Smith Dairy Products Co.

On January 1, 1909, two brothers, young in years but full of enthusiasm and dedication, borrowed $300 from a neighbor and purchased a small milk business in Orrville, Ohio. The business consisted of daily bottling and delivery of sixty gallons of milk to two hundred customers in Orrville.Little did John and Peter Schmid realize that one day the dairy, which they founded so many years ago, would process 100,000 gallons of milk per day and service thousands of customers in several states with milk, juice, ice cream, and cultured products like sour cream, dips, and cottage cheese.The Smith Dairy Products Company employs nearly 500 people, operates approximately 150 trucks and has branches in Columbus, Elyria, Marion, and Toledo. Smith Dairy purchased Wayne Dairy in Richmond, Indiana in 1994 and employees about 115 associates who specialize in extended shelf-life products. Just a few short years ago, the purchase of Pacific Valley Dairy in Missouri further expanded the dairies ability to serve its customers.