Tight-knit, that is the best word to describe the collaboration between FrieslandCampina and Melkweg|Fritom. And that makes sense, knowing that the companies have been working together for over 50 years. Over time they built a solid foundation for a sustainable future: “Melkweg|Fritom is an important link between our dairy farmer members and dairy factories”, says Manager Milk Logistics Hans Wieleman.
FrieslandCampina is a dairy company with a rich history. In 1872, a group of dairy farmers in the northern part of Holland started a cooperation. Since then, it has grown into a dairy company that sells products to over 100 countries, thus making its mark in feeding the world population. FrieslandCampina produces and sells consumer products like dairy beverages, child nutrition, cheeses, and desserts, but they also make ingredients and half-fabricates for manufacturers of child nutrition, the food industry, and the pharmaceutical industry. FrieslandCampina to this day is still owned by the cooperation, which 11.104 dairy farmers from The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany are affiliated with. This way they control the whole chain, from the start at the farm to the end product at the dinner table of the consumer.
The collaboration with Melkweg|Fritom goes back over half a century. At the end of the 1960s, a factory in the city of Bolsward, The Netherlands, asked companies whether they wanted to invest in bulk milk pickup and transportation. The Doorenbos, Veenstra, and Wiersma families took this opportunity to start a company called Melkweg – with one driver and 6 farmers. In 7 years’ time the company grew to a fleet of 20 tankers.