Hilmar Cheese Co., Inc., Hilmar, Calif., announced plans to build a milk powder processing facility in Turlock, Calif.

“We are expanding our ingredients business to meet strong global demand for milk powders,” says John Jeter, president and CEO. “The U.S. dairy industry, and specifically California, is well positioned to be a consistent supplier to the world."

The Turlock facility will produce a variety of milk powders, which are a convenient form of milk that does not require refrigeration and is simple to reconstitute.

“With this expansion into milk powders, we are continuing our tradition of converting our high-quality milk supply into the value-added products customers want,” adds Tom Ielmini, vice president, Hilmar Ingredients, which will market the milk powder. “We now have customers in 50 countries and are always striving to meet their needs. This is part of a broader plan to be a larger, more dynamic global supplier.”

The Turlock location is ready for construction and is excellent for export opportunities through the Port of Oakland. Plus, the new facility will add 40 full-time jobs when completed.

The manufacturing process will use the most technologically advanced equipment to capture the water in milk for re-use to conserve precious ground water. Water will be recycled, reused and passed through a preliminary treatment before going to the Turlock Regional Water Quality Control facility. Energy efficiencies will follow the company’s direction for energy efficient lighting and use premium efficiency electric motors.