Shamrock Farms Has Broken Ground on a $50m Dairy Manufacturing Plant

US-based family-owned dairy company Shamrock Farms has broken ground on a $50m dairy manufacturing plant in Augusta County, Virginia.

The 130,000ft2 facility is being established in the Mill Place Commerce Park. It will feature extended shelf life (ESL) technology, which allows milk to remain fresher for longer periods.

The facility will manufacture extended shelf life (ESL) products including Shamrock Farms on-the-go mmmmilk and Rockin' Refuel, a new protein-fortified milk designed to assist sportspersons in muscle building and recovery. Shamrock Farms plans to source milk from local Virginia farmers.

It is scheduled to go onstream in late 2014 and is expected to create 60 new jobs. The facility, which will have room for expansion, will allow the company to cater to the increasing demand for its dairy products.

Shamrock Foods chief executive officer Kent McClelland said, "This national expansion and increased capacity will allow us to provide more great-tasting and innovative milk products to people across the country."

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has approved a $250,000 grant from the Governor's Opportunity Fund to assist Augusta County over the project and another $50,000 from the Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund.

Shamrock Farms, founded in 1922, is a leading family-owned and operated dairy in the US, and it produces a wide range of dairy products that are available at retail outlets and quick serve restaurants across the country.