Which plant will be Dairy Foods’ 2018 Dairy Plant of the Year? Will it be a small fluid milk processing facility in Phoenix or a large cheesemaker in Wisconsin? Those are just two of the 13 dairy plants that are in the running for Dairy Foods’ Plant of the Year.

Deadlines for MilkPEP’s Milk Marketer of the Year and Exporter of the Year are approaching. IDFA opens a call for nominations for its Food Safety Leadership Award.

Dairy Foods is looking for the 2017 Exporter of the Year. Companies may nominate themselves or other companies. Nominations can be made by suppliers, consultants, association executives and others allied with the dairy industry. The deadline is Aug. 11. 

Glanbia Nutritionals is one of several dairy processing and producing businesses honored in the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards, sponsored by Dairy Management Inc. 

Voting has begun to select the Dairy Foods 2017 Dairy Plant of the Year.  The 14 U.S. dairy processing companies manufacture fluid milk, cheese, ice cream or cultured dairy products.

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese is the Wisconsin Family Business of the Year. And two California organic dairy processors take on a new distribution partner.

The International Dairy Foods Association has issued a call to dairy processors to nominate their businesses in the 13th annual Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards. Deadline is April 20.

Dairy Foods and the American Dairy Products Institute are sponsoring the award to recognize ADPI members for their new products, manufacturing processes, R&D efforts and marketing programs.

Dairy cooperative Swiss Valley Farms is the 2016 recipient of the Tom Camerlo Exporter of the Year award given by Dairy Foods and sponsored by the U.S. Dairy Export Council.

Dairy industry executives in the news include the late Leonard Gentine, founder of Sargento Cheese founder; Barb O’Brien of DMI; Dan Zastoupil of Marathon Cheese; and Michael J. Pengue of Bai Brands.