Cesvaines piens
Cesvaines piens is a Latvian dairy processor founded in the 1930s, specializing in semi-hard and organic cheese production at scale (220T/month) from its Cesvaine plant and BRCGS-certified Riga packaging facility, serving B2B retailers, food service, and international distributors via own brands and contract packaging.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1930
- HeadquartersCesvaine, Latvia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cesvaines piens does
Cesvaines piens is a Latvian dairy processor founded in the 1930s and headquartered in Cesvaine, with an additional processing and packaging facility in Riga. The company specializes in semi-hard cheese production, operating one of the largest semi-hard cheese capacities in Latvia at roughly 220 tonnes per month, supplemented by a fully separated organic production cycle that processes over 440 tonnes of certified organic milk monthly into organic cheese and butter. Its product portfolio spans conventional semi-hard cheeses (Tilsit, Gouda, Emmental, Maasdam, Cheddar, Hollandes), specialty cheeses with additives (fenugreek, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, seeds, chili pepper, jalapeño), processed cheese under the SIERA NAMS brand, and butter varieties, alongside third-party distributed brands CIBA, FRICO, and EHRMANN.
The company runs a sales-led B2B model, supplying supermarkets, food service providers, and international distributors and exporters under its own CESVAINES PIENS and SIERA NAMS trademarks, while also offering contract cheese packaging services at a BRCGS Level B-certified Riga facility that handles approximately 4.5 tonnes of cheese daily and packages around 500,000 products per month. Revenue is generated from three streams: own-brand cheese and dairy product sales (80.7% cheese, 19.3% other dairy by production volume), contract packaging for other brands, and distribution of established third-party brands. Operations are supported by over 115 qualified specialists across two locations, EUR 3.9 million of cumulative EU co-funded modernization investment over the past decade, and ongoing grant-backed capex for slicing, aging, packaging, and laboratory equipment. In February 2026 the company signed an agreement to sell a majority stake to Smiltenes piens AS, subject to Competition Council approval, with the stated intent of strengthening Baltic market position and expanding export market access.
Cesvaines piens firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cesvaines piens
- Legal name
- AS Cesvaines Piens
- Website
- https://cesvainespiens.lv
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1930
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Cesvaines piens is a Latvian dairy processor founded in the 1930s, specializing in semi-hard and organic cheese production at scale (220T/month) from its Cesvaine plant and BRCGS-certified Riga packaging facility, serving B2B retailers, food service, and international distributors via own brands and contract packaging.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cesvaines piens industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dairy Processing & Cheese Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Grated, Shredded & Sliced Cheese Manufacturing (Value-Added Cuts) (AFAHABAF), Cheese Blending & Formulation (Retail & Foodservice Blends) (AFAHABAG)
Keywords
Where Cesvaines piens is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cesvaine
- HQ country
- Latvia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cesvaines piens business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Cheese and dairy product sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling semi-hard cheese products (80.7% of production volume) and milk/dairy products (19.3%). Products sold under CESVAINES PIENS and SIERA NAMS trademarks.
- Contract packaging services: Processes and packages cheese (4.5T daily) for other local or foreign partners under their trademarks, generating additional revenue.
- Distribution of third-party brands: Since autumn 2020, the company expanded to distribute well-known Latvian and international brands including SIERA NAMS, CIBA, FRICO, and EHRMANN.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cesvaines piens product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cesvaines piens is a Latvian dairy processor that manufactures semi-hard cheeses (Tilsit, Gouda, Maasdam/Alpu, Emmental, Cheddar, Hollandes), organic cheeses and butter, and specialty cheeses with flavor additives (fenugreek, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, seeds, chili pepper, jalapeno, fried onions). The company also operates a BRCGS-certified processing and packaging facility in Riga, packages approximately 500,000 products monthly under its own CESVAINES PIENS and SIERA NAMS brands, and distributes well-known Latvian and international dairy brands including CIBA, FRICO, and EHRMANN.
Product overview
Cesvaines piens is a Latvian dairy processing company specializing in semi-hard cheese production. The company operates as both a manufacturer of its own branded products (CESVAINES PIENS and SIERA NAMS) and a distributor of international dairy brands. Core products include semi-hard cheeses (Tilsit, Gouda, Emmental, Maasdam, Cheddar, Hollandes types), organic cheeses (Gouda, Tilsit, Cheddar, Hollandes), specialty cheeses with additives (fenugreek, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, seeds, chili pepper), Cheddar with jalapeno or fried onions, butter (regular, Himalayan salt, fried onions), organic butter, and processed cheese under the SIERA NAMS brand. The product portfolio also includes distributed brands (CIBA, EHRMANN, FRICO) for coffee cream, whipped cream, condensed milk, and yogurt. Production capacity is approximately 220T of cheese per month, with an additional 440T of organic milk processed monthly.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SIERA NAMS: Brand of processed cheese with light and creamy texture, also distributed as own-brand products
- CIBA
- Yoginos
Products and services
- Semi-Hard Cheese (Tilsit, Gouda, Emmental, Maasdam, Cheddar, Hollandes)
Quantifiable outcome
- 220T monthly cheese production capacity
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cesvaines piens
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cesvaines piens technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Cesvaines piens partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Smiltenes piens AScoreStrategic acquisition agreement where Smiltenes piens AS will acquire majority stake in Cesvaines piens AS. The transaction unites two dairy companies each with more than a century of history in Latvia, aiming to strengthen market standing in the competitive Baltic region, attract modernization investments, and expand access to broader export markets while preserving Cesvaine's cheese-making heritage. The transaction is subject to Competition Council approval.
