Agropur acquires East Coast frozen dessert company

Longueuil, Que. – Agropur Cooperative has just increased its size and scope with its latest acquisition: Scotsburn Cooperative Services Limited, a Truro, N.S.-based dairy company.

The acquisition means Agropur, Canada’s largest dairy cooperative, has now expanded its presence in the ice cream and novelties market.

“This transaction will strengthen our presence in the ice cream market,” says Robert Coallier, Agropur’s CEO, “and enable us to better serve our retail partners on a national basis.”

The agreement covers plants in Truro, N.S. and Lachute, Que., which manufacture more than 50 million litres of frozen dairy products per year, as well as the Scotsburn brand.

The acquired business has total annual sales of more than $150 million.

Robbie MacGregor, Scotsburn’s chairman of the board, says the transaction is the “best solution to ensure the future of local dairy production and processing.”

Scotsburn in 1900, when local farmers decided to build a creamery with government assistance so they could process their cream into butter.

Over the century the company evolved into manufacturing ice cream, novelties and frozen desserts throughout Canada. Scotsburn has a line of branded products and also manufactures private label products.

Agropur manufactures such brands as Natrel, Oka, ïogo, Sealtest and Québon, but doesn’t have a huge presence in the ice cream industry, reports CBC.ca.

Agropur says it will protect all the local jobs and maintain Scotsburn’s frozen dairy production.

Scotsburn sold its fluid milk business to Saputo a few years ago. And late last year the company closed a plant in St. John’s and one in Saint John.