Dairy Processing - March/April 2024 - 26

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Hilmar's new $600-plus million facility in Dodge City, Kan. The facility
features technology geared toward conservation and sustainability.
including new cheese plants opening
this year and in 2025 that will have a
significant impact on cheese supply
and milk demand.
NEW FACILITIES
There are more than $5 billion in new
dairy plant investments and expansions
occurring in the US through 2025. The
largest of those investments are in
cheese plants. New cheese facilities
in the Southwest alone are expected
to process more than 20 million lbs
of milk per day. Experts suggest that
these upcoming developments mark the
largest increase in cheese processing
capacity ever seen in an 18-month
window, and as long as cheese demand
continues to grow, the country will need
a new large plant about every year.
Last fall, California-based Hilmar
broke ground on a new facility in
Dodge City, Kan. The $600-plus million
facility features technology geared
toward conservation and sustainability.
The company joined the US Dairy
Stewardship Commitment to achieve
industrywide neutral GHG emissions,
optimize water usage and improve
water quality by 2050.
Booth #4156
The new plant makes use of
instruments and control systems that
minimize energy usage and the amount
of water needed to keep the facility
clean, and recycled water will clean
the plant and equipment, and reclaim
waste heat.
The new site also includes native
and drought-tolerant landscaping that
will decrease the facility's greenhouse
gas footprint and minimize water use.
" Demand for our cheese and
whey ingredients in the marketplace
is very strong, " said Kyle Jensen, vice
president of global sales and marketing
for Hilmar. " Dodge City will produce
cheese and whey protein. This growth
is a direct result of our momentum
and progress toward achieving our
strategic goals. "
Leprino Foods, Denver, a
mozzarella, whey protein and dairy
ingredients manufacturer, is investing
$870 million to build a state-of-the-art
manufacturing plant located on 258
acres in East Lubbock, Texas. The
project represents the largest single
private capital investment announced
since Lubbock Economic Development
Alliance's (LEDA) inception, and
the 12th largest private capital
investment project in Texas since the
establishment of the Texas Enterprise
Fund in 2003.
" We are excited for the
opportunities that the Lubbock region
provides, as well as bringing people,
processes and technology together
at a new, state-of-the-art facility, " said
Mike Durkin, president of Leprino
Foods Company. " Furthermore, this
new plant will play a critical role in the
dairy industry in Texas and will have
a substantial regional impact for local
Hilmar
Dairy Processing - March/April 2024

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