The new milk processing facility in Valdosta, Ga., builds on the retail giant’s efforts to control more of its fresh foods supply chain.

Multinational retailer and Food Shippers of America (FSA) member Walmart will establish a new food processing facility in Valdosta, Ga. The new dairy facility, which will break ground later this year and create nearly 400 Walmart jobs in the Valdosta community, has innovation at its core. It will bolster Walmart’s capacity to meet the demand for high-quality milk, while making our supply chain more resilient, and building even more transparency around sourcing, according to Bruce Heckman, Vice President, Manufacturing, Private Brands at Walmart.

“We're excited that Walmart will soon tap into Georgia’s No. 1 industry and open new opportunities for farmers in the Lowndes County area,” says Governor Brian Kemp. “Congratulations to all those on the local and state level whose hard work made this announcement possible. We look forward to many years of success as this project further strengthens our thriving agriculture industry.”

Using ingredients sourced from local farmers, the new facility will process and bottle a variety of milk options including gallon, half gallon, whole, 2%, 1%, skim and 1% chocolate milk for Walmart’s Great Value and Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark brands. The products from the facility will serve more than 750 Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs in the Southeast. 

The new facility continues Walmart's commitment to building a more resilient and transparent supply chain to deliver high-quality products. Walmart opened its first milk processing facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2018. Additional investments include opening our first case-ready beef facility in Thomasville, Georgia and building a second case-ready beef facility in Olathe, Kansas, as well as making equity investments and long-term commercial agreements with rancher-owned Sustainable Beef LLC and vertical farming company Plenty.

Once opened, this milk processing facility will be an important milestone to delivering on our commitment to provide customers access to the high-quality milk they expect at the Every Day Low Prices they rely on, according to Heckman. 

The Valdosta dairy facility will provide high-quality milk throughout Georgia and neighboring states, serving more than 750 Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs in the region.

“We’re thrilled to open this new dairy facility in Valdosta, Georgia, as we continue to make strides to increase surety of supply for our customers grocery essentials,” says Heckman. “We’re looking forward to breaking ground on this exciting venture and we’ll continue to work alongside local dairy farmers and associates as we move ahead. Their collaboration is critical to ensure we’re operating a facility that will process high-quality milk for our customers that we can offer at the everyday low prices they rely on.” 

Walmart’s new facility will be located on Inner Perimeter Road in Valdosta. The facility will create fresh dairy products using ingredients sourced from local farmers. Operations are expected to begin in late 2025. Walmart will be hiring for positions in production, engineering, quality, food safety, warehouse operations, maintenance, drivers, and more. 

“This new, state-of-the-art facility will not only bring jobs and opportunity to the Valdosta area, it will enable our dairy farmers to produce more goods from start to finish right here in Georgia – sending a larger share of the retail dollar back to the family farm and giving Georgia consumers access to the freshest dairy products possible,” says Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “This is a great victory for Valdosta-Lowndes County, the State of Georgia, and our No. 1 industry – agriculture.”

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