DFA Celebrates Grand Opening of Fallon, Nev., Facility

Source: Dairy Farmers of America

Representatives from Dairy Farmers of America joined officials from the city of Fallon, state of Nevada and Churchill Economic Development Authority to mark the official grand opening of the state-of-the-art dairy ingredients manufacturing facility in Fallon, Nev. Members of the Fallon community and Cooperative also participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Construction started on the facility in April 2012, and the first load of milk was delivered in April 2014. This plant is DFA’s first greenfield construction project, and it is the first of its kind in the United States. DFA designed the facility with the flexibility to produce dairy ingredients to the exact specifications of global customers. The plant processes 1.5 million pounds of raw milk daily into 250,000 pounds of whole milk powder that is shipped to consumers around the world.

"Regardless of the formulation or the customer, we are focused on product safety, traceability and supply chain integrity," said Glenn Wallace, chief operating officer for DFA’s Ingredients Division. "These are important elements to ensure top quality product and customer confidence."

Products from the Fallon plant answer the increasing demand for wholesome, quality dairy and help to fill in the gap where growing populations cannot access quality dairy or are still building the infrastructure to deliver dairy.

"The demand came from increasing world population and an increasing understanding of nutrition," said Jay Waldvogel, senior vice president of DFA’s Strategy and Global Development. "People know that proper nutrition, including dairy, results in a better life."

The celebration also highlights the positive effects the facility has had on the area dairy farming community and employment. Producers dedicate their milk supply to the plant, while 45 people are employed to manufacture dairy ingredients customized for customers.

"The local milk supply is a big deal for our global customers who want to know where their dairy products come from," said Pete Olsen, area producer and DFA Board member. "The traceability and transparency of the Fallon plant is important to our customers. They want to know they are getting a safe, quality supply."
Attendees of the grand opening enjoyed an interactive display, which told the story of the plant, and guided tours of the facility.

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is a national dairy marketing cooperative that serves and is owned by nearly 15,000 members on nearly 9,000 farms in 48 states. DFA also is one of the country’s most diversified manufacturers of dairy products, food components and ingredients, and is a leader in formulating and packaging shelf-stable dairy products. For more information, call 1-888-DFA-MILK (332-6455) or visit www.dfamilk.com.