Co-operative by Nature.
We make it our business to help grow yours.
With decades as part of a global dairy co-operative, we know amazing things happen when we work together. At Ornua Ingredients North America, we’re passionate about creating long term relationships with our customers relationships based on trust and respect that are mutually beneficial. Our talented people will be there when you need them, to answer questions, offer advice, and work with you to produce innovative solutions for your business needs.
Our mission is to be the provider of choice for food manufacturers seeking high-quality, made-to-order cheese solutions that optimize performance, taste, and efficiency. With more than 80 years of experience in cheese formulation, we deliver functional and nutritional cheese-based ingredient solutions to the most discriminating packaged food producers, foodservice providers & distributors, FSOs, QSRs and institutions serving customers across North, Central and South America.
We operate five state-of-the-art production facilities strategically located in Minnesota and Wisconsin, allowing us to scale production, ensure quality, product variety, and provide rapid turnaround times for our customers. We share this commitment with the Ornua global family, a leader in dairy products with a rich Irish heritage, renowned for Kerrygold® butter and dairy products of exceptional flavor, richness and quality.
Ornua Ingredients differentiates itself through one-to-one customer-focused innovation, made-to-order customization, and strategic customer partnerships. While other producers focus on mass scale and a limited selection of standard products and recipes, our ability to deliver tailored solutions optimized cheese flavors, styles and characteristics to provide the best function, taste, nutrition, consistency and price points offers a powerful advantage for our customers.
ORNUA INGREDIENTS DELIVERS INNOVATION ACROSS THE VALUE CHAIN
FOOD PRODUCTION
Product – Ability to replace or innovate on cheese you are using now, delivering cost-savings and price stability, optimized labels and ingredient decks, and products with fewer quality issues.
Preparation – Products that promote a more efficient prep and a smarter batch process with safer, easier handling and simpler cleanup.
Processing – Facilitate faster start-up times while maintaining consistency and quality through the entire production process.
FOOD PREPARATION
Functional Consistency – Achieving the desired sensory experience (flavor, texture, optimal stretch and melt, no blowouts, etc…) every time.
Shelf Life & Stability – Products that can endure the freeze/thaw process, long hold times and other storage constraints.
Convenience – Products that save labor and are easy-to-prepare for the restaurant chef or the home cook.
CONSUMER EXPERIENCE
Sensory Experiences – Achieving the desired flavor, texture and visual appeal (color, shapes) of the product pre- and post-bake/fry/grill.
More Cheese, More Variety, More Value – Help customers balance consumer demand for more flavors and cheeses with cost management.
Simpler Labels – Deliver consumer-preferred label claims and optimized ingredient declarations (working with procured ingredients; free from less desirable ingredients).
Executive Leadership Team
Jason Delaney
President
Martha Richey
CFO
Kurtis Thomas
VP of Operations
Audrea Haas
VP of Sales
Jennifer Twombly
VP of HR
Tony McCarthy
VP of R&D
Andrew Ross
VP of FSQA
Mark Riemer
VP of Supply Chain
History of the Ornua Co-operative
Founded in 1961, the Ornua Co-operative has become Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, exporting to 110 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Dublin, it has annualized sales of over $4.3 billion and a global team of 2,900 employees. Ornua operates from 10 global business units, including 13 production facilities located worldwide.
The Ornua family is structured across two divisions: Ornua Foods and Ornua Ingredients. Ornua Foods is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands including Kerrygold, Dubliner, Pilgrims Choice, Forto and BEO. Ornua Ingredients is responsible for the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products and for the sale of ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers around the world. Ornua Ingredients North America is the largest of the four global Ornua Ingredients organizations worldwide, with USA-based processing and innovation that services customers across the western hemisphere.
Shared Values and Responsiveness
The greatest strength of Ornua Ingredients is our team. Their dedication and efforts for serving our customers is matched only by their passion for our products and our ability to deliver innovative solutions with exceptional flavor, performance, value and quality. This spirit of innovation, of knowledge sharing and sense of service is found in every corner of our organization – in how we work with customers, in our reliability, and in our responsiveness.
Let’s create something exceptional
Whether you’re seeking to solve a technical challenge for your recipe, looking for cost optimization in your ingredients, or are exploring your options for a new idea, we invite you to get to know what we have to offer.