Appointment Creates Continuity of Leadership
as Farmer-Owned Co-op Completes Plant Construction, Looks to
Expand Production
SEATTLE and BOISE,
Idaho, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Darigold,
Inc., one of the nation's largest dairy producers, announced that
Allan Huttema has been named Chief
Executive Officer. Huttema was named Interim CEO in December to
replace outgoing CEO, Joe Coote, who
left the dairy company with plans to return to his native
Australia.
Prior to his appointment as Interim CEO, Huttema had served as a
Director of Darigold for nine years, and Chairman of its Board for
the last three years. He has been a dairy farmer in Idaho and a Northwest Dairy Association (NDA)
member-owner for more than 25 years. With the Board vote completed,
Huttema will remain in the CEO role.
"We are at an important time in Darigold's evolution as we near
completion of a new processing facility in Central Washington, the largest investment in
our co-op's 105-year history, and continue to recover from economic
challenges over the last couple of years," said Tony Freeman, Chairman of Darigold's Board of
Directors and a Washington dairy
farmer. "At this time, the Board believes that Darigold will
benefit from continuity of leadership, and that a strong connection
between the company and its farmer-owners is important as we look
to complete our Pasco project and
build the on-farm capacity we will need as we begin operations
there. We believe that Allan's background uniquely qualifies him
for the CEO role at this time."
"When the Board asked me late last year if I would serve as
Interim CEO, I said I would do it. As a dairy farmer myself, I know
how important it is to have successful and vibrant Darigold to
serve as the marketing and processing arm of our co-op," said
Huttema. "To our community of dairy farmers in the region, Darigold
isn't just a company, it's the lifeblood of our industry, and it's
important to me to help preserve this way of life to which our
farmer-owners, me included, have dedicated our lives."
Having accepted the role of CEO, Huttema resigned from the
Darigold Board of Directors, and the Board elected Freeman
(previously Vice Chair) to replace him as Chair. The Board elected
Washington dairy Farmer Mike
Schoneveld Vice Chair.
"These changes will help ensure continuity of leadership for
Darigold and NDA at a critical time," said Freeman. "We can now
keep our organization focused on completing construction of our
Pasco facility and building up the
farm capacity we'll need to begin operating there – a milestone
that should provide new avenues to grow our co-op and help solidify
the Northwest as a critical region for dairy production more
broadly."
About Darigold
Headquartered in Seattle,
Darigold, Inc. is the marketing and processing subsidiary of the
Northwest Dairy Association (NDA), which is owned by nearly 300
family-owned farms in Washington,
Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Darigold handles approximately 10
billion pounds of milk annually. The company produces a full line
of dairy products for retail, foodservice, commodity, and specialty
markets, and is one of the largest U.S. dairy processors. Darigold
operates 11 plants throughout the Northwest, processing
high-quality milk produced by NDA farm families, a second office in
Boise, Idaho, as well as global
satellite offices. It is currently building a 12th plant
in central Washington that is
slated to open in 2025. For more information, visit
Darigold.com.
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SOURCE Darigold, Inc.