Danone’s Largest Plant in the World Continues Growth in the Shenandoah Valley
Summary
- Danone North America acquired its Mount Crawford facility from WhiteWave Foods Company in 2017.
- The acquisition brought together two purpose-driven, health-focused, high-growth companies.
- The plant is now the largest in parent company Danone S.A.’s global portfolio.
- One year after the acquisition, Danone North America was certified as the world’s largest certified B Corporation, which requires companies to meet specific social, environmental, and transparency standards.
Danone North America, a subsidiary of Paris-based Danone S.A., is a food and beverage processing leader with a diverse portfolio of dairy and plant-based brands. It’s also the world's largest B Corporation, a certification which requires companies to meet specific social and environmental standards, as well as providing transparency and accountability to the public.
The Mount Crawford plant was originally owned by WhiteWave Foods Company since 1988 and came into the Danone portfolio when the company purchased WhiteWave in 2017. The Rockingham County plant is now Danone’s largest facility in the world. That same year, Danone announced a $60 million investment to add new production capacity and expand its warehouse, creating 49 jobs — a hiring goal the company exceeded by the end of 2020.
Today, the plant employs more than 700 workers and produces such favorites as International Delight, Horizon Milk and Half & Half, Silk, So Delicious, Dunkin’, and STōK Iced Coffee.
Ideal Location, World-Class Talent
The beautiful Shenandoah Valley has emerged as a food and beverage processing hub, offering an excellent transportation infrastructure with connections to markets north or south, and east or west. It should come as no surprise, then, that food and beverage processing is Virginia’s second-largest manufacturing sector.
Virginia is also within a one-day drive of 47% of the U.S. population and provides a diverse ecosystem of partners and suppliers. It also offers a prime location close to major East Coast population centers and the infrastructure to move products quickly, including access to Interstate 81, the Virginia Inland Port, and the Port of Virginia in Hampton.
The region boasts 10 colleges and universities and eight career and technical centers, further strengthening the local workforce and creating collaborative opportunities.
Keeping it Local
One way Danone reduces its environmental impact at the Rockingham County plant is by sourcing and distributing locally. The company gets its milk from local suppliers through the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative and sources liquid cane sugar from nearby manufacturer Sugaright, a subsidiary of CSC Sugar.
The company also partners with TekniPlex in Pulaski County, on packaging solutions, and utilizes another Rockingham County company, InterChange Cold Storage, for storage and distribution.
Another Shenandoah Valley Success
Through different mergers and purchases, this facility in the Shenandoah Valley has stood the test of time, producing goods for a thriving industry and meeting and exceeding the needs of Danone North America.
And while those needs may evolve, Virginia’s commitment to partner businesses remains as steadfast as ever.
From the farm to the table, through manufacturing, packaging, and distribution, the Commonwealth provides food and beverage processors with a robust workforce pipeline, strategic access to markets, a highly innovative and collaborative ecosystem, and a strong legacy of industry expertise — strengths that companies like Danone North America have come to rely on for continued growth.
Our success as a business is integrally linked to the ecosystem in which we operate and we are grateful to Virginia…and everyone in Rockingham County for being so encouraging and for providing such a productive environment.
Dan Poland, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Danone North America (2016–2017)
Danone by the numbers
largest Danone facility worldwide
capital investment from Danone after purchasing building
employees at Danone's Rockingham County facility
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