After just over a year of construction, the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA), the Tillamook, Ore.-based producer of Tillamook Cheese, completed a 64,000-square-foot expansion project at its production facility in Boardman, Ore.

The facility expansion adds whey processing capabilities to Tillamook’s existing cheesemaking plant in Boardman. The new facility will process and dry lactose and high-quality protein components to produce whey protein concentrate (WPC-80) and lactose powder to be sold in domestic and export food ingredient markets.

“While our primary business remains focused on our branded Tillamook Cheese and other Tillamook dairy products, this new facility gives us the ability to maximize the value we derive from every pound of milk we process,” says Patrick Criteser, president and CEO. “Our farm-family owners committed a significant investment to enhance our infrastructure in Boardman, and we look forward to the opportunities this expansion will provide us to help continue to successfully grow our business well into the future.”

The plant expansion added approximately 40 new jobs at the Boardman facility.