Uelzena

What Uelzena does

Uelzena eG is a German dairy cooperative founded in 1952 and headquartered in Uelzen, Lower Saxony, that supplies milk-based ingredients and specialty dairy products to large food industry manufacturers. The group operates through five product areas: Ingredients (milk powders, milk fats, sweetened condensed milk, cream), Dairy Products (butter and butterfat specialties via subsidiary Hoche Butter GmbH), Instant Drinks (cocoa, coffee, tea drink powders via H. Schoppe & Schultz under the SCHO brand), Health Products (dietary supplements and private-label health foods via BHI Biohealth International, in which Uelzena holds an 80% stake), and Contract Manufacturing. The company runs six production sites across Germany, including the MTW Milchtrockenwerk Norddeutschland joint venture in Neumünster, which operates one of Europe's largest spray drying towers for skimmed milk powder.

The group's underlying technology centers on spray drying (Sprühtrocknung) and complete production chain monitoring from raw milk sourcing to finished goods. Core processing assets include the Altmark-Käserei cheese dairy in Bismark (founded 1991), the Warmsen condensed milk facility (over 100 years of tradition), and the recently built Sprühturm 12 spray tower at Uelzen completed around 2021. Quality control spans the full chain from regional Northern German milk procurement through processing and packaging. The group processes over 500 million kg of milk annually and exceeded €500 million in turnover for the first time in 2014.

Uelzena operates as a B2B enterprise field-sales model with no e-commerce or self-serve channels, selling direct to large food manufacturers (großen Hersteller) across DACH, Europe, and select international markets under both private-label and branded terms. The cooperative ownership structure (owned by member dairies and milk collection cooperatives) means milk payout to member farms, rather than shareholder profit maximization, is the strategic priority. This structure limits external capital access but anchors long-term supplier relationships with regional farmers. Revenue is generated through ingredient and finished product sales with no publicly disclosed pricing.

Name

Uelzena

Legal name

Uelzena eG

Website

https://uelzena.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Uelzena eG is a 1952-founded German dairy cooperative supplying milk-based ingredients, butter, instant drink powders, and health products to large food industry manufacturers via six production sites across Germany, processing over 500 million kg of milk annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Ingredients

NAICS

Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Creamery Butter Manufacturing (311512), Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Label/Co-Manufactured Fluid Milk Processing (AFAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sweetened Condensed Milk Manufacturing (AFAHAFAG), Industrial/Ingredient Butter Manufacturing (Foodservice & Bakery Blocks) (AFAHACAD)

Keywords

• Dairy ingredients
• Milk powder production
• Butter specialties
• Instant beverage powders
• Contract manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Uelzen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food Ingredients Sales: Sale of milk-based ingredients and dairy products to food industry manufacturers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Uelzena is a cooperative food manufacturer that produces and supplies milk-based ingredients (milk powders, milk fats, sweetened condensed milk, cream), dairy products (butter, butterfat, sliced cheese), instant beverage powders (cocoa, chocolate, coffee, tea drink powders), health food products, and contract spray drying services to major food industry manufacturers across Europe and internationally. The company operates through five product divisions across multiple specialized German production sites and serves B2B customers under both private label and branded offerings.

Product overview

Uelzena is a food ingredients company offering a diversified portfolio organized around five core product areas: Ingredients (milk powders, milk fats), Dairy Products (butter and butter specialties), Instant Drinks (beverage powders), Health Products (dietary supplements), and Contract Manufacturing (spray drying services). The company operates through multiple subsidiaries and brands including BHI Biohealth International for health products, Hoche Butter for butter specialties, H. Schoppe & Schultz (SCHO brand) for instant beverages, Altmark-Käserei for cheese and butter, and WS Warmsener for condensed milk. The group also includes MTW for spray drying capabilities. All products serve the international food industry with a focus on B2B private label and branded ingredients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SCHO: Traditional brand for instant beverages by H. Schoppe & Schultz
• BHI Biohealth International

