Meadow Gold Dairy opens in NLV

Jennifer Shubinski

Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004 | 10:41 a.m.

Got milk?

Southern Nevada now has more with the opening of the Meadow Gold Dairy in North Las Vegas, which could significantly affect how much processed milk is shipped into the state.

The $40 million, 70,000-square-foot Meadow Gold Dairy processing plant, on Centennial Parkway near Interstate 15, will process and distribute milk to supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, schools and hospitals. The processing plant also replaces the company's distribution center on Losee Road in North Las Vegas.

How much milk the plant will process was not disclosed. The company will also process fruit juices and flavored milk.

While there are 36 dairy farms in the state, most of that milk is shipped out of state for processing and then shipped back into Nevada for consumption, said Mike Compston, executive director of the Nevada State Dairy Commission. Almost 60 percent of the milk sold in Nevada is processed and packaged out of state.

Having a new processing plant in Southern Nevada -- Anderson Dairy already has one in the Las Vegas area -- will undoubtedly decrease the amount that has to be brought in for sale, he said.

"I don't have exact figures as to how much it's going to change, but it's going to be a significant increase," in the amount that is processed and packaged in Nevada, Compston said.

Meadow Gold Dairy, which is part of Dallas-based Dean Foods, received $1.8 million in state tax incentives to locate its processing center here. The plant is the 11th Meadow Gold Dairy nationwide.

Susan Meadows, vice president/director of marketing, said Nevada was the sole contender for the processing center, partly because of the area's high growth.

"It's exactly where we want to be," she said.

The company owns 30 acres in North Las Vegas -- bought two years ago -- and has developed 20 acres for the new plant and distribution center. Barry Beaman, general manager, said the company has room to grow in Las Vegas and plans to grow as demand increases.

"We're going to focus on the Las Vegas area, but with our expansion plans continue to spread into Nevada, Arizona and Utah," he said.