DFANEWS SPLASH

J U LY 2 0 1 0DFA QUICK LINKS| 2 | Plants Participate in Certification Program | 3 | Summer Internship Program | 4 | DFA Earns Award

A message from Mark Korsmeyer, president, Global Dairy Products Group and DFA executive vice president and executive sponsor of Project ONE

By now, many of you have heard about Project ONE. Project ONE is a three-year, DFA-wide initiative to establish one DFA through centralized, consistent systems and efficient, standardized processes, which will be used across the Areas in fluid milk marketing and Global Dairy Product Group’s manufacturing facilities, as well as the accounting and finance departments in Kansas City.

At the 2010 annual meeting, Rick Smith, president and chief executive officer, stated, “This is the most important thing we’ve done,” and I couldn’t agree more.

During the past 16 weeks, a number of DFA employees and Deloitte consultants have collaborated via meetings and workshops and have dedicated long hours to develop a set of integrated business processes that will be essential to the way we run our business when Project ONE is fully implemented across DFA.

To support these processes, we will use SAP, a business management software. SAP offers DFA a foundation of business

processes similarly used by other successful food and beverage companies, flexibility in customizing processes to support our operational diversity and scalability to support future growth.

These processes, as well as the enabling technology, will build a foundation to create one DFA.

It is important to the success of Project ONE, and DFA, that we embrace the opportunities of these processes, and strive to master the technology tool, SAP.

Soon, as a result of Project

ONE, we will begin to see changes take place within our departments’ processes, and related to our daily duties and tasks. We appreciate your readiness to accept those changes. Accountability is an important part of DFA’s values, and as we continue to work toward one DFA, we all need to be accountable to making this a successful transition. This is an exciting time at DFA as we work to continue to make our organization more efficient to provide increased value to our members.

You can find additional information about Project ONE on the DFA Portal, under the new Project ONE tab.

Project ONE: Building a Foundation for One DFA

Mark Korsmeyer

The Global Dairy Products Group (GDPG), recently launched a Safe Quality Food (SQF) initiative in its 20 manufacturing plants throughout the country. The SQF program provides third-party certification that a supplier’s food is produced, processed, prepared and handled according to the highest possible standards, at all levels of the supply chain.

“We take food safety and quality very seriously,” says Jeff Acker, vice president of quality assurance and compliance for GDPG. “The SQF program gives us the credentials behind our words that food safety and quality are important. It’s not just us saying that we have high standards, it’s a lengthy, thorough process by a third party that gives us credibility.”

The SQF program offers three levels of certification and all of DFA’s plants are working to reach level three of compliance. The third level requires having a comprehensive food safety plan and a quality management system in place. Two plants have already achieved level three, which is the highest level of certification. The Plymouth, Wis., plant achieved level three this spring and the Winnsboro, Texas, plant reached level three certification in February.

Plants in Zumbrota, Minn.; Cabool, Mo.; New Wilmington, Pa.; and Turlock, Calif., are on track to reach level three before the end of the year. The Springfield, Mo.; Winthrop, Minn.; Reading, Pa.; Mechanicsburg, Pa.; and Fort Morgan, Colo., plants are also expected to reach level three by the end of the first quarter in 2011.

Much of the timing regarding a plant’s certification revolves around the availability of a third-party auditor to review the facility. The other aspect essential to obtaining the highest certification possible is the dedication of the management team at each plant.

“Management commitment is key to the entire certification process,” says Dawn Amundson, who oversees the SQF certification at DFA’s plants. “Overall, certification is moving along a lot faster than I anticipated, because the management commitment is there.”

“Plymouth and Winnsboro are great examples for all DFA plants to follow.” says Acker. “The role those employees have played has been felt far beyond the plant doors. We want to get all of our plants to the highest level.”

Committed to Quality: Plants Participate in Certification Program

Safe Quality Food Initiative

The Safe Quality Food (SQF) initiative is administered by the Safe Quality Food Institute to provide independent certification that a supplier’s food is produced, processed, prepared and handled according to the highest possible standards, at all levels of the supply chain.

The SQF program is one of four certification processes of the Global Food Safety Initiative. All four programs vary based on their usage in certain regions of the world, but are based on the same global standards for food safety and quality. The SQF program was selected by DFA because it’s the most commonly used program in the United States.

The first level of SQF certification requires establishing a sound foundation for the production and manufacturing of safe food through proper safety controls. The second level ensures the product is safe for consumption and that an action plan is in place to eliminate, prevent or reduce food safety hazards. To achieve the third level, suppliers are required to have a comprehensive safety plan and quality management system in place. Plants must achieve levels one and two prior to achieving level three.

