Dairy processing continues to expand across the U.S., and Idaho Milk Products is beginning production at its newly completed ice cream and powder blending facility in Jerome, Idaho.
The $190 million investment brings ice cream production and dry blending together in one facility, giving the company more flexibility to turn milk into a wider range of finished products and ingredients. Idaho Milk Products says this new setup is built to boost capacity and make better use of milk components, helping the company move more volume into higher-value dairy products for both foodservice and retail customers.
Scaling Up Ice Cream and Ingredient Production
The integrated facility combines large-scale ice cream manufacturing with high-capacity dry blending operations, allowing Idaho Milk Products to serve a wider range of customers while creating additional outlets for dairy components and milk solids.
“Today marks an important milestone as we celebrate the continued evolution of Idaho Milk Products alongside our commercial, community and industry partners,” says CEO Daragh Maccabee. “After years of planning, this new facility enables us to advance our milk protein powder business through customized blending solutions while bringing the same value-added approach to cream as we have with milk protein.”
The new operation is designed to handle both novelty and bulk ice cream production. The facility can produce up to 54,000 novelty items per hour, including stick bars, sandwiches and cones with inclusions, variegates and dual coatings. It can also manufacture up to 14,400 pints per hour or 7,200 48-ounce containers per hour.
Built for Future Demand
Maccabee says the investment reflects the company’s long-term outlook for dairy processing and innovation.
“This is a plant built for the future,” he says. “I feel privileged to lead an exceptional team. Their dedication, along with the support of our dairy farmer owners, positions us to further deliver on our purpose of bringing value to milk for generations.”
Alongside the ice cream operation, the facility includes advanced dry blending systems capable of processing up to 16,000 lbs. of milk powder per hour. The blending side of the plant includes flexible batch sizing, integrated sifting and high-speed filling systems designed to support customized dairy ingredient formulations for different food applications.
As dairy processors continue investing in cheese, butter, protein and extended shelf-life production across the country, facilities like this reflect growing demand for value-added dairy products and ingredients.
Expanding Capabilities
John Murphy, vice president of operations, says the project required extensive coordination to complete on schedule.
“Delivering a $190 million project on time and on budget requires expertise, commitment and strong partnerships,” Murphy says. “This achievement reflects the collective effort of our internal teams and external partners, and we’re proud of the result.”
The company says the facility strengthens its ability to work with customers on customized dairy-based products across a range of formats and applications.
“With both novelty and bulk ice cream capabilities, this facility expands our ability to innovate and collaborate with customers,” says Louis Armstrong, ice cream business manager. “We look forward to partnering with brands to develop high-quality ice cream products across a variety of formats and to support their continued growth.”
Kevin Quinn, vice president of sales and marketing, says the additional blending and manufacturing capacity will help Idaho Milk Products respond more efficiently to customer demand.
“Our high-speed, high-capacity blending capabilities strengthen our ability to serve both new and existing customers,” Quinn says. “By leveraging our innovation expertise, we can bring new solutions to market more efficiently, reinforcing our position as a trusted dairy ingredients supplier and expanding our reach across a broader range of applications and market segments.”
According to the company, the facility has the capacity to produce up to 300 million ice cream novelty items annually, along with 66 million pints of ice cream and 14 million gallons of liquid ice cream mix each year. The plant can also process up to 120 million pounds of dry powder blending products annually.
