Westby Celebrates $14 Million Installation with Ribbon Cutting

Sep 09, 2026 (Westby, WI)

September 9, 2026 (Westby, Wis.) – Westby Cooperative Creamery celebrated the installation of its $14.1 million cottage cheese modernization equipment with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its Westby manufacturing facility. The investment positions Wisconsin’s only cottage cheese manufacturer to meet growing consumer demand while enhancing efficiency, food safety and long-term sustainability for its farmer-owned cooperative.

Westby Cooperative Creamery’s new Multi Cheese Vats will operate within a fully enclosed system that reduces production time from 16 to 8 hours. The vats also automate testing and sanitation and will provide an additional seven million pounds of capacity at the plant.

The project modernizes the Creamery’s cottage cheese production system with state-of-the-art equipment designed around an enclosed-vat process, an entirely new method of manufacturing cottage cheese in the United States. The former open-vat system was highly labor-intensive and exposed the product to the environment. The new method enhances employee safety, production consistency and efficiency while reducing production time from 16 hours to eight hours.

“We’re proud to celebrate the completion of this investment and the future of Westby Cooperative Creamery,” JD Greenwalt, president and CEO, said. “This project allows us to replace aging equipment before it reaches the end of its useful life while giving us the capacity and technology needed to meet strong customer demand for cottage cheese. It strengthens our cooperative, supports our farmer-owners and ensures we can continue producing high-quality dairy products well into the future.”

The completed project includes:

• A new food-grade production room within the existing facility.
• Two fully enclosed cottage cheese vats capable of producing up to 12,000 pounds of cottage cheese per run.
• Two 10,000-gallon cream tanks, made in Wisconsin.
• A new 30,000-gallon milk silo manufactured in Wisconsin.
• Upgraded refrigeration, sanitation and auxiliary systems.

Westby Cooperative Creamery’s $14 million cottage cheese equipment installation will take what was a very labor-intensive job and turn it into an operator’s position. Here, cottage cheese makers demonstrate the old way of making product, which included shoveling fresh curd by hand to drain water away.

The installation represents the most significant advancement in the Creamery’s cottage cheese production process in decades. Automated enclosed systems now handle ingredient delivery, product testing and sanitation, while HEPA-filtered air environments further enhance food safety.

The new equipment will increase product yield by an estimated 10 to 15 percent from the same amount of milk while also reducing water and energy consumption, minimizing product loss through gentler curd handling and lessen the physical demands placed on employees.

“This investment is about more than increasing production,” Greenwalt said. “It’s about creating a safer, more efficient workplace, improving sustainability and protecting the long-term success of our cooperative and the family farms that own it.”

Consumer demand for cottage cheese continues to grow as shoppers seek high-protein, clean-label foods. The expanded production capacity allows Westby Cooperative Creamery to better serve existing customers while pursuing new business opportunities in a rapidly growing category.

“This investment garnered a lot of attention from current and future customers,” Emily Bialkowski, sales and marketing manager, said. “Our team was able to pre-sell the additional seven million pounds of production capacity within six months of the announcement. Demand for cottage cheese remains very strong, and this investment gives us the ability to better serve our customers while continuing to grow our business.”

The project did not increase staffing levels but will transform the nature of jobs at the facility, creating less labor-intensive roles.

“By modernizing and investing in the plant, the Creamery is protecting current jobs and ensuring long-term stability for our farmer-owners,” Greenwalt said.

About Westby Cooperative Creamery

Founded in 1903, Westby Cooperative Creamery is a farmer-owned cooperative based in Westby, Wisconsin. The Creamery is Wisconsin’s only cottage cheese manufacturer and is known for its award-winning cottage cheese, sour cream and cultured dairy products. Westby Cooperative Creamery remains committed to supporting family farms through innovation, quality and sustainable growth.