California Dairies, Inc. has opened a new beverage manufacturing facility in Bakersfield, California. The company, which is the largest dairy farmer-owned cooperative in California, invested in the 200,000 square-foot greenfield facility to meet growing demand for fluid milk products and has created 90 new full-time jobs.
The facility, named Valley Natural Beverages (VNB), sits on land that will allow for future expansion to 400,000 square feet. It will begin by processing an estimated 116,000 gallons of locally sourced milk each day. The plant features robotics, energy-efficient systems, and incorporates renewable energy sources and waste conservation measures to support environmental sustainability.
VNB will open with three processing lines dedicated to conventional extended shelf life (ESL) and ultra-high temperature (UHT) dairy beverages. A multi-phase expansion is planned, which will grow capacity to 10–12 production lines and enable the facility to process up to 600,000 gallons per day.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, Brad Anderson, president and chief executive officer, California Dairies, Inc., said, “We are thrilled to officially open this cutting-edge facility. This investment underscores our commitment to innovation and sustainability. The new plant will allow us to increase production capacity, expand our product offerings, improve efficiency, and create next-generation jobs for the local community.”…