Organic Valley Family of Farms' employees and farmers joined Cashton, Wis. community members, state and local officials and business leaders on Wednesday, May 24 for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the co-op's building of a new $15 million distribution warehouse in Cashton.
The warehouse, which is expected to open in Spring 2007, is a reflection of the steady growth of the farmer-owned cooperative, a national leader in the organic foods industry that realized a 17% increase in sales in 2005.
"The new Cashton facility is yet another testament to Organic Valley's ongoing commitment to creating thriving and sustainable communities through organic farming," said George Siemon, CEO for Organic Valley. "We put the first shovel in the ground with the Cashton community, a symbolic step towards creating more economic vitality in Cashton and surrounding towns."
Located at the top of a gently rolling field on Highway 27, the new 80,000 sq. ft. facility will sit on 40 acres of property and offer easy access to the interstate freeway system. It is adjacent to the Cashton Greens Business Park, an innovative development where businesses will create and utilize renewable energy.
The primary function of the new Organic Valley facility will be to warehouse and distribute Organic Valley's fluid milk products from the Midwest, as well as the co-op's national specialty products. More than 50 Organic Valley employees will work at the Cashton facility, relieving the co-op's La Farge headquarters, which is already near full capacity following its opening less than two years ago.
The groundbreaking ceremony speakers included George Siemon, Cashton Village President Robert Amundson, and Organic Valley Chief Operating Officer Louise Hemstead. Following the 20-minute ceremony, an organic picnic lunch was served.
"We are very grateful to Organic Valley for selecting Cashton as the site of this major facility," said Amundson. "This is a tremendous boost to our town that we expect to have a powerful and lasting impact on the lives of our community members."
Organic Valley currently handles distribution through multiple facilities. The new facility is being built to gain environmental and operational efficiencies made possible by housing distribution under one roof, rather than through various locations.
A primary feature of the Cashton warehouse will be a state-of-the-art Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) by Westfalia Technologies, Inc. of York, Pennsylvania. This unique system places pallets in a cooler up to 80 feet in the air, and then retrieves the pallets as needed by customers.
"The ASRS allows this facility to have a smaller footprint than typical warehouses," said Hemstead. "We want to use as few land resources as possible. We also expect the system will enhance our inventory management and virtually eliminate product loss due to expiration dates."
The ASRS also allows for improved employee working conditions. The building can be kept at more moderate temperatures, and safety is improved since employees are not moving heavy loads overhead as they would in conventional warehouses. Customer requests also can be met more quickly since ASRS improves inventory numbers.
The design of the Cashton facility has a number of environmentally friendly features that allow for less refrigeration and electricity usage. Fewer spare parts are used in the building, reducing future landfill waste, and cranes in the warehouse regenerate power as they operate.
"The Cashton facility is another example of Organic Valley's efforts to employ green business practices both on and off the farm," said Hemstead.
NOTE TO MEDIA: Download a photo of the groundbreaking by clicking here.
Organic Valley: Independent and Farmer Owned
Organic Valley Family of Farms is America's largest cooperative of organic farmers and is one of the nation's leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents over 750 farmers in 23 states and realized a record $245 million in 2005 sales. Focused on its founding mission of keeping small and mid-sized farmers farming, Organic Valley produces organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce, juice and meats which are sold in supermarkets, natural foods stores and food cooperatives nationwide. For more information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop.
