Dairy company Lactogal has acquired Portuguese peer Queijos Santiago, which specialises in its own brand of local cheeses.
Lactogal said the deal, struck for an undisclosed sum, includes the Santiago brand, along with three production plants in Montemuro, Palmela and Portalegre.
The Porto-headquartered dairy business, which formally trades as Lactogal Produtos Alimentares, will also inherit Queijos Santiago’s logistics site in Venda do Pinheiro, according to a LinkedIn posting from Lactogal, which was set up in 1996.
Lactogal produces milk, cheese, butter and yogurt in the dairy case, as well as supplying juices and water. Its dairy brands include Mimosa, Agros and Gresso.
“This expansion of the Lactogal Group with another Portuguese company reinforces our national DNA, clearly affirms our solidity, as well as our ability to maintain focus and motivation to move forward,” the company said.
“We believe that this is a very important step in the pursuit of our strategy and that it further reinforces our position as the largest Portuguese agri-food company.”
Queijos Santiago was founded in 1918 in Castelo Branco and is currently based in Malveira, Montemuro.
Meanwhile, Lactogal’s business operations also house Lacticínios Vigor, Etanor Penha and the Spanish milk-producing company Leche Celta. The group has six manufacturing facilities in the Iberian Peninsula region of Portugal.
Lacticínios Vigor is a fresh milk and kefir producer. Leche Celta was set up in 1989 and owns the milk brands Celta, La Vaquera and Campobueno. It also supplies private label through the subsidiary company Iberleche.
Etanor Penha is focused on spring water and soft drinks based on fruit and vegetables.
“We proudly affirm our leadership of the sustainable milk production agenda in Portugal, based on the social economy and aligned with a production method that combines milk of the highest quality standards and respect for good environmental practices and animal welfare,” Lactogal said in the LinkedIn post.
Just Food has approached Lactogal and Queijos Santiago for more details on the transaction and their business customers.
Another international dairy deal in Portugal was inked last week. French dairy major Lactalis announced it had acquired Sequeira & Sequeira, a producer of cheeses ranging from traditional flamengos and curados to fresh cheese under the Paiva brand.
