August 19/Lomira, Wis./Press Release -- Grande Cheese Co., a privately owned company operating five cheese plants and three whey processing plants throughout Wisconsin, has acquired the Juda, Wis.-based whey processing facility of PGP International. PGP’s plant is located adjacent to Grande Cheese’s facility in Juda.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“Grande has been consistently growing its cheese and whey business,” said Wayne Matzke, president and chief executive officer of Grande. “Because we had already been supplying some of our whey to the PGP facility, this acquisition makes sense. It will also help support our future growth and diversification, as well as play a significant role in the stability of the Wisconsin dairy industry as this location receives whey from several other local cheese plants.”

Paul Graham, vice-president of Grande’s Custom Ingredients Group, added, “As a leading international producer of Grade A whey isolates, whey proteins and lactose, this is an exciting acquisition. It will add significant capacity for our existing products as well as many new technologies to serve our customers.”

Grande Cheese said the products manufactured at the new plant will be marketed under the Wisconsin Whey International brand.