The Global Trend Is Toward Healthy and Tasty Products

Ljubljanske mlekarne is marking 70 years in business with a familiar formula: Slovenian milk, continuous investment and brands that have accompanied generations of consumers.

Maja Zdeličan, who became the dairy’s director last September, said those three factors allowed the company to retain a central position in Slovenia’s food industry. She has 15 years of experience in dairy, including management roles in Croatia and the wider region within the Lactalis group.

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The first is cooperation with Slovenian suppliers, the second is continuous investment in development, and the third is consumer trust.

The company buys milk exclusively from Slovenian suppliers and works with more than 2,100 farms. It invests about €7 million each year in production lines, modernization and business development. Its consumer brands include Alpine milk, MU, Ego, President Jošt and ice creams such as Maxim, Planica, Lučka and Ježek Tom. For the anniversary, the company launched the slogan “Dairy makes us happy.”

Zdeličan also linked the company’s role to food security and self-sufficiency. As Slovenia’s largest milk buyer, Ljubljanske mlekarne carries responsibility toward each of its farmers, she said. Dairy farms are declining in Slovenia and Europe as fewer younger people enter the sector, although existing farms are becoming more modern and increasing their herd sizes. Raw-milk production rose 6% in the first five months of the year compared with the same period previously. The company also cited a Valicon survey that ranked it Slovenia’s third most respected company and the country’s most respected food company.

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Dairy makes us happy