Organic and grass-fed dairy company Maple Hill Creamery has named current chief financial officer Jim Hau as its new President.
Hau, a former CFO at Arizona Nutritional Supplements and PanTheryx, is a “forward-thinking change leader with both public and private equity company experience,” according to a press release. He will continue to serve as CFO in addition to his new responsibilities as President.
“I’m proud and excited to be taking this leadership role with such a trusted brand at such an exciting time in the market, when the consumer is looking for healthy premium products derived from regenerative agriculture,” said Hau.
The company praised Hau’s financial acumen and experience, highlighting his track record of “building corporate financial infrastructures, departments and teams; integrating business acquisitions; and preparing for IPO,” as well as expertise in “mergers and acquisitions integration, strategic financial planning, capital raising and organizational restructuring.”
According to the release, shoring up Maple Hill’s economic position will be one of Hau’s first priorities. In an email to BevNET yesterday, Has said that “as the largest dairy player focused solely on the super-premium grass-fed dairy space,” Maple Hill “can expand the appeal to a broader audience.”
“Many consumers in the broader organic space would likely prefer grass-fed organic if they better understood the differences,” he said. “Educating that broader consumer base requires investment. Ensuring the company has the economic strength to make those investments is the key to growing the business to its significant potential.”
Hau added that at this time, the company is actively raising funds, but “with the right partner(s), specific new investments might be considered.”
The company cited the new President’s track record of “preparing for IPO,” a reference likely to his time at WhiteWave Foods. According to the release, Hau helped lead the “original integration of Horizon, International Delight and the legacy WhiteWave businesses,” and played a “significant role” in its 2012 IPO process, eventually becoming Chief Accounting Officer prior to leaving the company after its sale to Danone in 2017.
However, Hau responded that Maple Hill has no current plans to go public.
Maple Hill made headlines last year when it terminated the contracts of 46 partner farms in Upstate New York, some of which have since moved to co-op Organic Valley. Maple Hill currently has over 130 partners in the region.
When asked if consolidation was part of Maple Hill’s future strategy, Hau noted that “The nature of grass fed organic farming, if done properly, generally precludes the large corporate farms you find in the conventional, or even standard organic dairy space. This is because cows that feed on pasture need sufficient land to graze.”
He continued, “Therefore, when a consumer buys certified organic grass-fed milk, almost by its nature, it’s coming from small family farms. They are, and will continue to be, a cornerstone of our business. As the business grows, we will add farms. The more consumers purchase Maple Hill, the greater will be the size of our farm network.”
The company has attempted to introduce product innovations, including launching the first-ever zero-sugar organic milk in 2021, while staying within its dual focus on organic and 100% grass-fed dairy. Along with its milk, Maple Hill currently offers kefir and yogurt sourced from small family farms in Upstate New York and sold in around 8,000 retailers nationwide including Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, Natural Grocers, Target, Walmart and others.