Arps Dairy

What Arps Dairy does

Arps Dairy, Inc. is a regional fluid milk and cultured dairy processor founded in 1936 and headquartered in Defiance, Ohio. The company operates a 15,000 sq ft creamery (with a 44,000 sq ft expansion under construction as of Q4 2025) that produces fluid milk, cream, buttermilk, half-and-half, sour cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream under the Arps and Farm Fresh brands. Its core processing approach is a cold-separation technique that avoids high-heat pasteurization and preserves natural proteins and flavor, paired with in-house and third-party laboratory testing for antibiotic residue and quality verification. Raw milk is sourced exclusively from 12+ named multi-generational family farms within 30 miles of the creamery, supporting its "Dairy With Integrity" positioning and F.A.R.M., OU Kosher, REAL Seal, and Ohio Proud certifications.

Arps serves three customer segments: (1) industrial bulk dairy users (food manufacturers) supplied via tanker trucks (4.1M+ lbs/year), totes (100,000-4.1M lbs/year), 2.5/5 gallon dispenser bags, and 30-lb pails of sour cream; (2) schools, hospitals, and institutional accounts receiving half-pint (8 oz) milk cartons; and (3) retail grocery and convenience stores receiving branded jugs (pints through gallons) through Arps' own direct-store-delivery fleet across Northwest Ohio with recent expansion into Toledo and Columbus. Distribution is performed entirely by Arps' in-house drivers, who also handle merchandising and customer relationships; bulk industrial distribution uses tanker trucks direct to manufacturing sites. The 11-50 employee headcount is augmented by a sales consultant and dedicated field representatives (including a DVM and FARM evaluator) who maintain producer relationships.

Revenue is generated on transactional per-unit pricing across bulk industrial, institutional, and retail channels, with pricing negotiated bilaterally for industrial buyers and set by retailers for consumer SKUs. Since October 2025, Arps has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barfresh Food Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRFH), which acquired the company to vertically integrate approximately 90% of its manufacturing in-house for its smoothie, shake, and frappe platform. Barfresh reported $14.2M of full-year 2025 consolidated revenue (Q4 2025 alone was $5.4M, up 94% YoY post-acquisition) and is guiding FY2026 revenue of $28-32M with ~$5M in adjusted EBITDA. Arps itself does not publicly disclose standalone revenue, and Q4 2025 gross margin compressed to 3% (from 26% year-over-year) due to facility transition and startup costs associated with the acquisition.

Name

Arps Dairy

Legal name

Arps Dairy, Inc.

Website

https://arpsdairy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arps Dairy is an 89-year-old regional dairy processor in Defiance, Ohio that produces fluid milk, cream, cultured dairy, and ice cream under the Arps and Farm Fresh brands, sourced from family farms within 30 miles and distributed via its own fleet to industrial food manufacturers, schools, hospitals, and grocery retailers across Northwest Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Manufacturing

NAICS

Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Fluid Milk & Cream Processing (AFAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fluid Milk & Cream Wholesale (AFAIAEAA), Milk (Fluid & Shelf-Stable) (CRADACAA)

Keywords

• Fluid milk processing
• Cultured dairy products
• Bulk dairy distribution
• Ice cream manufacturing
• Direct store delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Defiance

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Bulk Dairy Product Sales: Arps Dairy sells fluid milk, cream, cultured dairy products (buttermilk, half-and-half, sour cream, cottage cheese), and ice cream to industrial dairy users in various quantities including tanker (4.1M+ lbs/year), tote (100,000–4.1M lbs/year), 2.5/5 gallon dispenser bags, and 30-lb pails. These are sold to food manufacturers as ingredients and to retailers for resale.
2. Retail and Institutional Dairy Distribution: Arps Dairy produces and distributes branded dairy products (Arps and Farm Fresh brand) to grocery stores, convenience stores, schools, hospitals, and restaurants through its own delivery fleet. Products include pints, quarts, half-gallons, gallons, and half-pint school milk cartons.
3. Contract Manufacturing (Parent): As a subsidiary of Barfresh Food Group, Arps Dairy's manufacturing facilities support Barfresh's frozen beverage platform (smoothies, shakes, frappes) for schools, military, and high-throughput venues, with production increasingly internalized following the acquisition.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Arps Dairy is a creamery producing locally sourced fluid milk, cream, cultured dairy products (hand-crafted cottage cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, half-and-half), and ice cream sold under the Arps and Farm Fresh brands. The company delivers consumer-packaged products (pints, quarts, half-gallons, gallons, half-pint school cartons) to retail grocery stores, convenience stores, schools, hospitals, restaurants, and ice cream shops via its own delivery fleet. It also supplies bulk dairy ingredients (tanker, tote, dispenser bags, pails) to industrial food manufacturers and offers custom culinary product development in partnership with food scientists.

