Considerations for Hiring a Dairy Food Co-Packer

Jun 09, 2025

Are you interested in starting a value-added dairy foods business but reluctant to invest in equipment and facilities for manufacturing, or do you lack the time, technical expertise, and labor you need to make a product? A co-packer might be the solution. Navigating a co-packing relationship can be a complex process. First, what exactly is a co-packer? A co-packer is a food processor with additional manufacturing capacity and offers services such as manufacturing, packaging, and labeling for a fee.

Why Consider Hiring a Co-Packer?

Reasons for working with a co-packer may differ according to the management and mission of the dairy farm and personal situations. A Dairy Foods survey of users of co-packing services uncovered that the top four reasons for hiring a co-packer were a lack of in-house expertise with a product(s) (34%), testing the market for a new product (34%), inability to keep up with production demands (33%), and exiting product manufacturing to focus on brand marketing (10%) (Canning, 2017). Let's explore these and other reasons for using a co-packer.

Source : psu.edu

Video: CEOs of the Industry: John McIntire, Partner at Pike Pig Systems

CEOs of the Industry, Jim sits down with John McIntire, Partner at Pike Pig Systems, one of the most quietly impressive 26,000-sow operations in the U.S. John shares how he grew from operator to partner, how Pike built a people-first culture with long-tenured managers, and why they’re committed to weaning bigger, stronger pigs at 25+ days.

John breaks down how Pike stays efficient in a tough economic environment, the power of their shareholder-owned farm model, and how their work with PIC and a 240-head boar facility drives genetics and health outcomes. He also opens up about the innovations Pike adopts — and how they decide what’s truly valuable versus industry hype.

From Prop 12 and labor challenges to trade, consumer expectations, and sustainability, John chooses a hot-button issue and shares how Pike is preparing for the future. The episode closes with a rapid-fire “Fast Five” — mindset, leadership, daily habits, and three words that define Pike Pig Systems in 2025.

If you want a look inside a people-driven, purpose-driven, quietly elite pork system, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.