- Latvijas Universitāte (University of Latvia)coreCollaborative R&D project on biologically active peptide fractions from fermented cheese whey (project 1.1.1.3/1/24/A/169). Total funding of EUR 656,455.14 over 36 months (2025-2028), with ERAF and state budget co-funding. Project aims to develop innovative products from cheese whey utilizing circular economy principles.
- Latvijas Pārtikas Klasteris (Latvian Food Cluster)coreCesvaines piens participates in Latvian Food Cluster project (5.1.1.2.i.0/3/24/A) led by LUPF with AF co-financing. Project aims to provide funding for internationalization of Latvian Food Cluster members and increase private R&D investments.
- SIERA NAMScoreSince autumn 2020, Cesvaines piens expanded to distribute SIERA NAMS brand products in Latvia. The company now acts as both manufacturer and distributor of well-known Latvian and international brands.
- CIBAmajorDistribution partnership for CIBA brand products (coffee cream, whipped cream, condensed milk) in Latvia since autumn 2020.
- FRICOmajorDistribution partnership for internationally recognized FRICO cheese brand in Latvia.
- EHRMANNmajorDistribution partnership for German dairy company EHRMANN products including Yoginos skimmed yogurts in Latvia.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cesvaines piens competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Valio: Finnish dairy cooperative producing cheeses, butter and dairy ingredients across the Nordics and Baltics. Comparable as a much larger regional player with overlapping semi-hard cheese capability and Nordic/Baltic distribution.
- Arla Foods: Large Danish-Swedish dairy cooperative with significant operations across Northern Europe including the Baltics. Comparable on cheese manufacturing, retail channel access and EU food-safety certifications, though at vastly greater scale.
- Bel Group: French multinational cheese company (The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri) with global branded and processed-cheese operations. Comparable on processed/specialty cheese formats and international retail scale.
- Lactalis: World's largest dairy group with extensive cheese portfolio across Europe. Comparable as a global incumbent in semi-hard, specialty and processed cheese categories, though operating at vastly greater scale.
- Emmi Group: Swiss dairy processor with strong positions in cheese, butter and dairy ingredients across Europe. Comparable on premium cheese offerings, B2B dairy ingredient strategy and international retail distribution.
- Food Union: Baltic-headquartered dairy group operating brands across Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and beyond (e.g., Rīgas Piens, Lakto, Valmiera). Comparable as a larger incumbent in the same Latvian dairy market with broader product portfolio.
- Savencia Fromage & Dairy: French specialty cheese group producing branded and private-label cheeses across Europe and globally. Comparable as a larger incumbent focused on specialty/premium cheese segments rather than commodity dairy.
Direct peers
- Hochland: German family-owned cheese manufacturer specializing in sliced, grated and processed cheese for retail and foodservice across Europe. Comparable on semi-hard and processed cheese capability and value-added formats.
- Smiltenes piens AS: Latvian dairy company founded in 1922 producing cheese and dairy products. Most direct comparable given similar size, Latvian heritage, product overlap and pending acquisition relationship.
- Rokiškio sūris: Lithuanian cheese manufacturer and one of the largest dairy processors in the Baltics, producing hard and semi-hard cheeses for retail and export. Closely comparable on product type, scale and Baltic regional exposure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cesvaines piens social profiles
Digital presenceCesvaines piens compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Cesvaines piens financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cesvaines piens leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cesvaines piens subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Cesvaines piens funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cesvaines piens M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cesvaines piens
What does Cesvaines piens do?
Cesvaines piens is a Latvian dairy processor that manufactures semi-hard cheeses (Tilsit, Gouda, Maasdam/Alpu, Emmental, Cheddar, Hollandes), organic cheeses and butter, and specialty cheeses with flavor additives (fenugreek, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, seeds, chili pepper, jalapeno, fried onions). The company also operates a BRCGS-certified processing and packaging facility in Riga, packages approximately 500,000 products monthly under its own CESVAINES PIENS and SIERA NAMS brands, and distributes well-known Latvian and international dairy brands including CIBA, FRICO, and EHRMANN.
Is Cesvaines piens a public or private company?
Cesvaines piens is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cesvaines piens founded?
Cesvaines piens was founded in 1930. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Cesvaines piens based?
Cesvaines piens is headquartered in Cesvaine, Latvia, in the Europe region.
How does Cesvaines piens make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Cheese and dairy product sales are the primary driver. The others are contract packaging services and distribution of third-party brands.
Who are Cesvaines piens's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Valio, Arla Foods, Bel Group, Lactalis, Emmi Group, Food Union and Savencia Fromage & Dairy. Direct peers are Hochland, Smiltenes piens AS and Rokiškio sūris.
Does Cesvaines piens have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cesvaines piens.
What industry is Cesvaines piens in?
Cesvaines piens's product category is Dairy Processing & Cheese Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADACAC, Cheese (Natural & Processed), with a secondary code of AFAHABAF, Grated, Shredded & Sliced Cheese Manufacturing (Value-Added Cuts). Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 2020.