Университет штата Вашингтон инвестирует 13,5 млн долларов в модернизацию сыроварни

WSU’s Creamery is getting an upgrade. The WSU’s Board of Regents approved the upgrade budget in May 2026. The upcoming renovations to the equipment is estimated to be about $13.5 million and will be funded through a combination of state funding, University funding and Creamery reserves. The creamery’s manager, John Haugen, has been working full time at the creamery for the past 31 years and managing for the past 11. Haugen first started working at the creamery in 1990 while he was in college. “We could see we need some new equipment after 30 years,” Haugen said. “First it had to be approved by the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences administration, then the University administration, then on to the Board of Regents”. The money is set to be applied to the production area with specific interest in the cheesevat, finishing table, High Temperature, Short Time pasteurizer and the clean in place system. Additionally, the money will be used for other equipment and infrastructure that will help support the four main pieces of equipment being replaced. The current equipment being used in the creamery is well past its lifespan. Typically, this equipment is within its prime for up to 20 years, however, the creamery has been using it for 34. “We could see we need some new equipment after 30 years and went through a process of a predesign and feasibility study so we were confident in how much it would cost and that it would pay off in a reasonable amount of time,” Haugen said. Currently, the creamery is able to produce 250,000 cans of cheese annually. Ater the upgrades, they are expected to produce 350,000. “With full production in 2029 we expect to have more cheese available to sell in 2030,” Haugen said. Luckily, customers will still be able to get that signature Cougar Gold we all know and love. The Creamery is working to use reserves and increase the production before renovations begin. “We are working at building up some extra inventory before the project and the increased capacity of the new equipment will help us make up the difference through the remainder of 2028” Haugen said, “Since Cougar Gold ages for a year, what we sell in 2028 will all be made in 2027, and what is produced in 2028 is what will be sold in 2029. We expect to even out to about the same 250,000 cans per year available for those years.”