Cremo
Cremo is a Swiss dairy processor and food-ingredients company based in Villars-sur-Glâne.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Cremo S.A. is a Swiss dairy-processing company headquartered in Villars-sur-Glâne in the canton of Fribourg. It is one of Switzerland’s largest dairy businesses, traditionally positioned behind Emmi in national scale and active across consumer dairy, foodservice, cheese, butter, milk powders and specialized milk-derived ingredients. The company processes milk supplied through regional producer organizations and sells products under its own activities, through retail and foodservice channels, and to industrial customers in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. Cremo’s origins lie in the butter-collection system established by the Swiss Federal Council during the First World War. A butter center in Fribourg began operating in 1917 under the responsibility of regional milk associations. In 1927, the Vaud-Fribourg Milk Association and the Mountain Area Milk Association combined their relevant activities into a joint-stock company named Cremo. Its original purpose was broad: to manufacture and market dairy products and milk by-products from the associations’ supply regions. During the first decades, the company expanded mainly by adding product categories. From the 1970s, its development also involved acquisitions and operating integrations. These included the Freiburger Zentralmolkerei in 1972, butter-center activities in Vevey, Neuchâtel and Lausanne in 1973, and Chocolats et Cafés Villars in 1985. The chocolate and coffee business was later divested. Cremo subsequently developed relationships with other Swiss dairy groups, including Laiteries Réunies de Genève, Intermilch and Toni, and became involved in the production of single-portion coffee cream. A major change in scale came at the end of 2002, when Cremo assumed selected activities and facilities from financially troubled Swiss Dairy Food. The transaction brought the Le Mont-sur-Lausanne UHT-bottling operation and the Lucens and Thun sites, which specialized in cheese and milk powder, into the Cremo network. Over time, Cremo also expanded its supply and commercial relationships through entities such as Lactofama and the regional producer organizations APLC, APLCV and VBMC. The company’s portfolio includes fresh and long-life milk, butter, UHT cream, portioned coffee cream, yogurt, hard and semi-hard cheeses, milk powder and protein concentrates. Cheese activities include products associated with Swiss protected designations such as Le Gruyère AOP and Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP. Its milk powders and protein ingredients serve industrial applications beyond conventional retail dairy, including food manufacturing and pharmaceutical uses. Cremo has also participated in organic-dairy initiatives and was involved in the creation of Bio-Molkerei Seeland, although the Lyss organic dairy site was closed in 2023 after insufficient market demand. Cremo has experienced operational disruption, restructuring and financial volatility. Its Villars-sur-Glâne plant was destroyed by arson in 1990, forcing a temporary production stoppage. In the 2020s, the company closed or reorganized several facilities, including the Thun production site and the Lyss organic dairy operation, while planning to consolidate production at Villars-sur-Glâne. It also acquired the Augstbord cheese dairy in Turtmann and announced the acquisition of Innoprax AG, associated with the Lattesso milk-drink brand. Cremo remains an active Swiss dairy company with a dual role: a consumer-facing producer of everyday dairy goods and an industrial supplier of milk-based ingredients.
