 | |
| Industry | Chocolatier |
|---|---|
| Founded | Latvia (1870) |
| Founder | Theodor Riegert |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Daumants Vītols (majority shareholder of Nordic Food) |
| Products | Confectionery |
| Revenue |  LVL7.71 Million (FY 2011) [1] |
 LVL681.9 Thousand (FY 2011) [1] | |
Number of employees | 620 |
| Parent | Orkla Group |
| Website | laima |
Laima is the largest producer of confectionery in Latvia. Its named after Laima, the goddess of fate in Latvian mythology and headquartered in Riga.
The company traces its origins to the 19th century when the Theodor Riegert company was one of the largest confectioners in the Baltic Provinces of the Russian Empire. Despite the loss of Russian markets, the company maintained its major market position domestically following Latvia's independence in 1918. [2]
The current company name was adopted in 1925 after a merger with two brothers Eliyahu and Leonid Fromenchenko (also spelled Fromchenko). In 1933 Eliyahu Fromchenko founded Elite in Israel at Ramat Gan. [3]
In 1937, the company was sold to the Government of Latvia. During both the 1930s and Soviet period in Latvia, Laima was the main chocolatier in Latvia, with L.W. Goegginger (later renamed Uzvara) being the main producer of hard candies.
After Latvia regained its independence in the 1990s, Laima merged with both Uzvara and cookie, wafer, and cake manufacturer Staburadze to become a single company under the Laima name.
Unlike similar regional producers of national brands, such as Lithuania's Karūna, Sweden's Marabou, and Norway's Freia, Laima wasn't bought out by an international player like Kraft Foods. Ownership of Laima is controlled by Nordic Food, owned by local businessman Daumants Vītols. [4] After introducing Laima shares to the Riga Stock Exchange in December 2006, the controlling owners decided to once again make the company private, taking it off the market on 13 July 2007. [5] The parent company of Laima was acquired by Orkla Group in August 2014. [6]
The product in Laima's current range with the longest history is the chocolate candy Serenāde, the recipe for which has remained unchanged since 1937.
In Riga, one of the major landmarks is the Laima Clock, near the Freedom Monument. This is a classic meeting place for people in Riga.
As a publicity gesture, in 2007, Laima gave the inhabitants of Ruhnu island in the Gulf of Riga a 40 kg statue of a bear made of chocolate, to commemorate a brown bear that had swum over, presumably from the Latvian mainland, to the Estonian island. [7]
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi), with a population of 1.9 million. The country has a temperate seasonal climate. Its capital and largest city is Riga. Latvians belong to the ethnolinguistic group of the Balts and speak Latvian, one of the only two surviving Baltic languages. Russians are the most prominent minority in the country, at almost a quarter of the population.
The history of Latvia began around 9000 BC with the end of the last glacial period in northern Europe. Ancient Baltic peoples arrived in the area during the second millennium BC, and four distinct tribal realms in Latvia's territory were identifiable towards the end of the first millennium AD. Latvia's principal river Daugava, was at the head of an important trade route from the Baltic region through Russia into southern Europe and the Middle East that was used by the Vikings and later Nordic and German traders.
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Strauss Group Ltd., formerly known as Strauss-Elite, is an Israeli manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods sold through retail stores. It is among the largest food manufacturers in Israel. Strauss Group focuses on dairy products, coffee, water, snacks, salads, and dips. Its subsidiary Strauss Coffee is a leading coffee company in Eastern Europe and Brazil. Strauss Group is a public company traded in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, with the majority of its shares (57%) being owned by the Strauss family.
The Freedom Monument is a monument located in Riga, Latvia, honouring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of Latvia. Unveiled in 1935, the 42-metre (138 ft) high monument of granite, travertine, and copper often serves as the focal point of public gatherings and official ceremonies in Riga.
The Latvian Song and Dance Festival is one of the largest amateur choral and dancing events in the world, and an important event in Latvian culture and social life.
The Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders, unofficially known simply as the Victory Monument, was a memorial complex in Victory Park, Pārdaugava, Riga, Latvia, erected in 1985 to commemorate the Red Army soldiers that recaptured Riga and the rest of Latvia at the end of World War II (1944–1945). The complex consisted of a 79-metre tall obelisk that consisted of five columns topped by five-pointed star, and two groups of sculptures – Homeland the Mother and a band of three soldiers.
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Olainfarm AS is a Latvian leading manufacturer in the chemical and pharmaceutical sector of the Baltic States.
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Jānis Mediņš was a Latvian composer.
The Laima Clock is a landmark in central Riga, Latvia. Its location between the Old Town and the Centre commercial district has made it a landmark of the city.
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