Anderson Custom Processing Inc.

For 37 years Anderson Custom Processing has represented progress and service to the food industry and the communities that manufacture our products. Glen Anderson, founder and CEO, has personally been part of the food industry for nearly 62 years – 37 with ACPI and 24 in the dairy industry before starting ACPI in 1972. We are proud of this family-owned business. It reflects the commitment and pride of a great many people.

1945

After serving in the Navy during WWII, I took a job working for the Deer Creek, Minnesota Creamery. This was supposed to be a temporary job. I’d grown up on the farm and thought I had a future in farming.

1950

My wife, Norma Jean, and I moved to Walters in 1951. I took on management of the creamery that same year.

1955

It wasn’t long, though, before I really started to like the work.

1960

I went on to manage the creameries of Courtland and Nicollet, New Ulm AMPI, and Nicollet Foods.

1965

Between 1953 and 1966 our children Brenda, Denice, Janel, Brian, and David were born.

1970

In 1972, mergers were closing milk plants and leaving milk dryers sitting idle. Because of my experience with drying milk powder, I realized that the idle dryers could be used to dry other food products. This was a new idea, so when I presented the idea of purchasing the idle Sleepy Eye Creamery to bankers I received little or no encouragement to start my own business.

The Sleepy Eye Creamery facility, located in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, had a spray dryer and a boiler, but the rest of the plant was in need of repair. After a deal was struck with AMPI, the current owner of the plant, we began cleaning and painting and searching for vats and other equipment with a test run in mind. All of the Anderson family pitched in to help get the plant in shape.

We spread word through the food industry that our plant and services were available to manufacture food products, and our efforts eventually brought in some customer prospects. Test runs were performed with mostly good results.

Experienced help was hard to come by at this time, and because I wanted to make sure everything went as it should in the production runs, I found it necessary to stay in the plant day and night for a time. My son, Brian, and Norma even bagged powder on some occasions while I ran the dryer. This devotion seemed to please our potential customers and our efforts brought in steady business.

Getting the right equipment was one problem. Being able to pay for it was another, but as time went by, little by little, we were able to do that. After some time we were running around the clock, a level of production that’s necessary to support the plants.

1975

Our reputation drew business, and it became evident that we needed additional capacity. In 1974, hearing that the creamery in Little Falls, Minnesota was closing, we approached the owners about a purchase. We were given the OK to try a run in the plant. We did, and it worked. Of course challenges presented themselves in Little Falls as they had in Sleepy Eye — getting employees, procuring the right equipment, and testing the manufacture of new products.

1980

In time, the Little Falls plant was running around the clock as well.

1985

Our employees are honest and devoted to their work, and we turned out a superior product for our customers. This spurred further growth in the business. The decision was made to look for another plant, and in 1986 we purchased the facility in Belleville, Wisconsin.

1990

Unlike starts “from scratch” in our other plants, this beginning was easier. The plant had been used for processing similar to ours, so there were experienced employees on hand. A trial run proved that the sprayer in the Belleville plant could handle our products well.

2000

In each plant we started with one spray dryer, and through the years additional dryers were added to every ACPI plant. At the beginning of the new century, 8 spray dryers ran around the clock.

2009

Updating equipment to keep up with technology and competition is necessary in any business. It was time to replace old equipment with new technology and so began this project at our Belleville plant in September.

2010

In April, our Belleville, WI plant completed their new dryer replacement project. From small beginnings to partnerships, growth and customer satisfaction, that’s what ACPI is all about.

I have always believed that ACPI’s biggest asset is not buildings or shiny, stainless steel equipment. It’s a reputation for producing superior products for our customers. Our reputation is the direct result of devoted, hard work by exceptional employees. Some have been with us close to 40 years, many 35 years, others more than 15. We appreciate them all.