Zott Press Centre

100 new trees to help the climate

Fifty children become actively involved at the Zott 'Plant for the Planet' academy in Mertingen  

"Stop talking – start planting!" In keeping with the motto of the students' initiative Plant-for-the-Planet, which is a partner of Gourmet Dairy Zott, the Zott 'Plant for the Planet' academy was held at the company's head office in Mertingen on Saturday, 30th September. Fifty children whose parents are either Zott employees or work for the company's milk producers participated in an interactive and varied workshop day dedicated to climate protection. Theoretical contents on the subject of the climate crisis were communicated to the children in an edutainment-based way.  

Into the woods

After lunch, they visited a piece of woodland nearby to plant the trees donated by Zott there. Together with woodland officer Paul Sailer, forestry association representative Stefan Wurst, Mertingen's mayor Albert Lohner and Zott management board member Karl Stelzle, the children approached the task in hand with enthusiasm. "I am delighted by the children's commitment. With this initiative, they are making a great contribution that will benefit the woodlands around Mertingen and of course, also our climate," said Albert Lohner.  

Corporate responsibility at Zott

Zott transparently demonstrates its commitment to taking long-term corporate responsibility for people, animals and nature, for example with the initiative "Kinder laufen für Kinder" (Children Run for Children) or through its support of the Johanniter's "Christmas trucks" charity campaign. The company's employees benefit from access to alternative healing treatments and the "Zott Aktiv-Zentrum", which offers sports and fitness courses. It has established its own sustainability programme, "Zott Qualitätsmich aus Leidenschaft – ZQL” (Zott quality milk with passion) for its dairy farmers to help them achieve a successful balance between animal welfare and profitability.

The tenth Zott Plant for the Planet academy was a resounding success.

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Zott wins “Bundesehrenpreis” (Federal Award of Honour)

Mertingen-based Gourmet Dairy is one of Germany's top companies

Germany's Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has awarded a “Bundesehrenpreis” (Federal Award of Honour), the highest-ranking award German food industry companies can be awarded for the outstanding quality of their products, to Gourmet Dairy Zott. The Federal Award of Honour is awarded annually to companies that achieve the best results in the German Agricultural Society (DLG) quality audits. The results are based on extensive and independent laboratory tests.  

Award-winning for the eighth time in a row

The Gourmet Dairy achieved impressive results not only due to the high quality standard of its products but also due to its focus on sustainable quality. Zott has won a Federal Award of Honour for the eighth time in a row. In the name of all Zott employees, Rudolf Kaiser, the head of Zott's quality management department, travelled to Berlin for the award presentation by Parliamentary State Secretary Dr Maria Flachsbarth and DLG vice president Dr Diedrich Harms. "Like our numerous DLG medals, the Federal Award of Honour is yet another confirmation of the excellent work of our employees. We apply the highest quality standards to the raw materials we use, our performance and our gourmet products," says Rudolf Kaiser. Zott complies with the strict rules and regulations that ensure food safety and therefore protect the consumers.  

Zott products in more than 75 countries

The Gourmet Dairy Zott is an independent family company based in Mertingen, Bavaria, Germany. As a future-oriented brand manufacturer, Zott has a marked commitment to long-term partnerships with milk producers and the retail trade. Group-wide, Zott processed approximately 913 million kilograms of milk in 2016. With 2,159 employees, the company achieved a turnover of around 860 million euros that year. Zott sells its products in more than 75 countries around the world and is now one of Europe's leading dairies.

Parliamentary State Secretary Dr Maria Flachsbarth (right) and DLG vice president Dr Diedrich Harms (left) presented the certificate and medal to Rudolf Kaiser.
Picture (copyright DLG/Felix Holland)

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Zott acquires long-standing Vietnamese importer and distributor

The year-long commitment, as well as the individual handling of the Vietnamese market, have secured Zott the market leadership in the local dessert sector. For the purpose of consistent and purposeful implementation of the intended strategies for growth, Zott Vietnam Company Limited was established, and Delys acquired. The new firm’s head office is in Hanoi, with a branch in Ho Chi Minh City.

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Zott "Farm Day" attracts thousands of visitors

On Father's Day, far more than 5,000 visitors experienced farming close-up and intimate in Spatzenhausen near Murnau. On 25th May, the Weiß family opened its stable gates to give the visitors an informative insight into today's farming practices. During regular guided tours around the farm and the stables, the visitors learnt many interesting facts about dairy farming.  

For Zott, it was particularly important to show the public what modern farming looks like, and to make it experience able. That is why Zott initiated "Farm Day" four years ago. "I am certain that allowing consumers a glimpse behind the scenes and making it possible for them to meet the dairy farmers directly and to actually see the source of our products is the best way to promote an understanding of how farmers farm these days," says Christian Schramm, head of milk purchasing at Zott. Together with the dairy farming family Weiß, the dairy impressively showed their Father's Day visitors just how much effort, care and quality-consciousness is involved in the production of the high-quality raw material milk, and therefore also in the production of Zott's products.  

"Our goal is to host an event for the public. Lots of first-hand information and a super entertainment programme related to nature, the raw material milk and industrial milk processing attracted huge numbers of people," says Michaela Matthäus, Zott's head of corporate of communications, who organised the event and was delighted by its success. The "Farm Day" concept is certainly successful, as the huge numbers of visitors confirmed. The consumers were extremely interested in the regular guided tours around the stables which the owner of the farm, Alois Weiß, and his wife Christine offered all day long, never tiring of the many questions they were asked. The Zott team also demonstrated the production chain, from the milk produced by the cows to the milk collection vehicle and the way the milk is then turned into mozzarella and yoghurt.  

The farm open day in Spatzenhausen was the third "Farm Day" organised by gourmet dairy Zott in cooperation with one of its milk producers. The next Zott "Farm Day" will be held in 2019.

At the "Farm Day" in Spatzenhausen near Murnau, visitors were able to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes at a farm and some insights into modern farming practices.

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Zott in dialogue with tomorrow's dairy farmers

100 young farmers attended ‘Hofnachfolgertag’ (Farm Successors’ Day) in Regensburg

At its ‘Hofnachfolgertag’ (Farm Successors’ Day) for farm successors in Regensburg on 16th February, the Gourmet Dairy Zott brought together one hundred young farmers from its entire milk sourcing region. Owner Christine Weber and head of milk purchasing Christian Schramm presented the latest news about the Zott brands, investments, milk development and the milk market to the young farmers in the Continental Arena's Communication Center. A tour of Deutsche Tiernahrung Cremer's (Deuka) two Regensburg-based feed factories also gave the farmers a direct insight into how concentrate feeds are produced.  

In various presentations and discussion groups, the interested farm successors were informed about and discussed the latest dairy farming topics and issues. These included, for example, water treatment for dairy farms, udder health with the Zott programme "Naturally more milk" and cost reductions through more efficient feed. The young farmers were able to ask questions and discuss the issues raised with the speakers – cattle breeder Claus Pilhofer, veterinarians Dr Christian Fidelak and Dr Peter Klocke from Bovicare, and Gaby Harr and Georg Riewenherm from Deuka, as well as Christine Weber, Christian Schramm and Zott's supplier advisors.  

The "Dairy Day" for farm successors is held annually at varying locations in Zott's milk sourcing region. The event combines the elements of further training, discussion and practical insights. Questions regarding the joint future of dairies and the next generation of milk producers are discussed in open dialogues.

Insights into feed production practices on a tour of the Deuka factories.

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