From Our Print Edition

Family-owned BelGioioso Cheese (www.belgioioso.com), Green Bay, Wis., has agreed to acquire Polly-O (www.polly-ofoodservice.com). Terms were not disclosed. Polly-O was founded in 1899, and achieved net sales of about $177 million last year.
The Polly-O brand of cheese will expand BelGioioso’s footprint in the dairy category in addition to its existing Casaro brand. “We are thrilled to add the Polly-O brand to our portfolio and want to thank the teams at Kraft Heinz and Lactalis Group for their assistance and dedication to finalizing the agreement in such a short time,” says Errico Auricchio, president of BelGioioso Cheese. “I am confident this will benefit consumers thanks to healthy competition in the category as a result of this acquisition.”
Kraft Heinz agreed to sell the Polly-O business to the Lactalis Group in autumn 2020 as part of a natural cheese transaction previously announced by Kraft Heinz and the Lactalis Group. In fulfilment of conditions identified during the customary antitrust review of that transaction by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Lactalis Group agreed to sell the Polly-O business to BelGioioso Cheese. BelGioioso’s acquisition of the Polly-O business also remains subject to final approval by U.S. regulators and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions.

BelGioioso Cheese specializes in artisan Italian cheesemaking, using only natural ingredients and fresh, local Wisconsin milk.