Gay Lea Foods acquiring Sterling Creamery

Mississauga – Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Ltd. has entered into an agreement to acquire The Stirling Creamery Ltd. effective November 1. Located in the village of Stirling, Ont., Stirling Creamery is known for its artisanal natural and flavoured butters. Established by the West family in 1925, Stirling has been owned and operated by Butterball Farms (U.S.) since 2006.

The integration of Stirling Creamery into Gay Lea Foods will add premium butter collections to the company’s product mix and increase its production capacity. According to a release on the company’s website, Gay Lea Foods intends to maintain full operations at the Stirling plant and preserve all relationships with existing Stirling Creamery customers, suppliers and employees. 

“Stirling Creamery, like our co-operative, has a strong and rich history in the province of Ontario. With this acquisition, we continue the tradition of supporting family farms in Ontario while further strengthening Gay Lea Foods’ presence in the Canadian dairy industry,” said Steve Dolson, chair, Gay Lea Foods, in the company release.

Stirling Creamery has approximately 25 employees, most based in Stirling, with sales staff in the Greater Toronto Area. Gay Lea Foods also recently acquired shares in Mariposa Dairy, which produces high quality goat and sheep cheeses. Other recent acquisitions include: Black River Cheese (2016), Hewitt’s Dairy (2014), Salerno Dairy (2014) and Ivanhoe Cheese (2008).