History
Industrial processing of raw milk began at the end of the 19th century (the I. Wittmann & Son company was founded in 1891). The Wittmann family firm was quite successful in this undertaking and in 1947, I. Wittmann & Son launched the construction of a new dairy plant, which exists to this day and where dairy products continue to be produced.
In 1948, fundamental political changes took place in Czechoslovakia, which also had an adverse impact on the dairy company in Zvolen. I. Wittmann & Son ceased to exist and the company was put under government administration. Over time, as a result of a number of mainly political decisions, Banská Bystrica Dairies was opened, with its main office in Zvolen. In 1960, it became Stredoslovenské mliekarne, n.p (Central Slovakia Dairies) - also headquartered in Zvolen (and consisting of 11 plants, the Zvolen plant being one of them, and several offices within the former Central Slovakia Region). Then in 1987 the name was changed again to Stredoslovenské mliekarne, š. p., and it remained headquartered in Zvolen.
After the 1989 Velvet Revolution, once again radical social changes took place. As a result, Stredoslovenské mliekarne was broken up into several independent legal entities and began the decline of the Slovak dairy industry, a decline which lasts until today. Zvolenská mliekareň, š.p. (Zvolen Dairy) was founded in 1991 and later transformed into a joint-stock company. A direct descendent of the founders and owners of the Zvolen plant, Mrs. Katarína Wittmannová, entered the Zvolen Dairy organization in 1996.
In 1998 alongside Zvolenská mliekareň, a.s. was founded I. Wittmann & Son, a limited liability company. The plant was sold in 2001 to a French company, Bongrain SA and since 1 September 2005 our plant has been part of another French dairy company, Senoble.