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Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) has announced the acquisition of two extended shelf-life (ESL) processing facilities from dairy manufacturer SmithFoods. The processing plants are located in Richmond, Indiana and Pacific, Missouri, and produce a variety of ESL dairy and non-dairy beverages, as well as ice cream and shake mixes, for both retail and foodservice customers. The facilities will become part of DFA's dairy brands division and will operate as Richmond Beverage Solutions and Pacific Dairy Solutions. According to DFA, there will be no disruption in plant operations, which will continue to be overseen day to day by the existing management team. Employees at the facilities will also retain their current positions. Pat Panko, executive vice president of DFA and president of DFA dairy brands North, said: "There is increasing consumer interest in extended shelf-life dairy products and this acquisition aligns with our strategy to increase commercial investments and expand our ownership in this space". Panko continued: "With the addition of these plants, we have an opportunity to not only grow our customer base, but also create synergies between our other extended shelf-life and aseptic facilities". The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.