Getting its start in 1938, Hiland Dairy, located in Springfield, Mo., has come a long way throughout the past 80 years. What was once a small herd of cows with a few delivery trucks has grown into 15 plants with 49 distribution centers scattered across the Midwest.
As a way to celebrate their 80 years of service, Hiland will host an Anniversary Tour throughout the state of Missouri. From August through October, Hiland will travel to local grocery stores selling ice cream and other dairy products from their Hiland Anniversary Tour food wagon. The proceeds from these events will be donated to local charities as a means to help support small communities.
While Hiland officially began in 1938 originally with just a small herd of 50 cows, some of the company’s dairies trace back to just after the Civil War. As the company grew, a production plant was built in 1945 along with a distribution center that would run 11 different dairy routes.
In the 1980’s, Hiland, Prairie Farms and Dairy Farmers of America would form a joint venture that would help propel the company even further. Acquiring several dairy plants throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Hiland quickly became a household name for those located in the Midwest.
As the company grew, Hiland went on to introduce 19 new products in 2013, including iced coffee and holiday flavored milks. The popular beverages helped propel the company even further, pushing them to acquire other dairy processors like Roberts Dairy in 2014 and several plants in Texas in 2017.
Sharing photos of how the company has evolved on their Facebook Page, consumers can use the hashtag #HilandTurns80when visiting the Anniversary Tour.
To read more about Hiland’s history, click here.
