Dutch dairy Wessanen is to sell its two US dairy companies, Marigold Foods and Crowley Foods, to National Dairy Holdings for $400 million (E446m).
The divestment is part of Wessanen’s ongoing goal of focusing on its natural health and speciality operations.
Marigold and Crowley are leading regional dairy producers in north-eastern and mid-western USA, with combined annual sales in 2000 of over E1 million. National Dairy Holdings, based in Dallas, Texas, is a partnership between a number of US dairy companies, including Dairy Farmers of America.
Meanwhile, Wessanen is holding back on plans to sell its Leerdammer cheese business as it believes the foot and mouth disease has created an adverse investment climate in Europe.