France's Groupe Lactalis expects to expand its Chicago presence following its deal to acquire Kraft's cheese brands in 2020. The sale was completed in 2021, Dairy Foods reported.

According to Bloomberg, Groupe Lactalis plans to hire almost 100 people at Chicago over the next year, stated Peter Cotter, CEO of Lactalis Heritage Dairy — the business that runs the natural cheese brands bought from Kraft.

The French dairy giant has in recent years been growing its business in the United States, which is now its second-largest market, the news outlet reported.

“The U.S. is obviously a much bigger country from a land-based standpoint than France is,” Cotter said during an interview at the firm’s office in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. “The absolute growth opportunity that exists I think makes it the perfect growth market.”

To read the full Bloomberg article, click here.