Dairy Farmers of America to acquire Agropur facility

KANSAS CITY — Dairy Farmers of America (D.F.A.) has reached an agreement to acquire the St. Paul, Minn., dairy facility of Agropur, Inc. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The facility makes a variety of fresh, extended shelf life and aseptic dairy products for retailers and organic milk brands.

 “This acquisition offers an opportunity to grow our customer base while strengthening our processing capabilities for existing customers and diversifies our product portfolio,” said Patrick Panko, senior vice-president and chief operating officer for D.F.A.’s Fluid Milk and Ice Cream Division.

Douglas Simon, president of Agropur, said the transaction is well aligned with the company’s long-term strategic plans.

“D.F.A. is a tremendous organization with strong cultural and business ideations that marry well with those of Agropur’s cooperative roots,” Mr. Simon said. “Our focus has been and will always be meeting the needs of our customers and being strategic in our investments toward complementary growth areas.”

D.F.A. is a national, farmer-owned dairy cooperative that supports more than 14,500 farmers.

Agropur, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agropur Cooperative, has 3,290 members and 8,300 employees who process more than 13 billion lbs of milk per year at 39 plants across North America.