Arla Foods’ Swedish Acquisition Approved
Arla Foods’ purchase of Falbygdens Ost from Finnish food group Atria has been approved by the Swedish Competition Authority. Arla be taking over operations at the company as of 1 April 2015. The acquisition is in line with Arla’s strategy to promote and develop the premium cheese segment.
“Falbygdens Ost is a strategic complement to Arla’s own cheese-making business, and the purchase ensures profitable milk sales for our owners – the Arla farmers,” explains Henri de Sauvage, Executive Vice President for Arla in Sweden.
Following the approval from the Swedish Competition Authority, the integration work can now move from the planning phase to implementation, and negotiations can be completed with the local union organisations. The project to integrate Falbygdens Ost into Arla is the responsibility of Alex Racoveanu, Senior Integration Manager. Working with a team comprising representatives from the Supply Chain, Commercial, IT, HR and Communication departments, Alex Racoveanu is looking to complete the integration process within a year.
The acquisition will add around 100 new employees to the Arla workforce. Their exact position in the organisation will not be decided until the union negotiations have been concluded.
It was in mid-October that Arla and Atria announced the acquisition. Falbygdens Ost runs operations in Falköping, where the company matures and processes cheese through techniques including flavouring and packaging. The acquisition is fully in line with Arla’s strategic commitment to developing the premium cheese segment, which entails expanding the breadth of the range and adding value in the forms of traditional craft, taste and enjoyment.
