Historie Elsdorfer Englisch
110 Years Elsdorfer
Our 110-year company history shows ups and downs as well as innovative, novel and sustainable approaches.
We look back on our company history in pictures.
Foundation in 1909
In 1907, the farmer Paul Reichert from Elsdorf set up a small private farm for the sale of dairy products. In May 1909 he sold the company to 45 farmers from the region. This was the birth of the Elsdorf dairy cooperative - the beginning of our successful company history.
First Management
Immediately after the foundation in 1909, the 45 founding members of the Elsdorf dairy cooperative elected the first 6-member management. The supervisory board consisted of 9 persons. Only 15 days after the foundation, the number of members of the Elsdorf Dairy Cooperative grew to 69.
Milk processing
Here in Elsdorf it has always been the good milk from the region. In the founding year 1909, a good 260,000 litres of milk were delivered. By 1930 Elsdorfer was already processing over 2.8 million litres of milk. Currently, no less than 200 million litres of milk pass through our production facilities every year.
Elsdorfer expands
On a 5,100 square metre property - which is still part of our company premises today - a new building with facilities that were modern at the time was put into operation in August 1939. But six years later - in April 1945 - the buildings were almost destroyed in the Second World War.
Reconstruction began in 1948 with the active commitment of Elsdorf's farmers, who thus opened a new and successful chapter in the company's history.
Human Resources Development
The fact that after the end of the war, our small dairy business became an important medium-sized company is shown by the development of the number of employees: in 1946 there were only 9 employees who made the new start possible, in 1970 there were already 30 people working for Elsdorfer.
Currently Elsdorfer has 380 permanent employees, 21 of them are trainees.
Our Certificates
Since the company was founded 110 years ago, uncompromising quality has been the cornerstone of our corporate philosophy. This is still regularly confirmed by independent experts today. The German Agricultural Society (DLG) from Frankfurt/Main first awarded a certificate of honour to a product from Elsdorfer in 1949.
This year we were awarded the "Prize for long-standing product quality" of the DLG for the 32nd time.
The in-house laboratory
Because quality is so important at Elsdorfer, we have always had an in-house laboratory - today, of course, with ultra-modern equipment. Only milk products that are one hundred percent perfect are sold to the trade or to the consumer.
Recycling
The responsible use of resources has been part of our corporate culture for many decades. For this reason, we built our own recycling plant in our company at an early stage, which returned many tonnes of packaging waste to the material cycle.
Even today, the issue is still very important for us and our focus is to reduce packaging waste.
Trout breeding
Creativity, innovation and sustainability are still in the focus of Elsdorfer today. And this has always been the case. That is why we started breeding trout in 1978. A sustainable approach, because this enabled us to make sensible use of the waste heat from the dairy.
The fish business was abandoned 20 years later due to lack of space. Instead of the large water basins, new filling machines were installed for the dairy.
Potato processing –
the start into the fine food
There has never been a lack of new, fresh ideas at Elsdorfer. One of them was implemented in 1986: The Potato Processing Company Ltd.
With this company, we set ourselves the goal of processing not only milk but also other raw materials from farms in our region. This was the cornerstone for our fine food range with salads, fresh dressings, dips and sauces.
The Bauer Group of Companies
After the Elsdorfer dairy cooperative was renamed a public limited company, the Bauer family decided in 2007 to acquire a majority stake in the new Heideblume Molkerei Elsdorf-Rotenburg AG. Today we are a 100% independent subsidiary of the widely-based, growing Bauer Group.
Modernization in the 21st century
At the beginning of the 2000s, the company was properly modernized. 8 years ago Elsdorfer ceremonially put its new high-rack refrigerated warehouse into operation. In addition, a company-owned combined heat and power plant was built. For this the German energy agency "dena" has awarded us the "Energy Efficiency Award" in 2011.
The award confirms outstanding achievements in energy efficiency in industry and commerce.
New products from Elsdorf
Always offering something new - that is typical for Elsdorfer. That is why we regularly expand our range of products with innovative products.
One of our greatest successes: the high-protein, delicious fitness products of the MyQ brand, which we have been offering since 2015.
Our promise for the future: to constantly surprise with new, innovative products of the best quality!
