Agropur announces Lake Norden, South Dakota cheese plant expansion
Appleton, Wisconsin, February 27, 2018
Agropur today announced that it has broken ground on a substantial expansion of its cheese manufacturing facility in Lake Norden, South Dakota. This project should, upon completion, increase the plant’s daily milk processing capacity from 3 million pounds to more than 9 million pounds, equal to the output of an additional 85,000 cows.
Enlarging the Lake Norden plant has been identified as a strategic investment to help further serve our customers. The plant will produce cheese and whey products that are marketed globally. The expanded plant is expected to be fully operational by early 2019. Once the project is completed, Agropur plans to add 125 employees to its current workforce.
“Agropur is committed to continuing its development in the North American market. This announcement is very good news for the growing dairy industry and dairy farmers in the region,” said René Moreau, President of Agropur.
“The Lake Norden project is an important part of our long-term business strategy, which targets continued expansion through acquisitions as well as organic growth. We are eager to get to work on this new and important project,” added Robert Coallier, CEO of Agropur.
“Agropur has built a truly remarkable relationship with the Lake Norden community,” said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. “The company’s decision to reinvest in South Dakota – a decision that will have an estimated $1 billion annual economic impact in our state – is a prime example of how our dairy industry supports economic development from farmer to small town to processor and beyond. If you want an example of the right way to build a multi-million-dollar cheese plant, look no further than the partnership created among Agropur, the State of South Dakota, and Lake Norden.”
“We’re very pleased to be moving forward on the Lake Norden expansion project,” said Doug Simon, President, US Operations. “Increasing our milk processing capacity will enable us to take advantage of the growing milk supply in the I-29 corridor and to better serve our customers.”
“Lake Norden is excited that Agropur selected our community to reinvest,” said Lake Norden Mayor Jason Aho. “Agropur is our largest employer, providing many excellent career opportunities for citizens throughout the region. We’re delighted they are planning to embark on this major expansion in our community!”
About Agropur
Agropur inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agropur Cooperative, which is a North American dairy industry leader founded in 1938. With sales of $6.4 billion in 2017, Agropur is a source of pride to its 3,290 members and 8,300 employees who pursue its vision every day: “Better dairy. Better world.” Agropur processes more than 13 billion pounds of milk per year at its 39 plants across North America. www.agropur.com
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Information
Jack Satzinger, Communications Manager
US Operations
[email protected] - 1-805-729-1156