By Peter Corbett | The Republic | azcentral.com
It’s a long way from America’s Dairyland in Wisconsin. But there is plenty of milk flowing in central Arizona, where the area’s large desert dairy farms are attracting dairy-product companies to the state.
Ehrmann Arizona Dairy LLC intends to start making Greek yogurt in a 100,000-square-foot plant in Casa Grande this week, with milk supplied by nearby dairy farms.
Ehrmann’s next-door neighbor in Casa Grande is Franklin Foods West, which in September began making cream cheese in a 90,000-square-foot plant.
“Quite a few cows live in the area,” Ehrmann President Thomas Moffitt said in explaining the company’s expansion to Casa Grande. “There are several major dairy farms within about 20 miles that will be able to support us.”
A reliable supply of milk in central Arizona and a huge spike in consumer interest in Greek yogurt has brought the two new dairy-product makers and hundreds of jobs to Casa Grande, a city of about 55,000 residents less than an hour south of Phoenix.
