Müller Acquires Nom Dairy UK
German dairy group Theo Müller has strengthened its position in the UK with the acquisition of Shropshire-based yogurt producer Nom Dairy UK for an undisclosed sum. Operating from a state-of-the-art yogurt production facility at Telford, Nom Dairy UK has a turnover of £43 million per annum. Of course, Muller was already the UK’s leading yogurt manufacturer, with major brands such as Müller Corner, Müllerlight and Müller Rice.
The move secures employment at the Telford site and will provide a platform from which Müller can develop its presence in the UK private label yogurt market. It builds on recent acquisitions in the UK by Müller UK & Ireland Group including the fresh milk processor Robert Wiseman Dairies and a chilled desserts facility at Minsterley, Shropshire. The group is also building Britain’s largest butter manufacturing facility at Market Drayton, Shropshire, with first production expected in the autumn.
Part of NOM, the leading dairy products company in Austria, NOM Dairy UK was established in 2008, following investment of £60 million in a new dairy at Telford to produce own label yoghurt for the major British multiple retailers.
Heiner Kamps, chief executive of Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller, says: “This acquisition underlines our commitment to growing our presence in the UK, which along with Germany and the US is a core market for Müller. We believe that there are strong opportunities in the UK private label yogurt sector and the Telfordfacility will help us to realise our plans to provide customers with great products in this important market. “
Ronald Kers, chief executive of Müller UK & Ireland Group, remarks: “We want to be the biggest and best dairy company in the UK and by acquiring this excellent facility we can increase the range of private label yogurt products made with milk from British farms, which in turn can reduce the UK’s dependence on imported dairy products. We are ambitious for the future and we very much look forward to working with the team at Telford and our customers to realise the significant potential of this facility.”
