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Abstract
This fall, trucks pulled in and out all day at the HP Hood dairy processing facility in Winchester, VA. In addition to milk tankers unloading milk and cream, the other trucks belonged to construction workers who are installing a second aseptic processing line in the plant. The company has been instrumental in developing and expanding the categories of flavored coffee creamers and dairy-based dips. It is investing heavily in new equipment and technologies. It is working toward achieving zero-waste-to-landfill in all plants as well as pursuing other sustainability projects. Company executives are active participants in trade associations that share technical knowledge and promote the dairy industry. For all of these reasons, Dairy Foods has selected HP Hood its Processor of the Year. The Winchester facility is the flagship in Hood's network, which consists of 14 other processing plants in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. The backbone of Hood's growth strategy is to invest in the manufacturing of long-shelf-life products, said EVP Jeff Kaneb.