COMPANY HISTORY
For 32 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 57 years - 32
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. Here's our story…
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.
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1950 |
|
 My wife, Norma Jean, and I moved
to Walters in 1951. I took on management of the
creamery that same year. |
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1955 |
|
 It wasn't long, though, before
I really started to like the work. |
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1960 |
|
 I went on to manage the creameries
of Courtland and Nicollet, New Ulm AMPI, and Nicollet
Foods. |
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1965 |
|
 Between 1953 and 1966 our children
Brenda, Denice, Janel, Brian, and David were born. |
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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. |
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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. |
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1980 |
|
 In time, the Little Falls plant
was running around the clock as well. |
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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. |
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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. |
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 30 years, many 25 years, others more than 10.
We appreciate them all.
