Idaho lands Taiwanese dairy manufacturer

Idaho Department of Commerce news release

WASHINGTON (June 11, 2019) – Idaho Department of Commerce Director Tom Kealey announced today that Taiwanese dairy product manufacturer and co-packer Jetton Biochemistry Co., Ltd. will locate a new blended powder facility for production of a proprietary dairy formula in southwest Idaho.

JBC will locate their facility in a commercial park in Nampa, hiring 25 local employees. The company estimates it will process close to 2.4 million pounds of dairy annually and plans to pursue opportunities to produce multiple product lines within the U.S.

“Idaho’s innovative and reliable dairy industry has made our state a consistent top-three producer of milk and cheese in the United States,” said Idaho Gov. Brad Little. “With over 600,000 dairy cows and access to more than 450 dairies, Idaho was the premier choice for JBC’s expansion. On top of that, Idaho has a successful, long-standing relationship with Taiwan. Our quality raw materials and history of international collaboration combined with the state’s stable tax and operating environment make Idaho a natural fit for JBC and other international firms looking for a new location in the United States.”

JBC’s sale of milk powder products will be enhanced by the addition of the dairy powder facility in Idaho, whose goods will be exported to consumers across Asian markets. Their decision to locate in Idaho is a result of the state’s strong relationship with Taiwan, including the efforts of Idaho’s longest-serving trade manager, Eddie Yen.

“JBC compared milk sources from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S., and finally chose Idaho milk sources,” said Rover Lin, CEO of JBC. “Our value is based on the supply chain of raw materials and the value of dairy products within that chain. Idaho’s quality and technology of milk production is consistently improving. This will be a very important asset for our products to compete internationally.”

Idaho’s innovative, forward-thinking dairy industry accounts for 33% of Idaho’s total farm cash receipts and the state’s 20 dairy processing plants export roughly 2 million pounds of milk from the state every day.

“We are very excited that Jetton Biochemistry has chosen to invest in a facility in Idaho,” said Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Celia Gould. “Year after year, Idaho is one of the biggest dairy states in the country. The credit for that goes to our tremendous dairy sector. Their quality and volume production are what make Idaho a very attractive location for value-added dairy processing. Idaho’s dairy companies are innovative and consistently produce superior-quality ingredients that consumers trust.” 

The JBC facility in Nampa will not be limited to its own brand and is scheduled to undertake additional brands, bringing more diversified products to Idaho.

“The City of Nampa is honored to have been chosen by JBC for their new location,” said Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling. “The international food manufacturing industry is a core strength of our area, which provides excellent access to a variety of resources needed to make an outstanding dairy product. We are confident the operating environment in Nampa will support their long-term success.”