The high-end yogurt and dessert specialist is going to open a factory in the United States in order to meet rising demand. 

Well known to French consumers, the La Fermière brand of yogurts and desserts are in the process of taking over the United States. Founded in 1952, the French firm has had €7 million in sales across the Atlantic this year. “The market is expanding quickly; our revenue is doubling every year,” Jean-Jacques Tarpinian, who acquired the firm in 2002, points out. “Our goal is to reach the same sales volume as in France: 10 million tons of finished product a year.”

To achieve that, the firm has created a production site alongside a dairy producer, with over a dozen employees. But that site alone won’t suffice to meet demand.

“Naturally French”

With a range of 70 products, the firm has adopted a high-end, artisanal positioning, selecting their raw materials from a network of local producers. It’s a “recipe” that has proven its worth, and the CEO intends to stick to it in the United States.  

“Our products are sold through premium distribution networks. And our local supply strategy there follows the same principles and quality-control that we have here,” the CEO insists. His products, which are labelled “Naturally French,” benefit from the “Made in France”reputation, which is very popular with American consumers. The firm’s 2021 revenue in France was €48 million, including 10% from exports. The CEO’s goal is to double that share, to 20%, in the next three years.  “In Europe, demand for desserts is very high, especially mousses, and anything with whipped cream,” Jean-Jacques Tarpinian explains. To meet that demand, he has decided to enlarge their factory in Gap, in the Alps (an initial-processing site) in order to increase its production capacity by 50%.

More information about French dairy products sector : read our infographics and webiste France, Land of Milk.