Correction: The previous headline in this article was corrected to reflect that Darigold plans to export 50 percent of its products globally in coming years.
United States dairy producer Darigold Inc. recently expanded its Mexico operations, targeting a growing Mexican middle class as an untapped market.
Darigold has been operating in Mexico for years, but recently hired four new team members in Mexico City, including: Eugenio Massieu, director – Latin America; Mariana Lezama, director – Mexico; Alma Leticia Casillas Torres, trade execution manager; and Sophie Gonzalez Revilla, senior execution coordinator.
Torres and Revilla were selected to join Darigold to manage and coordinate in-country shipping operations, given their experience in logistics, purchasing, customer service and the dairy industry specifically, said Jonathan Spurway, leader of Darigold’s Ingredients business.
“We’re excited to grow our team in Mexico to deliver services through the addition of these talented individuals,” Spurway said. “Given their experience, we are confident the team in Mexico will be able to help Darigold create and foster direct relationships with our customers in Latin America and thereby better understand and serve their unique needs.”
Darigold officials said more than 50 percent of its business will be milk product exports in coming years. Darigold aims to expand from serving 20 countries to serving 40 or more countries in the near future.
Mexico is the U.S. dairy industry’s largest export market, accounting for $1.4 billion in sales in 2018. Cheese and nonfat dry milk are Mexico’s most in-demand exports from U.S. dairy producers.
Most U.S. dairy producers ship their products to Mexico through border ports, including Port Laredo, Port of El Paso, Port of Brownsville, San Diego-Tijuana and Calexico-Mexicali in California.
Darigold is already doing business in Mexico as Darigold Mexico and NW Dairy Pioneers, with offices in Colonia Napoles, a borough of Mexico City. Darigold, Inc. is the marketing and processing subsidiary of the Northwest Dairy Association (NDA), which is owned by more than 430 dairy farm families in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. The company operates 11 plants throughout the Pacific Northwest, processing milk produced by its dairy farm families.