Agropur to expand cheese production facility in US

Canadian dairy cooperative Agropur plans to invest more than $100m to expand the capacity of its cheese and ingredients production facility in Luxemburg, Wisconsin, US.

The expansion project will double the per hour cheese production capacity at the plant, without the need for extra workforce.

The project will also improve the technology of the whey processing facility and wastewater treatment system, developing it to meet high environmental standards.

Agropur chief executive officer Robert Coallier said this investment marks the company’s largest capitalisation project to date.

"We are committed to and believe in the future of the US dairy industry, and we are here for the long haul," Coallier added.

Agropur US Cheese Business Unit president Doug Simon said that the expansion and modernisation of the facility will allow the company to stay competitive in the market.

The expansion is expected to be completed in 2014 and will add between five and ten new jobs to the current staff of 105.

Agropur, which has 25 plants across Canada and the US, processes nearly 7 billion pounds of milk annually, and its brands include Schroeder, Québon, Oka, Sealtest, Natrel, Island Farms, Yoplait and La Lacteo.

The company has seven plants in the US, four of which are located in Wisconsin.

Agropur’s last investment in the US was in December 2010, when it acquired Main Street Ingredients, a provider of functional food products, located in La Crosse, Wisconsin.