Products and services

• Milk-Based Ingredients Milk-based ingredients including milk powder, milk fat, milk fat products such as sweetened condensed milk, and cream, supplied to food industry manufacturers as raw materials for further processing.
• Dairy Products Specialist offerings in milk fat processing including butter, butterfat, mixed fats, and special products for food manufacturers and bakers.
• Instant Drink Powders Beverage powders including cocoa, chocolate, coffee, and tea drink powders, as well as toppings and coffee whitener, marketed under the SCHO brand and private label for food manufacturers.
• Health Products Health food products and dietary supplements developed and manufactured for the international private label market.
• Contract Manufacturing (Lohnfertigung) Spray drying development and process control for spray products, offering custom manufacturing solutions to food industry customers.
• Sliced Cheese and German Brand Butter Film-matured slice cheese, German premium butter (Deutsche Markenbutter), and baker's butter produced at the Bismark location for food industry buyers.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk Sweetened condensed milk and additional milk-based ingredients manufactured for the food industry.
• Skimmed Milk Powder Skimmed milk powder of various qualities for the international food industry, produced using one of Europe's largest spray drying towers.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MTW Joint Venture PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012MTW Milchtrockenwerk Norddeutschland GmbH is a joint venture operated by Uelzena eG together with three further partners from the dairy industry. Located in Neumünster, Schleswig-Holstein, it operates one of Europe's largest spray towers for producing skimmed milk powder. Sales handled by Uelzena's Ingredients division.
• BHI Biohealth Minority PartnerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHI Biohealth International GmbH is a strategic joint venture with Uelzena eG holding 80% stake. Based in Münchberg, Bavaria, it develops and manufactures customized dietary supplements and health food products for the international private label market. Partner has over 20 years of experience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Schouw & Co (Danish Crown subsidiary Chr. Hansen): Chr. Hansen is a global bioscience company producing cultures, enzymes, and probiotic solutions for food and supplement manufacturers. Adjacent comparable via BHI Biohealth's health products / dietary supplements business line and shared target customer base in food manufacturers.

Direct peers

• DMK Deutsches Milchkontor: DMK Group is Germany's largest dairy cooperative, producing milk ingredients, butter, cheese, and infant formula for B2B and consumer markets. Direct German competitor with overlapping product portfolio (butter, milk powder, dairy ingredients) and comparable cooperative structure.
• Hochwald Foods: Hochwald is a German dairy cooperative producing condensed milk, milk powder, butter, and dairy ingredients for B2B customers. Particularly comparable to Uelzena in sweetened condensed milk and milk-based ingredients for food manufacturers.
• Arla Foods Ingredients: Arla Foods Ingredients is the B2B ingredient arm of Arla Foods, supplying milk-based powders, whey proteins, and dairy ingredients to global food manufacturers. Directly comparable to Uelzena in product categories (milk powders, milk fat, customized dairy ingredients) and target customers (food industry manufacturers).
• Glanbia Nutritionals: Glanbia Nutritionals supplies customized dairy and plant-based ingredients, premixes, and flavors to food and supplement manufacturers globally. Comparable in B2B ingredient solutions, customization capabilities, and target customer base (food manufacturers, private label).
• FrieslandCampina Ingredients: FrieslandCampina Ingredients is a Dutch cooperative-owned dairy ingredients group offering milk powders, milk fats, condensed milk, and specialty dairy ingredients for food manufacturers worldwide. Closely mirrors Uelzena's cooperative ownership model and B2B ingredient portfolio.

Regional players

• Müller (Milchwerke Müller): Müller is a major German/European dairy processor producing milk, butter, and dairy ingredients for retail and foodservice. Comparable in scale and German market presence but more consumer-brand focused than Uelzena's pure B2B model.
• Schwarzwaldmilch: Schwarzwaldmilch is a German dairy cooperative producing milk, butter, cheese, and dairy ingredients primarily for the German and DACH markets. Regional comparable in cooperative governance and ingredient portfolio (butter, milk powder, dairy specialties).

Broad incumbents

• Lactalis Ingredients: Lactalis Ingredients is the B2B arm of the Lactalis Group, one of the world's largest dairy companies, offering milk powders, whey, butter, and cheese ingredients. Larger incumbent operating broadly across dairy ingredients; competes with Uelzena across multiple product categories.
• Kerry Group: Kerry Group is a global taste and nutrition company offering dairy and non-dairy ingredients, flavors, and functional solutions to food manufacturers. Broader incumbent with overlapping flavor/ingredient capabilities relevant to Uelzena's instant beverages and health products segments.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Uelzena