Hilmar Cheese Company To Purchase Proliant Dairy Ingredients

July 13, 2004, Hilmar, California and Ankeny, Iowa – Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc., the world’s largest single-site cheese and whey products manufacturer, today announced an agreement to purchase the Proliant Dairy Ingredients company (formerly a division of Proliant, Inc.), a global leader in applied dairy protein sciences for food, health and nutrition. The sale is scheduled to close by July 30, 2004.

The two companies began working together in 1991 when Hilmar Cheese Company and Proliant Inc. established a strategic partnership that combined Hilmar Cheese Company’s state-of-the-art production of high quality whey protein concentrate and lactose products with Proliant’s protein research and development and global marketing expertise.

“Proliant has been a great partner,” comments John Jeter, CEO and President of Hilmar Cheese Company. “The partnership has been extremely positive for both companies and for the dairy ingredient segment in general. Over the past 13 years, we have together played a key role in the development of the whey protein and lactose markets domestically and internationally. As we look to the future, we feel this acquisition will improve our ability to move even more rapidly to add value to our customers, and that’s what we’re all about.”

“We have had a very successful partnership with Hilmar Cheese Company that began with only a vision of future opportunities for whey protein,” comments Roger Jacobsen, President of LGI, Inc., the parent company of Proliant Dairy Ingredients. “This is the appropriate time for Hilmar Cheese Company to have the opportunity for the future endeavors of the whey protein and lactose business. We are working with Hilmar to ensure that our customers experience a seamless transition.”

Jeter adds, “The purchase weaves nicely into our overall new product development plan. After 20 years of business, we believe it’s time to capitalize on the quality and value that the Hilmar Cheese Company name has come to stand for as we look to expand our product offering throughout the world.”

Hilmar Cheese Company is a 20-year-old privately held corporation owned by 11 dairy farm families. It is the largest single-site cheese and whey products manufacturer in the world. Current customers include companies throughout the United States and abroad in food service, ingredient and retail trades. For more information on Hilmar Cheese Company visit www.hilmarcheese.com.

The Proliant companies of the Lauridsen Group, Inc. (LGI, Inc.) manufacture and market protein products for the food, nutrition, human health, nutraceutical, diagnostic, life science research, biopharmaceutical and veterinary vaccine industries worldwide. For more information about the Proliant companies, visit www.proliantinc.com or call 515-289-5100.