In 1926, beginning a family legacy of pride, innovation and dependable service, Claude and Helen Dietrich founded
Dietrich's Dairy - delivering fresh milk to homes and corner
grocery stores in the Reading area. In the next quarter
century, the small dairy grew, developed new business lines
and entered the milk powder business in 1952 as
Dietrich's Milk Products. By 1969, the beverage milk business was sold to Clover Farms Dairy. Dietrich's refocused its energies on the specialty milk powder markets.

A Specialty Powder Manufacturer...

The growing supply of milk needed to support this business was acquired through local fluid processors and dairy farmer cooperatives. By the late 1980's, Dietrich's found a need to produce nondairy-based powders. Initially, these powders were made on smaller drying equipment which was no longer needed to produce milk powders. It was during this time period that a second plant location in upstate Pennsylvania was added to help the Reading facility meet the demands of the whole dry milk market. Today, powders produced by Dietrich's include malted milk, milk crumb, cheese, nutritional formulas, soymilk, caseinates and vegetable and meat flavor extracts. These powders are ingredients for baking, candy , snack foods, nutritional beverage and convenience food companies. Many of these powders are produced on our largest drying systems.

A Milk Balancer & Ingredient Producer...

In 1998, Dietrich's was reorganized as a limited liability company with two dairy co-operative partners, Dairy Farmers of America and Dairylea. Through their milk marketing joint venture, Dairy Marketing Servics, they control over 50% of the region's milk supply. One of the company's primary functions is to "balance" milk supply across the Northeast region. As raw milk is perishable, Dietrich's provides a home for that milk which is not needed on a day to day basis by the beverage, ice cream, cheese and cultured dairy product industry. Now into the family's fourth generation, Dietrich's has adapted to the ever-changing needs of the dairy and specialty powder markets throughout its 78 year history and expects to continue on this path.