Kroger plans new product line from dairy plant expansion

The Kroger Co. is expanding its Tamarack Farms Dairy in Newark, Ohio, to accommodate a new dairy product line.

The 35,000-square-foot, $70 million expansion will enable the implementation of a state-of-the-art aseptic milk line able to manufacture products with a long shelf life, such as half and half, heavy whipping cream, coffee creamers and Kroger’s Carbmaster milk beverage, Kroger announced Friday. With the expansion, the facility will support over 150 jobs.

“We are so pleased to see this continued investment in Newark,” Doug Blacksten, senior director of supply chain and manufacturing at Cincinnati-based Kroger, said in a statement. “Kroger is ‘Fresh for Everyone’, and that means we are committed to sourcing and manufacturing only the best and freshest products. This cutting-edge innovation at Tamarack Farms Dairy underscores that commitment, improving our ability to offer high-quality dairy products to Kroger customers."

The Tamarack Farms Dairy serves in Newark, Ohio, supplies about 160 stores in two states plus Kroger’s e-commerce channel. (Image courtesy of Tamarack Farms)

The aseptic milk line is a component of Kroger's large-scale plan to deliver long-shelf-life, high-protein drinks, non-dairy and dairy products through modern technology, Kroger noted.

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The 20-acre Tamarack Farms Dairy is the largest fluid dairy product producer in Ohio, according to Kroger. The facility serves approximately 160 stores in Ohio and West Virginia as well as provides products for Kroger’s e-commerce channel.

Kroger said the new dairy production line at Tamarack Farms will be its first in the Midwest.

“Kroger’s significant investment transforms the Tamarack Farms Dairy into an aseptic processing facility, creating a new market for Ohio’s dairy industry,” stated Tim Derickson, senior managing director of food and agribusiness of Jobs Ohio, a state-authorized private economic development corporation. “The extended shelf-life dairy product that will come from the cutting-edge operations in the Licking County facility will meet growing demand for Kroger’s customers nationwide and boost demand for dairy farmers throughout central Ohio.”