Cheese plant expansion to triple processing capacity, add 125 jobs

Feb. 27, 2018

The Agropur plant in Lake Norden has started construction on an expansion to increase its daily milk processing capacity from 3 million to 9 million pounds.

That equals the output of 85,000 additional cows.

Once it’s fully operational in early 2019, the plant plans to add 125 employees, producing cheese and whey products that are marketed worldwide.

“Agropur is committed to continuing its development in the North American market. This announcement is very good news for the growing dairy industry and dairy farmers in the region,” said Rene Moreau, president of Agropur.

The Lake Norden project “is an important part of our long-term business strategy, which targets continued expansion through acquisitions as well as organic growth. We are eager to get to work on this new and important project,” added Robert Coallier, CEO of Agropur.

Canada-based Agropur is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agropur Cooperative, which is a North American dairy industry leader founded in 1938. With sales of $6.4 billion in 2017, Agropur has 3,290 members and 8,300 employees.

“Agropur has built a truly remarkable relationship with the Lake Norden community,” Gov. Dennis Daugaard said. “The company’s decision to reinvest in South Dakota – a decision that will have an estimated $1 billion annual economic impact in our state – is a prime example of how our dairy industry supports economic development from farmer to small town to processor and beyond. If you want an example of the right way to build a multimillion-dollar cheese plant, look no further than the partnership created among Agropur, the state of South Dakota and Lake Norden.”

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Cheese plant expansion to triple processing capacity, add 125 jobs

The Agropur plant in Lake Norden has started construction on an expansion to increase its daily milk processing capacity from 3 million to 9 million pounds.

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