Southeast Milk Inc. (SMI), a Florida-based milk cooperative has announced that it will close its Atlanta Dairy facility. SMI’s decision to close the facility was announced to employees on March 10. According to Calvin Covington, Chief Executive Officer, SMI anticipated operating the facility through May 9, 2008, but a recent tornado in the Atlanta area forced them to accelerate plans … Read More
DFA Elects New Board
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA) is pleased to announce the re-elected board of directors for the national dairy cooperative. Tom Camerlo, a dairy farmer from Florence, Colo., was re-elected to his sixth term as chairman of the national board. Camerlo has served as DFA’s chairman since 2003. He is the chairman of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, serves on … Read More
BelGioioso Cheese to Open New Plant
BelGioioso Cheese, based in Wisconsin, will host the grand opening of its fifth cheese plant next week. The ceremony will take place on March 25 at the plant site in Freedom, Wis. BelGioioso Cheese, which currently employs 350 people and sources milk from 200 area dairy farms, will host local officials and members of the media at a grand opening … Read More
Colby-Jack Takes the Prize
Congratulations are in order for Alto Dairy – there Colby-Jack cheese, entered by Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, Gregg Palubicki, from Alto Dairy’s Black Creek plant, won its class at the 2008 World Championship Cheese and Butter Contest in Madison, Wis. The block of Colby-Jack earned a score of 97.75 out of 100 possible points. Alto’s Colby-Jack was also named World Champion … Read More
S.D. Cheese Plant Renovation to be Completed
Davisco Foods, headquartered in Le Sueur, Minn. has announced that a multi-phase, $8.22 million improvement project to the Lake Norden Cheese Co., S.D. is on track to complete in May 2008. When completed, Lake Norden will increase its whey processing capacity by 60 percent. The company is adding a new whey pasteurizer, additions to its whey processing infrastructure and upgrades … Read More
Leader Discuss Calif. Processing
Leaders from Hilmar Cheese Co., California Dairies Inc. and Land O’Lakes Inc. met in Modesto, Calif. last week to discuss the state’s milk processing capacity. They said demand for their products is healthy, but plant construction is hindered by state regulations. “California is a disaster on plant capacity,” said Richard Cotta, president and chief executive officer at California Dairies Inc., … Read More
Press Conference Called by Five Dairymen
Five dairy farmers representing Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota and California held a press conference on Monday to help bring awareness to the dropping milk price and the rising cost of inputs. It comes at a time when the price for class I milk dropped more than $5 since September, along with a $7.20 drop for class IV milk. To … Read More
Top Safety Could Win You Recognition
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is now accepting applications for the fifth annual Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards, a program that honors facilities for outstanding worker safety performance. Applications are due by March 31, 2008. Award winners will be notified this fall and featured in Dairy Field Reports, which co-sponsors the safety awards program. Applicants will be judged on … Read More
Alto Dairy Sale Approved by Membership
The membership of Alto Dairy has approved the sale of its assets to Saputo Cheese USA Inc. for $160 million. The transaction, which was unanimously approved by Alto Dairy’s board of directors last month, was supported by 98-percent of the cooperative’s members who attended a special meeting in Fond du Lac yesterday. “This is an historic day for the Cooperative,” … Read More
Winn Dixie to Sell Two Plants
Winn-Dixie Stores said it has agreed to sell its two dairy plants, located in Hammond, La., and Plant City, to Southeast Milk. Winn-Dixie said in a release that it is choosing to focus more on its retail operation. Once this sale is complete, its only remaining manufacturing operation will be the Chek Cola plant in Fitzgerald, Ga. During the transition, … Read More