PORTLAND, Maine — It's an exciting time for a Maine staple. Oakhurst Dairy is celebrating 100 years in business.
"It's exciting to see the company and the family go through this," said Oakhurst Dairy Plant Manager Brad Bowers.
"I feel very proud," said Oakhurst Dairy President John Bennett.
Bennett said the company was founded in 1921 and started delivering milk in glass bottles to homes on two routes in Portland via horse-drawn wagons.
"It was really that stage where the transition from literally horse and wagon out of a barn, to trucks and mechanics and highly trained delivery folks," said Bennett.
The company processes nearly half a million gallons of milk per week, all sourced from Maine dairy farmers.
"Oakhurst really does focus on our Maine heritage," Bowers said. "I think it continues to build the financial base for the entire state. We're starting off with product that starts in our state, stays in the majority part of it in our state, and allows our customers to drink product from our state."
Bennett said the pandemic has felt like a roller coaster, but he hasn't had to lay anyone off, and retail sales actually spiked during certain parts of the last year.
"Milk is an essential product and a food item people want to have no matter what is going on," said Bennett.
While a lot has changed over the years, some has stayed the same, and Bennett said he is looking forward to the next 100 years.