Saputo Incorporated

Saputo Inc.

Type	Public (TSX: SAP)
Industry	Food - Major Diversified
Headquarters	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Area served	Canada Germany Wales (United Kingdom) Argentina United States
Key people	Lino Saputo (Executive Chairman) Lino A. Saputo, Jr. (Vice-Chairman, CEO, President)
Revenue	C$6.02 billion (2011)
Net income	C$451.11 million (2011)
Employees	9,200 (2008)
Website	www.saputo.com

Saputo Inc. (TSX: SAP) is a Montreal-based Canadian dairy company. Founded as a cheese store in 1954 by Italian immigrant Giuseppe Saputo, today Saputo’s business includes cheese, baked goods and milk production, and it is the world's twelfth largest dairy producing company. After growing in its home region of Quebec, the company has expanded by mergers and acquisitions.

Saputo operates in Canada, as well as in the United States, Germany, Wales and Argentina. It is the largest dairy processor in Canada^{[citation needed]}, third largest in Argentina^{[citation needed]}, and among the three largest cheese makers in the United States^{[citation needed]}. About a third of its revenues^{[citation needed]} come from the company’s operations in the United States.

History

Saputo plant, Montreal.

Saputo acquired Dairyworld Foods and its stable of brands including "Dairyland" milk and "Armstrong" cheese, which was the production and marketing arm of Agrifoods International Cooperative Ltd, in 2001 for C$407 million. Agrifoods International was itself the result of a series of mergers between diary cooperatives in Western Canada in the 1990s. Armstrong Cheese was formerly an independent cheese maker based in Armstrong, British Columbia which was acquired by Dairyworld in 1997. After Saputo obtained the brand, it closed the</ref> plant in Armstong. Throughout it's history, Saputo has long been suspected of ties to organized crime and the Mafia in Canada (See story)

Brands

The number of trade-marks is large. There are 650 trade-marks registered in Canada. Brands by Saputo include: Saputo, Alexis de Portneuf, Armstrong, Baxter, Black Creek "Wisconsin Clasic", Dairyland, Danscorella, De Lucia, Dragone, DuVillage 1860, Frigo, Kingsey, La Paulina, Nutrilait, Neilson, Ricrem, Stella, Treasure Cave, HOP&GO!, Rondeau and Vachon.

Subsidiaries

• Dairyland Canada
• Neilson Dairy
• Vachon (notable products May West, Jos. Louis, Passion Flakie, Ah Caramel, 1/2 Moon)

See also

• Joey Saputo
• Lino Saputo
• Saputo Stadium, a soccer venue in Montreal

References

• Dairy Foods, August, 2004. Saputo is golden: Canada's top dairy celebrating anniversary
• The Globe and Mail, September 15, 2003. Saputo to close two plants , sell one.
• National Post: Saputo aims to stay a big cheese
• Food & Drink Weekly, April 4, 2005. Saputo, the largest dairy processor in Canada, is to buy the manufacturing, marketing and distribution rights to Fromage Cote SA's and Distributions Kingsey Inc's cheese business for C$54 million

External links

• Official site