Dean Foods said EVP and COO Ralph Scozzafava will succeed Gregg A. Tanner as CEO on Jan. 1, 2017. Milk Specialties Global acquires whey plant from Saputo in Wisconsin.

Litehouse Inc. President and CEO Jim Frank is the first nonfamily member to head the Idaho-based manufacturer of refrigerated salad dressings and blue-veined cheeses. In this interview, he talks about the challenges of running this employee-owned dairy business. 

The world was turned upside last month for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s winter south of the Equator where Brazil hosted the summer Olympics. That gave me a different perspective on current events.

Ed Hawkins invented a blue cheese buttermilk salad dressing that he served in his steakhouse. When customers asked if they could buy a bottle to take home, he knew it was a hit.

The city of Sandpoint (population 7,500) is in the skinny part of Idaho, wedged between Washington and Montana, and about an hour south of the Canadian border. Sandpoint is the seat of Bonner County which, at 1,920 square miles, is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. When the Dixie Chicks sing of “Wide Open Spaces,” they could be referring to this part of Idaho.

Grupo Lala, a dairy company headquartered in Mexico, today announced a new division named Lala U.S., headquartered in Dallas. The move is expected to strengthen ties with retailers and consumers.

Just as Dairy Foods was wrapping up its research into the 100 largest dairy processors in North America, the French dairy giant Danone announced it was buying Colorado-based WhiteWave Foods, a processor of organic dairy and plant-based beverages.

It was one of 12 food processing facilities nominated for the award. Dairy Foods invited the dairy industry to vote and help select the recipient. During a five-week period ending July 6, more than 3,500 votes were cast.

The Idaho Milk Processors Association Conference, Aug. 11 to 12, includes a panel discussion among dairy experts dubbed "The Future of Food" that addresses balancing consumer trends and food security.