{"id":2333,"date":"2025-07-22T21:44:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T21:44:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lactalisfoodservice.ge\/?page_id=2333"},"modified":"2025-07-29T00:18:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T00:18:45","slug":"our-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lactalisfoodservice.ge\/en\/our-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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History of the Lactalis Group\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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1930 -\nThe Beginning\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 19, 1933, is considered the beginning of Lactalis. On this day, Andr\u00e9 Besnier produced his first 17 Camemberts in Laval from 35 liters of milk collected in nearby areas. Thus began the history of the founding of Andr\u00e9 Besnier\u2019s company. Colleagues soon gathered to assist him. The first brand name was \u201cLe Petit Lavallois,\u201d with its emblem featuring the medieval symbol of Laval, which became synonymous with quality.\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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1940 - Collected Milk - 10,000 Liters\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In the 1940s, the company began to grow. The number of farmers supplying milk also increased. In 1948, the company became \u201cSARL Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Laiti\u00e8re de Laval A. Besnier & Cie,\u201d and the amount of collected milk exceeded 10,000 liters. This was made possible thanks to Andr\u00e9 Besnier\u2019s dynamic and insightful policies, as well as the support of 25 employees.<\/p>

From the very beginning, Besnier\u2019s company held the key to success, a legacy that remains more than 80 years later \u2013 a deep love for milk, high-quality standards, business acumen, and the best employees.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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1950 -\nMichel Besnier\u2019s Inheritance from His Father, Andr\u00e9 Besnier\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The farsighted businessman Andr\u00e9 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\u2014which had built the company\u2019s reputation (rebranded as \u201cLe Voyageur\u201d)\u2014the key to producing all other products was quality, all with one common goal: the pursuit of perfection.<\/p>

An ambitious man, Andr\u00e9 Besnier also began selling milk and was among the first to introduce a branded one-liter milk bottle to the market under the name \u201cSSL Le BON Lait.\u201d<\/p>

After Andr\u00e9 Besnier\u2019s death in 1955, the company was inherited by his son, Michel. Passionate about his work like his father, Michel Besnier continued the family\u2019s entrepreneurial venture and doubled the company\u2019s annual turnover within two years.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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1960 -\nA Decisive Period\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The 1960s were decisive for the company. Strong consumer demand was reinforced by a favorable economic context and new distribution models. Under Michel Besnier\u2019s leadership, a model for the company\u2019s success was established, built on industrial expertise, quality, innovation, a strong interest in milk processing, and robust international growth.<\/p>

Several dairy companies from western France continued to merge with Besnier\u2019s company, increasing the volume of collected milk. They also contributed to product expansion and helped meet the growing demands of supermarkets in France.<\/p>

Michel Besnier understood that the industry was changing and that he had to stay at the forefront. This is why he created the brand \u201cPr\u00e9sident,\u201d which became the company\u2019s flagship product. Another major innovation was \u201cLait 2000,\u201d the first milk sold in Tetra Pak packaging, which had a significant impact on French consumer habits.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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1970 -\nFirst Steps Across the Atlantic\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Besnier\u2019s 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 Pr\u00e9sident brand and its Camembert, Michel Besnier made a bold move and established a new, modern cheese factory in Domfront, in the pastures of Normandy.<\/p>

With recent innovations, the Domfront cheese factory remains a place of great importance and the largest producer of soft cheese.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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1980 -\nRapid Development Dynamics\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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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.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

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 Charchign\u00e9, northern Mayenne, confident that this market would soon develop.<\/p>

No less significant was the final acquisition of the 1980s. Lactel quickly became the company\u2019s leading brand in drinking milk.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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1990\nItaly \u2013 Another Country of Cheese\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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With successful business projects, Michel Besnier decided to continue growing in Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Poland, as well as in Egypt and Italy \u2013 another country of cheese. He began by acquiring the emblematic mozzarella sector Locatelli, which is the third largest mozzarella brand on the market.<\/p>

In France, in 1990, two major companies joined the Besnier group: the historic rival Bridel and Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 des Caves de Roquefort. In 1999, Besnier\u2019s company changed its name to Lactalis to meet the demand for a name that would be easier to pronounce across all five continents.<\/p>

That same year, near the historic cheese factory in Laval, Michel Besnier founded the Andr\u00e9 Besnier Lactopole museum, paying tribute to the dairy farming profession.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2000 -\nStrong Growth\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The new decade begins with sad news \u2013 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.<\/p>

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 \u2013 Galbani and a European joint venture for chilled dairy products with Nestl\u00e9, which allowed brands, especially La Laiti\u00e8re, to regain profitable growth.<\/p>

The following year, the leading Croatian dairy company Dukat joined the Lactalis group.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2010 -\nGlobal Leader in Dairy Products\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 2010, after Italy, Spain became Lactalis\u2019s main market for dairy products with three companies: Forlasa, Puleva, and Sanutri. Accordingly, they operated in the cheese, drinking milk, and infant nutrition markets.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

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\u2019s second most important market after cheese.<\/p>

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).<\/p>

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.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2011 -\nGeorgia\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 2011, the Lactalis Group entered Georgia. Since 2016, the Lactalis Group has been the shareholder of Sante.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hom \/ Page History of the Lactalis Group 1930 – The Beginning October 19, 1933, is considered the beginning of Lactalis. On this day, Andr\u00e9 Besnier produced his first 17 Camemberts in Laval from 35 liters of milk collected in nearby areas. Thus began the history of the founding of Andr\u00e9 Besnier\u2019s company. Colleagues soon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2333","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lactalisfoodservice.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lactalisfoodservice.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lactalisfoodservice.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lactalisfoodservice.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lactalisfoodservice.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2333"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lactalisfoodservice.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2338,"href":"https:\/\/lactalisfoodservice.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2333\/revisions\/2338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lactalisfoodservice.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}