Allison Hooper and Bob Reese, the co-founders of Vermont Creamery, say the company will continue to operate its Websterville factory, which manufactures specialty goat cheeses, crème fresh and cultured butter.
Hooper said the sale ensures that the company will have the resources and expertise needed to “realize our vision and the potential of our business” at a time of unprecedented growth.
Vermont Creamery will become an independently operated subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, which is hailed as one of the largest cooperatives in the United States.
Reese said he is confident that the company had found “the best steward of our business, values and people in Land O’Lakes.”
Land O’Lakes will make Vermont Creamery products more widely available for public consumption, Reese said.
The deal was announced Wednesday.
Land O’Lakes has been in operation for 95 years and is renowned for its butter brand. The company also owns Purina Animal Nutrition and WinField United.
Chris Policinski, Land O’Lakes president and CEO, said the company bought Vermont Creamery “because we love their brand and would like to help bring it to even more people.”
“We share a value-added, branded approach to marketing our products, a meaningful respect for our customers and deeply rooted rural values,” Policinski said.
All current employees at the Websterville facility will be retained. Reese and Hooper will serve as advisors and “brand ambassadors.” Adeline Druart, the president of Vermont Creamery, and other members of the leadership team will remain in place. The company will continue to rely on the 20 local family farms that supply milk to the factory. One of those farms is the Brook Goat Dairy in Brookfield, owned by the Hooper family.
Hooper and Reese founded Vermont Creamery in 1984 at a time when goat cheese was considered a novelty and commercial availability was nil. Since then, the company has pioneered artisan cheesemaking production. Vermont Creamery has won many national and international cheese awards and is the second cheesemaker in the world to earn B Corp certification for social and environmental stewardship.
The terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.
