Upstate Niagara Cooperative to sell Campbell, NY, cheese plant to BelGioioso Cheese
Closing of the deal is expected to be completed within the next 60 days.
Upstate Niagara Cooperative Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., and Green Bay, Wis.-based BelGioioso Cheese Inc. signed transactional agreements to sell and purchase, respectively, the Upstate Farms Cheese LLC facility located in Campbell, N.Y. Closing of the deal is expected to be completed within the next 60 days, Upstate Niagara Cooperative said, pending final due diligence.
“We are pleased to have a strong national branded company like BelGioioso, owners of the Polly-O Brand, purchase this facility, maintain the business operations and continue the employment of all our team members,” said Lawrence Webster, CEO of Upstate Niagara Cooperative. “We are committed to completing this transition as seamlessly as possible for the benefit of all the parties involved, especially our employees and customers.”
The transaction is a great solution for all constituents, Upstate Niagara Cooperative said. Under the ownership of BelGioioso, a company with deep roots in traditional Italian cheesemaking, the plant will flourish, while high-quality local milk will continue to be supplied from Upstate Niagara Cooperative member farms to the plant as part of a long-term milk supply agreement.
“From the first time we set foot in this facility and talked with the passionate cheesemakers working there, we felt that this would be a great fit for us,” said Errico Auricchio, president, BelGioioso Cheese. “It is exciting to have the opportunity to expand our operations with a facility that’s been making the Polly-O brand of award-winning Italian cheese for over 80 years.”
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