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Got Velda Farms?

Posted by Bob Gernert on June 15, 2009 at 12:08 pm

Got Milk? Velda Farms? You may have noticed a new two-story building coming out of the ground behind Andy’s Igloo. No, it’s not additional storage for ice cream … but close. The 15,000 sq. ft. building will house the Velda Farm’s Corporate offices currently located in Lakeland. Approximately 50 people will now be housed in the building that represents more than a $2 million investment.

About the Company…

Arthur Vining Davis, former Chairman of the Aluminum Co. of America, built the Velda plant in the 1940’s in Miami to process pineapples that he planned to raise nearby.  However, when this proved to be unsuccessful, Mr. Davis started manufacturing ice cream around 1947; milk processing was added shortly afterward. This Miami operation was later sold to a dairy cooperative, which also had a plant in Winter Haven.  Velda Farms was sold by the dairy cooperative to the Southland Corporation in 1962.  In 1964, a separate operation in Tallahassee also known as Velda Farms and owned by the Coble family was purchased by the Southland Corporation.

Under Southland’s ownership, a major enlargement and modernization of the Miami plant was began in 1976.  The Winter Haven plant was renovated and enlarged a few years later.

Throughout the ensuing years the company was owned by a variety of corporations. Other dairies were acquired and the product line expanded.

On December 22, 2001, Velda Farms became a part of the Southeast Region of National Dairy Holdings, LP, headquartered in Dallas, Texas.  Its line of business is whole dairy products manufacturing fluid milk, ice cream/desserts, cheese and creamery butter. Annual sales are estimated at more than $200 million.

Contractor is Winter Haven-based Everett Whitehead and Son, Inc.

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