Golden State Foods (GSF), Irvine, Calif., acquired controlling interests in KanPak U.S., an Arkansas City, Kan.-based supplier of beverages and desserts using aseptic processing technology.

“We’re excited about expanding our partnership with KanPak, which will enable GSF and KanPak to increase our offerings to our customers domestically and internationally,” says Mark Wetterau, chairman and CEO of GSF. “It will enable both companies to more fully execute the strategy of meeting the needs of evolving global markets across food and beverage customers, foodservice and consumer packaged goods.”

Dennis Cohlmia, who has been serving as the second-generation president and CEO of KanPak U.S. for more than four decades, will serve as chairman of the board of KanPak U.S. Dennis’ father, George Cohlmia, originally founded KanPak in 1965.

GSF corporate vice president and president of food processing, Larry McGill, will be promoted to serve as corporate vice president of GSF and president and CEO of KanPak U.S. KanPak produces a variety of dairy-based products such as smoothies, ice cream, milkshake base, packaged milk, coffees, creamers, frozen desserts and specialty beverages.

Its state-of-the-art facilities include a manufacturing plant in Arkansas City, Kan., an administrative office in Wichita, Kan., an equipment dispensing plant in Southbury, Conn., a sales and marketing office in Mexico City, Mexico, a leased manufacturing plant in Queretaro, Mexico, a manufacturing plant in Xiantao City (Hubei Province), China, and a sales and marketing, research and development/pilot lab in Shanghai. Some of its customers include Chick-fil-A, Tim Hortons, KFC, 7-Eleven, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Nestle and Costco, among others.