Obersteirische Molkerei

What Obersteirische Molkerei does

Obersteirische Molkerei eGen is an Austrian farmer-owned dairy cooperative headquartered in Knittelfeld, Styria, that processes approximately 176 million kilograms of raw milk per year into branded and private-label dairy and cheese products. Founded in 1930 through the merger of regional Murtal dairy cooperatives, the company serves ~1,100 mountain-farmer suppliers (Bergbäuerinnen and Bergbauern) within its catchment area between the Semmering and the Salzburg state border, and today operates three IFS-certified production sites at the higher level: Knittelfeld (headquarters with the OM Milcherlebniswelt visitor center), Spielberg (home of the Käsereifezentrum cheese ripening center established 2013), and Kapfenberg. It ranks among the Top 10 dairy companies in Austria and holds a portfolio of food-safety, organic, and origin certifications including AMA Gütesiegel, AMA Bio, Heumilch, Bio Austria, Ohne Gentechnik, and Halal/Kosher at relevant sites.

The product portfolio is organized into two palettes: the Weiße Palette of fresh dairy products (drinking milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, butter, quark produced via the gentle Schulenburg pressing-vat method, and yogurt) and the Gelbe Palette of aged specialty cheeses (Erzherzog Johann flagship hard cheese aged ~6 months, Steirischer Bergkäse, Weinkäse, Murtaler, Spielberger sliced cheese, plus foil-ripened varieties including Steirischer Gouda, Edamer, Butterkäse, Joghurtkäse, and Steirischer Alm Emmentaler). Production relies on microfiltration and ESL-milk technology for extended shelf life, dedicated natural-aging cheese cellars under cheese-master supervision, and gentle pasteurization. Multiple recent international awards (World Cheese Awards Super Gold 2025; World Championship Cheese Contest Gold 2026; AMA Käsekaiser; EcoVadis Silver 2024) support premium positioning.

Revenue is generated principally through B2B sales of branded Bergbauern dairy and cheese products to Austrian and German retail and food-service partners, supplemented by a full-service private-label contract-manufacturing program that handles product development, production, packaging, marketing support, and logistics under customer brands (Weiße Palette / Gelbe Palette service offering). The cooperative is complemented by a diversified subsidiary ecosystem that consolidates rural supply infrastructure — Landforst Lagerhaus (17 retail locations across agriculture, food, building materials, and energy), ÖFORST (John Deere forestry equipment), Steyr Center Murtal (agricultural machinery, brought to full ownership in 2025), and GreenVeg GmbH. With 2,859 cooperative members and an Obersteirische Molkerei leadership team consisting of Obmann Jakob Karner and Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender Mag. Kurt Kreinbucher, the business model converts member-supplied milk into member-distributed economic value through branded retail, private-label B2B services, and cooperative distribution channels.

Name

Obersteirische Molkerei

Legal name

Obersteirische Molkerei eGen

Website

https://oml.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Obersteirische Molkerei is an Austrian farmer-owned dairy cooperative (founded 1930) that processes ~176 million kg of milk annually from ~1,100 Styrian mountain farmers into fresh dairy (Weiße Palette) and specialty cheese (Gelbe Palette) products, also providing private-label contract manufacturing and operating rural retail and farm-machinery subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy and Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Creamery Butter Manufacturing (311512), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Yogurt & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Kefir, Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese) (CRADACAB), Butter, Cream & Dairy Fats (CRADACAD)

Keywords

• Dairy processing
• Cheese manufacturing
• Mountain milk
• Private label dairy
• Cooperative dairy

