Winder Farms -- established in 1880 in what is now South Salt Lake by John R. Winder and his wife, Elizabeth -- is back in family hands after two decades of outside ownership. A group of investors led by Managing Partner James Winder has purchased the iconic dairy operation from Dolphin Winder LLC, an investment group led by Dolphin Capital of Park City.
“We’re honored to bring Winder Farms home,” said James Winder. “This is more than a business to us — it's a legacy. We are committed to safeguarding the Winder name while expanding our digital presence, distribution and retail channels and product line. In time, we would like to reintroduce some high-quality products that Winder previously produced and sold through its delivery routes as well as new products that fit the appetite of today's marketplace and families. Whatever the future brings, the Winder family has always believed in delivering excellence, and that will remain our promise for generations to come.”
John and Elizabeth launched the Winder enterprise — then known as Winder Dairy — when they began selling milk to their neighbors in areas south and west of downtown Salt Lake City. Initially, drivers of horse-drawn wagons would pull up to a home and scoop milk from tall cans into customers’ own containers.
Over the decades, numerous iterations of Winder Dairy maintained the home-delivery tradition until 2019, when business declines forced Winder to shut down its delivery service and concentrate on its distribution through retail grocers — the focus of today’s Winder Farms. The Dolphin-led group bought the dairy — now located at the top of Winder Lane in West Valley City — in 2003 with various Winder family members maintaining minority shares.
Under the new leadership, Winder Farms plans to build on the trust and tradition that have defined the brand since the days of horse-drawn milk wagons, Winder said. “The Winder family’s reacquisition ensures that one of Utah’s most cherished brands will continue to grow while staying true to its roots of quality, service and community.”
Currently, Winder products can be found online at the company’s website or that of its online partner, Instacart. Winder also retails its products at local grocery stores, including Smith’s, Harmons, Macey’s, Fresh Market, Lee’s, Dick’s and Dan’s. Winder said the new owners intend to strengthen existing partnerships with Smith's/Kroger and Associated Food Stores, as well as explore additional distribution avenues and geographies.
Winder said the company also intends to recapture many past or “would-be” home-delivery customers through its new online platform intended to drive such customers to the online point-of-sale for delivery or pickup.
“Today’s modern consumer wants access to products online and the option of delivery or pickup at a specified time,” said Winder.
The company has already made those options available to consumers and is starting to see positive results, Winder said. In the future, Winder hopes to further build out this platform by relaunching existing, past or new products, including a new chocolate milk product in the near term, he said.