Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Celebrates Processing Growth in North Carolina
“As farmers, we’re always working to make our farms more sustainable and profitable to secure opportunities for the next generation,” said Kevin Satterwhite, Maryland & Virginia Board of Directors president. “The same applies to Maryland & Virginia’s purchase of this plant. As we work towards profitable growth and a consistent home for the milk of producers like me, we’re gaining a larger consumer base looking for the sustainable choice in their dairy aisle.
High Point, N.C. – Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, Inc. (MDVA) is today celebrating the first day of ownership of the Hunter Farms dairy processing plant in High Point, N.C. The plant, recently purchased from Harris Teeter, is considered a critical achievement in MDVA’s strategic growth to meet our growing customer demand.
“We are thrilled to put a stake in the ground here in High Point,” MDVA CEO Jay Bryant said. “Adding Hunter Farms to our cooperative ensures we can meet growing customer demand and take on more milk from our farmers as we grow our footprint in the southeast. By strategically growing our business, we are proving that we’re a strong competitor in the U.S. dairy industry.”
MDVA is a community of more than 900 dairy farm families in thirteen states from New York to Georgia. Founded in 1920, the cooperative’s farmers produce three billion pounds of milk a year for consumers and manufacturers worldwide. The cooperative also owns processing facilities in Newport News, Va., Strasburg, Va., Laurel, Md., and Landover, Md.
Kevin Satterwhite, a dairy farmer in Newberry, S.C. and President of MDVA’s Board of Directors welcomed the expansion of MDVA’s processing footprint.
“As farmers, we’re always working to make our farms more sustainable and profitable to secure opportunities for the next generation,” said Satterwhite. “The same applies to Maryland & Virginia’s purchase of this plant. As we work towards profitable growth and a consistent home for the milk of producers like me, we’re gaining a larger consumer base looking for the sustainable choice in their dairy aisle. This expansion is undoubtedly a bright spot in the challenges we’ve faced as an industry over the past several years.”
Today is also the first day of work for the more than 150 people behind the Hunter Farms plant as MDVA employees. In addition to growing the staff of our cooperative by almost 20 percent, MDVA has significantly expanded our product portfolio to align with the needs of our long-term customers.
“MDVA is making a long-term investment in the High Point community,” said Bryant. “The employees of the plant were a mutual priority between MDVA and Harris Teeter throughout the entire sales process. We will continue to leverage their skills to produce high quality milk, ice cream, sour cream, and other dairy goodness.”
Photo (L to R): Jason Thomason, Plant Manager; Janet Klein, Sr. Director, Human Resources; Todd Aarons, EVP, Operations; Jay Bryant, CEO; Lindsay Reames, Vice President, Sustainability & External Relations; Jon Cowell, CFO; Kevin Satterwhite, President
Contact: Amanda Culp at 540-333-9873
