Whats Dean Foods got to crow about?
Dean Foods Co., a major player in fluid milk, ice cream, frozen and canned vegetables and pickles sectors, will undergo restructuring to improve its margins. Its new direction involves cutting costs across the board and concentrating on its strongest business, the fluid milk sector, by acquiring more regional brands and launching a new line of single-serve packages. Some 8% of the firm’s work force will also be trimmed while 13 of its 63 plants will be shut down. These cuts will mostly come from its declining canned vegetable business as well as its frozen vegetable and ice cream businesses. As company sharpens cost-cutting pencil, plans focus on more than the bottom line. You’d be hard-pressed to pick a tougher set of businesses to run these days than Dean Foods….
