The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

VES is bringing the $400 billion global dairy industry to the Chippewa Valley in 2020, by breaking ground on the Dr. Michael J. Wolf Research Campus for Animal-Centered Environments. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place in Chippewa Falls, Wisc., on January 14, 2020.

Since its founding in 2008, VES has been the global leader in innovating Animal-Centered Environments (ACE) to optimize cow health and welfare at many of the world’s most successful dairies. From its headquarters in Chippewa Falls, VES has designed ACEs for customers in 30 countries.

At the Dr. Wolf Campus, veterinarians and engineers will develop new, innovative environments to optimize the health, comfort, welfare, and productivity of dairy cows across diverse climates around the world. This facility will be the first phase of a construction project that will include new company headquarters, an animal welfare demonstration center, and a global conference center.

“VES and their expansion into Chippewa County’s Opportunity Zone and Lake Wissota Business Park have huge positive implications for the Chippewa Valley,” said Charlie Walker, president and CEO of Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation. “Not only will it create an additional 40-plus high-paying jobs, but the facility also further positions the company as a global leader in the design and manufacturing of agricultural and industrial environmental systems. The new VES campus will be another magnet in attracting additional high-quality talent to our community.”

Dairy contributes more than $43 billion annually to Wisconsin’s economy, and employs 215,000 people full-time. VES sees a unique window to invest in the industry and community. Demand for dairy is stronger than ever in the USA, and appetites for cheese and other dairy products are booming in Asia, the Middle East, and other emerging dairy markets. But the nature of this demand is changing rapidly, as consumer concern expands for the welfare of animals and workers.

“Consumers today seek meaningful assurances that what they eat and drink is produced ethically,” said John McBride, co-founder and CEO of VES. “VES has thus become an essential partner to dairies seeking to optimize the health and welfare of their cows and workers, in order to satisfy these increasing sustainability demands.”

Rather than just supplying the dairy industry with equipment and tools, VES has taken a more scientific approach to the welfare of cows.

“VES’s veterinarians and engineers have scientifically designed hundreds of Animal-Centered Environments to optimize conditions for cows, including delivery of fresh air, controlled temperatures, and lighting for the cow’s unique biology,” Mr. McBride said.

VES has merged all these phases of animal welfare with software, data and AI. They bring these together with the revolutionary DairyBOS, the Dairy Barn Operating System. DairyBOS uses sensors to measure barn air quality, temperature, and lighting conditions continually. It then automatically makes adjustments to maximize milk production and reproduction, minimize disease and pests, and reduce a farm’s electricity consumption and environmental footprint.

The groundbreaking ceremony will occur on Jan. 14, 2020 at Lake Wissota Business Park. For an invitation or more information, please contact Lisa Poeschel at lisap@ves.co .