The MEYENBERG Story

In 1868 a Swiss born immigrant by the name of John B. Meyenberg came to the United States after inventing the process of evaporating unsweetened condensed milk for Nestles Company. The process of heating canned milk to 243 degrees, then cooling to 90 degrees allows the milk to maintain a shelf life of five plus years. The patent for the evaporated process became extremely valuable during the civil war and for those who did not have refrigeration. In 1885, the US patent office helped start the Pet Milk Company that evolved into the Carnation Milk Company. The son, John P. Meyenberg had a passion for goat’s milk and branched off to become MEYENBERG Goat Milk Products. In 1934, Harold Jackson bought the company because his infant son, Robert, suffered from cow milk allergies and digestive problems. The infant son grew up and today, Robert D. Jackson owns and operates the company along with his wife of 43 years, Carol Jackson. Together they have taken a small evaporated milk company to the nation's largest manufacturer of goat milk products.

Within the rolling hills of the central valley MEYENBERG Goat Milk Products operates from its headquarters located in Turlock, California. Jackson-Mitchell’s MEYENBERG has established itself as the pre-eminent global manufacturer of goat milk products. With farms and facilities producing over 20 million pounds of goat milk annually, and lines of distribution stretching around the world, MEYENBERG has grown from a medicinally focused, niche-market company, to one whose products possess widespread appeal for an ever-expanding group of consumers.

MEYENBERG has achieved its leading status by consistently anticipating trends in consumer demand. The history of MEYENBERG shows a pattern of marketing creativity and dynamic thinking resulting in goat milk products that perfectly and consistently fit the food and nutrition trends of the times.

Initially, Jackson Mitchell’s MEYENBERG Goat Milk Products produced only evaporated goat milk, sold exclusively in pharmacies as an alternative for infants sensitive to cow milk. Robert D. Jackson assumed leadership of the company in 1954 and recognizing the proliferation of new infant formulas, began marketing goat milk to a larger population, focusing special attention on health conscious consumers, seniors and children.

During the 1980’s, a growing national awareness of health and nutrition issues renewed consumer interest in unique natural products. To meet demand, MEYENBERG opened plants in Arkansas and California, doubling both goat milk production and annual sales within a year. The unique ultra-pasteurization process allowed for a wider distribution of fresh goat milk by MEYENBERG to markets across the country; these new products included Ultra-Pasteurized Fresh Whole Goat Milk and 1% Low Fat Pasteurized Milk, Evaporated and Powdered Goat Milk. In 2004, the company further grew with the introduction of European Style Goat Milk Butter and Goat Milk Cheddar. In 2008, their new Goat Cream Cheese was introduced.

Recent trends have fueled yet another boom in goat milk consumption: consumer desire to avoid foods containing additives and bovine growth hormones (BGH), a mushrooming demand for foods that are 100% natural, and a growing appreciation by gourmet chefs, who use goat milk to enhance recipes. The popularity of MEYENBERG Goat Milk Products has gone beyond the borders of the United States to worldwide distribution.

While the story of MEYENBERG is, in many ways, driven by keen business intuition and marketing savvy, it also has a personal side. The marriage of Robert and Carol Jackson in 1966 has been responsible for much of the worldwide success enjoyed by MEYENBERG. As business partners, and goat lovers, the Jackson’s have succeeded in establishing a profitable business while ensuring their personal touch and the importance of listening to their customers, has not been lost along the way. With the goal of increasing worldwide sales to fully take advantage of the 49% of people worldwide drinking goat milk, MEYENBERG is redefining its marketing focus.

Currently available in 90% of supermarket chains nationwide as well as leading health-food distributors and stores, MEYENBERG will tap new markets previously unaware of goat milk’s nutritional advantages. Aggressively developing unique approaches for new markets, MEYENBERG will continue to thrive in a specialized market, a premier name in a select business.

MEYENBERG
A Family Tradition Since 1934