Event to feature ribbon-cutting ceremony; presentations by Organic Valley CEO and board president, and Cashton Village president; picnic lunch; and tours of new $17.5 million facility
After more than a year of planning and construction, Organic Valley employees, state and local officials, business leaders and community members will gather in Cashton, Wis. on Friday, July 27 to celebrate the grand-opening of the new $17.5 million Organic Valley Distribution Center. The new facility will serve as the primary warehouse and distribution center for Organic Valley, America's largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the nation's leading organic brands.
The event will begin at 11 a.m. and feature presentations by George Siemon, CEO for Organic Valley, Wayne Peters, Organic Valley board president, and Bob Amundson, Cashton Village president, among others, and an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. There will be a picnic lunch at noon, and tours of the new facility from 12:30 p.m.-4 p.m.
"The new Organic Valley Distribution Center is a symbol of our co-op's growth and its ongoing commitment to creating sustainable communities through organic farming," said Siemon. "Anchoring our distribution in Cashton is a step to fulfill our mission to help bring economic vitality to rural Wisconsin."
Located on Highway 27 between Organic Valley's headquarters in La Farge and its creamery in Chaseburg, Wis., the 80,000 square foot distribution center resides on 40 acres in the Cashton Greens Business Park, an innovative new development where businesses will create and utilize renewable energy such as biomass conversion of manure and sawdust, biodiesel and wind energy.
Wieser Brothers of La Crescent, Minn. constructed the facility using a number of "green" building practices including using fly ash in the cement, recycled cotton for insulation in the walls and recycled steel throughout the building; a white roof to reflect the sun's heat and decrease energy costs in refrigeration; waterless urinals; and automatic faucets that recharge their batteries with the flow of water.
"We're pleased to welcome Organic Valley as the first business in our innovative green business park," said Amundson. "The co-op's environmental stewardship and dedication to communities like Cashton has and will continue to make a profound effect."
The new Organic Valley Distribution Center will house approximately 85 employees, and features office space, conventional warehousing, loading dock areas and a state-of-the-art Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) by Westfalia Technologies of York, Pa.
ASRS is a unique system using three computerized internal cranes to accurately position and retrieve pallets in real time, anywhere within the distribution center's complex of more than 8,400 refrigerated and 3,600 frozen racking locations. The system allows for space savings, improved employee working conditions and customer service, less required refrigeration and electricity usage, fewer spare parts resulting in less waste, cranes that regenerate power as operated, and improved shipping flexibility.
"Until now, Organic Valley has handled distribution through multiple facilities," said Louise Hemstead, Chief Operating Officer for Organic Valley. "Housing our distribution under one roof allows us to gain both environmental and operational efficiencies."
The primary function of the Organic Valley Distribution Center is to warehouse and distribute the co-op's fluid milk products from the Midwest, as well as its national specialty products. Organic Valley will continue to maintain three contracted warehouse facilities in the country's east, west and south for regional distribution of fluid milk and other products.
In addition to serving the co-op's needs, the new facility will allow for enhanced services and capabilities of Organic Logistics, a public warehousing and transportation company serving the organic and natural foods market. Organic Logistics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Organic Valley's farmer-owned cooperative.
"By serving our own needs in conjunction with those of other businesses in the organic food industry, we achieve better space efficiency, save fuel and conserve environmental resources for all," said Nick Lichter, executive director of Organic Logistics. "It's a great way for us to support this thriving industry, and it's a reflection of Organic Valley's cooperative spirit."
View Organic Valley Distribution Center, Cashton Fact Sheet
Organic Valley Family of Farms: Independent and Farmer-Owned
Organic Valley is America's largest cooperative of organic farmers and is one of the nation's leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents over 1,100 farmers in 29 states and one Canadian province, and achieved $334 million in 2006 sales. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces more than 200 organic foods, including organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce and juice, which are sold in supermarkets, natural foods stores and food cooperatives nationwide. The same farmers who produce for Organic Valley also produce a full range of delicious organic meat under the Organic Prairie Family of Farms label. For further information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop, www.organicprairie.com and the cooperative's farmers' website, www.farmers.coop.
