Balford Farms
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded |
1892 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founder | Frank B. Baldwin |
| Headquarters |
Burlington, New Jersey, United States |
Area served | New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York |
Key people | Laurence E. Bowes (CEO) |
| Products | Dairy |
| Website | http://www.balford.com |
Balford Farms is an American dairy company located in Burlington, New Jersey. It is the oldest privately-owned and operated independent distributor of dairy products in the Lehigh Valley region.[1]
Along with their own brands, Balford Farms sells and distributes products from other dairy companies including Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms, Swiss Premium, Dannon, Yoplait, Hershey's, Tropicana and International Delight.[2]
History
Balford Farms was originally founded in 1892 by a teenager named Frank B. Baldwin, using a horse and wagon to deliver milk to customers throughout Philadelphia, Pennsylvania after school.[3] As his business grew, father Edgar A. Baldwin helped with the management of day-to-day operations and expanded the business into a profitable company called Baldwin Dairies.[4][5]
In 1965, Baldwin Dairies merged with Frankford Dairies of Philadelphia to become Baldwin-Frankford Dairies, Inc. George H. Baldwin, Sr. and John Baldwin, grandsons of Frank B. Baldwin, changed the name to Balford Farms in 1972.[3]
Expansion of Balford Farms continued in 1980 with the purchase of a 70,000 ft² (6,503 m²) warehouse in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Over the next few years, the company acquired small independent dairy and food companies to become a major distributor in the Lehigh Valley. Balford Farms merged with another longtime business in Philadelphia, Quality Dairy Products (operating as Breuninger's Dairy) in 1996.[3]
Dairy Farmers of America sold their warehousing and distribution center in Harleysville, Pennsylvania to Balford Farms in 2012, formerly owned by Keller's Creamery, as part of a consolidation project.[6]
In 2014, Balford Farms took control of a warehouse and distribution center in Binghamton, New York formerly owned by Crowley Foods.[7] The company also acquired Rosenberger's Dairy of Hatfield, Pennsylvania and part ownership of Crowley Foods from HP Hood.[8]
Executives
Current corporate executives at Balford Farms:[9]
- Laurence E. Bowes — President & CEO
- David W. Buys — Vice President, Human Resources
- Daniel T. Smith — Vice President, Operations
- Robert E. Venafra — Vice President, Finance
- Wayne E. Baldwin — Vice President, IT
- George H. Baldwin, Jr. — Chairman
References
- ↑ Balford Farms (Home Page), Retrieved Feb. 8, 2015.
- ↑ Balford Farms (Products), Retrieved Feb. 8, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Balford Farms (About Us), Retrieved Feb. 8, 2015.
- ↑ Find-A-Grave (Frank Bruce Baldwin), Retrieved Feb. 8, 2015.
- ↑ Ancestry.com, 1880 United States Federal Census, Retrieved Feb. 8, 2015.
- ↑ Montgomery Media, Keller's Creamery in Harleysville to Close by Brian Bingaman (July 25, 2012), Retrieved Feb. 8, 2015.
- ↑ WNBF News Radio 1290, Conklin Warehouse Now Operated By Balford Farms by Bob Joseph (October 29, 2014), Retrieved Feb. 8, 2015.
- ↑ The Morning Call, Rosenberger's Dairies Sold Again by Anthony Salamone (October 29, 2014), Retrieved Feb. 8, 2015.
- ↑ Balford Farms (Corporate Executives), Retrieved Feb. 8, 2015.