A reliable and innovative cooperative
Agropur is proud of the relationships it has developed with customers and consumers over the years.
Agropur is proud of the relationships it has developed with customers and consumers over the years.
Our goal is to be their supplier of choice, chosen for our reliability and added value. We offer customers a broad range of dairy products and ingredients. We're also recognized as a leading North American cheese processor. In addition, Agropur is a major supplier to retail, industrial and foodservice customers. In Canada, our Food Solutions team offers expertise and innovative solutions to customers in the restaurant industry, hospitals and distributors.
Cheese sales increased significantly in 2021. In Canada, growth in demand was particularly strong from private labels and pizzerias. Agropur was quick to respond, allowing us to attain record production levels in the industrial cheese category. In March 2021, our production rate reached a historic high, pushing the capabilities of our processing network. In the U.S., we began expansion work at our plant in Little Chute, Wisconsin, to meet growing market demand.
Growing segments
Our "value-added" segments, which include the Natrel Plus and lactose-free lines, are growing. We're now preparing to launch the Natrel Plus brand across Canada. This line already dominates the protein beverage segment in Quebec. We're also seeing increased business from private labels. These are retailer house brands that get products like cheese, butter and ice cream from Agropur.
In 2021, we introduced Monsieur Gustav, which was positively received by consumers.
The world of fine cheeses can be intimidating, but this modern brand aims to make it more accessible with innovative packaging and friendly tips available via augmented reality. In fact, Monsieur Gustav is the first brand in Canada to use augmented reality to demystify the world of fine cheeses. The consumer simply scans the QR code on the package to view dynamic content about the product. In addition to catching consumers' attention in stores, Monsieur Gustav's innovative packaging impressed the jury at the 2021 Food Innovation Awards organized by the Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ) and the brand was selected as a finalist in the Packaging category.
