Negotiations between Arla and the Swiss Hero Group have concluded. The plan is for Arla to take over Semper’s premises and land in Götene on October 1st.
– We are pleased that the agreement is signed. Through the purchase, we are future-proofing both local jobs in Götene and the opportunities to produce more milk in Sweden, says Cecilia Kocken, CEO of Arla Sweden.
When the Semper powder factory announced its closure at the beginning of the year, Arla placed a bid to take over the facilities. Now the deal is sealed, and Arla’s investments in Götene are thereby strengthened.
– Götene is the Silicon Valley of the Swedish food sector, so it feels particularly exciting to continue our investments in the municipality, says Cecilia Kocken.
Neighbors Arla and Semper have shared many services, such as environmental permits, dining facilities, and much more. With access to the entire facility, Arla gains greater flexibility to utilize and optimize the premises and the production of butter, cheese, and powder.
– Maybe we will find more opportunities than producing milk powder in the premises; time will tell, says Cecilia Kocken continuing:
– Here and now, we will take a closer look at how many employees are needed to manage the drying towers when we move in October.
There are 450 people working at the Götene Dairy, and production — with Bregott as the major brand — runs around the clock, year-round. In the past three years, Arla has invested over 700 million SEK in the dairy. Approximately 1 million kilo milk are received per day, and a total of about 400 million kilo each year.
Read the full press release HERE
Photo: Arla