Crystal Creamery

{{Short description|American dairy company}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Crystal Creamery

| logo = File:Crystal_Creamery_logo.png

| type =

| industry = Dairy

| fate =

| former_name = Foster Farms Dairy

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| founded = 1901

| founder = George Knox

| defunct =

| hq_location_city = Modesto, California

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Crystal Creamery was founded in 1901 by George Knox in Sacramento, California, as Crystal Cream & Butter.{{Cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://crystalcreamery.com/about-us/ |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=Crystal Creamery |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |title=Crystal Creamery |url=https://local.freshpoint.com/store_page/crystal-creamery-6/ |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=FreshPoint |quote=Founded by George Knox in 1901 they were originally known as Crystal Cream & Butter. Crystal started in the back of a small grocery store located at 728 K Street in Sacramento, California.}} In 1921, Crystal Cream & Butter was purchased by Carl Hansen, a Danish immigrant. The Hansen family led the company for the next 86 years and pioneered many new technologies, growing Crystal Cream & Butter into one of the largest independent dairy processors in the state of California. In 2007, Crystal Cream & Butter was acquired by HP Hood, who sold it later that year to Foster Dairy Farms, which had been founded in 1941 by Max and Verna Foster, a venture that followed the 1939 founding of their Foster Farms. Today, Crystal Creamery claims to be the "largest privately owned dairy in California."[https://web.archive.org/web/20120506040414/http://www.fosterfarmsdairy.com/?p=39 Company website 2007 - May 2012, as archived by the Wayback Machine]

In 2008, Foster Farms Dairy announced its intention to rebrand itself as Crystal Creamery.{{Cite web |last=Holland |first=John |date=August 27, 2008 |title=Modesto-based Foster Farms clarifies its name |url=https://www.modbee.com/news/local/article3113317.html |website=Modesto Bee}} In 2009, Foster Farms Dairy acquired Humboldt Creamery, based in Fernbridge, California (near Eureka). The name change was phased in from 2009 to 2012.{{Cite web |date=2016-04-07 |title=Crystal Creamery's branding strategy is crystal clear |url=https://www.dairyfoods.com/articles/91711-crystal-creamerys-branding-strategy-is-crystal-clear |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Dairy Foods |language=en}} Crystal Creamery's 120th Anniversary was celebrated in 2021.