Authorities approve: Arla Foods to buy Fresh Nijkerk from FrieslandCampina

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Published:
04 May 2009
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The European Commission and the Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) have approved the acquisition by the Danish dairy cooperative Arla Foods amba of Friesland Foods Fresh Nijkerk from Koninklijke FrieslandCampina N.V. The transfer has also been approved by the Friesland Nijkerk Works Council.

The transaction was completed today, 4. May 2009. It includes the Friesland Foods Fresh Nijkerk daily fresh dairy business, its assets (plant, machinery, etc.) and the brands Breaker, Milk&Fruit, Kwarkyoghurt and Melkunie. A 10-year licence agreement has been entered into for the use of the Friesche Vlag brand for fresh dairy products in the Netherlands. FrieslandCampina is guaranteeing the supply of raw milk to the factory in Nijkerk until 1. January 2017.

Executive Vice President, Arla Foods, Consumer International, Tim Ørting Jørgensen is very pleased with the final approval of the Arla Foods’ purchase of Fresh Nijkerk.

”We will immediately start up the work to integrate our new Dutch business into Arla Foods. We already have a very positive dialogue with our new collegaues in Nijkerk. This is a major step in fulfilling our strategic ambition to be the leading dairy supplier to consumers in Northern Europe. ”

Friesland Foods Fresh produces milk, buttermilk, natural and fruit-flavoured yogurt, quark yogurt, custard, porridge, Milk&Fruit and Breaker. In Nijkerk, fresh dairy products are produced under the brand Friesche Vlag and for supermarket private labels.

Friesland Foods Fresh employs 500 personnel in Nijkerk, including 150 temporary staff. Turnover in 2008 totalled EUR 240 million.

FrieslandCampina will remain active in daily fresh dairy in the Netherlands through FrieslandCampina Dagvers, some of whose products are sold under the Campina brand. It will also continue to use Friesche Vlag in the Netherlands to market long-life dairy products and coffee creamers.

The sale of the plant at Nijkerk was one of the conditions imposed by the European Commission when it approved the merger between Friesland Foods and Campina on 17 December 2008. This was done to prevent Friesland Campina from gaining a monopoly on the Dutch market for daily fresh dairy.

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Arla Foods is an international dairy company owned by more than 8,400 farmers from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Arla Foods is one of the leading players in the international dairy arena with well-known brands like Arla®, Lurpak®, Puck® and Castello®. Arla Foods is focused on providing good dairy nourishment from sustainable farming and operations and is also the world's largest manufacturer of organic dairy products.

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