At all levels, suppliers are required to meet buyer product specifications and regulatory requirements for the countries in which they operate and to which they export their goods.

SQF certifications are valid for one year, meaning DFA plants will be recertified annually.

Information in this article was obtained from The SQF Program: A Basic Guide.

In today’s market, a good internship can be the difference between landing the perfect job and moving back home with the folks after college graduation. For employers such as DFA, a successful internship program can be a significant advantage in recruiting and retaining qualified employees. That is why DFA invested in its summer internship program.

This summer, 16 college students are interning throughout the Cooperative in various locations. From marketing to accounting and finance to human resources and the IT Lab, students are gaining real-world experience while learning more about the dairy industry.

“It’s exciting for us to bring in students and help develop them and give them a chance to gain real work experience,” says Brent McMilian, human resources manager of recruiting and training. “We have had several instances where we have hired interns as full-time employees after graduation.”

Brian Wadsworth, a marketing intern with DFA’s Global Dairy Products Group in Kansas City, Mo., works on packaging redesign and new product development for DFA’s commercial cheese products. This is a job he feels will better prepare him in meeting his long-term career goals.

“This internship has been invaluable to my professional development. I’d like to be a brand manager, and in such a position I would be working on a variety of projects which rely heavily on time management and making priorities,” Wadsworth says. “I can learn about marketing fundamentals from

a text book, but the projects I have been a part of this summer have helped strengthen the intangible skills that are mandatory for success. It’s rewarding, too, because I could possibly see a Borden cheese product in the supermarket this fall that I played a part in creating.”

While at DFA, interns are assigned a personal mentor, work that is engaging and related to their career goals, and are provided opportunities to learn from and speak with DFA senior officers.

“The fact that they bring in the upper management to talk with interns and send us to a Board meeting is a big deal,” says Wesley Delaney, Central Area marketing intern. “It’s not something a lot of companies do.

The interns based in Kansas City also learned about the industry first-hand during a road trip to southern Missouri that featured stops at DFA’s research and development facility, a pasture-based dairy, a cheese-making plant and our contract manufacturing facility that bottles Starbucks products.

“We offer students professional experience,” McMilian says. “You never know if you’ll like a job until you try it in the real world.”

Building Future Leaders: Summer Internship Program Helps DFA and Students

From Intern in the Midwest to Full-Time Out West

Skylar Ryll is an example of what the DFA summer internship program strives to accomplish.

In 2008, Ryll left Cornell University following her spring semester, but instead of going home to work on a farm in the northeast, she interned in DFA’s marketing department.

During that summer, Ryll learned the Cooperative was more than just a place she could develop her skill set. She discovered it was a company she wanted to be with for the long haul.

That’s why Ryll jumped at the opportunity

to come back and work full time for DFA as a marketing specialist for the Western Area following her Cornell graduation in May 2010.

“I knew from the day that I left Kansas City that I wanted to come back to DFA,” Ryll says. “It was two years later, and I even had another internship last summer and there were opportunities there, but I knew I wanted to come back.”

Working for dairy farmers was a major factor in Ryll’s decision, but so was the experience and positive relationships she built during her internship.

“DFA doesn’t treat you like the stereotypical intern. There are tasks you need to complete every day, you’re included in meetings and kept

up to date with what’s going on. You are a part of their team, no matter what,” Ryll says.

The DFA internship experience proved to be critical to Ryll’s future success. Not only did she have an advantage in finding a job during a tough economic climate, but she also entered that job with valuable industry experience.

“My experiences as an intern prepared me for this job that I have in the Western Area,” says Ryll. “A lot of the tools that I used as an intern are directly applied to the job that I have now.”

Skylar RyllWestern Area

Marketing Specialist

At DFA, interns get more than just school credit:• Valuable experience• Connections• A paycheck

Positions are available in:• Accounting/Research & Development/

Quality Assurance & Compliance• Ag Business/Finance/Accounting• Ag Communications/Journalism• Legal• Engineering• Human Resources• Marketing/Economics• Quality Assurance

DFA internships are available in a variety of corporate and area offices and manufacturing plants and labs throughout the United States.

DFAInternships

To apply, call 816-801-6628 or e-mail resumé and questions to careers@dfamilk.com. Visit www.dfamilk.com for more information about DFA and our internship opportunities.

