Our History

Take a look back over the last 70+ years of our business…

1946

Company founded as M & S Milk Specialties (McDonald & Scott). Start of the Dairy Ingredient Division.

1953

Tom Gaskins buys the company. Name changed to Crest Foods Co., Inc.

1967

Partnership of Jay Meiners, Dick Moeller, Bert Kemp and Ray Sailer buy the company.

1968

First toll charge packaging business. Start of the Contract Packaging Division.

1977

Brown Street Contract Packaging facility completed.

1984

First turn-key private label product. Start of the Consumer Products Division.

1985

Brown Street Dairy Ingredient facility completed.

1988

Jay Meiners passes. Family ownership continues with Steve, Jeff and Mike Meiners.

1990

120 acres purchased for expansion two miles west of Ashton, IL.

1991

First 170,000 sq. ft. warehouse facility built (Crest West).

1992

Major R&D lab renovations.

1997

Office complex, Contract Packaging QC testing labs completed.

2001

R&D lab expansion and pilot plant completed.

2003

Contract Packaging Mix Facility completed.

2006

Warehouse expansion and Production Facility West completed.

2010

Warehouse expansion and Machine Shop completed.

2014

Consumer Products Lab completed.

2015

Dairy Ingredient Warehouse completed.

2018

Third generation joins the corporate Board of Directors and shares in company ownership.

2024

Crest Foods acquired by Harwood American Inc., US Branch of Harwood Capital Management Limited. The Meiners family continues to lead the company.