Glanbia said today (10 August) it expects the new US plant the Irish group is setting up with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Select Milk Producers should be completed by 2021.

The three companies announced their plans for the factory in March 2017 and yesterday named the city of St Johns in Michigan as the location of the new facility.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The plant will process 3.6m litres of milk per day into 135,000 metric tonnes a year of cheese, as well as whey products for customers in the US and overseas.

“Commissioning will commence in Q4 2020 and is expected to be completed by 2021,” a Glanbia spokesperson said. In full production, the plant will employ approximately 250 staff.

Meanwhile, the companies have confirmed an agreement has been reached with Proliant Dairy Ingredients to process the whey permeate. Proliant will invest $85m in an adjoining facility, creating up to 38 jobs.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact