March 28, 2007 (Ellicott City, Md.) – Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative celebrated the true spirit of cooperation and announced a year-end profit of $2.9 million March 28, 2007 at the organization’s 87th Annual Meeting in Ellicott City, Md.

“Cooperation is a principle we all learned at an early age. By working together we can achieve a common goal,” said Maryland & Virginia’s President Steve Graybeal, from Peach Bottom, Pa.

That common goal for Maryland & Virginia members is $2.9 million in earnings from the cooperative’s value-added businesses in 2006. “Maryland & Virginia’s financial performance is the direct result of cooperation, among the membership, the board of directors, management and staff,” added the cooperative’s General Manager Jay Bryant.

Total revenues for the cooperative increased to a record $894 million in 2006. Management attributes these positive results to an increased focus on the cooperative’s value-added businesses and efforts to reduce overall operating costs.

Maryland & Virginia members elected directors to represent the membership on the board. Selected to three-year terms are:

• District 1, Richard Mosemann, Warfordsburg, Pa.
• District 4, Ray Thrush, Shippensburg, Pa.
• District 7, Bob Payne, Still Pond, Md.
• District 13, Wade Louthan, Rippon, W. Va.
• District 16, Dwayne Myers, Elkin, N.C.
• District 19, Dale Lawson, Pauline, S.C.

The membership also elected Keith Beiler of Paradise, Pa., to a one-year term representing District 2.

The cooperation honored five retiring directors for their combined 19 years of service to the cooperative. The honorees include:

• Rodney Carson, Martinsburg, Pa.
• Billy French, Maurertown, Va.
• Dan McCarty, Rock Spring, Ga.
• Ken Mummert, Chambersburg, Pa.
• Sam Tressler, Mt. Airy, Md.

Maryland & Virginia would not exist if it were not for the organization’s 1,500-plus members. “Dairy farmers are the lifeblood of this organization,” said Steve Graybeal. Graybeal along with fellow officers Dwayne Myers of Elkin, N.C., and Richard Mosemann of Warfordsburg, Pa., honored Maryland & Virginia’s members for their true cooperation at the Member Recognition Luncheon.

First Vice President Dwayne Myers introduced and presented three Quality Producers of the Year awards by region and volume as follows:

• Federal Order 1
  • More than Three Million Pounds — Brent W. Helsel, Woodbury, Pa.

• Southern Marketing Agency Region
  • Less than Three Million Pounds — Benjamin Byers, Martinsburg, W.Va.
  • More than Three Million Pounds — H. Dean Ross, Waynesville, N.C.

Second Vice President Richard Mosemann presented two 50-year membership awards to:

• Mike & Lisa Gaver, New Market, Md.
• Glen & Rachel Zehr, Gladys, Va.

“Maryland & Virginia is growing and alive. We’re an 87-year-old cooperative with vision and perspective. We have to continue to grow, to strengthen and develop our businesses,” said Jay Bryant. “We just reported a significant $25.9 million return above and beyond the federal order blend from one side of our business and another almost $3 million from our value-added operations. Those are significant returns and ones we need to build and develop even further.”

Photos

Maryland & Virginia President Steve Graybeal and General Manager Jay Bryant congratulate the Gaver family of New Market, Md., for achieving 50 years of membership with the cooperative at the organization’s annual meeting March 28 in Ellicott City, Md. (l-r) Greg, Lisa, Michael, Evelyn and David Gaver, Jay Bryant, Steve Graybeal

Maryland & Virginia President Steve Graybeal (left) and General Manager Jay Bryant (far right) thank and commend Director Sam Tressler of Mt. Airy, Md., for his two years of service on the board at the cooperative’s 87th Annual Meeting held March 28 in Ellicott City, Md.

Maryland & Virginia retiring Director Ken Mummert (center) of Chambersburg, Pa., accepts a plaque commemorating his seven years of service to the cooperative from President Steve Graybeal (far left) and General Manager Jay Bryant (far right) at the association’s 87th Annual Meeting held March 28 in Ellicott City, Md.

Maryland & Virginia President Steve Graybeal (left) and General Manager Jay Bryant (far right) thank and commend retiring Director Dan McCarty of Rock Spring, Ga., for his year of service on the board at the cooperative’s 87th Annual Meeting held March 28 in Ellicott City, Md.

Maryland & Virginia retiring Director Rod Carson (center) of Martinsburg, Pa., accepts a plaque commemorating his six years of service to the cooperative from President Steve Graybeal (far left) and General Manager Jay Bryant (far right) at the association’s 87th Annual Meeting held March 28 in Ellicott City, Md.

Owned and operated by 1,500 dairy farm families from Pennsylvania to Georgia, Maryland & Virginia is a milk marketing and processing cooperative providing consumers throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S. with fresh milk and dairy products. Maryland & Virginia owns and operates three fluid processing plants; Marva Maid of Newport News, Va., Marva Maid of Landover, Md., and Maola Milk and Ice Cream Company in New Bern, N.C.; a manufacturing plant in Laurel, Md.; and an equipment warehouse business in Frederick, Md. The cooperative is also majority owner of a second manufacturing plant, Valley Milk LLC located in Strasburg, Va.