GREEN BAY, WIS. – BelGioioso Cheese, Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire Polly-O, a historic cheese brand founded in 1899, for an undisclosed purchase price.
The Polly-O brand of cheese will expand BelGioioso’s footprint in the dairy category in addition to its existing Casaro brand. Last year, Polly-O achieved net sales of roughly $177 million. The brand is known for its ricotta, mozzarella, and string cheeses.
“We are thrilled to add the Polly-O brand to our portfolio and want to thank the teams at Kraft Heinz and Lactalis Group for their assistance and dedication to finalizing the agreement in such a short time,” said Errico Auricchio, president of BelGioioso Cheese. “I am confident this will benefit consumers thanks to healthy competition in the category as a result of this acquisition.”
Kraft Heinz agreed to sell the Polly-O business to the Lactalis Group in autumn 2020 as part of a natural cheese transaction previously announced by Kraft Heinz and the Lactalis Group.
In fulfillment of conditions identified during the customary antitrust review of that transaction by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Lactalis Group has agreed to sell the Polly-O business to BelGioioso Cheese. BelGioioso’s acquisition of the Polly-O business also remains subject to final approval by U.S. regulators and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions.
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