Hochland ‒ Over 95 years of passion for cheese

Two brothers-in-law have an idea: Together, Georg Summer and Robert Reich found the Hochland cheese factory in Goßholz near Lindenberg. Their plan is to produce processed cheese. As for the raw material they need for their production, there is enough cheese available in their home region Allgäu.

It is only a few months later that they extend their product range. In addition to the 2-kilo block, they start to produce processed cheese portions in round and semi-round boxes. The round box is still one of the "classics" in the assortment today.

The crisis of the hat industry means an opportunity for the two young entrepreneurs: They buy a former hat factory and move production to Heimenkirch. The company headquarters is still located in Heimenkirch today.

Merger of Hochland and the canning factory Fuchs. The company owners - Georg Summer, Robert Reich and Franz Fuchs - share the same pioneering spirit and enthusiasm for the joint venture.

Hochland is growing, and so does the space required: In order to establish a packaging department for natural cheese slices and chunks, the factory building has to be expanded. - It will not be the last time.

Exporting cheese from the Allgäu region to France, the country renowned in the world for its large variety of cheese specialties - why not? With their own trade company Hochland France, the next generation of entrepreneurs is taking the first step abroad.

Enthusiastic about the new technology, the Hochland management establishes in Heimenkirch the most modern computer-controlled storage system of that time, working according to the “First-in-first out” principle.

As the world market does not offer the special machinery that Hochland needs, inventive Hochland employees build their own machines. In 1974, this results in the founding of the engineering company Natec.

After a construction period of two years, a new production site is put into operation in Heimenkirch. It offers 7,000 square meters of production space and as much storage space.

The acquisition of two Camembert cheese dairies in France brings ”soft cheese know-how” into the company.

Hochland continue their expansion in Southern Europe: Since 1981 the cheese manufacturer has a subsidiary in Spain.

Hochland is not only growing abroad: in 1988, the company acquires two cheese dairies in Schongau and Steingaden from the “Erstes Bayerisches Butterwerk” cooperative.

At an early stage, Hochland recognize the business opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe. The founding of the subsidiary of Hochland Polska is the starting signal. Two years later, production begins in Kaźmierz.

Hochland is the first company in the dairy industry in Germany to be certified according to the EU Eco Audit Regulation (EMAS) - long before sustainability became a catchword.

In Schongau, a state-of-the-art cheese factory for white cheese and cream cheese is being built on a green-field site. It is the home of our brands Almette and Patros

The business “adventure” in Central and Eastern Europe continues: Hochland found a subsidiary in Romania and take over a production site in Sighisoara. The city in Transylvania is famous for its picturesque old town.

Hochland becomes a stock corporation (AG), but remains a family business owned by the three founding families.

Hochland România is growing by the acquisition of another cheese factory in Sovata.

The Russian market is initially supplied from Germany. Since October 2000 Hochland processed cheese is produced in RAOS near Moscow. In 2003 Hochland’s own, newly built factory is put into operation.

Leave or stay? Hochland decides against a new building in the open countryside and commits itself to the Heimenkirch site: with an investment of more than 40 million euros, the plant is being converted into a high-performance production facility for processed cheese.

The German brand business is now managed by the newly founded Hochland Deutschland GmbH.
In the same year, the “Hochlanders” move into a new administration building in Heimenkirch.

The feedback of our employees is important to us: In 2008, Hochland participates in the "Great Place to Work" survey for the first time and is immediately voted one of the 100 best employers in Germany.

Grünländer's "green soul" perfectly complements the Hochland brand portfolio. Hochland take over the hard and semi-hard cheese brand from the Bechtel group.

From now on, Hochland is a "real" European: Hochland AG now operates as Hochland SE (Societas Europaea).

In the Great Place to Work survey, Hochland is once again honored as a model in terms of corporate culture and employee orientation.

It's done: the entire Grünländer production is switched to "GMO-free" production - after extensive preparation and in close cooperation with the farmers.

Almette and Hochland cream cheese for the Russian market are now produced in Russia: Hochland have converted a former yoghurt plant in Prokhorovka for the production of cream cheese.

Gervais is the youngest member of the Hochland brand family in Germany - with its two products, cottage cheese and quark with herbs.

Hochland Deutschland GmbH participates in the nationwide Great Place to Work survey for the third time and again achieves a place in the leaderboard. A total of 580 companies of all industries, sizes and regions had applied for the award.

Two new pillars provide the basis for further growth of Hochland Natec: A service company is being created in the important US market.

In Australia, Gold Peg International becomes part of Hochland Natec. Their innovative processed cheese cookers fit perfectly into the Natec portfolio.

Growth on two Continents: In January, Hochland acquire US cream cheese manufacturer Franklin Foods Inc.

With the acquisition of a cheese factory in Belinsky, Russia, Hochland succeeds in entering the hard and semi-hard cheese market.

Hochland is once again playing a pioneering role, together with the milk suppliers of the Schongau plant: they are doing without non-selective herbicides such as glyphosate and fermentation substrates from certain biogas plants. The latter may contain micro plastic that the cows could eat with the feed.

Hochland Russland continues to grow: The new plant in Belinsky goes into operation after a two-year rebuilding project. The plant in Prokhorovka has been expanded and by the end of 2019 is the largest production facility for cream cheese in the entire Hochland Group.

E.V.A. GmbH is growing: the space and capacities in Oberreute are no longer sufficient. Since July 2020, part of the Simply V products have been manufactured in Hergatz.

Gervais cottage cheese has been produced at the Schongau plant since the beginning of August 2021.

In Schongau, the new, fully automated high-bay warehouse with two climate zones went into operation. With around 10,000 pallet spaces for refrigerated finished goods and non-refrigerated auxiliary and operating materials, the existing storage capacity at the site has been doubled.

In Heimenkirch, the new dispatch building was completed and the multi-storey car park opened, which offers around 700 parking spaces, including 30 e-charging points. A photovoltaic system was installed on the green roof of the car park, 100% of the generated electricity will be used at the site.

Capacities were increased with the construction of the new packaging facility at the Romanian site in Sovata.

The largest investment project in the history of Hochland, ‘Lighthouse’ at Formagerie Henri Hutin in Dieue-sur-Meuse, has been completed. The highly modern soft ripened cheese production facility sets new standards in terms of flexibility, adaptability and sustainability.

The Hochland-Group was once again honoured as one of the 100 best employers in the national competition “Deutschlands Beste Arbeitgeber 2024” by Great Place to Work®.