Borden Dairy Company is a privately held American dairy processor and distributor headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
History
Milk Products, LLC licenses the Borden name and Elsie the Cow trademark from Borden, Inc.'s successor company, Hexion Specialty Chemicals. National Dairy was formed in 2001 when a group of investors led by Dairy Farmers of America bought Crowley Foods and Marigold Foods. Later that year, National Dairy acquired 11 plants divested by Suiza Foods as part of its merger with Dean Foods. National Dairy acquired Alabama's Dairy Fresh and Colorado's Sinton Dairy in 2003. HP Hood acquired Crowley and Kemps from National Dairy in 2004. In 2009, Grupo Lala of Mexico acquired National Dairy from DFA. Also in 2009, Lala acquired Farmland Dairies. In 2010, National Dairy sold Utah's Cream O' Weber to Darigold. In 2011, Laguna Dairy, consisting of Lala's U.S. operations, was separated from Lala in preparation for an IPO. In 2013, Borden was spun-off and became a subsidiary of a private company called Laguna Dairy, S.A. de C.V. In 2017, ACON Investments became the majority owner of the Borden dairy business. Following the equity recapitalization, Laguna Dairy remains a substantial equity holder in Borden. Tony Sarsam was named chief executive officer of Borden Dairy Company in February 2018. Borden Milk Products' items are available in the following U.S. states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Ohio. The Borden Milk Products has been around for over 150 years, and is known for its processing and distribution of dairy products produced in regionally located facilities. In Ohio, Borden also goes under the Dairymens label. On January 5, 2020, Borden Dairy Company filed for bankruptcy. "Despite our numerous achievements during the past 18 months, the company continues to be impacted by the rising cost of raw milk and market challenges facing the dairy industry," said CEO Tony Sarsam in a statement. Borden's filing says the company plans to stay in business during the bankruptcy process.
Elsie the Cow
is Borden Dairy Company's spokescow that is used for the label on the products. Elsie was first introduced in 1936, appearing as one of four cartoon cows in a series of advertisements that ran in medical journals. Elsie was created by a team that was led by advertising marketer David William Reid. In 1940, Reid also created for Elsie a fictional cartoon mate, Elmer the Bull, who was lent to Borden's then-chemical division as the mascot for Elmer's Glue. The pair was given calves Beulah and Beauregard in 1948, and twins Larabee and Lobelia in 1957. In 2000, Advertising Age recognized Elsie the Cow as one of the top 10 advertising icons of all time. Elsie has now been around for over 70 years.
Advertising
was a spokesperson for Borden Milk and is also featured in the campaign's print and television ads. When she was the spokesperson, she was also the star of the showWizards of Waverly Place.
Products
Borden produces and sells the following products of milk:
Vitamin D
2% Reduced Fat
1% Lowfat
Fat Free Skim
Dutch Chocolate
Dutch Chocolate 1%
Lite Line
High Protein
Borden produces and sells additional products in the following categories:
Milk
Cream
Buttermilk
Dips & Sour Cream
Juices
Teas
Flavored Drinks
Distribution
Borden products can be located in the states of Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and Ohio. Within these states, these products are sold in the stores and marts that mainly include Cain's, Calhoun Foods, Food World, Fresh Market, Greer's, Kmart, Kroger, Magnolia Super Foods, Pic-N-Sav, Piggly Wiggly, Marcs, Aldi, CVS, Dave's Supermarkets, Publix Supermarkets, Rainbow Foods, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart and Winn Dixie. Borden Dairy operates 12 plants in the Midwest, Southern, and Southeastern regions of the U.S. and nearly 100 distribution centers.
Bankruptcy
On January 5, 2020, Borden Dairy Company and sixteen affiliated companies filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. In his affidavit, Jason Monaco, the company's CFO, mentions that the company intends to reorganize and not liquidate its operations. He describes a difficult environment for milk producers that includes decreasing demand for milk, increased competition with non-dairy alternatives, the growth of discount grocery retailers, and the growth of private label alternatives.