1888
The first dairy is founded by 47 members with a loan of 260 Danish kroner and a deposit of half a Danish kroner per cow – a total of 135 cows. The farmers mainly produce butter and milk, and the first chairman is J.K. Jensen, who also works as a schoolteacher.
1912
2600 Danish kroner is invested in building a new dairy in Them. More farmers join the dairy, and more than 2 million litres of milk are weighed-in annually. Butter and milk are still the most important types of products, but small quantities of cheese are now being put into production.
1950
A new dairy is built – this time in the town of Them, where the dairy is still located to this day. The investment of 1,000,000 kroner includes a better water supply, which enables cheese production on a larger scale. However, milk and cream for export, together with butter, still remain the most important products.
1969
Funder Dairy, which includes 80 farmers with a total of 2 million litres of milk, joins Them Andelsmejeri. Shortly afterwards, the farmers from Katrinedal with 2.5 million litres of milk are also admitted. This creates growth and new opportunities – a new era for the dairy has begun.
1970’erne
More and more farmers from other merged dairies join Them Andelsmejeri, including Ry, Låsby, Nørre Snede, Alderslyst, Silkeborg and Gludsted-Ejstrupholm. Cheese now becomes the primary product, and among other things, investments are made in milk trucks and a new tunnel facility. In 1979, the production of milk for sale to the public is terminated.
1984
A fully automated cheese press plant is installed, at the time the most advanced in the country. The following year, butter production stops on a larger scale. However, a small amount of butter is still produced for local sale – and remains so to this day.
1988
Them Andelsmejeri weighs-in 20 million litres of milk, triple that of 25 yearspreviously. Production is concentrated on several well known Danbo cheeses, such as Fætter Kras. The newly established wholesale company Them Ost – Werner Ost provides nationwide supply.
2011
The Crystal Cheese is launched and becomes the starting point for a number of new special hard cheeses – an addition to the current range of Danbo cheeses.
2017
Them’s organic cheeses are certified by Dyrenes Beskyttelse (Denmark’s largest and oldest animal welfare organisation). The export company Dairy 1888 is founded in order to accommodate the demand for milk powder and cheese from Asia, primarily China. The milk powder is manufactured by the two brands, Them 1888 and Sommerbjerg (the latter is the name of one of our organic farms).
2018
Torben Aarris is named CEO of Them Andelsmejeri and a new era begins.
Them’s Danbo cheeses are awarded the BGM (Protected Geographical Indication) label by the EU, and Them Andelsmejeri and Dairy 1888 the first dairy in the world to receive a certificate to sell organic cheeses to China.
2019
The number of farmers goes from 26 to 13 – a decision made to ensure that the dairy holds a strong position for future growth and development. The reduction of farmers makes Them Andelsmejeri more flexible and market oriented. A mutually beneficial agreement ensures a calm and gradual farewell to the farmers who do not continue as members.
The dairy also invests in an RO plant for the purpose of reverse osmosis. The plant filters the water from the whey and concentrates the most valuable compounds of the milk, reducing the volume of the whey. More specifically, this means the number of weekly trips by truck can be reduced from five to one. This benefits both the climate and the residents of the area.
2020 – Present
Them Andelsmejeri relaunches its entire cheese range, introducing a new packaging design and new names. The aim is to ensure that more consumers become familiar with our high-quality cheeses. Dairy 1888 begins to export organic infant formula to China, and within two years a larger range of related products will be introduced.