Danone, the French food company that controls brands such as Dannon, Activia and Evian, announced July 7 that it will purchase soy milk producer WhiteWave Foods in a merger worth $10 billion.
WhiteWave Foods is based in Denver and generated $4 billion in sales last year through brands such as the Silk Soy and Horizon Organic milk lines. The deal will double the size of Danone’s U.S. operations, the company said.
“We found in WhiteWave the perfect alliance as we both believe in a healthier future and are conscious of our power to lead society forward”, said Danone CEO Emmanuel Faber in a statement.
Danone will acquire WhiteWave for $56.25 per share in an all-cash transaction, the company said.
The Dannon Company Inc., which has a line of more than 200 yogurt and other dairy products marketed in the U.S., is headquartered at 100 Hillside Ave. in Greenburgh. Dannon has 300 employees who work for Danone in the corporate office, according to a company spokesperson.
