What Alimco does

Alimco is an international food trading company headquartered in Bolzano (South Tyrol), Italy, founded in 1975 by Robert Pichler as Intercommerz and later rebranded. It operates as a trading intermediary supplying dairy products (liquid, dry, UHT, cheese, butter), sugar, and rice to food manufacturers, food retailers (GDO), beverage producers, contract packagers, wholesalers, and animal feed producers across more than 33 countries. The product catalogue spans roughly 200+ SKUs with organic, halal, and kosher certification options, multi-format packaging from bulk to consumer packs, and annual traded volumes exceeding 450 million kilograms, including 250,000+ tons of liquid milk, 140,000 tons of sugar, 50,000+ tons of dry dairy, and 30,000 tons of cream.

The business model is B2B intermediation: Alimco sources from European and international producers (including ISO- and IFS-certified suppliers) and sells to industrial buyers, with revenue generated through negotiated one-off transactions rather than standardised licensing. The core technology is supply chain management — multi-modal logistics across air, sea, road, and rail with customs expertise and quality control via in-house checks and accredited laboratory testing — supported by a 99% just-in-time delivery rate for liquid dairy. Distribution is direct field sales with a 24/7 emergency service for liquid dairy customers; marketing relies on personal relationships, trade networks, and certification display rather than digital channels. The company has no app, no public API, and no disclosed AI/ML capability.

Alimco operates under alimco Holding S.r.l. as the group parent, with alimco S.p.A. as the core food-trading operating subsidiary and alimco FIN S.p.A. as the finance entity. The Group has diversified into adjacent verticals through wholly-owned subsidiaries covering energy (ENERGIE S.p.A.), agriculture (ENALPINA S.r.l.), renewable energy trading (ENERGREEN S.r.l.), real estate (NEW BOZEN S.r.l.), and hospitality (PALAIS KAISERKRON S.r.l.). The business is privately held and founder-controlled, with Robert Pichler continuing as CEO; Group turnover is approximately €400 million annually on a team of roughly 30 people, implying high revenue-per-employee characteristic of asset-light trading intermediation.

Name

Alimco

Legal name

alimco Holding S.r.l.

Website

https://alimco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alimco is a privately held Italian international food trading company (founded 1975, Bolzano) that supplies dairy products, sugar, and rice to food manufacturers and retailers across 33+ countries, with €400M annual turnover on a 30-person team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Trading & Distribution

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Edible Oils & Fats Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAC)

Keywords

• International food trading
• Dairy product distribution
• Sugar commodity supply
• Rice ingredient sourcing
• Food ingredient wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolzano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Food Trading: International trading company supplying dairy products (powdered milk, liquid dairy, UHT), sugar, rice, cheese, and butter to industries, corporations, and food retailers. Revenue generated through product sales with terms negotiated through personal network of contacts established since 1975.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Alimco is an international food trading company that supplies dairy products (powdered milk, liquid dairy, UHT, cheese, butter), sugar, rice, and other food ingredients to food industries, corporations, and food retailers. The company acts as a sourcing intermediary, connecting top-tier European and global producers with industrial and retail customers across 33+ markets, offering flexible packaging, multi-modal logistics, and quality certifications.

