This article is about the growers cooperative, for the Florida town, see Land O' Lakes, Florida

Land O'Lakes is a national agricultural cooperative based in Arden Hills, Minnesota focusing on the dairy industry. It is owned by 7,000 producers and 1,300 local cooperatives, who are each members. The company had annual sales over $6 Billion in 2003 and directly employs over 6,000 workers. They are one of the largest producers of butter and deli-cheese.

History

It was founded in 1921 in Saint Paul, Minnesota by representatives from 320 co-op creameries in that state as the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association. The organization aimed to improve marketing and quality, and thus raise the price for butter. In 1924, their new sweet cream butter was given the name Land O'Lakes after a contest, and in 1926, the organization took this name.

The company has grown through numerous acquisitions, and now has a large business in farm supply in addition to dairy.

Competitors

• Dean Foods
• Philip Morris
• National Dairy Holdings LP
• Saputo Inc
• Kroger Co. Dairy Operations
• Dairy Farmers of America (DFA)
• Parmalat
• Leprino Foods
• Schereiber Foods Inc
• Nestle
• Foremost Farms
• WestFarm Foods
• Agropur Cooperative
• Unilever
• Prairie Farms Dairy Inc
• California Dairies Inc
• Associated Milk Producers
• Con Agra Foods
• General Mills
• Sorrento Lactalis
• Great Lakes Cheese Co.
• Safeway Dairy
• HP Hood Inc
• Winn-Dixie

External links

• Official consumer site (http://www.landolakes.com/)
• Company history timeline (http://www.landolakesinc.com/OurCompany/S1C1M1P1.cfm)