Month: July 2026
Hilmar's 2025 Sustainability Report
Advancing Responsible Dairy Production
From water stewardship to community impact, see how Hilmar is putting The Hilmar Way into practice across California, Texas and Kansas.
At Hilmar, sustainability is an integral part of our everyday operations and decision-making. It shapes everyday decisions at all our sites and offices and guides how we support and create lasting value for our customers, dairy farm families, communities and the environment.
Our 2025 Corporate Sustainability Report, now in its 16th year, shares how we are advancing dairy sustainability step by step – from water stewardship and energy efficiency to greenhouse gas reduction and community impact – and offers a transparent look at how we are caring for natural resources, supporting people and communities and strengthening the future of dairy.
Making Meaningful Progress in Dairy Sustainability
Over the past year, we continued investing in practical, incremental improvements across our operations because we know lasting change in sustainable dairy production happens one project, one site and one team at a time.
Key achievements from 2025 include:
- The formal opening of Hilmar’s new processing facility in Dodge City, Kansas, designed with advanced water reuse and energy-efficient systems to help lower our greenhouse gas intensity over time.
- Continued water and energy efficient projects at our Dalhart, Texas, operations, including initiatives that build on our long-standing efforts to recover and reuse water multiple times in our processes.
- Upgrading equipment in California to reduce natural gas consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1%, while maintaining the high quality our customers expect.
These efforts are all part of a broader approach: integrating environmental responsibility into everyday operations while continuing to reliably deliver high-quality cheese and whey ingredients to customers around the world.
Supporting a More Sustainable Food System
As one of the world’s largest producers of American-style cheese and high-quality whey ingredients, we understand both the essential role dairy plays in nutrition and feeding a growing population and the responsibility we share to help reduce its environmental footprint.
In 2025, we continued to:
- Advance water stewardship and water circularity through conservation, reuse and reclamation projects.
- Strengthen energy management practices and pursue opportunities to increase efficiency and lower emissions.
- Collaborate with dairy farm families to support responsible agriculture and align with industry effort to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
By partnering across the value chain, we can help make sustainable dairy production more achievable and scalable for the future.
Investing in People and Communities
Sustainability also means investing in the people and communities behind our products.
Across Hilmar, our teams continued to improve safety, quality and operational performance while fostering a culture rooted in teamwork, integrity, excellence and continuous improvement, the values at heart of The Hilmar Way
In the communities where we live and work, we continued to support education, charitable giving, employee volunteerism and community partnerships. These efforts reflect our purpose of Improving Lives Together, both inside and outside our facilities.
A Shared Commitment to Continuous Improvement
As our Chief Executive Officer, Greg Schlafer, shares in this year’s report, sustainability is not a separate initiative, but a core component of how Hilmar operates and creates value.
Guided by our purpose, vision and values, our teams look for better ways to run our operations, support customers, partner with dairy farm families and contribute to local communities every day.
We’re encouraged by the progress we’ve made and acknowledge that the journey is ongoing. Our focus remains on continuous improvement, transparency and innovation as it works toward a more sustainable future for dairy production and food manufacturing.
Explore Hilmar’s 2025 Sustainability Report
This overview only scratches the surface of the work happening across our network. In the full 2025 Corporate Sustainability Report, you’ll find deeper detail on:
- Water stewardship and water use
- Renewable energy and energy efficiency
- Greenhouse gas reduction and climate goals
- Employee safety, engagement and culture
- Community partnerships and impact
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Hilmar Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary
HILMAR, Calif. July 1, 2026. Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc., a global leader in dairy products and ingredients, is honoring America’s 250th anniversary by living its purpose of Improving Lives Together with more than 7,500 pounds of cheese donations to food banks and community organizations in California, Texas and Kansas. This effort supports food security and expands access to high-quality protein for families facing food insecurity.
“As we celebrate this historic milestone for our country, we are proud to live our purpose by supporting the communities where we operate,” said Greg Schlafer, president and CEO of Hilmar Cheese Company. “We see firsthand the dedication of organizations working to serve families in need, and we are honored to contribute to ensuring nutritious protein is accessible to more people.”
As part of this nationwide effort, Hilmar donated 250 pounds of cheese to ten local organizations in the communities where Hilmar calls home and 5,000 pounds to the regional Merced County Food Bank to help expand access to nutritious dairy protein for families in need.
The ten organizations receiving 250-pound cheese donations include:
- Hilmar Helping Hands (Hilmar, Calif.)
- The Salvation Army (Turlock, Calif.)
- Ministerio Mana (Turlock, Calif.)
- Turlock Gospel Mission (Turlock, Calif.)
- Westside Ministries (Turlock, Calif..)
- United Samaritans Foundation (Stanislaus County, Calif.)
- Merced County Rescue Mission (Merced County, Calif.)
- Good Samaritan (Dalhart, Texas)
- Dumas Education and Social Ministries (Dumas, Texas)
- Manna House (Dodge City, Kansas)
These organizations collectively serve thousands of families each week through food distribution, daily meals, housing support, and outreach services.
Investing in Long-Term Solutions to Close the Protein Gap
In addition to local giving, Hilmar is strengthening its national impact through partnerships aimed at addressing hunger and nutrition:
- HATCH for Hunger: The nation’s largest nonprofit focused on increasing access to animal protein in the charitable food system
- Coalition to Close the Protein Gap: A public-private partnership advancing solutions to improve access to nutritious protein across the U.S.
Through a planned three-year commitment of cheese donations and financial support, Hilmar will help expand access to high-quality dairy protein while supporting a sustainable, collaborative model connecting farmers, processors, and food banks.
Honoring America’s 250th Anniversary Through Action
As the United States marks its 250th year, Hilmar’s efforts reflect a commitment to strengthen communities and ensure that access to protein is not a privilege, but a foundation for a healthier future.
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About Hilmar®
Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. uses the power and promise of dairy to improve lives together. We provide health and nutrition for consumers, contribute to brand success for our customers, create opportunities for employees, support independent milk producers and improve the communities where we live and work. With a focus on collaborative product innovation, real-time scalability and a progressive approach to sustainability, Hilmar TM is a global leader in efficiently producing functional cheese and whey ingredients at scale. We deliver high-quality products to customers in more than 50 countries. Founded in 1984, Hilmar operates manufacturing plants in Hilmar, California; Dalhart, Texas; and Dodge City, Kansas. For more information, visit www.hilmar.com and Linked In @Hilmar.