Jobs Galore in the Land of Milk and Cheese

Hilmar Cheese Company expands Dalhart facility

by Toree Roy

Editor’s Note: The following article appeared in the March/April 2009 issue of Texas Rising.

Dalhart’s new cheese factory is expanding, creating new jobs for the surrounding community.

California-based Hilmar Cheese Co. opened its Dalhart facility in October 2007, and now it processes more than 5 million pounds of milk each day. The company and its subsidiary, Hilmar Ingredients, announced the expansion in August 2008.

The company was founded in 1984, and its facility in Hilmar, Calif., produces more cheese at one site than any other manufacturer in the world. It produces 1.9 million pounds of cheese each day, including: Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby and Colby Jack.

The Dalhart facility currently employs about 160 people, says David Moore, executive director of the High Plains Dairy Council. The council was one of the groups responsible for bringing Hilmar Cheese to Dalhart.

The opening of Hilmar Cheese’s plant in 2007 has already brought many agriculture-related services to the Dalhart area, including veterinary, dairies and dairy equipment dealers, construction companies, electricians and concrete businesses, according to the Dalhart Chamber of Commerce.

The plant expansion is still in the design phase and the company plans to invest more than $190 million over the next 10 years, says Denise Skidmore, spokeswoman for Hilmar Cheese Co. The cost of the project has not been determined at this time.

“Over the next few years, Hilmar Cheese Company will be investing in additional capacity for Dalhart,” says David Ahlem, Dalhart site manager. “This will mean many more employment opportunities to come.”

Moore says it’s too early to say how many new jobs will result from the company’s expansion. The range of jobs created will be widespread.

“Expanding the facility creates a ripple effect of more jobs throughout the community from construction, to milk truck drivers, to actual facility employees,” says Moore.

The expansion could help attract more dairy farmers to the area by providing them with a better opportunity to sell their milk.

“The company will be able to receive more milk, which in turn helps dairy farmers in the area because it gives them someone to sell their milk to,” says Moore. “It will have a pretty dynamic effect in the region.” TR

Jobs Galore in the Land of Milk and Cheese

Required Plug-ins