Winder Dairy marks 125th

      WEST VALLEY CITY — Milk, eggs, butter, bread, oranges, grapes, bread and juices combined with a family-led work force and loyal customers have been the longtime ingredients for a successful business smorgasbord.

      Dozens of people gathered Thursday for what Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. described as "an udderly cool celebration" marking the 125th anniversary of Winder Dairy, a six-generation family venture founded by John R. Winder in 1880.
      "I just want to tell you that celebrating 125 years for any business is a remarkable thing, and I just want to salute you on that," Huntsman said. "Along the way, I know that it's taken a lot of pulling together on the part of the Winder family."
      The family involvement has been the most prominent constant over the years, although in the 1920s and '30s three Winder dairies were operated by brothers who combined the operations in 1932. Other constants are loyal employees like Robin Grant, now marking his 50th year with the company, and faithful customers like Grant and Maxine Jensen, who have been receiving Winder deliveries for 63 years.
      But 125 years also has brought many changes, the latest being a new name and logo. Starting Thursday, the business began using Winder Farms as its moniker. What was known in 1889 as the J.R. Winder Creamery also has had more than 30 logos over the years.
      Along the way, the operations moved from the Poplar Farm at 2700 S. 300 East to West Valley City in 1931; milk containers advanced from cans to glass to polycarbonate bottles; deliveries moved from horse-drawn vehicles to trucks; and a partnership was forged between the family and Dolphin II and Peterson Partners in 2004.
      The product lines have expanded often, too, including the addition of bread to the dairy products in 1958.
      In fact, it's the expanded list of commodities that prompted the switch to the Winder Farms name, according to Eric Jacobsen, founder and managing director of Dolphin II.
      "We really believe there is a great opportunity to take that reputation for very fresh, very-good-tasting milk and bread products and expand it into other products and services," he said.
      Winder recently added orange juice, lemonade and fruits and soon will launch vegetables and salads. During the holidays, expect to see turkey, ham and other items.
      "And we will continue to announce new products over the next year or two to expand our product line into the freshest, healthiest, best-tasting products that you can get in Utah," Jacobsen said, adding that the company will continue to try to get its items from the local marketplace.
      The growing product line is the result of customer research, "and we heard that this is, in effect, what they wanted," he said. "They wanted, in their words, a farmers' market on wheels delivered to their front door."
      The front doors of about 17,000 homes and 350 businesses along the Wasatch Front, Tooele, Park City, Heber, Cedar City and St. George now get Winder products. And Huntsman noted that those deliveries often have included more than food.
      "The one thing that I looked forward to most from the Winder delivery man when I was growing up was, No. 1, the weather forecast, which was always spot-on, and, No. 2, the political forecast, which always was spot-on as well," the governor said.
      "I had more early political tutorial from the milk delivery person than I did from anyone else. So other than delivering milk, I think the delivery people who worked at Winder Farms are responsible for the edification and education of so many in this metropolitan area."