160 YEARS OF HISTORY

By adopting the status of a mission-led company, the Bel Group and its family shareholders reaffirm their long-term vision, where profitability and responsibility are closely linked. Its purpose is embedded in its bylaws: to provide access to healthier and more sustainable food for everyone. Alongside the adoption of the purpose-driven company status, Bel is launching "We Share," its global employee shareholding plan.

Cécile Béliot has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Antoine Fiévet will continue as Chairman of the Board. This new governance aims to support the Group's ambition to become the leading reference in healthy snacking, leveraging a portfolio of strong and popular brands.

This year is a game-changer for the Group as it expands beyond cheese products to become a leader in healthy snacking. It acquires MOM, rebranded as Materne by Bel in 2023. Leveraging a century of expertise in fruity and dairy desserts, Materne by Bel launches popular brands like GoGo SqueeZ®, Materne®, and Mont Blanc® in France.

Under the dynamic leadership of Antoine Fiévet, Chairman of the Group, Bel is picking up the pace. He is spearheading exciting innovations in CSR initiatives, aligning them with the inspiring mission "For All. For Good." This vision comes to life through an expanded range of offerings, featuring diverse fruit and plant-based products.

The year 1970 marked Bel's entry into the North American market with the opening of its first subsidiary in the United States. The Group also established a foothold in Africa with a production plant in Morocco in 1974. Starting in 2001, expansion continued into the Middle East, North Africa, and all the way to China. The very first The Laughing Cow® factory in Asia was built in 2011, and a Babybel® plant began operations in the United States in 2013

Starting in 1968, the Bel Group significantly expanded its presence in Europe by establishing a subsidiary in the Netherlands and integrating Fromageries Picon into the group. In 1973, they launched Bel UK and Bel Suisse SA, followed by numerous acquisitions in Italy and Eastern Europe.

Robert Fieet sparked a new momentum. The launch of the Bonbel brand broadened the product range, and Fromageries Bel officially became the Bel Group. Behind this name change, the heritage vision remains, providing stability and longevity for a long-term development strategy. Even today, the Bel Group is mostly owned by the founding families through the Unibel family holding company.

Bel's first subsidiary outside of France was established in 1929 in the United Kingdom, just eight years after The Laughing Cow® was created. From then on, nothing could stop the rise of products praised for their modern taste, preservation abilities, and durability during transport (thanks to clever manufacturing processes and packaging). Initially present in Western Europe, the Group expanded in the 1970s to the United States and Morocco, and later ventured into Syria, Japan, and China.

Still kicking and far from its iconic portions, the revolution is already underway: The Laughing Cow® is shaking up the market with a radically innovative product, combining a bold recipe with an irresistibly creamy texture. The stroke of genius? In 1924, the triangular portions and the iconic Red Cow instantly established a unique bond with consumers. So triumphant that by 1933, it joined the Tour de France caravan!

A foundational chapter in the history of French cheese is written with the birth of this modest family establishment, which becomes Bel Frères in 1897, founded by Jules Bel's sons, Henri and Léon. Léon makes a groundbreaking discovery in 1917: the Swiss technique of cheese melting. This innovation allows for better preservation and easier transport of the product. This was a turning point for the company, as Léon Bel founded Fromageries Bel in 1922 and ventured into the world of industrial cheese production.