Six dairy companies rank among Germany’s largest
Germany’s dairy industry combines farmer-owned cooperatives, family businesses, branded manufacturers and export-focused processors. The six groups identified by scale and market reach are Arla, including the former DMK Group; Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller; Hochland; Hochwald; Molkerei Ammerland; and Zott.
The Arla-DMK combination is the largest structural change among the six. Before the merger, DMK reported revenue of €5.3 billion in 2025 and processed about 5.1 billion kilograms of milk each year. The combined cooperative has roughly 11,200 farmer owners and 28,800 employees worldwide. Its products include fresh and long-life milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt, dairy drinks, ice cream, sports nutrition and dairy ingredients. Brands linked to the operations include Arla, Lurpak, Castello, MILRAM and Oldenburger.
Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller is a family-owned food group with operations extending beyond dairy. It recorded total group turnover of €10.3 billion in 2025 and had about 35,000 employees worldwide. Its portfolio covers yoghurt, desserts, milk drinks, cheese, cream and other chilled foods. The Müller brand is prominent in yoghurt and desserts, while the wider group also produces private-label goods and operates in related food businesses. Its reported turnover therefore is not a dairy-only figure.
Hochland, based in Heimenkirch, focuses particularly on cheese. The family-owned company reported €2.54 billion in revenue in 2025 and sold about 438,000 tonnes of cheese. It employed 6,313 people globally, including 2,361 in Germany. Its activities include processed, cream, sliced and natural cheese, as well as foodservice products and private-label manufacturing.
Hochwald is a farmer-owned cooperative headquartered in Thalfang. Its latest fully reported annual revenue was about €2.01 billion in 2024, while milk processing reached approximately 2.3 billion kilograms. The company makes milk, long-life dairy products, cheese, cream, milk powders and other ingredients. It employed 1,970 people in 2024, and exports represented about 41% of turnover.
Molkerei Ammerland, founded in 1885 and based in Wiefelstede-Dringenburg, recorded turnover of approximately €1.90 billion in 2025. It processed about 2.50 billion kilograms of milk. Its 2025 output included 218,222 tonnes of cheese, 89,563 tonnes of powder, 30,894 tonnes of butter and 242,783 tonnes of liquid milk products. The cooperative exports around half of its production to more than 70 countries.
Zott is a family-owned manufacturer headquartered in Mertingen, Bavaria. It reported group turnover of approximately €1.28 billion in 2025, employed 2,979 people and processed around 881 million kilograms of milk. Its products include yoghurt, desserts, dairy drinks, mozzarella, cream products, ice cream and vegan alternatives. The company operates production facilities in Germany and Poland, and its brands include Monte, Jogobella, Zott Sahne Joghurt and Zottarella.
The companies serve different parts of the market. Arla and the former DMK provide broad cooperative processing capacity; Theo Müller combines consumer brands with manufacturing operations; Hochland concentrates on cheese; Hochwald and Ammerland combine farmer ownership with ingredients and exports; and Zott has a strong branded presence in chilled dairy products. Retail sourcing also involves production capacity, private-label capability, delivery reliability, food-safety certification and contingency planning. Milk processors balance consumer products with cheese, powders, butter and industrial ingredients, while private-label demand, exports and products such as skyr and protein-enriched dairy drinks remain part of supplier discussions.
