ALBALACT is the only Romanian dairy producer established in the old communist industry, which, only a few years after launching its first brand, became one of the top four players on the Romanian dairy market. The Albalact factory was opened in 1975, in a period during which the communist regime wanted for every district in Romania to develop its own food industry. This is where the name of the company comes from: Alba-lact. In 1999, after reaching the edge of bankruptcy, without investments and technology, the state-owned factory was privatised and became a stock company with entirely private capital. The Ciurtin family from Alba Iulia bought the majority share stock.

Only a few years after being privatised, with modern investments and a consolidated marketing strategy, Albalact launched its first local brand - Fulga - which rapidly gained a huge image capital, becoming one of the most appreciated Romanian brands. Fulga was the first animated Romanian brand built around a character who talks and jokes. Fulga became a symbol for children, the symbol of the congenial, witty but at the same time childish and playful cow. In 5 years, Fulga underwent important changes in packaging and image, brought innovative products on the market, addressing especially families and children and in 2009 entered the yogurt market. During this time Fulga remained the child we know: a trustworthy little cow offering good milk and providing answers to all their questions.

In 2005 the management of the company decided it was time for more important changes. At the time, Albalact underwent a complex rebranding process. Albalact needed to relate in a different way to the competitive environment it had entered. The corporate visual identity was recreated, by adding a heart, a cow’s udder and a milk stream - as a corporate promise to offer “everything that is best from milk”. The new Albalact corporate brand was on the one hand inspired by the tradition on the market of fresh products and on the other hand - by the quality of products coming mainly from the region which is known to be a huge area of quality milk and from the milk processing technology. On this occasion, the company also registered the homonym brand “De Albalact”, under which it sales various fresh dairy products.

Furthermore, Albalact benefited from successive capital increases and significant investments, the management was consolidated and a long-term development strategy was developed.

One year later, Albalact also launched the brand Zuzu, which was designed in the same friendly and playful tone like Fulga and also rapidly won over consumers. Zuzu underwent a rebranding process this year, which gave it a fresher vegetable image and reinforced its rational arguments. The feathers on the packaging were replaced by vivid flower petals.

The years 2007 and 2008 meant for Albalact major investments and a consolidation of the position as a modern Romanian company with European vision. Albalact opened the gates of the new factory in Oiejdea in the Alba district - one of Central and Eastern Europe’s largest and most modern greenfield investments.

In the factory in Oiejdea, Albalact processes milk and dairy products under its three brand names - Fulga, Zuzu and De Albalact.

Albalact followed its development plans and bought the majority stocks of the company Raraul in Campulung Moldovenesc in 2008 in order to enter the cheese segment. The Raraul factory in Campulung has a long tradition in the field of cheese production and is the only one in the country accredited to export its products to the European Union. Today, Albalact holds 96.46% of the shares of Raraul Campulung Moldovenesc.

RARAUL SA Campulung Moldovenesc was privatised in 1994 in one of the first MEBO (Management Employee Buyouts) acquisitions in the Romanian dairy industry. S.C. Raraul S.A. has over 30 years of tradition in cheese production, including traditional products like yellow cheese, fresh and white cheese, produces milk, butter and milk powder under the same name brand Raraul.

As a natural consequence of the acquisition, Albalact launched Raraul brand in 2010 and together with it a diverse range of milk and cheese products manufactured according to Romanian recipes, which combine experience and tradition from Bucovina with modern quality and technology. By launching Raraul dairy products, Albalact has transformed a local brand into a national brand, with a new image and a new market positioning concept. Raraul speakes about being natural, about health, beauty, travel and represents everything that is special in Bucovina.