Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) is a national milk marketing cooperative in the United States. DFA markets members' raw milk and sells milk and derivative products (dairy products, food components, ingredients and shelf-stable dairy products) to wholesale buyers both domestically and abroad. Net sales in 2016 were $13.5 billion, representing about 22 percent of raw milk production in the United States.[2]
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Predecessor | Associated Milk Producers, Inc.; Mid-America Dairymen, Inc.; Milk Marketing, Inc.; and Western Dairymen Cooperative, Inc. |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Dennis Rodenbaugh (president and CEO) |
| Revenue |  US$13.6 billion (2018) US$14.7 billion (2017)[1] |
| US$131.8 million (2016) | |
Number of employees | 18,000 |
| Website | dfamilk.com |
History
editDFA was formed in 1998 through the merger of four dairy cooperatives: the Southern region of Associated Milk Producers Inc.; Mid-America Dairymen Inc.; Milk Marketing Inc.; and Western Dairymen Cooperative Inc.[3] Since then, five other cooperatives have become a part of DFA – Independent Cooperative Milk Producers Association, Valley of Virginia Milk Producers Association, California Cooperative Creamery, Black Hills Milk Producers and Dairylea Cooperative Inc.[4][5][6][7] Its headquarters from 1998 until 2017 was near Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri.[8]
In 2011, DFA acquired Kemps of St. Paul, Minnesota, and its subsidiaries from HP Hood.[9] In 2014, DFA acquired Oakhurst,[10] and Dairylea Cooperative Inc. merged with the farmer-owned Cooperative. DFA became the sole owner of America Buys kemps in 2015,[11] which was once a partnership between DFA and Fonterra Co-operative Group Unlimited. DFA also acquired Cumberland Dairy, a processor of ultra-pasteurized dairy products, in 2017.[12]
In February 2020, DFA agreed to buy Dean Foods, the largest U.S. milk producer for $433 million. As part of the deal, DFA would acquire 44 of Dean's plants. In May 2020 that deal was finalized and the acquisition was completed.[13]
Brands
edit- Arla (under licensed)
- Fromageries Bel (under licensed)
- Breakstone's Butter[note 1]
- Cache Valley Creamery
- California Gold Dairy Products
- Cass-Clay Creamery
- Craigs Station Creamery
- Dairy Maid Dairy
- Falfurrias
- Guida's Dairy
- Hotel Bar
- Keller's Creamery
- Kemps
- La Vaquita
- Live Real Farms
- Meadow Gold
- Oakhurst
- Plugrá
- Sport Shake
- Notes
Commodity price manipulation issues
editIn 2008, the Dairy Farmers of America and two former executives agreed to pay $12 million to settle Commodity Futures Trading Commission charges for attempting to manipulate the Class III milk futures contract and exceeding speculative position limits in that contract.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Dairy Farmers of America: global net sales 2018". Statista.
- ^ "DFA Reports Record Profits - Dairy Farmers of America". www.dfamilk.com. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "Farm Horizons: Merger of four co-ops includes Mid-America Dairymen". www.herald-journal.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "Dairylea Members Approve Merger with DFA - Dairy Farmers of America". www.dfamilk.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "St. Louis Post-Dispatch Newspaper Archives". nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "DALLAS FIRM PLANS TO BUY SHENANDOAH'S PRIDE DAIRY". Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "Archive Search - PressDemocrat.com - The Press-Democrat - Santa Rosa, CA". nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ O'Neill, Lily (June 7, 2017). "Dairy Farmers of America Opens the Doors of its New Kansas Headquarters". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2017-06-08.
- ^ Kansas City Business Journal - Dairy Farmers of America will become owner of Kemps (April 15, 2011), Retrieved Apr. 23, 2015.
- ^ "Oakhurst Acquired by a Farmer Owned Cooperative - Dairy Farmers of America". www.dfamilk.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "Dairy Farmers of America acquires sole ownership of DairiConcepts - Dairy Farmers of America". www.dfamilk.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "DFA Acquires Cumberland Dairy - Dairy Farmers of America". www.dfamilk.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "DFA completes $433M acquisition, with feds' blessing". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
- ^ "Dairy Farmers of America settles with CFTC". www.cftc.gov.
External links
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