Goat cheese processor Cypress Grove Chevre, Arcata, Calif., said it was purchased by Emmi Holding (USA) Inc., Monroe, Wis., for an undisclosed amount.

Emmi, Lucerne, Switzerland, was founded as a dairy owned cooperative in 1907 and has become Switzerland's largest milk processor. Emmi-Roth Käse USA is a leading manufacturer, importer and marketer of specialty cheeses and fresh dairy products, officials said.

Cypress Grove Chevre Founder Mary Keehn said her company's operations will continue with their current leadership and in the same location in California's Humboldt County.

“We have been approached several times in recent years by companies that wanted to purchase us, but it was never the right time or fit,” said Keehn. “In Emmi, we have found a partner that shares our values and commitment to quality and offers us the resources to invest in our creamery, our employees and our local farms. We will be able to continue doing what we do well and even improve in the areas of quality and innovation.”

Added Fermo Jaeckle, Emmi-Roth Käse USA's CEO, "Together we have more opportunities for growth and success. As cheese makers, we are committed to American-made artisan cheeses, and goat cheeses have played a leading role in the remarkable growth of this category.”