The billionaires’ club has grown
and a few acquisitions and mergers have shuffled the deck among North
America’s top dairy processors. See where your company ranks in our
listing, and find access to previous years’ listings as well.
The industry passes a milestone this year, as Dean Foods has realized its promise as the first $10 billion North American dairy processor. And it's not just the top cat that's getting bigger. There are a record number (22) billion-dollar companies in this year's Dairy 100,™ and the majority of them experienced considerable sales growth in 2004, thanks in part to higher prices. The top 10 companies now represent just under $38.5 billion, compared with just less than $30 billion last year.
On both an industry-wide, and company level it's a new day for dairy. Companies are ushering in new generations of leadership and the industry is being shaped by a new era of consolidated players.
For the 10th annual Dairy 100, Dairy Foods solicited the top companies in the industry through emails, faxes, and phone calls. In cases where the company did not wish to divulge dairy-specific sales figures, estimates were made using financial report information, and industry experts. The sales figures are for dairy products or products dairies could make. That means juice and non-dairy creamers are counted, but pizzas, pickles and coffee are not.
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