Canadian dairy cooperativeAgropur, Longueuil, Quebec, said its U.S. subsidiary,Trega Foods, purchasedGreen Meadows Foods, a cheese processor in Hull, Iowa. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"This most recent acquisition represents a great fit with our current operations and will allow us to keep building a strong foundation for continued growth," said Agropur CEO Pierre Claprood.

Officials said Green Meadows will become part of Trega Foods, Little Chute, Wis., and be managed by Trega Foods President, Doug Simon. Simon reports to Agropur Cheese and Functional Products Division President Louis Lefebvre.

Said Simon, "Green Meadows Foods is a natural fit with the product line and culture of Trega Foods. Our passion for the cheese industry and the quality products we produce are assets to all our facilities. We are excited to work with the Green Meadows team to integrate and grow the Hull, Iowa facility to its fullest capacity."

Officials said Green Meadows Foods has one of the nation's newest cheese factories -- having started operations in November 2008. The facility can process approximately 900 million pounds of milk a year. The plant produces 80 million pounds of cheese a year, including more than 10 different varieties of American and Italian cheeses. In addition, approximately 50 million pounds of dried whey powders is extracted from the milk. The organization employs 85 people.

Trega Foods produces cheddar, feta, mozzarella and provolone cheeses as well as the following various dairy ingredients. Officials said Trega's three facilities employ about 300 employees who annually produce close to 1.3 billion pounds of milk. Trega has annual sales of approximately US $300 million.

Agropur is a Canadian dairy industry leader with $ US2.8 billion in annualized sales and as many as 5,000 employees at 27 plants, distribution centers and offices across Canada, the United States and Argentina. The cooperative processes more than 6 billion pounds of milk annually and offers an array of dairy foods under brands such as Schroeder, Quebon, Oka, Sealtest, Natrel, Island Farms, Yoplait and La Lacteo.