"Our parents were farmers linked to milk production and we became cheese makers due to the challenge of creating a new business, which has been transformed over the last 20 years into what we are today: a group that is dedicated not only to the production of cheese and the development of new products, but also to the processing and packaging of cheese for various clients, who look to us for the installed capacity we have", began by pointing out Rogério Lourenço, who together with his brother, Luís Lourenço, and he highlights, "are the face of a team with almost 200 workers" who work in the group's two companies: Lourofood and Lactilouro.
In the last two years, the brand has invested around 6 million euros in new equipment and modernisation of premises, "which has allowed us to grow, hire new employees and leverage our investment in innovation and development of new products". Rogério Lourenço gave as an example of this path the fact that they are "the first in Portugal to produce organic cow cheese, with milk that we acquire here from local producers; we created our brand of lactose-free products and we have an internal team that is working, with clients and universities, on the creation of two new innovative products, to be launched at the beginning of next year".
The group has projects to invest another 7 million euros until 2025. "We want to grow and we direct part of our revenue to invest in equipment and expand our units," the administrator also revealed.
The visit of the Mayor was made within the Famalicão Created IN Route, with Mário Passos praising, "the capacity to transform entrepreneurs from a small business, through this entrepreneurial vein, innovating and developing new products, is now a reference in the production and processing of cheeses".
The Dom Villas brand, which has the Famalicão Made IN label "Product that is Ours", is one of the great references of the cheeses produced by the group, which has another of its target in the product transformation and packaging market. "Their strategic vision allows them, as we have seen here, to be a robust brand, which creates employment, generates wealth and adds value to the territory, in an example that we want to be contagious to others and an identity brand of our municipality", added Mário Passos.
The brand has focused on promotion in international markets, with Lactilouro cheeses in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Peru, in South Africa, Cape Verde, Lebanon and Macau, in addition to its presence in Europe, where it exports to almost every country.
