Amalthea Takes Over Campina's Goat's Cheese Activities 

06/11/07 Dairy cooperative Campina to concentrate its cheese activities on naturally matured semi-hard cheese from cow’s milk, including Milner and North Holland cheese.

As of 1 December 2007 Campina’s activities in semi-hard goat’s cheese will be continued by Amalthea van Dijk BV, a new joint venture comprising Amalthea (goat farmers cooperative) and cheese-making company Kaasmakerij Van Dijk BV.

The takeover concerns responsibility for the production of goat’s cheese, product development, marketing and sales of products under the international brand Chevagne, among others. Campina’s Cheese & Butter group will focus even more intensively on semi-hard, naturally matured cheese from cow’s milk with the emphasis on the Campina Milner and Campina Volmer brands as well as North Holland cheese with the Protected Designation of Origin of the European Union. The takeover of Campina’s goat’s cheese activities means the new company Amalthea van Dijk will take full control of the chain –from farmer to plate – just as Campina now does with dairy from cow’s milk.

Campina has been working closely with Amalthea, a Dutch sales cooperative for goat dairy, for more than 18 years. Campina produces and markets semi-hard goat’s cheese specialities for which Amalthea supplies the milk. A number of years ago Campina introduced Chevagne in various countries as its brand for goat’s cheese.

The goat’s cheese activities of Campina and Amalthea show growth and are profitable. And in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, Chevagne leads the market segment for semi-hard goat’s cheese.

The present takeover is particularly focused on the brands and market positions as well as the responsibility for production and product development. Campina will no longer produce goat’s cheese at its cheese-making location in Tilburg, thus creating room for the expansion of naturally matured cheese from cow’s milk. The takeover will not lead to any job losses. The market for goat’s cheese is a niche market and therefore requires a specialised approach. For the production and sales of goat dairy products, Amalthea and Kaasmakerij Van Dijk recently formed the joint venture Amalthea van Dijk BV. The production of cheese for the recently formed joint venture will take place in the new goat’s cheese factory of Kaasmakerij Van Dijk in Rijen.

“Our member-farmers benefit from the best possible processing and sale of cow’s milk. This is where our strength and expertise lie. Within the Cheese & Butter group we therefore want to put all our efforts into the production and international marketing of naturally matured semi-hard cheeses from cow’s milk with Campina Milner, Campina Volmer and our unique North Holland cheese at the forefront,” says Piet Hilarides, group director of Cheese & Butter. “That’s why we sold our Belgian cheese specialities to Bongrain earlier this year and why we are now selling our semi-hard goat’s cheese activities. We are going to focus even further on the expansion of our leading international position in naturally matured semi-hard cheese.”

Unions and works councils have been informed and, where necessary, involved in the process.