Lallemand History

Lallemand was founded in Montreal at the end of the nineteenth century by a young immigrant from Alsace, Fred "Lallemand". He built a plant in Montreal in 1915, and production of baker's yeast started there in 1923. The plant is still in use today and site of the Lallemand's administrative offices. Roland Chagnon acquired the Lallemand business in 1952 and his family is still the current owner. Other milestones in Lallemand history are:

• 1952-1970
  In addition to baker's yeast, Lallemand expands into the production and distribution of ingredients and products for Canadian industrial, institutional and consumer food markets.
• 1970-72
  With trade liberalisation, yeast imports into Canada surge threatening local yeast industry.
  Lallemand responds by focusing all efforts on the production and marketing of yeasts and a selected items to industrial bakers, divesting of all unrelated activities.
• 1972 
  Initial exports of  dry baker's yeast.
• 1973 
  First production of  distiller's yeast.
• 1974 
  Start of production of wine yeast for Californian markets.
• 1977 
  First major expansion of Montréal Préfontaine plant.
  Initial exports of wine yeasts to Europe.
• 1981
  Second expansion of Montréal Préfontaine plant and start of fresh baker's yeast export to USA.
• 1983
  Establishment of permanent European sales office in Toulouse, France.
• 1985
  Initial production of malolactic cultures for Champagne, supplied by Institut Rosell.
• 1986
  Acquisition of specialty salts of organic acids producer Macco Organiques Inc., including  its production facilities.
• 1988 
  Acquisition of bacteria plant in Aurillac, France,  yeast drying facilities in Denmark and the Uvaferm wine yeast business.
• 1989
  Acquisition of  American Yeast, with plants in Baltimore, Maryland, and major expansion of this plant.
• 1990
  Start of Levucell^TM and Bactocell^TM product development as animal probiotics.
• 1993 
  Establishment of North American technical sales office to serve animal nutrition industry. 
• 1994
  Initial investment in baker's yeast plant in Estonia (Salutaguse Pãrmitehas).
• 1995
  Acquisition of  Gist-Brocades North American baker's yeast and ingredients business, including yeast plant in Bakersfield, California.
  Major expansion at Montréal Préfontaine and Baltimore plants.
• 1997 
  Acquisition of  Alimentos Framex in Tultitlán (Mexico City), now named Lallemand Mexico. Acquisition of  the specialty yeast technologies of Primalco Biotec in Finland (mineral enriched yeasts and patent for glycerol yeast).
• 1998
  Expansion of North American animal nutrition activities with the acquisition of Laporte Biochem International's US feed ingredients business.
  Expansion of human nutrition activities with acquisition of Institut Rosell in Canada.
  Initial investment in baker's yeast plant in Vienna (Harmer Hefe).
• 1999 
  Expansion of European animal nutrition activities through the acquisition of the Santel team and production facilities.
  Creation of Hagold Hefe, a joint venture between Harmer Hefe (Austria) and Giegold Hefe (Germany), which acquires Old Herold Hefe in 2000, a Slovakian yeast producer.
• 2000-2001
  Major efforts launched to expand presence in brewing industry through acquisition of AB Vickers (United Kingdom) and majority shares of Siebel Institute (Chicago).
• 2001
  Acquisition of Scandi-Link (Denmark), a supplier of mineral enriched yeasts and other ingredients to the European human nutritional supplement industry.
• 2001-2002
  Start of construction of new baker's yeast plant in Memphis, Tennessee (production start in 2003), and expansion of Giegold yeast plant in Germany.
• 2002
  Acquisition of Biotal (UK and USA).
• 2003
  Start-up of newly constructed Memphis plant
• 2004
  Hagold Hefe acquires a baker's yeast producer, F.X. Wieninger, in Passau, Germany.
  Acquisition and integration of regional alcohol and distilling activities into Lallemand Ethanol Technology, targeted towards the fuel ethanol and distilling industries worldwide.
• 2006
  Further strenghtening of European baker's yeast Division presence with acquisition of three plants in Poland (Josefow, Lublin and Cracow), and of the yeast activities of Linco Hefe (Heilbronn, Germany), the facility of which will be transformed into a distribution center
  Establishment of Lallemand South Africa Division through acquisition of Rymco Pty Ltd, a well establisehd South African yeast producer (baker's and specialty yeasts).
  Acquisition of the Finnish yeast producer Suomen Hiiva Oy and its baker's yeast facility in Lahti, Finland.
• 2007
  Acquisition of the Brazilian company Katec Agrotecnica, specializing in silage additives for the agricultural market.
  Strengthening of Animal Nutrition Division's presence on the European market via the acquisition of Metall- und Farben GmbH (Austria), a long time distributor of Lallemand products on Eastern European markets.
  Acquisition of De Danske Gærfabrikker AS in Grenå producing molasses alcohol and baker's yeast for the Danish market, as well as specialty yeasts and yeast extracts and derivatives for the Lallemand Specialty Division.
• 2008
  Creation of Lallemand Pharma International AG (Zug, Switzerland), new affiliate dedicated to pharmaceutical products.
  Acquisition of Finnish Verdera Oy, specializing in biological solutions for the horticulture and forestry segments.
  
  
  These acquisitions have been accompanied by on-going product innovations, plant investments, and a growing team of technical sales specialists. Together they have made Lallemand a leading supplier to selected markets for specialty yeast and bacteria.
  

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