Shamrock Farms opens Augusta County milk plant

Arizona-based Shamrock Farms has officially opened its Augusta County milk plant at the Mill Place Commerce Park in Verona.

The 190,000-square-foot building was constructed in 13 months on a 40-acre parcel of land. The property has room for expansion.

Shamrock Farms  said the plant features newly developed extended shelf life (ESL) technology, which allows milk to stay fresh longer.

The facility, which currently employs 50 people, will produce protein-fortified milk beverages.

When the project was announced last year, the anticipated cost was $50 million.

The builder is Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. of Winchester.

Shamrock Farms is one of the largest family-owned-and-operated dairies in the U.S. Based in Phoenix, Shamrock’s family farm hosts a herd of more than 10,000 cows. The company was founded in 1922 in Tucson, Ariz.

In 2013, then-Gov. Bob McDonnell approved a $250,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Augusta County in securing the project. He also approved $50,000 from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, a grant administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance also was expected to provide funding and services to support the company’s recruitment, training and retraining activities.