Product overview

Arps Dairy is a single-brand dairy company offering a focused portfolio of locally sourced fluid milk, cream, and cultured dairy products. The product line consists of consumer-packaged products (Farm Fresh milk including chocolate milk, hand-crafted cottage cheese, soft serve ice cream) in various sizes from half-pints to gallons, as well as bulk industrial dairy products including tanker, tote, dispenser bag, and pail quantities for food manufacturing customers. The company also offers custom culinary product development. All products adhere to the 'Dairy With Integrity' philosophy, sourcing milk from family farms within 30 miles of the Defiance, Ohio creamery and using cold separation processing to preserve natural proteins and flavor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Farm Fresh: Product line including Farm Fresh white milk and Farm Fresh chocolate milk, produced under the Arps Dairy label.

Products and services

• Fluid Milk Locally sourced fluid milk from family-owned dairy farms within 30 miles of the Defiance, Ohio creamery, featuring premium natural ingredients and cold separation processing that preserves natural proteins and flavor for retail and institutional customers.
• Cream Premium cream products sourced locally from family dairy farms as part of the Dairy With Integrity product line, supplied to retail and institutional customers.
• Cultured Dairy Products Cultured dairy products including hand-crafted cottage cheese made entirely by hand with precise attention to detail, plus other fermented dairy items such as buttermilk, half-and-half, and sour cream.
• Farm Fresh Milk Line Farm Fresh product line including Farm Fresh white milk and Farm Fresh Chocolate Milk, produced as part of the company's expanded product offerings under the Dairy With Integrity philosophy.
• Ice Cream and Soft Serve Ice cream products including soft serve ice cream added as part of the company's product line expansion, supplied to retail and foodservice customers.
• Bulk Dairy Products Bulk fluid milk, cream, buttermilk, half-and-half, and 30-lb pails of sour cream supplied in tanker (4.1M+ lbs/year), tote (100,000–4.1M lbs/year), 2.5/5 gallon dispenser bags, and 30-lb pail quantities for industrial food manufacturing customers.
• Custom Culinary Products Custom dairy solutions developed in partnership with food scientists and R&D teams to meet exact specifications for industrial customers, utilizing plant expertise, production equipment, and skilled staff.
• Jug Line Products Bottled and labeled dairy products including pints, quarts, half-gallons, and gallons distributed to retail store shelves.
• Half-Pint School Milk Cartons 8oz half-pint milk cartons produced using the half-pint filler equipment, typically supplied to schools, hospitals, and other institutional settings through the company's delivery fleet.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cold separation preserves natural milk proteins and flavor for a more wholesome product
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Barfresh Food Group, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Barfresh Food Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: BRFH) completed the acquisition of Arps Dairy in Q4 2025, marking a strategic pivot from third-party co-manufacturing to vertical integration with 90% of Barfresh's production now in-house. The acquisition gave Barfresh control of Arps Dairy's 15,000 sq ft processing facility and a 44,000 sq ft facility under construction in Defiance, Ohio, expected to support over $200 million in annual revenue capacity.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• United Dairy Farmers: Regional fluid milk and ice cream processor with own retail and DSD distribution — closely comparable to Arps's fluid milk, ice cream, and direct store delivery motion.
• Oberweis Dairy: Regional dairy processor with home delivery and retail/wholesale distribution of fluid milk, cream, and ice cream — comparable business model emphasizing direct delivery and local/family farm sourcing.
• Hiland Dairy: Midwestern fluid milk and ice cream processor serving retail, schools, and foodservice across multiple states — directly comparable to Arps's regional fluid milk and ice cream offering and DSD model.
• Prairie Farms Dairy: Large Midwestern dairy cooperative producing fluid milk, cultured dairy, and ice cream with regional distribution to retail and foodservice — closely comparable to Arps Dairy's Midwest fluid milk and ice cream operations.
• Smith Dairy Products: Ohio-based regional dairy processor producing fluid milk, ice cream, and cultured products for retail and institutional customers — a direct peer with similar product mix and Ohio/Midwest footprint.
• Reiter Dairy: Midwestern fluid milk processor serving retail, schools, and foodservice via direct delivery — directly comparable to Arps's DSD fluid milk and school/hospital supply model.

Emerging players

• Organic Valley: Farmer-owned cooperative specializing in organic, grass-fed, and family-farm-sourced dairy — comparable premium positioning on local/family farm provenance and certified production standards.

Broad incumbents

• Dean Foods (legacy/borden): Large-scale regional and national fluid milk processors (Dean Foods and Borden Dairy) serving grocery, schools, and foodservice across broad geographies — overlap with Arps across fluid milk, schools/hospitals, and retail SKUs.
• Dairy Farmers of America: Largest U.S. dairy cooperative with fluid milk, cultured products, and ingredients serving retail, foodservice, and industrial customers at scale — competing with Arps on industrial/ingredient supply and retail.

Regional players

• Schneider Dairy / Guggisberg / Toft Dairy: Small Ohio/Midwest independent dairy processors producing fluid milk, cheese, ice cream, and cultured products for local retail and foodservice — comparable as small regional creameries with similar product mix and DSD presence.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arps Dairy