History and structure

History and structure

History and structure

History of the company

MILCOM a.s. was established in 1991 as a legal successor of the former "State enterprise of scientific-technical, business and technical services", which was founded in 1989 as an enterprise combining service, research, consulting and auxiliary-manufacturing activities of the former general management of Dairy Industry concern. In the 1990s, the company was restructured and privatised. Since 1999 MILCOM a.s. has been privately owned by natural persons. Since the late 1990s, the company has concentrated its activities in its headquarters and three specialised plants:

 •    Dairy Research Institute and Laktoflora (Prague) - research, development and production of microbial cultures for the dairy and food industry
 •    Tábor divison - specific production for the food industry
 •    Service division in Dvůr Králové nad Labem - technical support and service activities

MILCOM a.s. continues to develop its activities in the dairy and food industry with an emphasis on innovation and professional services.

Dairy Research Institute and Laktoflora

For several decades, the Dairy Research Institute (DRI) and Laktoflora (LF) developed as separate entities closely linked to the dairy industry. After their integration into MILCOM a.s., they were merged organizationally, while maintaining their professional focus. DRI remains dedicated to research and development in the food industry, while LF specialises in the production of pure dairy cultures, testing aids and the preservation of the gene pool of dairy microorganisms. Their mutual cooperation has significantly deepened after the relocation of DRI to the premises of MILCOM a.s. in Prague 6 - Vokovice.

The Dairy Research Institute (DRI) is a specialized institute providing research services and professional support in the field of food industry. Its activities focus on two main areas: 

I. Contract activities - provides accredited chemical and microbiological analyses, consulting services for dairy laboratories and enterprises, solves technological challenges in dairy industry, develops new recipes and trains experts.

II. Research and development - it implements scientific projects focused on food quality and safety, new analytical methods, innovative technologies, development of products with higher nutritional value and health benefits. It cooperates with universities, research institutions and dairy companies in the Czech Republic and within the framework of international EU programmes.

The DRI cooperates closely with the Czech-Moravian Dairy Association and publishes the professional journal Mlékařské listy - zpravodaj, which brings news from the field and research results.

Laktoflora is a specialist manufacturer of dairy cultures and microbial preparations for the food industry, households and nutritional supplement manufacturers. It offers liquid, frozen and lyophilized cultures for the production of fermented dairy products and cheese. In addition to cultures, it provides microbial tests and phosphatests, which are widely used in the food industry due to their simplicity and speed.

The activities also includes the management of the Culture Collection of Dairy Microorganisms (CCDM) Lactoflora® and the Culture Collection of Dairy and Bakery Contaminants (CCDBC), which contribute to research, development and teaching. They contain hundreds of strains with unique technological properties and stability.

Tábor division

The MILCOM Tábor plant has specialised in the production of rennets since its foundation, which remains its main activity to this day. Over the years, the range of products has been significantly expanded, especially to include cultivating mediums for food and water laboratories and auxiliary substances for production and laboratory use. Since the 1990s, the plant has also focused on the custom production of baking and confectionery mixtures and mixtures for gastro-packing, thus extending its activities to other segments of the food industry.

Service division Dvůr Králové nad Labem

The beginnings of the company's engineering activities can be dated back to the early 1980s. At that time, a service workshop was established in Dvůr Králové nad Labem - the service plant as an auxiliary service workplace for NAGEMA (NDR) for the territory of the Czechoslovakia, the Polish People's Republic and other countries of the former Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. 10 years later, NAGEMA's activities in Germany were completely terminated, the plant was closed and all know-how, documentation, parts, products and other specific tools for NAGEMA's activities in the dairy sector were purchased by MILCOM a.s. Until 2002, the main activities of the plant consisted of the production of spare parts, repairs and overhauls of dairy machines, especially the original butter packers and milk centrifuges. Since 2002 the production of new generation PA1 machines has been started. Together with the development of primary packaging of products such as butter, curd, butter mixes, margarines, but also lard and other suitable paste products in film, the plant also produces equipment for subsequent cartoning.

In October 2023, the service division Dvůr Králové nad Labem was separated from MILCOM a.s. and a new company, MILCOM MILPACK s.r.o., was established. Subsequently, the majority ownership share was sold to PEBAL GROUP a.s.