Product overview

Alimco is a European international food trading company headquartered in Bolzano, Italy, founded in 1975. The company operates as a trading intermediary, connecting food producers, manufacturers, and retailers with quality agricultural commodities. The core product portfolio consists of liquid dairy products (raw, whole, skimmed, buttermilk, concentrates delivered by tanker), dry dairy products (milk powders, whey derivatives, casein, WPC in various certifications including organic, halal, kosher), UHT dairy products (long-shelf-life milk, cream, pudding), cheese (Italian, German, Irish varieties including custom private label options), butter (sweet/sour cream, butterfat in multiple block sizes), sugar (beet and cane from multiple continents in various forms), and rice (Italian and Asian sourced in multiple grain types and packaging). The company also offers custom product sourcing and development services for non-standard requirements. Annual traded volume reaches 450+ million kg with operations across 33+ markets. Under the alimco Holding Group structure, the company also maintains subsidiaries in energy, agriculture, real estate, and tourism sectors, though food trading remains the core business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Liquid Dairy Products Fresh cow's, goat's, and sheep's milk along with concentrates including raw milk, whole milk, skimmed milk, buttermilk, condensed milk, whey concentrate, and MPC/WPC, delivered by tanker to industrial food customers. Supplied with a 99% just-in-time delivery rate.
• Dry Dairy Products Milk and whey derivatives including skimmed milk powder, whole milk powder, cream powder (42-75%), buttermilk powder, yogurt powder, quark powder, casein, caseinates, whey powder, demineralized whey powder (DEMI 50-90%), lactose, and WPC (30-80%), available in organic, halal, and kosher grades.
• UHT Dairy Products Ultra-high-temperature processed dairy with extended shelf life, including UHT milk (0.1%, 1.5%, 3.5% fat), UHT cream, whipped cream, pudding, and coffee cream sourced from selected Alpine and Northern German producers.
• Cheese Italian, German, and Irish cheese varieties in blocks, wheels, slices, pieces, and pouches for food retailers, industry, and catering, with custom recipes, private label, and vegetarian cheese options available.
• Butter Sweet and sour cream butter and butterfat (AMF) from various origins, supplied in blocks of 1kg, 10kg, 25kg, and 50kg with varying fat contents and quality grades for food industry customers.
• Sugar White crystallized beet sugar and raw cane sugar sourced from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, supplied in crystal, cane, dextrose, specialities, and liquid forms. Available in bulk, big bags (1,000-1,200kg), 25kg bags, or customized packaging.
• Rice Italian and Asian-sourced rice in long, medium, and short grain varieties, packaged in bulk, big bags, 25kg bags, 1kg packs, or customized formats with quality certifications.
• Individual/Custom Products

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% just-in-time delivery rate for liquid dairy products
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• European food producerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing relationships with renowned European manufacturers who serve as suppliers. Partnerships span decades, enabling access to top-tier producers and excellent trading terms.
• Processing industriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMost important processing industries and end consumers counted among clients. Long-term trust-based relationships built over many years.
• Leading European milk producerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSourcing only high-quality milk from leading European producers. All partners meet highest safety and hygiene standards with internationally recognized food safety and animal welfare certifications.
• Logistics providerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading logistics companies used for transport by plane, ship, road, and rail. Essential for reliable delivery and global supply chain operations.
• ISO and IFS certified producerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuppliers and producers in 33 countries operating with high safety standards, responsible sourcing, and serious manufacturing conditions as per ISO and IFS certifications.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hoogwegt Group: Dutch-headquartered international dairy ingredient trader supplying milk powders, whey, lactose, and cheese to food manufacturers globally. Closely comparable to Alimco on dairy focus, B2B trading model, and European origin.
• ED&F Man: London-based commodity merchant active in sugar, coffee, and other food ingredients with global sourcing and distribution. Directly comparable to Alimco's sugar trading and international B2B intermediation.
• Arla Foods Ingredients: Specialized dairy ingredients business of Arla Foods, supplying milk powders, whey derivatives, and functional dairy proteins to food manufacturers worldwide. Closely comparable to Alimco's dry and liquid dairy product offering.
• Ornua: Irish dairy trading cooperative exporting butter, cheese, and dairy ingredients to global markets. Comparable to Alimco on European dairy sourcing, multi-country distribution, and B2B food industry customer base.
• Nordzucker: European sugar producer and merchant supplying beet sugar to industrial and retail customers across Europe. Directly comparable to Alimco's 140,000-ton sugar trading activity and European B2B distribution model.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy: French specialty cheese and dairy group with private-label and branded products distributed internationally. Comparable to Alimco on cheese trading, private label capability, and European food industry customer base.
• Glanbia: Irish global nutrition group with dairy ingredients, cheese, and performance nutrition divisions. Comparable to Alimco on whey/milk protein trading, sports nutrition customer base, and multi-category dairy ingredient supply.

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Global agribusiness and food ingredient giant with massive commodity trading, processing, and risk management capabilities. Overlaps with Alimco in sugar and dairy ingredient supply but operates at vastly larger scale and breadth.
• Louis Dreyfus Company: Global merchant and processor of agricultural commodities including sugar, dairy, and rice with worldwide origination and distribution. Comparable to Alimco on international food trading but with far broader portfolio and scale.
• ADM (Archer Daniels Midland): Global agricultural processing and food ingredient company with operations spanning oilseeds, grains, and nutrition. Overlaps with Alimco's trading and ingredient supply but is a much larger, publicly-listed incumbent with extensive processing assets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Alimco