Hilmar’s 500-pound barrels of cheese expand Dalhart facility

DALHART, DALLAM COUNTY – Hilmar Cheese is increasing capacity at its Dalhart facility by another 20 percent.

“We currently process about 220 truckloads of milk each day. This will increase capacity by 40 truckloads per day,” said Denise Skidmore, director of education for the company.

Not only will the expansion add capacity, but it will also allow production of 500-pound barrels of cheese.

The expansion is expected to be completed in 2016.

The plant currently employs more than 400 people and will be adding workers.

Hilmar Cheese was founded by 11 dairy farming families in 1984 on Lander Avenue in Calif., now the world’s largest cheese plant.

Its 930 employees, along with 400 in Dalhart, turn out about 2 million pounds of cheese a day under various labels. The company also sells the byproducts, whey protein and lactose, as food ingredients around the world.