Gmundner Milch. The finest from the Salzkammergut
Dairy farming and cheese production have an ancient tradition in the Salzkammergut. Cheese as a means of payment to the convent Traunkirchen was mentioned in a document as early as in the year 1390. Back then, the modest farmsteads of the area had to deliver up to 12 pieces of one-pound cheese loaves every Sunday from April until September as a rent for their leased land. Were there around 40 farmers from Altmünster and Traunkirchen who formed the dairy cooperative back in 1931, there are nowadays around 3.200 farmers from Upper Austria and the bordering areas in Salzburg and Lower Austria who deliver their untreated milk to Gmunden or the further two branch factories in Wartberg/Krems and Sattledt.
During its 80-year-long history, the dairy of Gmunden has developed into one of the leading food producing and processing companies in Austria. These days, high technology production equipment and highest quality standards are basic prerequisites for the success of the company. Thanks to an export rate of about 45%, products of the dairy of Gmunden are well known far beyond the Austrian border. The main export markets are, beside Germany and Italy, also Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland, Albany, Rumania, Greece, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
This success in export demonstrates well that the company has not only succeeded in becoming established as a reliable supplier in food trade on a national level. Since entering the EU, it could also strengthen its position on the international markets considerably. With the decision to set up its own regional brand “Gmundner Milch” with the slogan “Gmundner Milch – Gutes aus dem Salzkammergut” more than ten years ago, the company emphasised its independence. Today the brand “Gmundner Milch” stands for a wide range of natural regional dairy products as ever. These products are messengers of the beautiful landscape and intact nature of the Salzkammergut across the Austrian border. Most strict quality and hygienic demands guarantee the constantly good flavour of the products. This fact is, for instance, testified by the “Gmundner Berg Premium”, which was chosen cheese world championship in Wisconsin, US, in spring 2010.
Company figures 2010:
Volume of milk processing: 305 Mio. kg
Turnover: € 170 Mio.
Staff: 305
Number of milk suppliers: 3,200
Export share: 45%
