Swiss dairy company Emmi has increased its stake in the Netherlands’ AVH Dairy Trade amid a continuing focus on goat’s milk products.
Emmi has held a stake in AVH – a trader of sheep’s milk and goat’s milk products based in Bergen, north of Amsterdam – since January 2013. The Swiss company is now increasing that stake from 75% to 90%, while the remaining 10% will continue to be held by AVH’s founder.
The Dutch company manufactures a range of products based on sheep’s and goat’s milk – including cheese, milk powder and protein concentrates. It distributes to customers in the EU, US and Asia and turned over €35 million in sales during 2017.
The value of Emmi’s increased stake has not been disclosed.
Goat’s milk processors and producers continue to be important to Emmi, which has previously called the category “one of the most attractive niches in the international dairy industry”.
In January 2016, it took a 60% stake in Dutch dairy producer Bettinehoeve, which is the largest producer of fresh and ripened goat’s cheese in the Benelux region.
Then, at the beginning of 2017, Emmi agreed a deal for US goat’s milk processor Jackson-Mitchell, which markets goat’s milk products under the Meyenberg brand and supplies fresh, evaporated and powdered goat’s milk to the US market.
In 2016, it also took an 80% stake in Lacteos Caprinos, a Spanish manufacturer of goat’s milk cheese.
It is not the only dairy company backing goat’s milk: Saputo has invested heavily into the category. In November, the Canadian dairy company agreed to acquire US goat’s cheese manufacturer Montchevre, broadening its presence in speciality cheeses.
That followed the $80 million acquisition of North American goat’s cheese manufacturer Woolwich Dairy in October 2015.
More recently, it has diversified within the speciality cheeses market by acquiring Shepherd Gourmet Dairy, an Ontario-based manufacturer of speciality cheeses and yogurts.
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