History
Cremo’s institutional origins date to 1917, when Swiss authorities established a nationwide butter-center system during the First World War. The Fribourg butter center was operated by the Vaud-Fribourg Milk Association and the Mountain Area Milk Association. In 1927, these organizations combined their interests in a joint-stock company called Cremo. The new enterprise was intended to process and market the dairy products and milk by-products generated within the associations’ regional catchment areas. Until the late 1960s, Cremo’s expansion was driven chiefly by broadening its dairy range. The company then entered a period of consolidation and acquisition. It acquired Freiburger Zentralmolkerei in 1972 and took over butter-center activities in Vevey, Neuchâtel and Lausanne in 1973. In 1985, it purchased Chocolats et Cafés Villars, a business involved in chocolate manufacturing and coffee roasting. That operation was sold a decade later to Soparind Bongrain, now associated with Savencia’s food-specialties activities. Cremo also acquired a stake in Lacto Prospérité in 1987. On 13 April 1990, arson destroyed the Villars-sur-Glâne production facility. The incident interrupted manufacturing for days and weeks and became one of the most serious disruptions in the company’s history. Cremo later strengthened its network through cooperation agreements with Laiteries Réunies de Genève and Intermilch in 1991, followed by an agreement with Toni in 1998. During this period, Cremo assumed production of portioned coffee cream from Toni’s Gossau plant and had earlier taken over related activities at Dietikon. At the end of 2002, Cremo reached an agreement, supported by milk associations and the relevant cantons, to assume selected activities of Swiss Dairy Food, which was under a debt moratorium. Cremo integrated the Le Mont-sur-Lausanne UHT-bottling facility and the Lucens and Thun plants, which produced cheese and milk powder. This transaction significantly expanded the company’s manufacturing footprint and reinforced its position in both consumer dairy and industrial ingredients. Cremo also became a shareholder of BO Butter GmbH. The company remained involved in regional and export structures during the 2010s. Lactofama, an export company, was founded in 2014 with participation from the Association des Producteurs de Lait Cremo Valais. In the same year, plans were announced for an organic dairy factory in Lyss. Bio-Molkerei Seeland AG was formed in 2015, and the Lysser Molkerei Wasserfallen and Biel-based Molkerei Zaugg were brought together within it. Cremo was also a founding member of Interessensgemeinschaft Bio Schweiz, established in 2015. Bio-Molkerei Seeland merged into Cremo in 2020, but the Lyss plant was closed in June 2023 because sales did not support continued operation. Cremo’s financial record has fluctuated. It reported losses in 2017 and 2018, returned to a small profit in 2019, recorded another loss in 2020, achieved a substantial profit in 2021 and reported a loss exceeding CHF 20 million in 2022. In a separate regulatory matter, the Swiss Federal Court confirmed in 2019 that Cremo had to repay CHF 2.8 million in improperly received cheese-making bonuses relating to 2006–2015. The 2020s brought further restructuring. Cremo closed the Steffisburg production site near Thun at the end of August 2021, affecting about 40 positions, and sold the site in 2022 to STI Bus AG. Production in Lucens was scheduled for relocation to Villars-sur-Glâne by the end of 2023. The company also closed the Thun location of its Petit Crémier delivery platform in September 2023. Effective 1 January 2022, Cremo took over the Augstbord cheese dairy in Turtmann, which specializes in Valais raclette. In 2022, it announced the acquisition of Innoprax AG and the associated Lattesso brand, a milk-based coffee drink produced at Cremo’s Sierre plant since 2013. Cremo is supplied by regional direct-delivery organizations based in Fribourg, Valais and Bern and continues to combine Swiss dairy traditions with industrial processing and ingredient production.
- 2023
Lyss site abandoned
[1]The Lyss organic dairy factory closed after the market failed to absorb enough of its output.
- 2022
Augstbord and Innoprax transactions
[1]Cremo took over the Augstbord cheese dairy and announced the acquisition of Innoprax AG, associated with Lattesso.
- 2021
Thun production site closed
[1]Cremo closed the Steffisburg production facility and began reshaping its manufacturing footprint.
- 2020
Bio-Molkerei Seeland merges into Cremo
[1]The organic-dairy subsidiary Bio-Molkerei Seeland AG was merged into Cremo.
- 2014
Organic dairy expansion planned
[1]Cremo announced plans for a new organic dairy factory in Lyss.
- 2002
Selected Swiss Dairy Food activities integrated
[1]Cremo took over selected Swiss Dairy Food operations, including facilities in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lucens and Thun.
- 1990
Villars-sur-Glâne plant destroyed by arson
[1]An arson attack destroyed the main production facility and caused a prolonged interruption to manufacturing.
- 1985
Chocolats et Cafés Villars acquired
[1]Cremo entered chocolate and coffee manufacturing through the acquisition of Chocolats et Cafés Villars.
- 1972
Acquisition of Freiburger Zentralmolkerei
[1]Cremo expanded its processing network by acquiring the Fribourg Central Dairy.
