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FoodBev Media
17 December 2008
Agropur expands its US presence
Agropur, Canada's largest dairy cooperative, has reached an agreement to acquire Schrœder Milk, a milk processing company located in Minnesota, US.
"This most recent acquisition is in line with Agropur's growth strategy and is the first US venture for Agropur Division Natrel, our fluid milk division," said Agropur CEO Pierre Claprood. "We plan to use it to build a strong foundation for continued growth."
The operation will continue under the name Schrœder Milk and will be overseen by the current President Bob Kirchoff, who will report to the Vice President, Business Development for Division Natrel, Ken Hume. "Production will continue, brands will be maintained, employees will keep their jobs, and corporate management will maintain its course," said Hume.
"We are excited to become part of the Agropur family, which is known as a growth-oriented, industry innovator," said Kirchoff. "This is a win-win for our employees and customers. By merging our resources with Agropur, Schrœder will be able to grow more quickly than we could by remaining independent. We will also benefit from Agropur's extensive product research and development capabilities, which will enhance our ability to bring new products to market for our customers."
Schrœder is a 124-year-old provider of dairy products as well as contract and specialty food packaging. It process nearly 151 million litres of milk annually, which translates into $123m in sales.
Founded in 1938, the Agropur cooperative is the Canadian dairy industry leader with C$3bn in annualised sales. The new acquisition will give it 27 plants and numerous distribution centres and offices across Canada, the US and Argentina.
It processes more than 2.7 billion litres of milk annually and offers an array of products including such brands as Québon, Oka, Sealtest, Natrel, Island Farms, Yoplait, La Lacteo, Trega and now Schrœder.