Global food industry player

Union of the strongest

We are Food Union – artisans of delightful products loved by people from Europe. Our global group of food companies relies on deep market insight, ongoing innovation and a genuine will to develop strong local brands and advance the wellbeing of our consumers.

Global food industry player

Ice cream champion in the Baltics and Denmark
Leading National positions in the ice cream market in Norway and Romania

Key figures

6

Countries & Production facilities

2500+

employees

1500+

products

EUR 290

million revenue

Our approach

Union of the strongest

We develop strong local brands of ice cream, dairy, pastry, convenience and frozen foods through heritage food companies in every market we operate in. At every step of product development we add value through innovation. Over time we have nurtured a strong passion for business intelligence: in order to be the food industry avant-garde, we gather market data, keep track of our product portfolio performance and closely observe consumer preferences when developing new and exciting products for our consumers to enjoy.

Our know-how

Ice Cream Competence Centre

We are proud of our ice cream competence centre that has been up and running from the comfort of Riga, Latvia, since 2019. The centre unites a team of international ice cream professionals in R&D, product technology, supply chain, quality, marketing, sales and logistics that share their knowledge and expertise with their Food Union colleagues to boost our performance globally.

It’s not about food, it’s about people!

People – our brand purpose! It drives us and unites us, keeping our operations consistent wherever we are represented.

Our values

Boldness.

We challenge ourselves to be bold – to analyse thoroughly, think innovatively and make bold yet calculated decisions. Combining competence, energy and endurance to move forward and succeed, we have made it to the forefront of our industry.

Commitment.

We fully assume our corporate social responsibility in contributing to sustainable growth and creating value for key stakeholders and society at large. For us, social commitment means professional, collaborative and honest action.

Fun.

We aim to inject a healthy dose of fun in everything we do! Happy people are creative and passionate, they inspire others to be better.

Our core team

Professionals beyond borders

Soren Lauridsen
Executive Chairman
Artūrs Čirjevskis
CEO Europe
Natalia Gelshtein-Kishsh
CEO of Alpin 57 Lux (Romania)
Aivar Aus
CEO of Premia TKH, (Estonia)
Alvydas Malakauskas
CEO of Premia KPC, (Lithuania)

Our Investors

Our expansion

Our expansion as a pan-European group of companies specializing in ice cream and other frozen treats has been propelled by the support of PAG Private Equity, a prominent global alternative investment firm, since 2017, serving as one of our investors. In early 2024, it was disclosed that PAG Private Equity has reached an agreement to secure a majority controlling interest in Food Union Europe. This agreement involves the acquisition of equity from the founder and other private stakeholders.

Our history

Valmieras piens (Latvia)

Dairy cooperative company founded in Valmiera

Rīgas piena kombināts (Latvia)

Foundation of Rīgas piena centrāle, the largest milk processing facility in Latvia at that time, in Valmieras Street 2 – the former production facility of Rīgas Piensaimnieks

Ingman Belarus (Belarus)

The Central Dairy cooperative, the first dairy factory in Gomel, is founded

Premier Is (Denmark)

Premier Is is founded by dairy technician Sigurd Sørensen, one of the pioneers of ice cream production in Denmark

Хладокомбинат №1 – (Russia)

An ice cream production is set up, and Ленхладокомбинат №1 becomes the first industrial producer of ice cream in Russia

Ingman Belarus (Belarus)

Among general dairy production, the production of ice cream starts

Rīgas piena kombināts (Latvia)

Rīgas piena centrāle renamed to Rīgas piena kombināts

Premia KPC (Lithuania)

One of the largest dairy and ice cream facilities in Lithuania, Kauno pieno centras, is founded

Хладокомбинат №1 – (Russia)

The first ice cream in a crispy cone is released – the forerunner of the current Sugar Tube bestseller

Ingman Belarus (Belarus)

New ice cream production lines are installed to enhance productivity

Rīgas Piensaimnieks (Latvia)

Beginning of curd snack production on the factory site in Valmieras Street 2, Riga

Rīgas Piensaimnieks (Latvia)

Start of mechanization of curd snack production

Premia TKH (Estonia)

Ice cream production started in the factory in St. Petersburg Road, Tallinn. This is the only ice cream production facility in Estonia up until 1990

Premier Is (Denmark)

The Astronaut ice cream is launched as a tribute to Laika the dog, sent around the Earth’s orbit by the Soviet Union

Isbjørn Is (Norway)

Isbjørn Is founded as a family-owned business right outside of Bergen, Norway

Rīgas piena kombināts (Latvia)

Constructions of the first production facility on the present factory site, Bauskas Street 180, Riga

Premier Is (Denmark)

Premier Is establishes a new production site at Sennelsvej in Thisted, where production is located today

Rīgas piena kombināts (Latvia)

Construction of a separate ice cream production facility in Bauskas Street 180. Recipe of legendary Pols ice cream created. Mass production of ice cream started.

