Davisco Foods International
Encyclopedia
Davisco Foods is a family-owned company
, mainly concerned with dairy
products, which is headquartered in Le Sueur
, Minnesota
. The company markets such brand
s as BiPRO and BioZate. They also own Cambria
, the sole producer of quartz work surfaces in the U.S.
Davisco Foods International is currently managed by Stanley’s son, company president Mark Davis, and his four sons, Marty, Mitch, Matt, and Jon.
On August 1, 1943, Stanley Davis decided to buy the St. Peter Creamery, a dairy company located in his hometown of St. Peter, Minnesota. Harvey Parson, Davis’s former teacher, was a partner in the creamery for six months, as was Eiler Grand after that. When Parsons and Grand left to start their own companies elsewhere, Davis became the sole owner of the company.
In 1944, World War II
brought a sudden change to the dairy markets; the government wanted skim milk to ship overseas and began rationing butter. Demand and prices for dairy products were high during this time, permanently changing both the market and the business model of St. Peter Creamery.
1953–1963
When prices began to drop during the 1950s, the St. Peter Creamery faced many challenges. In order to continue running the company, Stan Davis decided to purchase a dryer. In 1959, Stan Davis’s son Mark began working for the company as a driver for the new bulk milk pickup route.
1963–1973
The dryer installed in 1956 made it possible for the St. Peter Creamery to service increasingly large milk routes by the early 1960s. Eventually, St. Peter was servicing the Bernadotte, Blue Earth, Cleveland, Mankato, Nicollet, Pemberton, and St. Clair routes.
The largest consolidation came in 1969 when Stan Davis and Allen Cords, former classmates in dairy school at the University of Minnesota, decided to combine the milk supplies of the St. Peter Creamery and the Le Sueur Cheese Company. Stan Davis, Mark Davis, and Allen Cords each owned one-third of the new business, and Mark Davis became the manager of Le Sueur Cheese.
In 1970, the cheese plant in Le Sueur was expanded and another partnership was established with Glen Anderson, a former employee. This led to the company taking ownership of another dryer, this time at a plant in Nicollet, Minnesota.
1973–1983
In 1973, a unique partnership was formed with Fromagerie Bongrain (USA) Inc., a subsidiary of Bongrain-Gerard, S.A., based in Guyancourt
, France
. The company researched several United States locations and chose Le Sueur as the site for production of its Camembert
and Brie
cheeses. For eight years the American and French cheese plants operated side by side in the Le Sueur Cheese building, until finally the value of international currency made the venture unprofitable.
During the 1970s, the St. Peter Creamery ended butter production and stopped taking milk from farmers. Its capacity as a specialty drying plant tripled when a used spray dryer was rebuilt and installed in 1978, making necessary new warehouse and powder storage facilities in 1981. Another dryer was also added at the Nicollet plant.
1983–1993
In December 1983, Stan Davis purchased a creamery in Lake Norden, South Dakota
. It was a move that turned the business away from traditional ideas of profit in the dairy industry; the Lake Norden plant would collect no milk, gaining its profits solely from whey collected from the surrounding cheese plants. The Lake Norden site was immediately expanded to include an additional spray dryer and space for liquid and dry storage.
In 1986, the three Davis companies - St. Peter Creamery, Inc.; Le Sueur Cheese Company, Inc.; and Nicollet Food Products, Inc. - merged to form Davisco Foods International, Inc. This move unified the company, which now had plants in four locations. Shortly after, all four of Stan Davis’s sons entered the family business.
In 1991, Davisco Foods International acquired the Welsh company that it was tied to in the production of BiPro, its whey protein isolate. During the same year, Mark Davis decided to build a cheese plant in Jerome, Idaho, because there was a good milk supply in need of a processing plant.
In 1993, the company decided to move the old St. Peter Creamery, now a part of Davisco’s Food Ingredient Division, to Le Sueur, Minnesota. The new plant was designed to handle the increased volume and diversity demanded by a quickly changing food industry.
1993–2003
The 1990s brought rapid change to Davisco Foods International. BiPro, the whey protein
isolate responsible for increased company profits in the 1980s, found new applications in the consumer market.
In 1994, the fully automated cheese plant in Jerome received honors as Food Engineering Magazine’s New Plant of the Year.
In 1995, Pauline Olson joined Davisco Food International’s management team as the Director of Sales and Marketing. Also during this time, the company hired new sales personnel and full-time applications scientists.
In 1998, Jerome Cheese Company was selected as the prime site for the construction of a new whey processing facility. The operation became the only commercial whey fractionating plant in the United States to use chromatography methods. The addition of an automated cheddaring system later in 1998 increased plant capacity.
As the company grew and the need for sales and marketing resources increased, Davisco Foods International moved its original Le Sueur sales headquarters to Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The company later added sales offices in Mexico City, Mexico, and Geneva, Switzerland.
