Mayfield Dairy

Mayfield Dairy Farms

Company type	Private
Industry	Dairy products
Founded	1923
Founder	T.B. Mayfield, Jr.
Headquarters	Athens, Tennessee , United States
Area served	Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi
Key people	Scottie Mayfield (CEO)
Products	Milk, chocolate milk, ice cream, juices
Number of employees	2000
Parent	Dairy Farmers of America (since 2020)

Mayfield Dairy Farms is a U.S.-based producer of dairy products, with its main office located in Athens, Tennessee and manufacturing facilities also situated in Birmingham, Alabama. The company was under the ownership of Dean Foods from 1990 until 2020. In March 2020, Dairy Farmers of America completed the acquisition of Dean Foods, thereby incorporating Mayfield into its portfolio.

The range of products offered by Mayfield encompasses milk, chocolate milk, ice cream, and various juice options.

History

Established in 1923 by T.B. Mayfield, Jr., leadership has passed down to his grandson, Scottie Mayfield, who currently heads the company. The workforce numbers close to 2,000 employees. Distribution of Mayfield’s products extends through twelve states: Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

In 1990, ownership transitioned to Dean Foods through acquisition.

Innovations

Mayfield boasts a legacy of pioneering advancements. The founder, T.B. Mayfield, was responsible for creating the region’s first milk processing plant equipped for pasteurizing milk.

Significant milestones include the Athens facility introducing in-plant blow-molding technology for plastic milk containers in 1970. In 1988, Mayfield was the first to launch an opaque plastic milk jug designed to shield contents from damaging ultraviolet light. The company further innovated in 1995 by debuting the single-serve Chug milk bottle under Dean Foods, which aimed to boost milk consumption by competing with single-serve soft drinks. Another packaging breakthrough came in 2002 with the Clik-Top re-sealable ice cream carton featuring a break-seal for easy opening and a locking tab for secure storage.

Beginning in 2006, Mayfield initiated a multi-author corporate blog featuring CEO Scottie Mayfield alongside customer contributions, showcasing early adoption of social media for marketing purposes. The following year, the firm received an Effie Award from the American Marketing Association for its campaign that promoted four new ice cream flavors via customer voting without relying on price discounts.

Visitor centers

Mayfield maintains a visitor center and offers production tours at its Athens, Tennessee location. Its second visitor center, previously operational in Braselton, Georgia, ceased operations in 2020 after the associated plant was closed.

See also

• Squround