AMPI acquires Cass-Clay Creamery

North Dakota-based co-op to operate as division of AMPI

 

FARGO, N.D. (May 21, 2007)—Leading Midwest dairy cooperative Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) has completed the acquisition of Cass-Clay Creamery, Inc. The North Dakota-based cooperative is now operating as a division of AMPI, headquartered in New Ulm, Minn.

The Cass-Clay division includes a fluid milk bottling plant in Fargo, N.D., and a specialty cheese plant in Hoven, S.D. Products manufactured at the Fargo facility will continue to be marketed under the Cass-Clay® brand, recognized in the upper Midwest for quality fluid milk, ice cream, and cultured products such as yogurt and sour cream.

“The dairy farmers of Cass-Clay are proud to be the newest AMPI owners,” says David Glawe, chairman of the Cass-Clay Board of Directors and a Detroit Lakes, Minn., dairy farmer. He is one of nearly 200 cooperative owners who unanimously voted to authorize the transfer of Cass-Clay Creamery assets to AMPI.

The Cass-Clay® brand and product line complements those manufactured at AMPI plants across the Midwest. AMPI is a private label manufacturer of consumer-packaged cheese, butter, instant milk and shelf-stable dairy products. With the acquisition, the 4,000 dairy farmer-owners of AMPI now operate 15 plants and annually market more than $1 billion of dairy products regionally and nationally.

“This acquisition reflects the cooperatives’ long-term commitment to Midwest dairy farmers,” says Paul Toft, AMPI board chairman and a dairy farmer from Rice Lake, Wis. “It allows us to optimize our farmer-owned milk manufacturing facilities.”

 

About the companies

AMPI
Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) is a dairy marketing cooperative with more than 4,000 farmer-owners, 5 billion pounds of milk and $1 billion in annual sales. Members operate dairy farms located throughout the Midwest states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana. They own 15 manufacturing plants and market a full line of consumer-packaged dairy products, including the Cass-Clay® brand. For more information about AMPI, visit the cooperative’s Web site at www.ampi.com.

Cass-Clay
Prior to acquisition, Cass-Clay Creamery, Inc. was a member-owned cooperative with more than $100 million in annual sales. Its 200 farmer-owners operate dairies in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana, annually producing about 300 million pounds of milk. The company has two manufacturing plants and markets fluid milk, ice cream and cultured products under the Cass-Clay® brand. On May 21, all assets were acquired by AMPI and Cass-Clay now operates as a division of the cooperative. Former Cass-Clay cooperative members are now among the farmer-owners of AMPI.
 

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