Gov. Pillen, Dairy Industry, and Local Leaders Celebrate Groundbreaking of Milk Processing Facility in Seward

This afternoon, Governor Jim Pillen, state and local leaders, and Nebraska’s dairy industry celebrated the groundbreaking of a milk processing plant at the Seward Rail Campus. The facility is being built by DARI Processing, LLC of Rising City—a fourth-generation dairy company run by the Tuls family.

“Nebraskans raise the finest crops and livestock in America,” said Gov. Pillen. “Instead of shipping these commodities out of state, we can add value to them right here in Nebraska. I commend Todd and TJ Tuls for constructing a dairy plant to capture the full value of milk from local dairies.”

DARI Processing expects the new facility to process 1.8 million pounds of milk per day when it reaches full capacity in the coming years. The company anticipates hiring the equivalent of 70 full-time positions at the dairy plant. Combining multiple stages of production in Nebraska, at a strategic location along Interstate 80, will allow the company to maximize its resources.

Bringing Milk Processing Home to Nebraska

“Dairies in Nebraska, including ours, have been shipping more and more milk out of state,” said TJ Tuls, co-owner and CEO of DARI Processing. “We are excited to build this plant adding new processing capacity. This will help keep 30% of the state’s milk here—saving hundreds of thousands of miles on trucks, reducing emissions, and making dairy more sustainable.”

“We vetted two states for this project, and Nebraska wanted it significantly more [than the other option],” he added. “We’ve received a warm welcome from Seward. The city and state have been great partners in setting up the power, water, gas for the facility.”

The State of Nebraska is helping to fund the extension of Worthman Boulevard, as well as sewer and water/wastewater extensions, to support the new dairy plant. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) is providing $1 million of funding through the Community Development Block Grant Program for the infrastructure project, which the City of Seward is matching. The Nebraska Department of Transportation is awarding $583,000 for the infrastructure improvements through its Economic Opportunity Program. Additionally, DED is awarding $500,000 of Site and Building Development Funds for the project to support construction of the facility. 

Producing Healthy, Shelf-Stable Milk

DARI Processing’s facility in Seward will process raw milk at ultra-high temperatures (UHT Pasteurization) to eliminate bacteria. Then, milk products will be packaged immediately in airtight bottles/containers within a sterile environment. This process, known as aseptic production, results in fresh milk and cream that can go up to 12 months without refrigeration. The longer shelf life will expand opportunities for DARI Processing to ship Nebraska dairy across the country and potentially around the world.

Attendess of today’s groundbreaking were treated to a bottle of Moo’v—one of the primary products that the new dairy plant will make.

“Milk is the best beverage that anyone can drink,” said TJ Tuls. “We’re producing Moo’v for people looking for healthy options. It’s ultra-filtered, lactose-free, high in protein, has all-natural ingredients, and tastes amazing.” Moo’v is sold at Hy-Vee and grocery stores across the state. A map of Moo’v retail locations is available at realdari.com/where-to-buy.

A Response to Supply-Chain Challenges

Challenges encountered during the coronavirus pandemic were a motivating factor for the Tuls family to build its innovative, aseptic processing plant.

“COVID was an eye-opener for us. We had to dump millions of gallons of milk in the U.S. due to supply chain disruptions,” said Todd Tuls, co-owner of DARI Processing, in remarks to the Seward City Council on June 3^rd. “We’re excited to produce a shelf-stable product that will require less refrigeration and can help get people through natural disasters.”

A Big Win for Nebraska

“This is a big win for Nebraska,” said Jonathan Jank, President & CEO of Seward County Chamber & Development Partnership. “The Governor, Nebraska State Dairy Association, the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN), and state agencies have been working tirelessly to pave the way for more dairy processing in Nebraska. We’re grateful for their efforts, and we’re excited to welcome DARI Processing to Seward!”

Jank thanked numerous partners who’ve made the project possible—including the City of Seward, Nebraska Public Power District, Black Hills Energy, state agencies, and dairy industry groups. “A project of this magnitude only happens through great teamwork,” he said. “We’re blessed to have leaders in Seward County, and across Nebraska, who have both the vision and commitment to achieve economic growth.”