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The Uelzena Group continues to grow and strengthens its future sustainability

Uelzen, 27 June 2025 - The Uelzena Group successfully concluded the 2024 financial year and consolidated its market position in a persistently challenging market environment. 

The company has been able to build on the positive trend of previous years with sales of approximately €1.03 billion and a group net profit of €17.4 million. A good equity ratio of 37.9 % and the increased fixed assets of approximately €190 million also highlight the economic stability of the cooperatively organised Group.

Uelzena sent a particularly positive signal to its milk producers: The average milk payout was approx. 47.5 euro cents per kg raw milk with a standard content of 4.0 % fat and 3.4 % protein – a significant increase over the previous year. Although the supplied raw milk volume declined by about 5 % to 741 million kg, this was caused by the outbreak of bluetongue disease in the supply region. Nevertheless, the Group achieved strong growth, particularly for its milk fats and speciality products. For instance, sales of milk fats grew by more than €72 million to €348 million, speciality products gained about €10 million to reach €170 million and the cheese segment saw gains of €11 million, an increase of 9 %. This more than compensated for the declines in milk powder, condensed milk products and delicatessen products.

Investments in sustainability and future technologies

“Despite the widely known challenges in the agricultural and ingredient markets, we have succeeded in further strengthening our market position and supporting our milk producers with an attractive payout. We are consistently investing in the future of our business and that of our farmers – therein lies our strength,” says Jörn Dwehus, Chairman of the Board of Uelzena eG.

In 2024, the Uelzena Group made investments of more than €20 million, which included investments in digitalisation, the new cheese dairy construction in Bismark and increasing its shareholding in BHI Biohealth International GmbH to 65 %. The first phase of the project in Bismark is starting in 2025. Our goal is to further integrate environmental and commercial aspects: Heat pumps, solar power and state-of-the-art technology is expected to save about 3,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year – a major contribution to our climate strategy.

Sustainability is also a stronger focus in milk production: 50 % of dairy farms are already participating in the QM Dairy Sustainability Tool, which enables extensive data to be collected with regard to animal welfare, emissions and operational management. 68 % generate their own renewable energy, 85 % invest in animal-friendly stall systems. We use the agricultural climate check tool “Agrar-Klimacheck” as a climate accounting system, in collaboration with the Chamber of Agriculture, Lower Saxony. An enhanced digital tool to capture CO₂ data will also be introduced in mid-2025.  

Uelzena also supports pilot projects, for instance to improve efficiency when producing essential feed and soil-based carbon sequestration. 

Production also made considerable progress: A new condensate management system was introduced at the Uelzen site to reduce the use of natural gas and electricity. The site also added a 130 kWp photovoltaic system, improved water treatment and optimised waste management. Since 2024 the Group has used a digital system across its sites to record all consumptions and emissions in real time – a milestone towards obtaining ISO-14001 certification.

Strong employer brand and regional responsibility

The Uelzena Group employed a total of 1,089 staff on the 2024 reporting date – a significant increase over the previous year (845), which is partly a result of the further consolidation of BHI in Münchberg in the Uelzena Group. To actively address the skills shortage in the labour market, a more professional approach was taken to promoting new talent. Alongside partnerships with schools and work placements, the company will introduce apprenticeships for additional professions in 2025. Creating a “trainee journey” along with digital learning platforms and structured programmes for future managers demonstrates how Uelzena is investing in personnel development. The internal cultural project “Transparent Together” (Wir. Gemeinsam. Transparent), promotes mutual understanding of core values such as openness, reliability and appreciation.

The Group continues to actively fulfil its regional responsibility: Raw milk exclusively comes from an area within 150 km of its sites. 81 % of the used materials and 16 % of services are sourced regionally. Uelzena also supported numerous children and youth projects in 2024 as well as the voluntary work of its employees at all sites.

At the same time, the company consistently implemented regulatory requirements: Approximately 3,000 suppliers and 20 companies were reviewed as part of the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LkSG) – without identifying any irregularities. A new digital whistleblower system was launched. Initial measures to implement the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) have begun by using aluminium-free films. On the topic of deforestation-free supply chains (EUDR), the focus is on critical raw ingredients such as cocoa and palm oil.

In 2024, the Uelzena Group specifically invested in key issues for the future – including upgrading its sites, climate protection, digitalisation, developing young talent, and regional partnerships – and has thereby provided the crucial momentum for sustainable growth. Combining economic stability with social commitment makes the company a strong partner in the region and on the market – this year and beyond.

You can read more about the company’s development and on the topic of sustainability at Uelzena at www.uelzena.de/en/sustainability.

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