Headquarters

HQ city

Knittelfeld

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Branded Dairy and Cheese Product Sales: Revenue is generated from the production and sale of branded dairy and cheese products under the 'Bergbauern' (mountain farmer) label and other proprietary brands, including white palette products (drinking milk, cream, sour cream, quark, butter, buttermilk, yogurt) and yellow palette products (natural-ripened and foil-ripened cheeses). Distributed through retail partners to end consumers.
2. Private-Label Manufacturing (Weiße Palette / Gelbe Palette): The company manufactures products under customer brands (private label) — 'Weiße Palette' for dairy and 'Gelbe Palette' for cheese — serving retail and food-service partners with contract manufacturing from product development through production, packaging, marketing, and logistics.
3. Subsidiary Operations: Revenue flows from subsidiary companies: Landforst Lagerhaus (multi-sector retail across 17 sites in agriculture, food, building materials, energy), ÖFORST (John Deere forestry machinery), Steyr Center Murtal (agricultural equipment), and GreenVeg GmbH, all contributing to the cooperative group's consolidated revenue.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Obersteirische Molkerei (OM) is a farmer-owned Austrian cooperative dairy that processes approximately 176 million kg of milk annually from around 1,100 mountain farmers in the Styria region. It produces fresh dairy products (drinking milk, cream, butter, quark/Topfen, buttermilk, yogurt) under the Bergbauern brand and manufactures specialty cheeses including flagship varieties such as Erzherzog Johann, Steirischer Bergkäse, and Weinkäse at its three IFS-certified production sites in Knittelfeld, Spielberg, and Kapfenberg. The company also offers full-service private-label contract manufacturing under the Weiße Palette (dairy) and Gelbe Palette (cheese) programs, serving brand partners from product development through packaging, marketing, and logistics.

Product overview

Obersteirische Molkerei is a cooperative dairy company processing approximately 176 million kg of milk annually from around 1,100 Alpine farmers. The product portfolio is organized into two main palettes: the Weiße Palette (White Palette) covering fresh dairy products including drinking milk, quark (Topfen), yogurt, sour cream, whipped cream, and butter; and the Gelbe Palette (Yellow Palette) featuring aged cheese specialties including naturally ripened hard and sliced cheeses (Steirischer Bergkäse, Erzherzog Johann, Weinkäse, Murtaler, Rahmsteirer) and foil-ripened varieties (Steirischer Gouda, Edamer, Butterkäse, Joghurtkäse). The company also operates LUKIN, a supplier portal for milk payment management, and maintains an experience center (Milcherlebniswelt) for visitor tours and tastings. Production facilities are located in Knittelfeld, Spielberg, and Kapfenberg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 176 million kg of milk processed annually from approx. 1,100 mountain farms
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arla Foods: One of the world's largest dairy cooperatives, with significant presence in central Europe and broad product portfolio spanning fresh dairy, cheese, and private-label manufacturing. Comparable as a cooperative peer at scale, though significantly larger and more globally diversified than OM.
• Hochwald Foods: Large German dairy cooperative with broad DACH presence, including B2B private-label manufacturing for retailers. Comparable to OM in cooperative ownership and private-label/contract manufacturing capability, but at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Emmi Group: Swiss publicly listed dairy processor with strong premium cheese and fresh dairy portfolio across Europe. Comparable to OM in cheese aging craft, premium retail positioning, and Heumilch/regional origin emphasis, though at significantly larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Lactalis: World's largest dairy company with a deep specialty cheese portfolio including brands and private-label manufacturing across Europe. Comparable as a major private-label and specialty cheese incumbent that competes for European retailer contracts, though vastly larger and family-owned rather than cooperative.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy: French specialty cheese group with strong presence in branded and private-label specialty cheese across Europe. Comparable to OM in specialty cheese focus and B2B/private-label go-to-market model, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader international footprint.

Direct peers

• Tirol Milch: Austrian regional dairy cooperative based in Tyrol with a comparable Alpine/heumilk supply base and specialty cheese portfolio. Competes with OM in the premium mountain-dairy and Heumilch specialty segments of the Austrian retail market.
• SalzburgMilch: Austrian regional dairy cooperative headquartered in Salzburg, directly comparable to OM in size, regional cooperative structure, and focus on regional/Heumilch dairy products. Competes with OM for Austrian retail shelf space and B2B private-label contracts in the DACH region.
• Berglandmilch: Austria's largest dairy cooperative and direct head-to-head competitor with OM in the Styrian/Austrian cheese and fresh dairy market. Operates multiple production sites across Austria with comparable cooperative farmer ownership and overlapping private-label and branded portfolios, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• NÖM (Niederösterreichische Molkerei): Austrian dairy cooperative producing fresh dairy and cheese products at national scale. Directly comparable to OM in cooperative ownership structure, Austrian retail presence, and combined branded/private-label go-to-market model.
• Kärntnermilch: Austrian regional dairy cooperative in Carinthia with overlapping product mix in fresh dairy, yogurt, and specialty cheese. Comparable cooperative structure and similar focus on regional origin and mountain-farming sourcing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Milcherlebnis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/obersteirische-molkerei-egen

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Obersteirische Molkerei