Support from SPX and other dairy industry suppliers played a significant role in making the new Dairy Processing Plant at South Dakota State University a reality. The state-of-the-art processing facility incorporates SPX valves which are used for flow control throughout the plant, a high pressure pump, as well as a homogenizer which is a component of the spray drying system.

“We were excited about this project because it was clear that the program’s hands-on teaching and research capabilities could impact the dairy industry as a whole,” said Dave Murray, V.P. Sales, Food & Beverage – Americas. “We are proud to be one of the many industry partners who helped make this a reality.”

The $9 million renovation project adds 10,850 square feet of additional space to the existing plant to create a modernized plant totaling 17,900 square feet. The facility contains state-of-the-art dairy processing equipment for cheese making, ice cream making, filtration, evaporation and drying equipment that will be used to teach and conduct applied research. The purpose of the dairy science program is to provide an education in dairy processing and milk production and to conduct cutting edge research in these areas.

“The benefit for the donors such as SPX is that these students are the future decision makers of the industry,” said Vikram Mistry, professor and head, Dairy Science Department at SDSU. “They get to know their equipment so that later when they are in a position to purchase equipment they could become a customer.”