French multinational dairy products corporation Lactalis Group has acquired Ehrmann Commonwealth Dairy, the US yogurt subsidiary of Ehrmann AG, a Germany-based dairy company. The deal is the fourth acquisition Lactalis, the largest dairy products group in the world, has made in two years, under its US growth strategy.

“The Ehrmann acquisition is a terrific complement to our Stonyfield and siggi’s brands in the US,” says Thierry Clement, CEO of Lactalis North America. “Ehrmanns Vermont and Arizona plants are the ideal platform to develop our star brands, strengthen national distribution and secure topflight quality and service for our private label customers.”

“The capability we gain with Ehrmanns two plants, combined with the power of our leading brands, ensures the long term growth of the Lactalis yogurt business in the US and underlines our commitment and ambition in the category,” Clement adds.

Ehrmann Commonwealth Dairy holds two manufacturing facilities that employ 250 people in Brattleboro, Vermont and Casa Grande, Arizona. The plants are responsible for manufacturing and distributing yogurt and other dairy products under the Green Mountain Creamery and Liebe brands. In addition, the company also features a strong private label business.

With Commonwealth Dairy, Lactalis now has eight factories and over 2,400 employees in the US, supporting leading brands like President, Galbani, Parmalat, siggi’s, Stonyfield, Karoun, rondelé, and Black Diamond.

Global expansion
In January, Lactalis acquired Green Land Company in Egypt, which was previously owned by Americana Group. According to the dairy cooperative, the acquisition will strengthen the position of Lactalis as a significant producer of dairy products in Egypt.

In the same week, Lactalis announced the acquisition of Prabhat in India. Prabhat is a dairy company and supplier of dairy ingredients and specializes in the production of packaged milk in plastic bags pouches, as well as ghee. The company owns two factories, including one of the largest sweetened condensed milk plants in India and employs more than 1,200 people. The company also collects 450 million liters annually of milk from 100,000 farmers. Lactalis believes the acquisition will further strengthen its leading position in the country.