Middleton, Wisc. (January 24, 2026) – Foremost Farms USA, a leading dairy cooperative, continues its unwavering dedication to the highest standards of health and safety in food manufacturing. This month, the cooperative proudly announced two remarkable safety milestones at the Appleton Distribution Center (DC): five consecutive years without a recordable incident and without a lost time incident.
What Five Years Looks Like at Appleton DC
In that time, the Appleton DC has:
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- Shipped over 1.3 billion lbs of cheese and dairy products
- Loaded or unloaded more than 72,000 trucks, averaging just 1 hour and 6 minutes per dock visit
- Handled over 1 million pallets
- Fulfilled over 30,000 orders
- Maintained an error per order rate of only 0.42559%
- Achieved an error per lb rate of just 0.00001%.
- Achieved an annual audit accuracy rating of over 99%
“Reaching five years without a recordable incident shows the strength of our team’s focus and discipline,” said Dean Hucek, Distribution & Warehousing Manager at Foremost Farms’ Appleton DC. “Every pallet moved and every truck loaded reflects the care our employees take to protect one another and deliver excellence.”
“Safety is not just a benchmark – it’s a continuous journey,” added Jim DeSonia, Director of Environmental Health & Safety. “The Appleton DC team’s achievement demonstrates how our cooperative-wide commitment to training, awareness and accountability creates lasting results.”
Foremost Farms strives to create and maintain a safe, innovative and trusting environment by engaging its employees in educational training processes across all its facilities. This milestone is just one of many safety awards and acknowledgments the cooperative has earned across its seven locations.
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ABOUT FOREMOST FARMS USA
Foremost Farms USA® is a dairy cooperative representing hundreds of Midwest dairy farmer members located across seven Midwest states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin – America’s Dairyland. It is one of the largest, leading dairy cooperatives in the United States and a major food manufacturing business.