Southeast United Dairy Industry Association rebrands itself as ‘The Dairy Alliance’

11-Jan-2018 - Last updated on 12-Jan-2018 at 22:55 GMT

The Dairy Alliance has an emphasis on market-focused partnerships that promote the interests of 2,100 dairy farm families in the Southeastern US.

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The Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA) has rebranded itself as The Dairy Alliance as the dairy coalition looks to expand its partnerships with the US dairy industry, particularly around the food service sector.

Along with a new name, the rebrand includes a new logo, vision, and mission for the organization.

Formed in 1971, The Dairy Alliance is a nonprofit coalition made up of more than 2,100 dairy farmers from nine states (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia) in the Southeastern US.

"Our goal is to put another generation of dairy farmers on the farm here in the Southeast," The Dairy Alliance CEO, Doug Ackerman, told DairyReporter.

The Dairy Alliance is looking to strengthen its industry relationships with existing partners including MilkPEP by maximizing food service opportunities, according to Ackerman.

“We will be expanding our relationship with Dairy West in the Southeast and look forward to growing our food service work within and beyond our borders,” he said.

“You will see much more activity centered around food service and building value for our restaurant partners while enhancing the overall experience for the customer.”

The Dairy Alliance will also be pursuing opportunities to partner directly with Midwest Dairy and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board on “strategic initiatives in the coming year,” Ackerman added.

Through the Milk Life program (funded by MilkPEP), The Dairy Alliance will be supporting an athlete from North Carolina, one of its member states, who will be competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Global Dairy Summit launch

Another major component of the dairy coalition’s rebranding is the launch of the Global Dairy Summit in March 2018 which will feature speakers including USDEC president Tom Vilsack, who will be presenting on “The Next 5% Plan.”

Dairy industry leaders from the American Farm Bureau, MilkPEP, Dairy Management Inc., and USDEC will also attend, according to Ackerman.

“Our focus for this summit is to unite the dairy industry in the Southeast around the need for us all to work together and develop a long-term strategic plan to compete and thrive given this strategic national shift,” Ackerman said.