KANSAS CITY, Kan.– Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Agropur announced today that they have entered into an agreement for DFA to acquire Agropur’s St. Paul, Minn., facility.
The acquisition by DFA, which is subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, will expand the farmer-owned cooperative’s extended shelf-life capabilities and introduce aseptic processing into its business portfolio.
“This acquisition offers an opportunity to grow our customer base while strengthening our processing capabilities for existing customers and diversifies our product portfolio,” says Pat Panko, Senior VicePresident and Chief Operating Officer for DFA’s Fluid Milk and Ice Cream Division.
Of the sale, Doug Simon, President of Agropur inc., stated, “DFA is a tremendous organization with strong cultural and business ideations that marry well with those of Agropur’s cooperative roots. Our focus has been and will always be meeting the needs of our customers and being strategic in our investments toward complementary growth areas. This transaction is well aligned with long-term strategic plans for both parties.”
The facility manufactures a variety of fresh, extended shelf-life and aseptic dairy products for well-known grocery store chains and organic milk brands. Employees will retain their current positions. In addition, the existing management team will continue to manage all day-to-day operations, including customer relationships, milk procurement and production. It is anticipated the transaction will close early in January.
About Dairy Farmers of America
Dairy Farmers of America is a national, farmer-owned dairy cooperative focusing on quality, innovation and the future of family dairies. While supporting and serving more than 14,500 family farmers, DFA works with some of the world’s largest food companies to develop ingredients that satisfy their customers’ cravings while staying committed to social responsibility and ethical farming. For more information, please visitdfamilk.com.
About Agropur Inc.
Agropur Inc., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agropur Cooperative, which is a North American dairy industry leader founded in 1938. With sales of $6.4 billion in 2017, Agropur is a source of pride to its 3,290 members and 8,300 employees who pursue its vision every day: “Better dairy. Better world.” Agropur processes more than 13 billion pounds of milk per year at its 39 plants across North America.