The Missouri Department of Economic Development announced that Aurora Organic Dairy (AOD), a leading producer and processor of store-brand organic milk and butter for U.S. retailers, plans to construct a new dairy processing facility in Columbia, which would create more than 90 jobs initially, and up to 150 total new jobs over the next five years.
“We are going to do everything we can to create more jobs for Missouri families. We are excited for Aurora Organic Dairy to set up shop in our state and start producing Missouri-made goods. I thank the company for their business and their confidence in what we plan to achieve. Together, we're going to grow business and grow Missouri’s economy,” said Gov. Eric Greitens.
Based in Boulder, Colorado, AOD’s supply chain includes organic dairy farms, a dedicated organic fluid milk processing plant, and organic heifer and calf ranches in Colorado and Texas. AOD is an integrated company that produces and processes organic milk products for distribution to grocery stores nationwide. This “cow to carton” model provides consumers with organic dairy products of the highest standards, quality and value available in the market today.
“The decision to build our second milk plant in Columbia culminates several years of research and diligence to determine the optimal location for a new processing operation,” Marc Peperzak, Founder and CEO of Aurora Organic Dairy, said. “Columbia was the best choice because it offers a location that expands and improves the efficiency of our total supply chain, from organic feed, to milk, to consumer. Central Missouri also offers a great workforce and attractive access to major interstate highways. We are excited to break ground on our new facility later this Spring.”
AOD expects the plant to be fully operational in early 2019, and this first phase of construction is expected to create more than 90 new jobs in the community. The company may further expand the plant in the next few years and create up to 60 additional new jobs at the facility.
Missouri competed against four other states for the new processing facility and was ultimately given strong consideration because of the supply chain advantages it offered the growing, national organic dairy business. AOD will invest $100 million to construct the new facility with additional expansion possible.
“This is a great addition to the Columbia region,” Steve Johnson, CEO of Missouri Partnership, said. “Food solutions is a key strength for Missouri due to our robust food production sector and our leading role in agriculture which contributes $33 billion to our state GDP each year. We are excited to welcome AOD to Missouri and look forward to their investment in our state and to the jobs they will create.”
“As one of the largest capital investment business attraction projects in Missouri, Aurora's decision proves Columbia is a great place to invest, expand and grow,” Brian Treece, Mayor of Columbia, said. “Columbia is proud to offer a skilled workforce that shares Aurora's values of hard work, dedication, and commitment to organic stewardship.”
The new facility will be located on Route B at the Sutter Industrial Site. Construction will begin later this Spring. This news comes just days after American Outdoor Brands Corporation announced its plans to break ground on a new national distribution center in Boone County, where it plans to create more than 300 jobs in the next several years.
About Aurora Organic Dairy
Aurora Organic Dairy is the leading producer of store-brand organic milk and butter for U.S. retailers. Based in Boulder, Colorado, AOD’s supply chain includes organic dairy farms, a fluid milk processing plant and organic heifer and calf ranches in Colorado and Texas. Organic agriculture, animal care and sustainable production are the cornerstones of Aurora Organic Dairy’s business. Its processing facility and each of its farms are certified organic by USDA National Organic Program accredited certifiers and certified by Validus, a leading independent animal welfare auditor.
Aurora Organic Dairy is involved in overseeing organic standards from cow to carton. It monitors the entire product lifecycle, to ensure quality from its farms to its processing facility. For more information, visit www.aodmilk.com.