Hiland Dairy Foods is expanding a manufacturing plant in Texas acquired in 2017 from Brookshire Grocery.

The US farmer-owned dairy cooperative, which has built up its business through M&A, is adding 90,000 square feet of extra space to the facility in Tyler. The site supplies dairy products, including ice cream and bottled waters.

Hiland Dairy said the undisclosed investment will include increasing processing capacity, upping the co-op’s capabilities for filling, casing and storage, along with the addition of a new laboratory.

The project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year.

Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, Hiland Dairy operates 17 other processing and production sites in the US, as well as 63 distribution centres. Its product assortment includes fresh milk, cheeses, butter, yogurt, ice cream and coffee creamers.

Lactose-free options in fresh milk, sour cream and cottage cheese are also part of the portfolio.

Outside of dairy, the business supplies the Red Diamond Tea brand, along with lemonade, fresh orange juices and distilled water.

Barry Beaman, the Tyler plant general manager, said the factory’s expansion will “provide numerous employment opportunities”, adding to the existing workforce count of around 4,000.

Just Food has asked Hiland Dairy to clarify the numbers involved and to also provide an idea of the increased capacity resulting from the project.

Company president Rick Beaman added: “This expansion is more than just growth in our physical footprint – it’s a commitment to the future of Tyler.

“We deeply appreciate the support we’ve received from the city, and we’re excited to continue providing good-paying, stable jobs for this community for years to come.”

Set up in 1938, Hiland Dairy’s most recent acquisition was in 2022, when it purchased Borden Dairy in Texas. Prior deals stretching from 2014 to 1991 included Roberts Dairy; Memory Lane Dairy; Turner Dairy; Coleman Dairy; College Club Dairy; and Steffen’s.