Tillamook Ice Cream, the fastest-growing family-size ice cream brand in the United States, celebrates a significant milestone with the launch of their new manufacturing facility in Decatur, Ill. This marks Tillamook County Creamery Association’s (TCCA) first owned-and-operated site outside of Oregon, underscoring their ambitious national expansion endeavors.
Strategic Growth and Expansion
David Booth, president and CEO of TCCA, expressed excitement about this development, highlighting the strategic benefits Decatur offers with its accessibility to the expanding consumer base. As of 2024, Tillamook’s reach has grown astonishingly with over 1 million new consumers — including 600,000 from the Eastern United States — and contributing to a remarkable 13% increase in dollar sales in just one year.
“This is an exciting step forward for our co-op, and we are energized by the new opportunities the Decatur manufacturing plant opens for TCCA,” Booth said. “Decatur offers strategic access to our growing customer and consumer base, and we hope this new production facility will help enable Tillamook to become the ice cream of choice for consumers in the Eastern United States.”
The $65 million remodeled Decatur facility, which is now operational, is a testament to TCCA’s commitment to growth. With projections to produce 15.5 million gallons of ice cream, the plant is poised to enhance production capacity and drive supply chain efficiency. The facility has already generated 50 jobs locally, with plans for workforce expansion as production scales up.
“The Decatur plant is well-equipped to serve our valued customers with increased production capacity, while driving supply chain efficiency from the plant to a growing footprint of national and regional retail outlets,” Mike Bever, executive vice president and chief supply chain officer of TCCA said.
Building Tomorrow, Today
Julie Moore Wolfe, mayor of Decatur, welcomed Tillamook’s presence as a valuable addition to the city’s business landscape, reflecting shared values and goals. The collaboration with the community is paving the way for a revitalized economic environment, transforming previously vacant spaces into thriving centers of innovation and growth.
“The jobs being created and the co-op’s early community support reflect the strong alignment between TCCA and our city’s values. We look forward to continuing to work together as TCCA becomes an integral part of our thriving business community,” she said.
In alignment with the co-op’s commitment to community enrichment, TCCA is actively engaging with the Decatur community through local philanthropy with recent commitments, including a $25K donation that was matched by JP Cullen – the general contractor on the TCCA plant project – to deliver a total of $50K to support local Decatur initiatives. This includes:
- $20,000 to the Decatur Park District to sponsor local youth recreation and community events like the Ice Cream Safari at the Scovill Zoo and Trees on the Tees
- $20,000 to support the food security efforts of the Good Samaritan Inn. The non-profit organization is expanding its urban food garden from 1 acre to 5 acres in 2025 to further bring fresh produce to those in need.
- $5,000 to the Northeast Community Fund to support their food security efforts and sponsor their upcoming Farm to Fund event.
- $5,000 to the Macon County Fair to support the livestock and open class shows.
“Decatur isn’t just where we are making more ice cream — it’s where we’re building new community partnerships, supporting revitalization and laying the groundwork for future growth,” Booth stated.
While ice cream remains a central focus, with ambitious production goals at the Decatur plant, Tillamook’s influence extends to being the fastest-growing cheese and cream cheese brand nationwide. Officials say the plant is initially set to produce 19 flavors of Tillamook Ice Cream but will expand to 32 flavors at full capacity. In 2024, their products have reached one in four American households, showcasing Tillamook’s breadth and potential. For more insights into TCCA and their product lines, visit www.tillamook.com.
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