Production and filling of dairy products as well as cheese affinage and processing for Migros and third-party customers
Elsa Group SA
Estavayer-le-Lac (CH) · Seewen (CH) · Diemtigen (CH)New on Amplifa
About Elsa Group
Elsa Group SA, based in Estavayer-le-Lac, is a company of Migros Industrie and one of the largest industrial operations in the Swiss dairy industry. The company produces and fills milk, milk drinks, cream, yoghurts, cheese, fresh cheese, quark and milk-based desserts; in addition, colonial goods such as mayonnaise, salad sauces, barbecue and side-dish sauces as well as vinegar are produced. The main customers are the Migros cooperatives; selected products are sold under the export label Swiss Delice, and Elsa also produces for third-party customers such as Coop and Alnatura. As of 2024, Elsa Group is the third-largest dairy in Switzerland in terms of the volume of milk processed. In 2025, the group employed 1139 staff plus 49 apprentices and offered around 2000 products. The central production and logistics site is located in Estavayer-le-Lac; further production and filling sites exist in Seewen and Diemtigen.
- Site
- Estavayer-le-Lac, Switzerland
- Processes
- Production and filling of dairy products, Cheese affinage and processing, Processing of plant-based proteins (vegan meat substitutes, until sale of SoFine in 2025), Production for third parties (including Coop, export label Swiss Delice)
- Materials
- Dairy products, Cheese, Colonial goods
- Certificates
- Member of IG Bio, Member of VMI
- Founded
- 1955 (as
- Employees
- 1139 (plus 49
- Industries
- Dairy/Milk processing, Food industry, Retail (Migros), Export (DE, FR, USA, Australia, Benelux)
- 01
Milk intake and processing
- 02
Production and filling of dairy products
- 03
Cheese affinage and processing
- 04
Production of colonial goods (sauces, mayonnaise, vinegar)
- 05
Logistics and distribution
Products and Processes
Dairy products
Production and filling of milk, milk drinks, cream, yoghurts, quark and desserts.
Cheese
Affinage and processing of cheese and fresh cheese.
Colonial goods
Production of mayonnaise, salad, barbecue and side-dish sauces as well as vinegar.
Sites
Estavayer-le-Lac
CHHeadquarters, central production and logistics site
- Materials
- Dairy products, colonial goods
Seewen
CHProduction (Schwyzer Milchhuus; Rothenthurm/Brunnen plants closed in 2025)
- Materials
- Dairy products
Diemtigen
CHMilk filling plant (with Aaremilch AG / Migros Aare)
- Materials
- Drinking milk
Inside the production
Industries
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
As a company of Migros Industrie, Elsa Group produces in accordance with the applicable food standards; it is a member of IG Bio and of the Association of the Swiss Dairy Industry (VMI).
| Evidence | Estavayer-le-Lac |
|---|---|
| Member of IG Bio | |
| Member of VMI |
History
- 1955
Founded as Conserves Estavayer SA by the Migros Cooperative Federation
- 1956
Start of canning operations (peas, beans, pickled gherkins, spinach, jam)
- 1960
Start of milk production
- 1968
First Swiss company with pasteurised milk in Tetra Paks
- 1998
Renamed Estavayer Lait SA (ELSA)
- 1999
Foundation of the ELSA-Mifroma Group
- 2003
Estavayer-le-Lac becomes the central production and logistics site; closure of all other sites
- 2005
622 employees, revenue CHF 657 million
- 2010
Stake in Schwyzer Milchhuus AG
- 2016
Majority stake in Idhéa (Hochfelden, Alsace) acquired
- 2017
Stake in Schwyzer Milchhuus increased to 60%; exit from the BOM
- 2019
Acquisition of SoFine Foods (Netherlands); new milk filling plant in Diemtigen
- 2022
Acquisition of 50% of Aaremilch AG and 100% of Simmental Switzerland AG
- 2023
Renamed Elsa Group SA; merger of Mifroma SA into the group
- 2024
Third-largest dairy in Switzerland by volume of milk processed
- 2025
Merger of Schwyzer Milchhuus, Dörig Käsehandel and Simmental Switzerland into the group; sale of SoFine to NOC; closure of the Rothenthurm/Brunnen plants
- 2026
Re-entry into the BOM (March); sale of Idhéa to Gyma (January); leadership taken over by Giovanna Maurer