Davisco Foods International has been selected as the first recipient of the Exporter of the Year Award, introduced by Dairy Field and the U.S. Dairy Export Council to honor dairy manufacturers with a keen eye on the global marketplace. Davisco was chosen in recognition of its worldwide sales efforts that have played a crucial role in growing global demand for U.S. dairy products.

Based in Le Sueur, Minn., this family-owned company is known far and wide as a pioneer in the value-added dairy ingredients export business. Davisco produces 185 million pounds of cheese annually, as well as 10 million pounds of whey protein isolate (WPI). The company claims to account for 65 percent of the whey protein isolate sold worldwide, used in sports drinks, diet foods, infant formula, yogurts and other foods.

Davisco produces a full-range of whey products — whey, when protein concentrate (WPC), WPI, whey permeate, hydrolyzed whey proteins and lactose — as well as whey fractions such as alphalactalbumin, betalactoglobulin and glycomacropeptide.

In addition to facilities in Minnesota, Idaho and South Dakota, Davisco has sales offices in Mexico City and Geneva, and has partnerships with companies in Japan and Europe. The company has an excellent reputation overseas. Davisco was one of the first companies to recognize the significant value and potential of exports, and one of the first to recognize that whey could be used for more than just animal feed. It has always been an innovator in product development and has been an aggressive investor in research to demonstrate the health benefits of whey proteins.

Davisco continues to differentiate itself by branding its whey products — BioPro, BioZate and BioPure  — to enhance its position in the global marketplace.

The award will be presented in October at Stagnito’s Top Gun Conference, a networking event for top-level executives from across the food and beverage industry, held this year in Phoenix.

Dairy Field will begin accepting nominations for the next Exporter of the Year Award in Spring 2007. Worthy candidates should have significant export sales and commit significant company resources to export market development; exports should represent a considerable part of the company’s overall growth strategy. Applicants should have played a role in driving the growth of global dairy demand and demonstrate industry leadership in advancing the cause of U.S. dairy exports.