The Dairy Foods Magazine's The Dairy 100 List covers the top dairy companies in North America. This list includes brands, products made, and plant locations for the largest processors of fluid milk, ice cream, cheese, butter, cultured dairy products, dairy ingredients, and other dairy-derived foods and beverages.
By working closely with dairy plants, we have unique insights into the results posted by Dairy Foods Magazine. So, join us as we cover this year’s top 10 dairy companies to watch, and the factors that are driving their success.
Change isn’t coming — it’s already here
Compared to the 2021 Dairy 100 rankings, there has been a decent amount of movement in the industry. Part of this can be attributed to the supply changes the world has been experiencing since the pandemic. Others can be traced back to consumer habit changes, such as declining fluid milk consumption.
But despite these challenges, some companies have excelled, including Mars Ice Cream, which moved up 15 spots on the list. While some fluctuation can be expected year-over-year, certain trends are following companies rising in the industry. For example, commitments to cut methane emissions and putting a renewed focus on talent and capability development are both driving successful businesses forward.
Top 10 Dairy Companies
1. Land O'Lakes Inc.
Annual Sales 2021 (in millions): $46,000
Land O' Lakes Inc. dairy brands include: Alpine Lace, Kozy Shack, Land O’Lakes, Vermont Creamery, and private labels and/or contract manufacturing.
2. Dairy Farmers of America Inc.
Annual Sales (in millions): $19,335
Dairy Farmers of America Inc. brands include: Alta Dena Dairy, Borden (used under license for cheese and butter), Breakstone’s (used under license for butter), Cache Valley Creamery, Cass-Clay Creamery, Country Delite Farms, Country Fresh, Craigs Creamery, Creamland Dairies, Cumberland Dairy, Dairy Fresh, Dairy Maid Dairy, Falfurrias, Friendly’s, Frostbite, Gandy’s Dairy Products, Garelick Farms, Guida’s Milk, Hotel Bar, Keller’s Creamery, Kemps, La Vaquita, Lehigh Valley Dairies, Live Real Farms, Mayfield Dairy, Meadow Gold Dairies, Midwest Ice Cream, Oak Farms Dairy, Oakhurst Dairy, Pet Dairy, Plugra, Price Creameries, Purity Dairies, Reiter Dairy, Sport Shake, Stremicks Heritage Foods, Swiss Premium Dairy, T.G. Lee Foods, and Tuscan.
3. Saputo Inc.
Annual Sales (in millions): $11,495
Saputo Inc. dairy brands include: Alexis de Portneuf, Armstrong, Cathedral City, Clover, COON, Dairyland, DairyStar, Devondale, Friendship Dairies, Frigo Cheese Heads, Joyya, La Paulina, Liddells, Milk2Go/Lait’s Go, Montchevre, Murray Goulburn Ingredients, Neilson, Nutrilait, Saputo, South Cape, Stella, Sungold, Tasmanian Heritage, Treasure Cave, Woolwich Goat Dairy. Trademarks used under license: Cracker Barrel, Scotsburn, and private labels.
4. Nestlé, Zone North America
Annual Sales (in millions): ~$10,990
Nestle dairy brands include: Agüitas, Chameleon Cold Brew, Christie, Carnation Breakfast Essentials, Coffee-mate, Coffee-mate Natural Bliss, Del Monte, Drumstick, Goodnorth, Häagen-Dazs, Nesfruta, Nesquik, Nestlé, Agüitas, Dolcetto, La Lechera, La Leche Clavel, Parlour, Pureza Vita, Ovaltine, Purina Frosty Paws, Carnation Breakfast Essentials, Coffee-mate, Coffee-mate Natural Bliss, and more.
Nestle USA has changed positions from No. 1 in 2021 to 4th place on 2022's list.
5. Lactalis Group, North American operations
Annual Sales (in millions): $6,000.5
Lactalis Group brands include: President®, Galbani®, Parmalat, Lactel, and DUKÁT.
6. Danone North America
Annual Sales (in millions): $6,000
Danone dairy brands include: Activia, DanActive, Danette, Danimals, Danino, Dannon, Good Plants, Horizon Organic, International Delight, Light & Fit, Left Field Farms, Oikos, Silk, So Delicious, Stōk, Two Good, Vega, Wallaby, YoCream, YoCrunch, and private labels and/or contract manufacturing.
7. Savencia Fromage & Dairy, U.S. operations
Annual Sales (in millions): $5,878
Savencia Fromage & Dairy brands include: Alouette, Chavrie, Dorothy's, and Smithfield.
8. Agropur
Annual Sales (in millions): $5,629
Agropur dairy brands include: Agropur Grand Cheddar, Agropur Import Collection, Agropur Signature, Allegro, ANCO, BiPro, Central Dairies, Dairytown, Damafro, Farmers, Iceberg, iögo, Island Farms, Lucerne, Masters Reserve, Natrel, Northumberland, OKA, Olympic, Québon, Schroeder, Scotsburn, Sealtest, and private labels and/or contract manufacturing.
9. Kraft Heinz Co.
Annual Sales (in millions): $5,400
Kraft Heinz Co. dairy brands include: Athenos, Breakstone’s, Cracker Barrel, Knudsen, Kraft, Kraft Amooza, Kraft Cheese-Whiz, Kraft Singles, Velveeta, Philadelphia, Polly-O, Singles, and Velveeta.
10. Schreiber Foods Inc.
Annual Sales (in millions): $5,000
Schreiber Foods dairy brands include: American Heritage, Clearfield Deli, Cooper, La Feria, Menu, Pauly, Raskas, Ready-cut, School Choice, Schreiber, and private labels and/or contract manufacturing.
Stay tuned for more dairy brand insights
Congratulations to the 2022 Dairy 100 companies—we can't wait to see all that you accomplish in 2023, and we look forward to seeing who comes out on top in next year's list.
