Golden State Foods (GSF), Irvine, Calif., said on Wednesday it acquired a controlling interest in KanPak U.S., Arkansas City, Kan. KanPak produces a variety of dairy-based products such as smoothies, ice cream, milk shake base, packaged milk, coffees, creamers, frozen desserts and specialty beverages using aseptic processing technology. It has operations in Kansas, Connecticut, Canada, Mexico and China.

Dennis Cohlmia, who has been serving as the second-generation president and chief executive officer of KanPak U.S. for more than four decades, will serve as chairman of the board. Cohlmia's father, George, founded KanPak in 1965.

GSF Corporate Vice President and President of Food Processing, Larry McGill, will be promoted to serve as corporate vice president of Golden State Foods and president and chief executive officer of KanPak U.S. Mark Wetterau is chairman and CEO of Golden State Foods.

GSF is a processor of liquid products (including syrups and ketchups), meat, produce, dairy and other services as well as full-line distribution to the quick service restaurant industry. Its customers include McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Nestle, Arby’s, Zaxby’s, KFC and Taco Bell. It has 42 facilities.

KanPak has a manufacturing plant in Arkansas City, Kan. Listed as Kan-Pak on the Interstate Milk Shippers list, the company's Plant  No. 301 received a 99% enforcement rating on the most recent IMS report. The company has an administrative office in Wichita, Kan., an equipment dispensing plant in Southbury, Conn., a sales and marketing office in Mexico City, Mexico, a leased manufacturing plant in Queretaro, Mexico, a manufacturing plant in Xiantao City (Hubei Province), China, and a sales and marketing, research and development/pilot lab in Shanghai. Some of its customers include Chick-fil-A, Tim Hortons, KFC, 7-Eleven, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Nestle and Costco.