Twenty five years ago Bega Cheese produced 3,000 tons of bulk cheese at its one factory. Today the company controls five factories and produces 210,000 tons of cheese and other dairy products, with one third of its products being exported. Between 2000 and today the company’s annual turnover increased from less than $100 million to more than $1 billion and is capital value had doubled in only the past two years to $700 million making it the fourth largest dairy company in Australia. Bega Cheese was one of the major players in a three-way takeover battle for Warrnambool Cheese & Butter (WCB) which drove that company’s share price from $4.50 to $9.50. Although Bega’s $319 million takeover bid has been outstripped by cash offers by Saputo and Murray Goulburn, Bega still holds WCB’s biggest share stake of approximately 19%. In April of 2014 Bega will begin canning nutritional formula powder at a new plant in Melbourne following an investment of $11 million in 2012-2013 into its Tartura powder plant after experiencing 20% growth in its nutritional milk formula business. To read more about Bega’s expansion plans, recent business acquisitions, and infrastructure upgrades:
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