DFA Plant in Goshen to Curtail Activities
Published: Friday, November 29, 2024
Dairy Farmers of America on Nov. 14 announced that it plans a partial shutdown of its plant in Goshen.
"After carefully assessing potential long-term shifts in milk production and product demand across the nation, and as part of our ongoing efforts to optimize capabilities across our plant network, we have come to the difficult decision to idle the manufacturing side of the plant in Goshen, effective Jan. 2," according to a statement from DFA spokesperson Kim O'Brien. "The warehouse portion of the plant will remain open and be used for technical work, servicing the DFA network of plants."
The shutdown will result in 40 jobs being eliminated, O'Brien said.
"The employees at the facility have done an excellent job of producing dairy ingredients, and we appreciate all their hard work and dedication," O'Brien said. "We are committed to working with employees to help them through this transition."
According to information shared during a 2022 tour, DFA's Goshen facility, located at 1110 S. Ninth St., is designed to process up to 2.4 million pounds of raw milk per day with an economic impact of $91.4 million. It serves as a balancing plant, which means it adjusts its production according to industry needs.
In 2015, the milk processing facility received the Agri-Business Award from the Elkhart County Agricultural Society.
O'Brien added that the plant is not currently running at full capacity. The main product produced there is condensed milk.
She added that the milk volume currently received at the Goshen plant "will continue to have a reliable home at nearby production facilities."
"This was a difficult decision, but we have a responsibility to operate financially sound businesses that bring additional returns to our family farmer-owners' investment in the cooperative," she said.
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