- 1927
Cremo is incorporated
[1]Two regional milk associations combined their activities to establish Cremo as a joint-stock company.
Products and positioning
A Swiss dairy processor combining regional milk sourcing, traditional Swiss cheese production, everyday chilled and long-life dairy products, foodservice formats and industrial milk ingredients.
Liquid dairy
Milk and UHT milk
Cremo processes and markets liquid milk products for retail, foodservice and industrial customers. Its network has included UHT bottling operations, allowing milk to be distributed with extended shelf life. The category represents the company’s core connection to regional milk producers and its role in supplying everyday Swiss dairy products.
Dairy fats · 1917
Butter
Butter is central to Cremo’s historical identity, reflecting the butter-center system from which the company emerged. Cremo manufactures and markets butter for household, foodservice and industrial use and has participated in broader butter-processing structures, including BO Butter GmbH.
Dairy cream
Cream and portioned coffee cream
Cremo produces UHT cream and single-portion coffee cream. The portion format serves cafés, hospitality, offices and institutional catering, while UHT cream supports retail and professional kitchens. Cremo expanded this activity through production transfers from the Toni Group during the 1990s.
Cheese
Swiss cheese
The company produces and markets hard and semi-hard Swiss cheeses, including cheeses associated with the Le Gruyère AOP and Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP designations. Its cheese network has included Lucens, Thun and the Augstbord dairy in Turtmann, whose specialty is Valais raclette cheese.
Dairy ingredients
Milk powders and protein concentrates
Cremo manufactures milk powders and protein concentrates for food manufacturers and pharmaceutical-industry customers. These products extend the company beyond consumer dairy by converting milk into stable, functional ingredients used in formulations and industrial processing.
Milk-based coffee drink · 2013
Lattesso
Lattesso is a milk-based coffee-drink brand associated with Innoprax AG. The drink has been produced at Cremo’s Sierre factory since its launch in 2013. Cremo announced the takeover of Innoprax and the associated brand in 2022.
Controversies
2019
Repayment of improperly received cheese-making bonuses
The Swiss Federal Court confirmed that Cremo had to reimburse CHF 2.8 million to the Swiss federal government in relation to cheese-making bonuses received improperly between 2006 and 2015.
1990
Arson at Villars-sur-Glâne facility
The company’s Villars-sur-Glâne production facility was destroyed by arson on 13 April 1990, temporarily halting production.
Brand decisions
2023
Consolidation of production and closure of Lyss siteStrategyBackground
The organic dairy operation at Lyss lacked sufficient product sales to justify continued production.
Action taken
Cremo closed the Lyss factory at the end of June 2023 and planned to relocate Lucens production to Villars-sur-Glâne.
Aftermath
The Lyss site was abandoned and Cremo continued restructuring its manufacturing network.
2022
Acquisition of Augstbord cheese dairyM&ABackground
Cremo sought to maintain and develop regional cheese-processing capabilities.
Action taken
Cremo took over the Augstbord cheese dairy in Turtmann effective 1 January 2022.
Aftermath
The transaction added a facility specializing in Valais raclette cheese.
2022
Acquisition of Innoprax and LattessoM&ABackground
Lattesso had already been produced at Cremo’s Sierre factory since 2013.
Action taken
Cremo announced the takeover of Innoprax AG and its associated Lattesso milk-drink brand.
Aftermath
The deal deepened Cremo’s participation in ready-to-drink milk and coffee beverages.
2021
Closure of the Thun production siteStrategyBackground
Cremo undertook measures intended to improve competitiveness and rationalize its manufacturing footprint.
Action taken
The Steffisburg production facility was closed at the end of August 2021, affecting approximately 40 jobs.
Aftermath
The site was sold to STI Bus AG in 2022, while other production activities were planned for consolidation elsewhere in the network.
2002
Takeover of selected Swiss Dairy Food activitiesM&ABackground
Swiss Dairy Food was under a debt moratorium and parts of its operations were available for transfer.
Action taken
Cremo agreed to assume selected activities and integrated the Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lucens and Thun facilities.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Cremo’s UHT, cheese and milk-powder manufacturing network.
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