Kleinpeter looks to expand into Texas

Kleinpeter Farms Dairy wants to expand past the borders of Louisiana and become a regional company, says President Jeff Kleinpeter. Kleinpeter says he’d like to have a presence in three or four states, and Texas is the most likely first target. “We’ve got a big following over there,” he says. “There are a lot of LSU graduates in Houston, and they are pestering me like you wouldn’t believe. They are so ready for us to be there, but we’re just not quite ready.” When asked when he’d like to get into Texas, Kleinpeter laughed and said, “about a year ago,” but added he expected to expand within a year. A milk warehouse program, whereby the producer delivers milk to a facility that distributes to stores, could allow for quick expansion. The problem with that scenario is that Kleinpeter Farms wouldn’t be able to closely monitor quality. Instead, Kleinpeter says the company hopes to build its own facility in Texas. —David Jacobs