Valmieras piens (Latvia)

Production facility built on the current production site and named Valmieras piena kombināts

Valmieras piens (Latvia)

Production facility built on the current production site and named Valmieras piena kombināts

Isbjørn Is (Norway)

First retail chain distribution agreement is in place

Premia TKH (Estonia)

The legendary Regatt ice cream is born as a special ice cream to mark the Moscow Olympics, the sailing regatta of which takes place in Tallinn Bay

Premia KPC (Lithuania)

Kauno pieno centras starts focusing exclusively on ice cream production and distribution

Rīgas Piensaimnieks (Latvia)

Foundation of limited liability company Rīgas Piensaimnieks

Rīgas piena kombināts (Latvia)

Foundation of the joint stock company Rīgas piena kombināts

Valmieras piens (Latvia)

Company is privatized and named Vidzemes piens JSC

Alpin57Lux (Romania)

The Alpin57Lux ice cream company is founded by the Istrate family in Sebes, Romania

Den Norske Isbilen (Norway)

Den Norske Isbilen is founded as one of the first food companies in Norway to offer direct delivery to customers

Premia KPC (Lithuania)

The decision is made to start selling and distributing various frozen products in addition to ice cream

Premia FFL (Latvia)

Frozen food distributing company FFL founded in Latvia

Alpin57Lux (Romania)

Production of a wide range of frozen pastry and bakery products is started

Valmieras piens (Latvia)

Company name is changed to Valmieras piens JSC

Premia FFL (Latvia)

Premia in Estonia acquires FFL

Premia KPC (Lithuania)

The Amber Trust II investment fund acquires Kauno pieno centras

Premia TKH (Estonia)

Premia acquires FFL, the biggest frozen goods distribution company in Latvia

Premia TKH (Estonia)

Premia acquires the Хладокомбинат №1 trademark in St. Petersburg, Russia

Premia KPC (Lithuania)

The company’s name changes to Premia KPC for wider recognition in the Baltics

Premia TKH (Estonia)

Premia Foods is founded

Ingman Belarus (Belarus)

Ingman Ice Cream JLLC is established at the production facilities of the Gomel factory with the participation of the Finnish company Ingman Ice Cream

Alpin57Lux (Romania)

Alpin57Lux starts the distribution of frozen vegetables

Ingman Belarus (Belarus)

Ingman Ice Cream becomes part of the Unilever Ver company

Food Union Group

Rīgas piena kombināts merges with Valmieras piens under the brand Food Union

Хладокомбинат №1 – (Russia)

Ленхладокомбинат №1 (Lenhladokombinat No.1) is established on the basis of the JSC Warehouses and a dry ice factory

Food Union Group

Food Union invests more than EUR 30 million into the modernization of production facilities and the acquisition of state-of-the-art production technologies

Den Norske Isbilen (Norway)

Following a business takeover, the company becomes the largest direct distributer of ice cream

Food Union Group

Food Union becomes the leading food and drinks company in Latvia

Food Union Group

Food Union acquires Premia TKH in Estonia, Premia KPC in Lithuania and Premia FFL in Latvia, becoming the leading ice cream manufacturer in the Baltic States

Food Union Group

Hladokombinat No.1, the ice cream company based in St. Petersburg, Russia, is acquired

Food Union Group

Food Union is the first dairy company in the Baltics to enter the Chinese market offering ice cream

Food Union Group

Three acquisitions are made by Food Union in three different markets – the Rīgas piensaimnieks dairy company in Latvia; Premier Is, the leading ice cream producer in Denmark; and Ingman, a strong Belarusian ice cream producer

Food Union China

Food Union enters China market

Den Norske Isbilen (Norway)

The Food Union Group acquires Den Norske Isbilen

Food Union Group

Food Union expands to two more markets by acquiring the ice cream producers Isbjorn Is in Norway and Alpin57Lux in Romania

Food Union China

Construction of two greenfield dairy factories starts in China, at Dongjing and the Inner Mongolia regions

Premier Is (Denmark)

Premier Is acquires Hjem Is

Food Union Group

The first National Ice Cream Festival is organised in Latvia, gathering together over 20,000 ice cream fans

Food Union China

Product laboratories start operating at the factory premises in China

Food Union Group

A new curd snack production facility with two modern production lines is open on the premises of Rīgas piena kombināts

Food Union China

Operation kick-off of both newly built factories in China

Food Union China

Food Union‘s dairy product brand Bravo Mama is launched on the Chinese market

Food Union China

Food Union’s dairy product brand Lakto Diamond is launched on the Chinese market

Isbjørn Is (Norway)

Isbjørn Is becomes a real national player within the ice cream market in Norway

Food Union Group

Isbjorn Is becomes the third biggest ice cream producer in Norway

Food Union China

Dairy product brand Limbažu piens is launched on the Chinese market

Food Union Group

Rīgas Piensaimnieks legally merges with Rīgas piena kombināts. Production moved from Valmieras Street 2 to the Rīgas piena kombināts and Valmieras piens facilities

Food Union Group

Hjem Is legally merges with Premier Is in Denmark. The new Premier Is company runs two major brands – Premier Is and Hjem Is

Food Union Group

Food Union launches 124 unique products for Summer 2021

Food Union Group

Food Union launched Yoghurt Cocktails as cross-category dairy snacking products

Food Union Group

Food Union legally separates European businesses from businesses in Russia and Belarus

Food Union Group

Food Union products receive five awards at Riga Food 2021 competitions

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