Dean Foods ramping up for more volume

A local dairy plant is adding employees to handle increased production volume.

Plant manager Joe Leedom said during a Le Mars City Council meeting he anticipates 15-25 new employees will be hired.

"Dean Foods has determined to transfer volume to our plant," Leedom said later. "It's a good-sized addition."

The total size of the new production volume, which includes milk, cottage cheese and juice, is yet to be determined, Leedom said.

The jobs added will be a mixture of administration, plant workers and drivers, he said.

"We're adding some administrative employees right now," he said. "As decisions are made on what volumes are transferred in, we'll make decision on what employee changes will take place."

A spokeswoman from Dean Foods corporate headquarters in Texas would not comment as to whether or not the volume shift was in relation to the planned closing of a Dean Foods dairy production plant in Lincoln, Neb. this fall.

When the announcement came that the Lincoln plant would be closing, a Dean Foods spokesperson said that production from that plant would be relocated to others.

Dean Foods in Le Mars currently employs about 150 hourly employees plus others.