Gebrüder Woerle

Name

Gebrüder Woerle

Legal name

Gebrüder WOERLE Ges.m.b.H

Website

https://woerle.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Processed Cheese & Cheese Spreads Manufacturing (Slices, Loaves, Spreadable) (AFAHABAD), Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAL)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese dairy
• Hay milk cheeses
• Natural cheese production
• Austrian specialty cheese
• Organic dairy products

Headquarters

HQ city

Henndorf Am Wallersee

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese product sales (B2C retail & wholesale): WOERLE generates revenue primarily from the production and sale of specialty cheeses (Emmentaler, Bergkäse, Mondseer, Heutaler, Frischkäse, etc.) through retail stores, cheese counters, and food service distributors across Austria and Germany.
2. Heumilch raw milk sourcing: Approximately 500 dairy farmers deliver fresh hay milk to WOERLE's processing facility. The company manages a closed supply chain from farm to finished cheese, creating integrated value creation within the region.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gebrüder Woerle is an Austrian family-owned cheese dairy producing hard, semi-hard, and processed specialty cheeses made from Heumilch (hay milk) sourced from approximately 500 regional dairy farmers. The company offers a range of cheese varieties including Emmentaler, Bergkäse, Mondseer, Heutaler, Heumondkas, and Frischkäse, sold under the WOERLE and Happy Cow brands across Austria and Germany through retail grocery, cheese counters, and foodservice channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heumilch-Pionier: A brand positioning identity emphasizing the company's pioneering role in producing hay milk (Heumilch) cheese, used as a marketing descriptor on the website.

Products and services

• WOERLE Bio-Frischkäse aus Bio-Heumilch Natur Organic fresh cream cheese made from certified organic Heumilch, targeting health-conscious consumers seeking natural, additive-free dairy products.
• WOERLE Gourmet Bergkäse aus Heumilch (12 Monate gereift) Premium mountain cheese made from Heumilch, aged for 12 months to develop a complex aroma, targeted at gourmet consumers and specialty retail.
• WOERLE Bio-Heutaler aus Heumilch Sliced organic Heumilch cheese in 125g consumer packaging, part of the Bio product line.
• WOERLE Bio-Mondseer aus Heumilch Sliced organic Mondseer cheese made from Heumilch, in 125g consumer package.
• WOERLE Bio-Heumondkas aus Heumilch Sliced organic Heumondkas cheese made from Heumilch, in 125g consumer package.
• WOERLE Bio-Frischkäse aus Bio-Heumilch Organic fresh cream cheese made from certified organic Heumilch, targeting the Bio product line for health-conscious consumers.
• WOERLE Emmentaler aus Heumilch Classic mild-nutty Emmentaler cheese made from Heumilch; naturally lactose-free and calcium-rich. Targeted at mainstream retail consumers.
• WOERLE Mondseer aus Heumilch Traditional red-smear cheese with distinctive yellow rind, a heritage cheese with deep regional roots in the Mondseeland area.
• Happy Cow (Export Brand)

