially La Laitière, to regain profitable growth.
The following year, the leading Croatian dairy company Dukat joined the Lactalis group.
In 2010, after Italy, Spain became Lactalis’s main market for dairy products with three companies: Forlasa, Puleva, and Sanutri. Accordingly, they operated in the cheese, drinking milk, and infant nutrition markets.
2011 marked the time when the Lavallois Group positioned itself as a global leader in dairy products, employing more than 14,000 people, becoming the main shareholder of Parmalat (a leading Italian drinking milk company), and reaching a company turnover of 4 billion dollars.
The company operates in territories where there are few or no Lactalis Group plants, thus creating an excellent additional zone of activity. With this level of operation, Lactalis has the ability to achieve dynamic and profitable growth both in traditional developed markets and in emerging countries. Drinking milk became the group’s second most important market after cheese.
In 2013, the company firmly established itself in Southeast Europe and became the main shareholder of the Slovenian company Ljubljanske Mlekarne (a leading local dairy producer).
In 2014, through Harvey Fresh, the Lactalis Group achieved its goal and expanded in Australia, allowing the group to cover all dairy categories in Australia. It also expanded in India by acquiring Tirumala, the main dairy company in the southeastern part of the country.
In 2011, the Lactalis Group entered Georgia. Since 2016, the Lactalis Group has been the shareholder of Sante.
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