Arla Foods sells cheese companies to Vache Bleue

By Jim Cornall

- Last updated on GMT

The 73 employees at Bad Wörishofen will continue to be employed by Vache Bleue.
The 73 employees at Bad Wörishofen will continue to be employed by Vache Bleue.

Related tags Arla foods Cheese

Arla Foods in Germany has sold its cheese factory in Bad Wörishofen to the Belgian cheese producer Vache Bleue SA.

The transaction also includes the sale of all shares in the French cheese processor Martin Sengelé Produits Laitiers at Muhlbach-sur-Munster to Vache Bleue.

Martin Sengelé Produits Laitiers, which has an annual capacity of 14,000 tons, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Arla Foods and is responsible, among other things, for the packaging of the cheese specialties produced in Bad Wörishofen, which are mainly distributed in France.

Arla Foods said it decided to take this step as production and distribution of the cheese specialties produced in Bad Wörishofen no longer meet the requirements of the strategic orientation of Arla in Germany and Europe. The German site primarily produces Emmental block cheese and organic Emmentaler.

vache bleue

With Vache Bleue, Arla Foods said it has found a buyer who will continue the current work at Bad Wörishofen: all 73 employees from production and administration will continue to be employed by Vache Bleue.

Similarly, at Martin Sengelé Produits Laitiers, which has 50 employees, Vache Bleue said it will continue with the existing employees.

Martin Sengelé Produits Laitiers works with grated cheese, sliced ​​cheese and portions of Emmentaler and mozzarella.  

Milk supply

Arla Foods has agreed with the Allgäu milk supply groups that the existing milk production will be transferred from Arla Foods to Vache Bleue. In addition, it is anticipated that Vache Bleue will continue to produce cheese products for Arla for the time being for Arla to meet the current supply contracts with its end customers.

In spring 2018, Arla Foods sold its Allgäu plant in Sonthofen to Allgäuer Hof-Milch.

The transfer of the facility to Vache Bleue should be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2019.

Related topics Manufacturers Cheese Arla Foods

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