Idaho Milk Products is set to break ground on its $200 million dual ice cream and powder blending facility at its campus in Jerome, Idaho.

The company’s entry into the ice cream business comes with a focus on premium, indulgent and functional recipes in both bulk and novelty formats, while blending capabilities will support the ice cream business and create capabilities to provide custom formulations to both existing and new customers.

Idaho Milk Products will break ground on the 183,000-sq.-ft. plant on Oct. 11. The facility will be substantially complete by early 2026 with full commercial production by May 2026.

“We will be able to produce a variety of novelty products, including sandwiches and stick bars and have the capability of producing various carton sizes from less than pint to half a gallon,” says Louis Armstrong, ice cream business manager, Idaho Milk Products. “We intend to co-manufacture various ice cream products in partnership with brands or retailer’s needs. Our plant, at scale, will have the capacity to produce roughly 14 million gallons of ice cream mix per year into various frozen formats.”

Idaho Milk Products announced plans for the ice cream facility in August.

“We work hard every day to maintain our position as a global leader in milk protein concentrates and isolates,” said CEO Daragh Maccabee said at the time. “Our commitment to this core business remains. At the same time, we constantly seek out new ways to add value to our milk, always doing so in a way that is sustainable for the longer term. Our vision for this plant is to build on the strength of our existing business, leverage our Milk Innovation Center, the strength of our R&D team and the unique synergies that this business will create.”