2003–Present
During the 2000s, Davisco Foods International launched a consumer line of whey protein products, beginning with the sales of BiPro whey protein isolate in March 2004. At the end of 2006, the company began sales of two additional consumer products, BioZate (a hydrolyzed whey protein isolate supplement) and BioZzz (alpha-lactalbumin).
isolate supplement
BioZate hydrolyzed whey protein supplement
BioZzz alpha-lactalbumin
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
, mainly concerned with dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
products, which is headquartered in Le Sueur
Le Sueur, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,922 people, 1,545 households, and 1,025 families residing in the city. The population density was 879.0 people per square mile . There were 1,589 housing units at an average density of 356.1 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The company markets such brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
s as BiPRO and BioZate. They also own Cambria
Cambria (company)
Cambria is the sole producer of quartz surfaces in the United States. They are located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with additional facilities in Le Sueur, Minnesota, Charlotte, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ontario, Canada...
, the sole producer of quartz work surfaces in the U.S.
The Company
Davisco Foods International, Inc. is a cheese and food ingredient company based in Le Sueur, Minnesota, USA. It began in 1943 when founder Stanley Davis purchased the St. Peter Creamery of St. Peter, Minnesota. The company has since expanded to include plants in Minnesota, Idaho, and South Dakota, as well as sales offices in Mexico, Switzerland and the United States.Davisco Foods International is currently managed by Stanley’s son, company president Mark Davis, and his four sons, Marty, Mitch, Matt, and Jon.
History
1943–1953On August 1, 1943, Stanley Davis decided to buy the St. Peter Creamery, a dairy company located in his hometown of St. Peter, Minnesota. Harvey Parson, Davis’s former teacher, was a partner in the creamery for six months, as was Eiler Grand after that. When Parsons and Grand left to start their own companies elsewhere, Davis became the sole owner of the company.
In 1944, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
brought a sudden change to the dairy markets; the government wanted skim milk to ship overseas and began rationing butter. Demand and prices for dairy products were high during this time, permanently changing both the market and the business model of St. Peter Creamery.
1953–1963
When prices began to drop during the 1950s, the St. Peter Creamery faced many challenges. In order to continue running the company, Stan Davis decided to purchase a dryer. In 1959, Stan Davis’s son Mark began working for the company as a driver for the new bulk milk pickup route.
1963–1973
The dryer installed in 1956 made it possible for the St. Peter Creamery to service increasingly large milk routes by the early 1960s. Eventually, St. Peter was servicing the Bernadotte, Blue Earth, Cleveland, Mankato, Nicollet, Pemberton, and St. Clair routes.
The largest consolidation came in 1969 when Stan Davis and Allen Cords, former classmates in dairy school at the University of Minnesota, decided to combine the milk supplies of the St. Peter Creamery and the Le Sueur Cheese Company. Stan Davis, Mark Davis, and Allen Cords each owned one-third of the new business, and Mark Davis became the manager of Le Sueur Cheese.
In 1970, the cheese plant in Le Sueur was expanded and another partnership was established with Glen Anderson, a former employee. This led to the company taking ownership of another dryer, this time at a plant in Nicollet, Minnesota.
1973–1983
In 1973, a unique partnership was formed with Fromagerie Bongrain (USA) Inc., a subsidiary of Bongrain-Gerard, S.A., based in Guyancourt
Guyancourt
Guyancourt is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris from the center, in the "new town" of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.-Geography:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The company researched several United States locations and chose Le Sueur as the site for production of its Camembert
Camembert
Camembert is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.It is most famous as the place where camembert cheese originated.Camembert has been called "The largest small village in France." This is because the area of the commune itself is out of proportion to the center of the village...
and Brie
Brie
Brie is a historic region of France most famous for its dairy products, especially Brie cheese. It was once divided into two sections ruled by different feudal lords: the western Brie française, corresponding roughly to the modern department of Seine-et-Marne in the Île-de-France region; the...
cheeses. For eight years the American and French cheese plants operated side by side in the Le Sueur Cheese building, until finally the value of international currency made the venture unprofitable.
During the 1970s, the St. Peter Creamery ended butter production and stopped taking milk from farmers. Its capacity as a specialty drying plant tripled when a used spray dryer was rebuilt and installed in 1978, making necessary new warehouse and powder storage facilities in 1981. Another dryer was also added at the Nicollet plant.
1983–1993
In December 1983, Stan Davis purchased a creamery in Lake Norden, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. It was a move that turned the business away from traditional ideas of profit in the dairy industry; the Lake Norden plant would collect no milk, gaining its profits solely from whey collected from the surrounding cheese plants. The Lake Norden site was immediately expanded to include an additional spray dryer and space for liquid and dry storage.
In 1986, the three Davis companies - St. Peter Creamery, Inc.; Le Sueur Cheese Company, Inc.; and Nicollet Food Products, Inc. - merged to form Davisco Foods International, Inc. This move unified the company, which now had plants in four locations. Shortly after, all four of Stan Davis’s sons entered the family business.
