Nearly $400 Million in Expansion Plans Could Bring New Opportunities for Dairy Farmers
A cheese plant announcement in rural Missouri continues a year of expansion announcements for Schreiber Foods, which is based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The company’s primary focus in Carthage, Missouri, will be process cheese.
As September was winding down, Schreiber Foods was publicly laying out its intentions to invest more than $267 million in a new manufacturing facility in Carthage, a community of about 16,000 in southwest Missouri.
That expansion adds 100 jobs to Schreiber Foods’ presence in Carthage that already numbers more than 1,300. The project has a target open date of 2028.
“We continue to see tremendous opportunity in process cheese,” said Jason Stephens, Schreiber Foods U.S. Executive Vice President and President, in a news release. “It’s a category that Schreiber has helped shape for generations, and one that remains important to our customers. This investment ensures we’re ready to grow and evolve alongside our customers for years to come.”
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What Does the Dairy Expansion Mean for Missouri?
Dairy Herd Management points out that the expansion will take place in a state not as well known for dairy production, like California, Wisconsin or Idaho, for example, but demonstrates a growing presence.
“The new plant will give Schreiber more processing capacity in a state with a much smaller dairy footprint than traditional dairy states. Missouri’s dairy industry has continued to evolve, with farms and processors serving regional and national markets. Schreiber’s investment brings another large-scale dairy manufacturing project to the state and expands the types of dairy products being made there,” Dairy Herd Management wrote.
How Much Could Cheese Production Increase?
U.S. cheese production overall was expected to rise about 10.3% in 2026 according to projections from Mordor Intelligence, which could provide additional opportunities for dairy producers.
U.S. cheese market size: 2025, 28.35 billion pounds. 2026, 31.27 billion pounds. 2031, 36.58 billion pounds. (Source: Mordor Intelligence)
“Domestic supply remains a core support for the United States cheese market, with USDA data showing 14.8 billion pounds of cheese production in 2025 across 502 plants, which gives manufacturers room to serve retail and foodservice demand at the same time,” Mordor Intelligence reported.
It continued, “Demand conditions also remain broad, as per capita cheese consumption reached 39.2 pounds, or 17.8 kg, in 2024, and dairy guidance released in 2026 continued to support regular cheese intake, including full-fat dairy choices. The United States cheese market is also benefiting from stronger online grocery habits, wider deli engagement, and continued premium demand in specialty formats, which together are expanding the number of purchase occasions across households.”
What's Happening With Pennsylvania Yogurt Production?
Six months ago, a different dairy product, yogurt, was the focus of an expansion announcement for Schreiber Foods at its facility in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The $133 million addition in the town of about 5,500 people in the Cumberland Valley strengthened yogurt production in the East Coast region.
The addition would push total employment for the company to more than 550. That also means nearly $400 million in combined expansion plans between Shippensburg and Carthage.
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