”My summer at DFA was invaluable and rewarding. I was surrounded by amiable and incredibly talented people who had a sincere desire to help me succeed.” – Marty Wilson, Wake Forest University

”My DFA internship helped me develop both personally and professionally.  At DFA, I was surrounded by people who have a passion for what they do.” – Kristen L. Kovalsky, University of Florida

”At DFA, not only is the work stimulating, but the people you work with and learn from are personable, genuine and more than willing to help you enhance your internship experience.” – Clayton Wood, Cornell University

A dynamic industry, a fast-paced environment and you

COLLFL0904

Welcome New HiresDFA employs more than 3,000 people located in offices and plants throughout the country. Please welcome these new employees:

Communications Department Earns Honors The Communications Department won six awards during the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) 2010 Communications Contest. The winners were announced at the CCA Institute in Minneapolis, Minn., in June. CCA is a national association of communications professionals in cooperatives throughout the country ranging from agriculture and electrical to banking.

The Communications Department received first place for the DFA News Splash and a brochure explaining DFA’s farm services; and second place for an informative, investigative feature titled Weathering the Storm, Our Values books, photography in the DFA Leader and the DFA Leader magazine.

Brandon Adkins • DairiConcepts-Portales, N.M.John Anhalt • Plymouth, Wis.Lisa Awbrey • Kansas City, Mo.Joshua Bainter • Goshen, Ind.Licia Barkdull • Beaver, UtahJoseph Barts • Plymouth, Wis.Jeffrey Becker • Plymouth, Wis.Louis Benavidez • DairiConcepts-Portales, N.M.Jeffrey Bull • Mechanicsburg, Pa.Cathy Buller • Reading, Pa.Jon Bunten • Kansas City, Mo.Keith Cook • Springfield, Mo.Alissa Diederichs • Plymouth, Wis.William Emmons • Ventura, Calif.Seth Evans • Goshen, Ind.Courtney Falk • Plymouth, Wis.Gerardo Flores • Schulenburg, Texas

Dale Gangaway • Reading, Pa.Toby Garcia • DairiConcepts-Portales, N.M.Karen Gaub • Medina, OhioKelly Glor • Springfield, Mo.Gilbert Gomez • Plymouth, Wis.Chasty Gwinn • DairiConcepts-Allerton, IowaAli Hamel • Kansas City, Mo.Whitney Harrison • Medina, OhioWayne Heiman • Schulenburg, TexasAndrea Hottovy • Kansas City, Mo.Christine Kallenbach • DairiConcepts-

Portales, N.M.Jonathan Kimpan • New Wilmington, Pa.Jason Koch • Kansas City, Mo.Heather Krause • Plymouth, Wis.Chester Ladd • Plymouth, Wis.Christy Lind • Springfield, Mo.

Robert Maddocks • Ventura, Calif.Sherrie Martin • Beaver, UtahPaul Mcbride • DairiConcepts-Springfield, Mo.Tawnya Neal • Kansas City, Mo.Lee Opitz • Plymouth, Wis.Karrie Paasch • Zumbrota, Minn.Kristine Payne • Plymouth, Wis.Michelle Peterson • Ventura, Calif.Delilah Pittsley • Goshen, Ind.Benjamin Raleigh • Plymouth, Wis.Steven Richards • DairiConcepts-Portales, N.M.Greg Richter • Plymouth, Wis.Jeremey Robinson • Winthrop, Minn.Archie Romero Jr. • DairiConcepts-

Portales, N.M.Valerie Rosburg • Springfield, Mo.David Ross • Springfield, Mo.

Eric Sanchez • Ventura, Calif.Pamela Schneider • Kansas City, Mo.Mark Schweitzer • Dairi-Concepts-El Dorado

Springs, Mo.Jacob Shupak • Schulenburg, TexasJacob Smith • Ventura, Calif.Kevin Spencer • Schulenburg, TexasTimothy Tarpley • Schulenburg, TexasLarry Tenut • Adrian, Mich.Jason Titel • Plymouth, Wis.Auden Valdez • DairiConcepts-Portales, N.M.Jason Weber • Plymouth, Wis.Michael Webster • Schulenburg, TexasMathew Wickesberg • Plymouth, Wis.Rachelle Yoder • Goshen, Ind.

DFA Earns Spark of Hope AwardDFA recently received the 2010 Corporate Spark of Hope award presented by the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas. John Stephens, chief operating officer for consumer brands within our Global Dairy Products Group, accepted the award at an event June 24 in Fayetteville, Ark., where the fund’s 2010 scholarship winners also were introduced.

“Community involvement is an important value at DFA,” said Stephens. “We believe deeply in serving, leading and educating in the communities where we live and operate, and we are proud to invest in the future of these deserving scholarship recipients.”

The Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas was established in 1984 as a private nonprofit organization dedicated to helping single parents accomplish their educational goals and create a better future for their children. The organization provided $300,000 in scholarships in 2009. Scholarships are funded entirely by donations from individuals, local businesses, civic and community groups, churches and private foundations.