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Lifeway Foods supercharges growth with Waukesha expansion
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Tuesday, 16 September, 2025, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Illinois, USA
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Lifeway Foods Inc., announced the completion of stage one of its plans to double its production capacity in Waukesha, Wisconsin, the brand's latest move in a nationwide growth surge redefining the future of functional dairy.
It is undergoing a multi-million-dollar expansion in the company. This multi-million-dollar investment will roughly double production capacity at the facility and drive a significant hiring ramp-up to meet increased demand. It currently utilises almost 100 million pounds of Wisconsin milk annually to culture into kefir. Kefir is made by inoculating milk with live kefir grains — colonies of probiotic bacteria and yeasts — that ferment lactose into a tangy, nutrient-dense beverage over a 12–24-hour process, creating billions of live probiotic cultures in every serving.
Stage one is complete. During 2025, the company doubled the number of fermentation tanks used to combine the raw milk purchased from Wisconsin dairy farmers with the live kefir cultures during the fermentation process to make kefir.
The next three stages are underway and expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026. After this expansion is fully operational, it expects to double production, directly benefiting the Wisconsin dairy economy and the greater community.
Unprecedented Momentum Across the Board - Q2 2025 hit new highs: It achieved a record $53.9 million in net sales, an 18% year-over-year jump on a comparable basis; Category dominance continues into Q3: In just the first two months of Q3 (through August 31), it recorded $39.1 million in unaudited net sales, a 20% year-over-year increase; Earlier surge: During April–May 2025, net sales reached $37.6 million (up 10.7% YoY), with year-to-date totals of $83.7 million, fuelled by expanded distribution in Target, Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and other leading retailers; Consistent trajectory: It has delivered 22 consecutive quarters of growth, cementing its reputation as a retail dairy innovator.
Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, said, "We're not just growing; we're accelerating. With record-breaking results across Q1 and Q2 and blistering momentum already in Q3, Lifeway is charting a new growth frontier. Our Waukesha expansion ensures we scale smart, invest in community and remain at the vanguard of functional dairy innovation."
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