1909 : Jules Mallet opened a dairy, in Condé sur Sarthe in Normandy, producing butter. He soon started making cheese. The dairy enjoyed steady growth and was unaffected by the two World Wars.   In Auvergne 1970 : Cheese-makers from a dairy cooperative in Auvergne travelled to Switzerland to learn how to make Raclette cheese. 1973 : They launched the product with French cheesemongers by combining the loan of a Raclette grill with sale of the cheese. 1975 : They suggested to Tefal that it should develop a "family" Raclette grill. Riches Monts and Tefal then proceeded to make their first advertising films together. It was the start of a long story.   In Normandie 1975 : Jean Verrier, a remarkable master cheese-maker developed an inimitable Camembert called Le Rustique. About the same time the business was taken over by UCALM (Union des Coopératives Agricoles Laitières du Maine).   In Lorraine 1952 : Union Laitière en Lorraine started the factory in Bénestroff. By the end of the year Union Laitière was producing its first Munster cheeses. 1968 : Lisbeth, a little Lorraine girl, appeared on the label of Munster cheeses. She has since become a celebrity all over France.   And since then ... 1990 : Start of Sodiaal, the leading cooperative group in France, resulting from the merger of six cooperatives. Cheese production was regrouped into two companies. Soft cheese from the north of France were managed by Ideval and cheeses from the south - appellation contrôlée cheeses from Auvergne and Raclette - by Prodiaal. 1992 : To further consolidate the company, Prodiaal was integrated with Ideval, whose head office is in Metz. The same year Ideval took over the cheese-making activity of St Hubert Révérend and Tempé-Lait purchasing the factory at St Girons and the Montségur brand. 1994 : Ideval was incorporated as a limited company (société anonyme). 1998 : Ideval changed its name to Fromageries Riches Monts. With 62 000 tonnes marketed every year, 8 factories and 1 100 employees and 46% of production by volume sold abroad the company confirms its status as a European company.