Daisy Foods project ‘on schedule’

Dairy products facility will create 255 high-paying jobs in Boone area

BOONE -- The population of Boone has changed little since 1925, said Mayor Elijah Stines.

But Boone -- now 12,400 according to the 2023 census, will grow -- perhaps significantly -- once workers begin construction of a proposed 750,000-square-foot facility to produce cottage cheese and sour cream, said Stines.

Last year Daisy Foods, LLC -- a Dallas, Texas-based company -- announced it had selected Boone as the site to be home of the massive facility to be constructed in Boone's Industrial Park.

Daisy is a national leader in the production of cottage cheese and sour cream. It claims in promotional material its sour cream is the No. 1 selling brand in the U.S. It has numerous production facilities in the U.S., including one in the Dallas area.

Once operational, the plant will require 255 employees who will be paid wages "second-to-none," according to Dan Culhane of Ames, director of the Ames Alliance -- an area economic development group of which Boone, other communities and businesses are members.

"We are ecstatic," said Stines. "The project is on schedule and we expect to have a groundbreaking in May or June. The company estimates the facility will be fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2028."

Stines said the announcement of the project sparked the current construction of a 350-unit housing complex. He said a study has also been authorized for a new hotel.

Historically, the rural community has been known as the birthplace of Mary Geneva "Mamie" (nee Doud) Eisenhower, the late and former first lady of Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States. The town has also served as a railroad hub for the Union Pacific Railroad Co. (UPRR).

A museum honoring Mamie, who died in 1979 at age 92, will maintain her legacy. But Boone's landscape will change dramatically in the near future, according to economic development officials in nearby Ames.

"This project is fabulous," Culhane said. "The Daisy project will truly have a significant 'ripple' impact on communities in the Boone area. We are eagerly awaiting the groundbreaking and construction to start."

In a recent interview, Culhane said the project will stimulate construction, retail and tourism sectors significantly in the Boone area.

Culhane said he and a team of 18 spearheaded the effort to convince Daisy that Boone was the place to do business.

Boone was the winner over sites in other states, Culhane said.

Culhane was aided by officials from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) in Des Moines -- Iowa's economic development agency which provided a significant amount of grant funds to Daisy.

Culhane said the effort to convince Daisy was "textbook."

"Everyone on the team contributed significantly," he said.

Officials from Alliant Energy in Cedar Rapids were on the project team too, Culhane said. Alliant will supply electricity and natural gas to the site.

Stines, who was elected mayor in November 2023, said the city will experience a major boost to its tax base.

"Officials with the Boone Community School District are thrilled with the proposed increase in number of students," Stines said. Iowa allots school funding to districts based on school enrollment.

The city is in the process of upgrading its water supply and wastewater services to the site, Stines said. The city has also applied for a Revitalize Iowa's Sound Economy (RISE) grant to the Iowa Department of Transportation to improve critical roadway access to the site.