Theo Müller
Theo Müller | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 29, 1940 Aretsried, Germany |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Leader of the dairy enterprise Müller |
Theo Müller (born January 29, 1940) is a prominent German entrepreneur and the leader of the dairy enterprise Müller, originally founded by his grandfather.
Early life
Theo Müller was born in 1940 in Aretsried, Germany. He is the son of Alois Müller.
Career
The dairy firm was initiated in 1896 by Ludwig Müller, Theo’s grandfather, in Aretsried, Bavaria. Alois Müller took charge in 1938, and Theo assumed leadership in 1971 when the company employed merely four people.
Currently, the Theo Müller Group has expanded its operations beyond dairy products into sectors such as packaging (Optipack), logistics (Culina Group), transportation (Fahrzeugtechnik Aretsried), fruit processing (Muller Naturfarm), and also manages the fish restaurant chain (Nordsee). The group has recently acquired companies specializing in chilled salads, sauces, dressings, specialty fish items, and baked goods.
In 2012, the group purchased Robert Wiseman Dairies, which provides 30% of fresh milk to the UK market, for £280 million. Two years later, it acquired the milk division of Dairy Crest for £80 million to bolster its market share. Theo Müller commented that this acquisition would improve competitiveness and ensure that quality products remain affordable.
Ownership remains solely with Müller. As of 2015, Ronald Kers is the CEO, having succeeded Heiner Kamps. The company employs more than 20,000 individuals.
Personal life
Müller is a father to nine children: seven with his former wife Hanna Bittmann and two with his partner Ines Hüvel. His oldest son, Stefan Müller, holds a position on the board of the Theo Müller Group.
In 1995, he survived an attempted kidnapping and returned to his professional duties on the same day. Since 2003, he has lived in Erlenbach, Switzerland, motivated in part by Germany’s inheritance tax rate of 30%.
Both Müller and his company have been accused of connections to right-wing extremism since 1989; however, they have consistently denied any links to right-wing political groups.