Dairy cooperatives to merge

US - The boards of directors of two leading Midwest dairy cooperatives have approved a plan to merge.
calendar icon 20 February 2007
clock icon 1 minute read
The dairy farmer-owners of North Dakota-based Cass-Clay Creamery Inc. and Minnesota-based Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) will form one cooperative.

The merger will create a farmer-owned dairy marketing company with more than $1 billion in annual sales. Together, the cooperatives will provide a complete line of dairy products to a regional and national marketplace.

“This merger is an exciting development for the farmer-owners, employees and customers of Cass-Clay,” said Keith Pagel, Cass-Clay president and general manager. “It will position us for long-term success in the dairy industry through gained efficiencies and the ability to offer a complementary line of dairy products to the marketplace.”

Cass-Clay is a recognized dairy brand in the upper Midwest. AMPI is a private label manufacturer of consumer-packaged cheese, butter, instant milk and shelf-stable dairy products.

“To compete in a rapidly consolidating food industry, Midwest dairy farmers and their cooperatives must look for new ways to work together,” AMPI General Manager Mark Furth said.

“This merger further illustrates our commitment to Midwest dairy farmers,” added Paul Toft, chairman of the AMPI Board of Directors and a Rice Lake, Wis., dairy farmer. “AMPI is solely focused on making the Midwest the best place to produce milk.”

Source: Shakopee Valley News
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