Quantifiable outcome

• WOERLE saves approximately 5 tonnes CO2e annually by eliminating ~5,000 truck trips between decentralized warehouses and the main production site
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HBLA Ursprung (Höhere Bundeslehranstalt für Landwirtschaft, Ursprung)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021WOERLE partners with HBLA Ursprung, an agricultural higher education institution, on a multi-year research project combining agroforestry and agricultural education. Activities include planting agroforestry feed hedges (Futterhecken), conducting agricultural research on sustainable farming practices, and involving students in sustainability projects. The partnership supports WOERLE's biodiversity and sustainability goals while educating the next generation of farmers.
• ÖKL (Österreichisches Kuratorium für Landtechnik und Landentwicklung)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOERLE works with ÖKL on agricultural education programs including Praxiswerkstätten (hands-on workshops) for dairy farmers covering topics such as biodiversity, soil health, wild plant identification, hedgerow planting, and sustainable farm management. ÖKL co-developed WOERLE's educational curriculum for the 'Artenvielfalt in Bauernhand' (Biodiversity in Farmers' Hands) initiative launched in 2019.
• Pinzgau MilchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOERLE and Pinzgau Milch jointly conduct research to reduce ammonia emissions in agriculture — a significant environmental challenge in dairy farming. This partnership demonstrates cross-company cooperation in the Salzburg dairy sector on shared sustainability objectives.
• External laboratories (quality control)coreTechnology or IntegrationWOERLE uses external laboratories alongside its own in-house quality control labs to verify hay milk quality and cheese safety. External lab testing supplements WOERLE's own quality controls and partner verification of compliance with strict hay milk standards.
• ~500 Dairy Farmers (Flachgau & Mondseeland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOERLE partners with approximately 500 dairy farmers (Milchbäuerinnen und Milchbauern) in the Flachgau and Mondseeland regions who supply fresh hay milk. These farmers participate in WOERLE's sustainability programs including 'Regional CO2 reduziert' (regional CO2 reduction), 'Artenvielfalt in Bauernhand' (biodiversity), 'Kuhwohl' (animal welfare), and receive agricultural education through the Praxiswerkstätten program.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Berglandmilch: Austrian dairy cooperative and one of the largest cheese and dairy producers in the country, processing milk from member farmers across multiple Austrian regions. Comparable to WOERLE as an Austrian cheese manufacturer selling through retail and foodservice; differs in scale, cooperative ownership, and broader non-cheese portfolio.
• SalzburgMilch: Regional Salzburg-based dairy processor producing milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese for Austrian retail. Direct peer given shared Salzburg geography, overlapping farmer base, and similar fresh-dairy retail distribution model; positioned slightly more in fluid milk than specialty cheese.
• Tirol Milch: Austrian regional dairy specializing in mountain/hay-milk cheeses from Tyrolean farmers under its own 'Bergbauern' quality positioning. Closest peer to WOERLE's Heumilch heritage narrative and small-scale farmer supply model, though operating from a different Austrian region.
• Pinzgau Milch: Salzburg-region dairy cooperative that is both an existing WOERLE partner (joint ammonia-reduction research) and a competitor in regional cheese. Comparable as an Austrian specialty-cheese maker sourcing from local farmers, though smaller scale and more focused on fluid milk.
• Allgäu Milch Zentrale: German dairy in the Allgäu region — the historic homeland of WOERLE's founder — producing specialty cheeses including Bergkäse and Emmentaler. Comparable to WOERLE across product mix (hard/semi-hard), DACH retail distribution, and regional Alpine terroir-based cheese heritage.
• Käserei Champignon (Hochland Group): German/Bavarian specialty cheese maker (part of Hochland) known for processed cheese, sliced cheese, and cream cheese — directly overlapping with WOERLE's processed cheese line, packaging/slicing capabilities, and cheese melting plant expansion.

Broad incumbents

• Emmi Group: Large Swiss dairy processor with significant specialty cheese, fresh dairy, and lactose-free product portfolios distributed across Europe and beyond. Comparable to WOERLE in the premium and lactose-free cheese space, but operates at significantly broader scale and is publicly listed.
• Arla Foods: Cooperative dairy multinational headquartered in Denmark/Sweden producing a broad portfolio of cheeses (incl. specialty) and dairy under brands such as Arla and Lurpak. Comparable in retail cheese distribution, but vastly larger scale; represents the competitive set that pressures premium regional pricing.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy: French specialty cheese group operating internationally across branded cheeses and dairy ingredients. Comparable in the specialty cheese category, scale, and multi-country distribution, though focused on French cheese traditions rather than Austrian Heumilch.
• Lactalis Group: World's largest dairy group, owner of numerous regional cheese brands across Europe. Comparable as a global cheese competitor in retail and HoReCa, but with a vastly larger portfolio and acquisition-led growth playbook.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/woerle1889
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gebrueder-woerle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Gebrüder Woerle