Yerington to become hub for dairy products distribution

Western Dairy Innovations in Yerington is set to begin operations at its $35 million dairy processing plant.

The plant will send 780,000 gallons of milk each week to retailers in a 500-mile radius, says Mike

Compston, managing partner.

The plan took shape in 2004 when Western Dairy Specialties LLC was formed by Compston, along with Tom Revigilo, Roger Ligtenberg and Matt Barry. Compston comes from a fifth-generation Smith Valley farming family.

The milk comes from herds in Mason Valley and Lahontan Valley.

Fourteen employees will work the dairy operation initially, and within six months a second shift will up that number to 27, says Compston.

While building the facility, the partners were challenged by ever-increasing costs of stainless steel, copper wire and raw materials, as well as increasing costs of energy and freight.

But savings are expected, he adds, as Western Dairy is among the first in the nation to use a new design in gallon and half-gallon containers that eliminates piles of plastic shipping crates behind stores.

Creative Edge Technologies in Ohio designed the squared-off milk containers made from high-density polyethylene type 2 recyclable plastic.

The jugs save dairies money by eliminating the cost of crates, freight expense of the added crate weight, return freight on the empty crates and replacement cost for lost crates. They also save the water, labor and energy used to wash the crates after every use.

The design of Western Dairy also incorporates new technologies and a different system configuration, says Compston. Tetra Pak designed the facility and Bi-con Services of Columbus, Ohio built it. Local subcontractors were Desert Engineering, Valley Concrete, Peavine Construction, Electro Tech and RHP Mechanical.