Pictured (from left to right) is Rutter’s senior management team: Diane Quinn, PROCESSOR PROFILE customer service manager; Rick RUTTER’S DAIRY Miller, sales/marketing director, Todd Rutter, president; Brett Garner, director of operations; and Smoke Dehoff, director of transportation. A century of local milk Rutter’s Dairy values long-term ties to its community and to the local farmers from which it sources its milk. By Anna Boisseau, managing editor Executive photo by Vito Palmisano Dairy Foods | April 2021 | www.dairyfoods.com PROCESSOR PROFILE RUTTER’S DAIRY ork, Pa., can trace its beginnings back to 1741, when settlers from the YPhiladelphia region founded the city. And Rutter’s Dairy — which is based in this area — has an origin story that goes back almost as far. In 1747, Andrew Rutter was deeded 167 acres in York County, Pa., by Springetts Penn (the great- grandson of William Penn), the company says. This began the Rutter family’s farm operations. But it wasn’t until 1921, when George and Bud Rutter began Rutter’s dairy retail trucks have evolved from their beginning delivering milk to selling milk from said farm, that customers’ homes. Rutter’s Dairy was officially formed. Then known as “Crystal Spring An array of beverages “Central Pennsylvania is the peanut Dairy,” Rutter’s got its start as Rutter’s produces 103 SKUs in the fluid butter capital of the world. Peanut a home delivery business, says milk, tea and juice categories, says butter here is like bacon is to the rest Todd Rutter, president and third- Rick Miller, sales/marketing director. of the world,” Rutter jokes. “You put generation Rutter family member. The company offers fluid milk in most peanut butter in or on anything here; A lot can change in a century. typical variations — nonfat, fortified it’s very successful.” In the first years of its operations, nonfat, low-fat, 1%, 2% and half & half While the Chocolate Peanut Butter Rutter’s was dedicated solely to — and many formats, including gallon milk was originally going to be only home delivery. Then in the late containers, half-gallon containers an LTO, it was so popular that Rutter’s 1960s, it began opening up its own and half-pint containers. It also decided to make it a permanent convenience stores to compete with manufactures eggnog and an array of offering, Miller remarks. dairy-owned retails chains in the flavored milks. “We could not make [the Chocolate area, the company says. And Rutter’s A particularly successful flavored Peanut Butter milk] fast enough. And completely pivoted to retail by the milk launch in recent years was then we ran out of ingredients and 1990s. Chocolate Peanut Butter milk, labels for our limited-time offer, and “I think a major turning point which was originally created as people were very sad,” he says. “So would have been the change in part of the company’s limited-time we retooled, and six months later, focus from home delivery to retail offer (LTO) program (see Product we brought it out as an everyday and wholesale customers,” Rutter Development Spotlight sidebar). standard item in two sizes.” notes. Peanut Butter fandom runs deep in Rutter’s chocolate milk is another Today the company might no Central Pennsylvania, where Rutter’s very popular offering. Miller explains longer deliver milk door to door, is located, explains Miller, in part that the company regularly gets but consumers can find its products because Hershey’s (which produces phone calls from fans asking if there throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups) also is is a way for them to ship the product and West Virginia. headquartered in the area. out of the mid-Atlantic area. (As Product and historical photos courtesy of Rutter’s. PROCESSOR PROFILE RUTTER’S DAIRY Rutter’s is a regional dairy, it currently does not have distribution outside of the Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia areas). “I’ll get phone calls from people that have moved away from our area, begging us to ship [our] chocolate milk across the country,” explains Diane Quinn, customer service manager. Rutter’s services most of the typical channels for dairy, including retail stores, its own and other convenience stores, schools, nursing homes, Pictured in front of one of Rutter’s trucks are Smoke Dehoff, director of foodservice and colleges. It also transportation (in the truck); Diane Quinn, customer service manager; Sue Wise, produces products for some private quality control lab manager; Aaron Raby, assistant director of transportation; Rick label customers, explains Rutter. Miller, sales/marketing director; Todd Rutter, president; Brett Garner, director of “We’re pretty much in most of operations; Brian Ferry, warehouse manager; and Brett Goodling, plant manager. Photo by Vito Palmisano. them,” says Quinn. Local