Alpenrose Dairy Purchase
On August 16, it was widely reported, including in the Oregonian, that the Smith Brothers have followed through with a proposed purchase of Alpenrose Dairy. While the reports claim that none of the facilities outside of the Dairy are within the sale. Until we have further information leading us to believe that the fields are safe, we will be focusing efforts to help the Save Alpenrose campaign. Please see below for more information from Save Alpenrose:
Alpenrose Supporter,
As many of you already know, Alpenrose Dairy is currently in limbo due to a divide in the family and possible sale of the business. We are hoping to rally support for the Cadonau side (Cary, Carl and Tracey) who wish to stop the sale of the dairy and purchase it themselves. Please feel free to read the current lawsuit and their press release to better understand what the current status is and how it impacts the businesses and groups who operate there.
Many of you have generously reached out asking how you can help them in this fight and they appreciate the support. Here are a few ways you/your group/business can help us:
1. Liking the Facebook page to follow for updates, statements and possible events.
2. Sharing the Go Fund Me Campaign via social media platforms: https://www.gofundme.com/f/savealpenrose
3. Email out the Go Fund Me Campaign to your own customers/contacts with your own call to action.
4. Provide us with a statement about how Alpenrose has positively impacted your family, business or hobby. Please send a link to any business page/group page or website that we can share/tag as well. Photos at the Dairy would also be extra helpful! We will be releasing these statements one by one on our Facebook page and will do our best to tag the parties involved in the statement. Please send these statements to savealpenrose@gmail.com ASAP.
5. If you have any media/press contacts or suggestions on who to contact to gain momentum, please email us at savealpenrose@gmail.com.
Thank you for being on team #savealpenrose!
Hoping for the best,
Team Save Alpenrose
A brief synopsis and explanation of the lawsuit filed on August
16th, with a hearing to get a preliminary injunction on moving forward with the sale, on September 18th;
ABG V, LLC,
an Oregon limited liability
company comprised of Carl
Cadonau III, Cary
Cadonau and Tracey
Cadonau McKinnon,
Plaintiff
:: 3 adult children of Carl Cadonau Jr, of whom 2 have been employed
by and part of running the company in all business aspects for a number of years
:: They are challenging the defendants’ decision to sell the dairy
:: Have offered a more beneficial offer to buy Alpenrose Dairy and
keep it in the family
v.
WENDELL BIRKLAND, RODERICK
BIRKLAND, BARBARA
DEEMING, and
ANITA CADONAU-HUSEBY;
ALPENROSE
DAIRY, INC.; ALPENROSE COMPANY,
INC.; and SMITH BROTHERS FARMS,
INC.,
Defendants
:: Cousins (the Birklands) and sisters (Deeming & Cadonau-Huseby)
of Carl Jr.
:: Voted to sell the dairy portion of Alpenrose business to the Smith
Brothers Farms.
:: Removed/fired Carl Cadonau Jr as President of Alpenrose Incorporated
The legal complaint has to do with the Defendants rejecting a more beneficial offer from the Plaintiffs, Alpenrose Buyer's Group FIVE (ABG V). The offer being considered by the Defendants, is from Smith Brothers Farms, and denies the family legacy and continued relationship with its community partners.
As the lawsuit alleges, the Defendants are violating the Board of Director's fiduciary responsibility by accepting an inferior offer to sell the Dairy to an out-of-state, company that cannot/will not guarantee that the Dairy and the 150 employees/jobs are safe and will stay local.
Based on this sale, the community programs that have become part of the Alpenrose family (all EIGHTEEN District Four Little Leagues that use all three of the ball fields, the Little League Softball World Series that draw a WORLD audience with its ESPN presence, the Quarter Midget race track, the exciting Velodrome that has regional and world events) are at risk if the sale of the business to the Smith Brothers in fact closes. The community functions (Christmasin Dairyville, the annual Easter Egg Hunt, Dance program performances, 4H group, the Model Train Club, the Senior Citizen Theater, and every local group that currently use the facilities) that are CURRENTLY supported by the Cadonau family and the Dairy as part of the legacy of the family (and future Cadonau generations) are also at risk.
In addition to the programs, losing Alpenrose Dairy (the business) to an out-of-state dairy will be a huge setback to the Southwest Portland community. There are further consequences of the Dairy sale that eventually (or quickly) could affect how the land is handled - potentially leading to the development of the land (removing all structures and areas for activities, forever). If this is the case, it could harm those programs that depend on their partnership with Alpenrose to provide a safe and fun place for our children and grandchildren to develop and grow. We will no longer be
able to create those memories out of the kindness of the Cadonau family to share with future generations.
This could all be devastating news - BUT the GOOD news is that the sale is NOT yet final, and the battle to stop that reality, is in full swing. The slogan #saveAlpenrose has been initiated, a logo has been designed, and we are out to show that this community will not let this go quietly. A Facebook page (saveAlpenrose) has been set up as a place to gather and share the love for Alpenrose as well as gain information for ways to help out.
The largest need currently is helping to fund the legal battle, so a Go-Fund-Me page has been generated to collect funds to help ABG V in their fight. Funds will go directly to the legal costs generated for this fight.
We hope we’ve helped clarify, inspire, and provided you ways to engage in this matter. We also hope because either you, your children, or potentially even generations of your family have memories to reflect on connected to Alpenrose, you find a way to rise with us and fight for this family and community!