Horizon Organic Acquires UK Dairy

Horizon Organic Holding Corp. (Longmont, CO) has announced its acquisition of Rachel's Dairy, Aberystwyth ("Ah-burr-ist-with"), Wales. Rachel's Dairy is a leading producer of organic yogurt for the consumer market in the UK.

Rachel's will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Horizon Organic Dairy Ltd., a newly formed company, which is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of its US parent. Jeremy Deacon, a dairy marketing executive in Europe, will serve as managing director of the UK company and will oversee Rachel's.

The new company will continue expanding the sales and product line of Rachel's while simultaneously launching a test market of Horizon Organic milk in the UK

The dairy's namesake, Rachel Rowlands, and her husband Gareth and son John managed Rachel's Dairy. John Rowlands will continue to oversee operations for Rachel's Dairy and will report to Deacon.

Under the terms of the agreement, Rachel—a well-known spokeswoman and advocate for the Soil Association, the leading trade organization representing the organic movement in the UK—and Gareth Rowlands will consult and act as ambassadors for Horizon to Welsh farmers and fellow members of the organic industry while also helping convert U.K. farmers to organic agriculture.

Horizon Organic produces, processes and markets a leading brand of certified organic milk and a full line of refrigerated certified organic dairy products, certified organic eggs, and certified organic juices.