Smith Brothers Farms is voted the Plant of the Year

The fluid milk facility in Kent, Wash., was one of 12 nominated dairy processing plants.

Smith Brothers Farms, a fluid milk processor, has been selected to receive the Plant of the Year award from Dairy Foods. Its plant was one of 12 dairy processing plants throughout the United States nominated by Dairy Foods. The plants manufacture cheese, yogurt, ice cream, gelato, cottage cheese, and dairy and nondairy beverages.

Smith Brothers Farms received the most votes in a 5-week-long promotion on dairyfoods.com. In all, visitors to the website cast more than 2,900 votes.

In August 2013, the family-owned milk processor moved from a 90-year-old facility into a newer 50,000-square-foot space that puts production, warehouse and corporate headquarters under the same roof. The 30,000-square-foot milk processing facility is more modern, more efficient and cleaner than the former plant. The new space also gives the company the room to add capacity when it is needed.

For more about the dairy plant, read "Smith Brothers Farms moves into a new milk processing plant." To learn more about the history of Smith Brothers Farms read "Dairy processor Smith Brothers Farms delivers milk to Seattle homes."

Smith Brothers Farms, Kent, Wash., at a glance

Interstate Milk Shippers plant 53-13 (100% enforcement rating, October 2013)
Products made: Milk (conventional and organic), flavored milk, half and half, whipping cream, buttermilk and egg nog in half-pint to 300-gallon formats
Pasteurized tanks: Five, each with a capacity of 8,000 gallons
Blending tanks: One 5,000 gallons; one 8,000 gallons
Vat pasteurizers: Two (for buttermilk and egg nog), each 1,000 gallons
Fillers: Six (one 1/2 gallon; two 1/2-pints; one quart/pint; one gallon; one bag-in-box (also fills 300-gallon totes)
Silo capacity: 78,000 gallons (raw milk); 60,000 gallons (pasteurized milk)