The Global Dairy Market is worth around 700 billion dollars and growing every year. To meet growing demand, the industry is turning to efficiency technologies that enable faster and better supply. Irish Dairy-Tech company Piper Systems is one of the primary technology companies enabling the digital transformation of the Dairy Industry here in the U.S.
Piper makes Automated Milk Collection systems, offering substantial improvements in the efficiency, accuracy, and traceability of dairy production. Although these systems are standard in other parts of the world, until now, they have not been in the USA. The recent approval of Piper’s DynaStream system is a landmark decision for the industry.
“This has been a huge ambition for us because U.S. standards are so rigorous. But the prize is enormous — to be the first and only company permitted to supply this cutting-edge technology into the world’s largest dairy market,” said Piper CEO Leigh Hamilton. “We are so delighted to have achieved this goal and so grateful for the forward-thinking regulators, industry leaders, and to Enterprise Ireland for supporting this milestone.”
Irish Dairy-Tech company Piper Systems has been working toward U.S. approval of their DynaStream system for several years. The arduous process involves National Weights and Measures testing (NCWM/NTEP), as well as acceptance by the NCIMS (incorporating 50 states and the FDA). Piper’s system is also the only one approved by the NCWM authority as a legal for-payment device across the USA.
Forward-thinking Dairy companies in the U.S. are already aware of the technology and see how useful it could be in their supply chain. Dairy Industry leaders like Danone North America, AgriMark, and DFA have already introduced the systems on their routes on a local basis, and more rollouts are planned for 2021.
“We are delighted to see Piper Systems making such ground-breaking accomplishments here in the U.S. already,” said David Corcoran, Head of New England & Midwest USA, Enterprise Ireland. “Now that the DynaStream system is FDA approved, we are excited to continue to support Piper as they continue to grow, innovate, and work to transform the U.S. Dairy Industry.”
Covid-19 means 100% traceability is needed now more than ever
The U.S. Dairy Industry in 2020, like nearly all industries, has been drastically affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the essential benefits of the Piper System is the 100% traceability of milk from farm to manufacturing. This is increasingly important to consumers and has become even more so during 2020 when COVID-19 made it harder to travel to farms to oversee production.
“We have customers who would have had to put a field rep in a car for hours or days to get to a farm and review operations,” added Hamilton. “Using our data, they can do that work in just a few moments and from their desk. This is a huge efficiency saving, yes, but it also prevents a contact point that we want to avoid as much as possible during these times. It is an added benefit of digital transformation that we didn’t see the complete value of before 2020.”
Hamilton explained that another significant change is the increased demand for traceability. People want more and more information about the origin of the food they eat. In troubled times, people want greater assurance that their milk is safe and has been appropriately handled at every step along the way.
Saves hours per trip
It is easy to see why the milk transportation industry is so excited about the change. In the haulage business, Piper technology delivers substantial time savings on multi-stop routes where time is money. Piper also provides safety improvements by removing the need for the driver to climb the tank. And there is an opportunity for drivers to finish work sooner for a better work-life balance.
Jonathan Eriksen, a milk hauler with GTI in New York, says, “The biggest issue Piper solves for us is the downtime of the driver. Coming into the farm, we no longer have to wait for the milk to agitate or to measure. He just backs in, hooks up our hose, and our driver can leave. It pumps faster, and our driver never has to get on top of the trailer.”
Plus, for companies for whom sustainability is a priority, Piper tracks the milk assembly mileage to allow for an accurate carbon cost calculation.
The Piper platform will also unlock many efficiencies for the U.S. Dairy Industry, allowing them to make a giant leap forward in a single step. From manually sampling, weighing, and handwriting records to automated milk collection, 100% traceability, and accurate electronic data.
“This is a game-changer for the quality of milk samples being collected at dairy farms,” says Barb Koeltzow, Dairy Program Manager at Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.
U.S. companies using the new technology
This revolutionary technology is already live across some states in the North East and is expected to be deployed in more states in 2021. Industry experts within the U.S. are aligned on the potential for improvement.
“This technology is coming to the U.S., and it will be transformative,” said Scott Werme, VP of Membership for AgriMark.
Support for the principles behind the Piper DynaStream — representative sampling, accurate milk weights, and improved traceability through automation — is unanimous. As a result, Piper is now the only company that has successfully achieved all the approvals required to bring this revolutionary new technology to the U.S. Dairy Market.
Enterprise Ireland recently hosted a webinar with Piper Systems and Danone North America on the future of digital transformation in the US dairy sector. Listen to the full discussion here.
To learn more about Irish Agritech innovators contact Joe.Gorman@enterprise-ireland.com
