With the acquisition, which must first meet closing conditions, the farmer’s cooperative will expand its shelf-life capabilities and add aseptic processing to its portfolio. The Rice Street facility manufactures extended-life and aseptic dairy products for grocery store chains and organic milk brands. Aseptic products are shelf-stable.
The roughly 200 employees who work at the facility will keep their jobs and management will continue to oversee daily operations, officials said Monday.
“This acquisition offers an opportunity to grow our customer base while strengthening our processing capabilities for existing customers and diversifies our product portfolio,” said Pat Panko, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Dairy Farmers of America’s Fluid Milk and Ice Cream Division.
The sale is expected to close in early January.