Bongrain

The Bongrain SA Group is a French dairy industry group, specializing in the division cheeses and brands. Bongrain is the world in this area, also in Germany, the market leader in France even number 2 behind Lactalis.

Company History

Jean -Noël Bongrain, the founder of the group, took over in 1956, a family-run dairy in Lorraine, which had been produced only regional cheese specialties. Bongrain wanted to bring a completely new type of cheese on the market that meet high standards and taste should be nationally marketable. After five years of development began with the production and consistently emphasized premium brand sales of Caprice des Dieux ( " whims of the gods" ) - the first soft cheese brand. She already had the creamy consistency and is now widely used in soft cheese brands oval shape.

After thus the French market was captured within a few years and numerous production companies were bought, the company expanded to Germany in 1962, in 1969 to Belgium, as well as Austria, Switzerland, and 1972 in the United States. In 1971, the merger with the Fromagerie Gerard. As of 1975, the non-European engagements have been strengthened over enterprises in Brazil, the U.S., Spain and Australia. In the 1990s there was a further expansion in Latin America and Central Europe ( among others since 1994 collaboration with the Swiss market leader Emmi ). Bongrain SA also entered into the Eastern European market, where it is by more than a dozen acquisitions since 1993 the market leader. In the late 1990s made ​​further commitments in Morocco and Egypt, as well as India and China.

A milestone in the company's history was the 1992 acquisition of the business operations of the Compagnie Européenne Laitière (CLE; brands: Cœur de Lion and others). The Bongrain SA group has been active since 1989 in the exclusive catering.

Corporate Structure

The Bongrain SA Group, based in Viroflay in Paris, is a branch of the international food company Groupe Soparind Bongrain, charcuterie, fish products and confectionery operates with its second, completely family-owned branch Soparind Développement also in the area.

The Group of companies Bongrain SA world has more than 80 companies have a combined turnover of more than EUR 3.35 billion (as of 2005 ) achieve. Bongrain is now represented in 24 countries at 100 sites and has more than 18,000 employees, including nearly 15,000 in Europe. To Bongrain SA Group in Germany and the cheese manufacturer Edelweiss GmbH & Co. KG, Kempten belongs next to the Wiesbaden-based marketing, product development and sales headquarters Bongrain Germany since 2003 in the Allgäu ( the largest European Bongrain site, formerly belonging to Unilever). The Group also holds shares in the organic dairy producers Andechs ( start 1999 with one-third since 2007, 24.8 % are held ) and Söbbeke. The initial minority stake in Söbbeke was increased in 2013 to plan the majority.

Chief Executive Officer of Bongrain SA is currently (as of August 2013) Alex Bongrain, the son of the company founder. The Bongrain family keeps on holding Soparind 58.5 percent of the capital of Bongrain SA.

Brands

Worldwide Bongrain carries over 100 brands. Well-known brands of Bongrain in Germany are Caprice des Dieux, Géramont, Le Tartare, Fol Epi, Rambol, Saint Albray, Saint Agur (both named after fictional saints! ) Chaumes, Etorki, Henri, Bresso, Edelweiss, Ramee, and Milkana. 2010, the brand was taken over brunch.

Criticism

In the fall of 2011, the bark of the cheese Saint Albray monastery cheese was advertised as edible, although both the State Federal Institute for Risk Assessment ( BfR) and also governmental Max Rubner -Institut (MRI ) warn against eating along with the cheese rind treated with the fungicide natamycin. The assessment of the BfR has been revised in part later. Bongrain announced in October 2011, not to apply the cheese rind considered edible.