The influential Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) is in the middle of a massive, $35 million expansion of its Ovid, Michigan, plant in Clinton County.
The MMPA broke ground on the expansion on June 30. The MMPA's John Dillard says the expansion was necessary to meet the state’s growing demand for milk production.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in milk production in the last couple of years, and the amount produced by diary farmers is greater than the capacity of the facilities in the state,” he say, which means milk has to be moved out of state.
With high gas prices and strong local demand, the export doesn’t make much sense; hence, the Ovid expansion. The 14,000 square foot expansion will increase production from three million pounds per day to five million pounds per day.
“We’re also looking at some additional processing equipment that would provide us with additional capacity,” Dillard says. The expansion should be finished by December 2009.
Source: John Dillard, MMPA
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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