Suntado LLC, a new shelf-stable milk (and other beverages) plant announced its plans to begin operations last night at the Idaho Dairymen’s Association Legislative Banquet. This project will be the third major vertically integrated plant in Idaho and represents the desire of dairy farmers to architect their own destiny.
Coming to Burley, Suntado is scheduled to open in spring 2024, the multimillion-dollar facility will process approximately 800,000 pounds to one million pounds of local milk per day.
“This project has been a dream for dairy farmers Jesus Hurtado and Dirk Reitsma for a long time and it’s exciting to see their innovative approach come to life in the state that they love so much,” Suntado CEO Jeff Williams said. “Their commitment to detail, enthusiasm for big thinking, and their loyalty to the dairy community gives integrity to the capability of the Suntado name. That they saw an area to grow dairy consumption and stepped up to answer the call speaks volumes to the owners’ dedication to the future of this industry.”
The Burley plant will open with six production lines to produce conventional and organic extended shelf life and ultra-high temperature dairy beverages and products. Suntado’s strategic growth plan includes multiple phases to expand to 18 production lines in the future. Milk will be procured in Cassia County, capitalizing on the very local nature of milk.
“This facility represents a new, pioneering mindset in which dairy products are designed to be a destination, not just a commodity,” Dairy West CEO Karianne Fallow said. “It’s exciting to see new product offerings and vertical integration in the same project. Dairy West has partnered with Suntado in helping the company get to market with products that meet the demands of our changing consumer landscape. This is good for dairy farmers, good for the dairy community, and certainly good for customer choice.”
View the full press release at bit.ly/suntado.
