Darigold, Seattle, Wash., announced plans to bring its fleet in-house for direct-store delivery of finished goods to facilitate better service to customers and increase focus on connecting local farm families with local consumers of fresh dairy products.

“We are excited to bring this capability in-house, as we will soon celebrate our 100^th anniversary and start our next century of business,” says Stan Ryan, president and CEO. “We are making this investment to upgrade our local delivery capabilities and maintain control throughout the value chain. Doing so makes us better equipped to more quickly provide farm-to-market delivery.”

Darigold made the decision after its long-time carrier Estenson Logistics, Mesa, Ariz., was purchased by Hub Group.

The fleet operates out of Seattle and Spokane, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Boise, Idaho; and Bozeman, Mont., where Darigold maintains processing plants. The company is hiring about 200 employees to conduct delivery of finished goods going forward. The change also includes 100 tractors and 180 trailers.

Making this investment allows Darigold to create a more sustainable supply chain and gain better control over its transportation. The company will maximize utilization of fleet assets and optimize routing and scheduling.