Proliant Announces Pending Alliance with Melrose Dairy Proteins

12/12/07 Proliant Dairy, Inc., Ankeny, Iowa has signed a letter of intent with Melrose Dairy Proteins, Melrose, Minnesota for Proliant to build a dairy permeate processing facility adjacent to the Melrose cheese processing plant. Permeate, also know as deproteinized whey or DPW, is a by-product of milk or dairy protein filtration, and consists primarily of dairy lactose and minerals. Proliant intends to construct a facility to process and dry permeate solids from the Melrose cheese plant. Site preparation could begin as soon as December 2007. Once the parties successfully conclude negotiations, the focus will shift to construction.

Melrose Dairy Proteins is a joint venture between Land O’Lakes, Inc. and Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. MDP is a dairy processing facility in Melrose, Minn., producing Italian-style cheeses and Cheddar cheese for further processing. The plant has approximately 150 employees. It was built in 1968 and was purchased jointly by Land O’Lakes and Dairy Farmers of America in 2001.

Proliant Dairy, Inc. has nearly 15 years of experience in dairy products, processing technology, and international marketing and distribution. Proliant is a company of the Lauridsen Group, Inc. (LGI), a global manufacturer and marketer of protein-based and other value-add products for the food, nutrition, human health, nutraceutical, diagnostic, life science research, biopharmaceutical and veterinary vaccine industries.