In 1991, Davisco Foods International acquired the Welsh company that it was tied to in the production of BiPro, its whey protein isolate. During the same year, Mark Davis decided to build a cheese plant in Jerome, Idaho, because there was a good milk supply in need of a processing plant.
In 1993, the company decided to move the old St. Peter Creamery, now a part of Davisco’s Food Ingredient Division, to Le Sueur, Minnesota. The new plant was designed to handle the increased volume and diversity demanded by a quickly changing food industry.
1993–2003
The 1990s brought rapid change to Davisco Foods International. BiPro, the whey protein
Whey protein
Whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. Some preclinical studies in rodents have suggested that whey protein may possess anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties; however, human data is lacking...
isolate responsible for increased company profits in the 1980s, found new applications in the consumer market.
In 1994, the fully automated cheese plant in Jerome received honors as Food Engineering Magazine’s New Plant of the Year.
In 1995, Pauline Olson joined Davisco Food International’s management team as the Director of Sales and Marketing. Also during this time, the company hired new sales personnel and full-time applications scientists.
In 1998, Jerome Cheese Company was selected as the prime site for the construction of a new whey processing facility. The operation became the only commercial whey fractionating plant in the United States to use chromatography methods. The addition of an automated cheddaring system later in 1998 increased plant capacity.
As the company grew and the need for sales and marketing resources increased, Davisco Foods International moved its original Le Sueur sales headquarters to Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The company later added sales offices in Mexico City, Mexico, and Geneva, Switzerland.
2003–Present
During the 2000s, Davisco Foods International launched a consumer line of whey protein products, beginning with the sales of BiPro whey protein isolate in March 2004. At the end of 2006, the company began sales of two additional consumer products, BioZate (a hydrolyzed whey protein isolate supplement) and BioZzz (alpha-lactalbumin).
Industrial Food Products
- Cheese
- American types such as CheddarCheddar cheeseCheddar cheese is a relatively hard, yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese, produced in several countries around the world. It has its origins in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset....
, Monterey JackMonterey JackMonterey Jack is an American semihard cheese made using cow's milk. It is commonly sold by itself, or mixed with Colby to make a marbled cheese known as Colby-Jack . Cheddar-Jack varieties are also available....
, ColbyColby cheese-History:Joseph F. Steinwand in 1874 developed a new type of cheese at his father's cheese factory near Colby, Wisconsin. The cheese was named after the village, which had been founded three years earlier....
and reduced fat varieties of those types - Soft Italian types such as MozzarellaMozzarellaMozzarella is an Italian Traditional Speciality Guaranteed food product. The term is used for several kinds of Italian cheeses that are made using spinning and then cutting :...
and ProvoloneProvoloneProvolone is an Italian cheese that originated in Southern Italy, where it is still produced in various shapes as in 10 to 15 cm long pear, sausage, or cone shapes. A variant of Provolone is also produced in North America and Japan... - BiPRO - whey proteinWhey proteinWhey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. Some preclinical studies in rodents have suggested that whey protein may possess anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties; however, human data is lacking...
Isolate - BiPRO - whey proteinWhey proteinWhey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. Some preclinical studies in rodents have suggested that whey protein may possess anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties; however, human data is lacking...
Isolate - Alpha-lactalbuminAlpha-lactalbuminLactalbumin, alpha-, also known as LALBA, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the LALBA gene.- Function :α-Lactalbumin is an important whey protein in cow's milk , and is also present in the milk of many other mammalian species...
- Beta-lactoglobulinBeta-lactoglobulinright|thumbnail|300px|Structure of a β-lactoglobulin subunit Ribbons denote the [[secondary structure]], with arrows for beta strands and spirals for alpha-helices. Rendered with [[Kinemage]]...
- Glycomacropeptide (GMP)
- Lactose Powder
- Sweet Cream
- Whey Cream
- Fractionated Whey Products
- Lactose
- Condensed Whey
Consumer Food Products
BiPro unflavored whey proteinWhey protein
Whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. Some preclinical studies in rodents have suggested that whey protein may possess anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties; however, human data is lacking...
isolate supplement
BioZate hydrolyzed whey protein supplement
BioZzz alpha-lactalbumin
Alpha-lactalbumin
Lactalbumin, alpha-, also known as LALBA, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the LALBA gene.- Function :α-Lactalbumin is an important whey protein in cow's milk , and is also present in the milk of many other mammalian species...
External links
- Davisco Foods International, Inc.
- BiPro USA
- Whey of Life
- Mankato Free Press, September, 2007 - New dairy to be training ground for students
- International Dairy Foods Association, April, 2007 - Publix Super Markets, Davisco Foods and Kemps Named 2007 GRAND Pioneer Award Winners
- Business in Geneva, 2001 - Davisco Establishes European Headquarters in Geneva
- Connect Business Magazine, 1998 - Davisco Profile