before it was ‘cool’ As far as its typical customer, Miller in expanding its footprint “through When marketing its products, Rutter’s notes that milk tends to reach across private label opportunities with other emphasizes its local milk source and the all different demographics. The distributors,” explains Rutter. freshness of its products, notes Miller. amount and type of milk its customers According to Miller, because today’s “We support local farmers,” he adds. purchased did change a bit this year consumers are purchasing many “We’re very proud of our producers, with the COVID-19 pandemic. Before beverages beyond milk, Rutter’s is and a big part of our supply comes from last year, Rutter’s had noticed a trend competing with “everyone.” And to those local producers that are within a toward single-serve offerings. compete in that crowded landscape, hundred-mile radius of our facility.” “As people started to stay home and the company focuses on producing Rutter explains that Rutter’s has work from home, we saw the trend shift the highest-quality product it can. supported local farmers since its to our gallons and half gallons because “We stick with what we do best,” founding, and has always made people [returned] back to bringing Miller emphasizes. “We’ve been products with all-natural ingredients. the bulk sizes home,” he explains. doing this a long time where we feel “We were local before local was “With restaurants and convenience we’re the best at what we do — making cool,” he points out. stores [having a] diminished amount milk. Milk is our bread and butter.” Another point of marketing, at of people coming in for their breakfast least on Rutter’s single-serve milks, and lunch trade, it definitely changed ‘The best chocolate milk ever’ is the protein content, says Miller. our product offering, as far as the Rutter’s advertises digitally, on After noticing the consumer trend of volume going out.” billboards and in newspapers and increasing protein consumption, Rutter’s Rutter’s products are available at also runs TV ads in its local markets, revamped its milk packaging in 2019 to many local retail outlets, but the notes Miller. The company produced call out the amount of protein. company has seen the most success a TV ad in 2020 that promotes its PROCESSOR PROFILE RUTTER’S DAIRY “I have worked [with] and known all three generations of owners since I’ve been here,” she says. “That’s pretty outstanding, I think, to have that piece of history in my background.” Miller also has been with the company for decades. He started with Rutter’s 22 years ago. “We’re very good at promoting from within,” Miller points out. “We try to develop our own talent.” Rutter says this “homegrown” approach to building talent is part of the key to the staff’s longevity. “Almost all my team … they worked their way up through from entry-level positions up into management, up Rutter’s has been producing milk for a century in the York, Pa., area. different levels of management then up into key executive roles,” he notes. chocolate milk as “the best chocolate and high output … My eggnog Rutter’s “homegrown” attitude milk ever.” The ad highlights the Facebook Live got over 120,000 views extends to its view of corporate special life moments into which in our market.” citizenship as well. The company is chocolate milk fits and calls out the For the eggnog video, Miller very committed to giving back to its milk’s nutritional qualities and natural demonstrated recipes to local news local community. ingredients. anchors featuring the product, “We try very hard for our money to While events have not happened including eggnog pancakes, eggnog stay back in our market for the people recently due to the pandemic, in cookies and mixed drinks. that help support us; we try to help the past, Rutter’s partnered with a Rutter’s also promotes its products support them,” explains Rutter. local baseball team and did some on its personal Facebook pages. Twice For example, Rutter’s gave almost promotion at the county fair as part of a month, it showcases its milk or $8 million in the past 16 years to its marketing strategy. Additionally, flavored milk on the platform. local charities, says Rutter. These Rutter’s works with local news stations include local food banks and charities to host Facebook Live events on the Developing talent locally that focus on children’s issues. The stations’ Facebook pages as part of its Rutter grew up working for Rutter’s. company also started its own charity social media approach. He jokes that while he’s officially been called Rutter’s Children’s Charities. “I do a bunch of Facebook Live on staff for 43 years, he’s unofficially events every year to help promote worked for the company since he Making lemonade our LTO products and also promote could walk.