Land O'Lakes, Inc. officials have indicated that the company is not, and has not been, engaged in negotiations with Saputo, Inc. regarding the sale of any of its dairy business assets.

LO'L Says it Ain't So

Land O'Lakes, Inc. officials have indicated that the company is not, and has not been, engaged in negotiations with Saputo, Inc. regarding the sale of any of its dairy business assets. The comments came in response to recent rumors and financial analyst speculation that Canadian-based Saputo was interested in purchasing Land O'Lakes dairy products assets. The Minnesota co-op said the rumors sparked a "considerable number" of queries from members, prompting the uncharacteristic comment.

Dreyer's Plant Closing

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc. will close its Union City, Calif. manufacturing facility in the first quarter of 2004, and expand production capability in Bakersfield, Calif., and on the East Coast. The Union City closure will impact approximately 221 employees, but the Oakland-based Dreyer's says it hopes to offer alternative positions to about one third of those employees.

Vitamilk Done with Milk

Vitamilk Dairy Inc., Green Lake, Wash., which has been family operated for more than six decades, will end its milk production because of falling sales, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The company will continue to produce its Vitarich ice cream products at a South Seattle plant through Arctic Ice Cream Novelties, which it partially owns.

UK Merger

British milk giants Express Dairies and the UK arm of Arla, Europe's largest dairy co-operative group, have been given the green light to merge. The deal will pit an enlarged group against Dairy Crest and Robert Wiseman Dairies.