By Aaron Anticic, MMPA Chief Financial Officer
Since stepping into the Chief Financial Officer role at MMPA in August 2024, it’s been both an honor and a fast-paced introduction to the strength and vision of this cooperative. After spending over a decade at Mastronardi Produce, my passion for agriculture and data-driven analysis has combined perfectly in the role I play here at MMPA. From day one on the job, I’ve hit the ground running, working with the team and our strategic partners to bring new value to our members, and by this last December, we were proud to announce key expansion projects in both Remus and Ovid, Michigan.
That momentum was not by accident. These projects represent intentional, value-driven investment and they reflect the strategic clarity we’ve built around our priorities. Called the Big 5 internally, these five values provide a framework we use to evaluate every significant investment and business decision we make. It guides how we align with strategic partners, assess growth opportunities and communicate with our board and financial institutions. It ensures that our decisions are purposeful.
When we look at the investments coming to fruition in 2026, including the expansion of our ultrafiltered milk facility in Ovid, the launch of cottage cheese production in Remus and the start of our Dairy Distillery Alliance ethanol project in Constantine, each one ties back to those priorities. Take the ethanol initiative, for example; the Dairy Distillery Alliance project turns low-value permeate into a high-value biofuel product, solving both a value challenge and providing a wastewater opportunity. That’s not just innovative, it’s transformational. Meanwhile, our continued growth at Superior Dairy, our strategic partnerships with strong brands, and our push into Class II products shows our commitment to diversifying our product mix and capturing more value across the supply chain.
These moves are only possible because of MMPA’s financial strength and the enduring investments made by our member-owners. Trusted banking relationships, strong working capital and a healthy debt-to-equity position allow us to invest with confidence. Our continued growth in capital retains and equity, thanks to the trust from our members, speak volumes about the confidence shown and our mutual commitment. We don’t take that lightly.
As we execute these initiatives in early 2026 and continue exploring what’s next, I remain motivated and inspired by the commitment and work ethic of our member-owners. Your investment in the co-op, financially and personally, drives everything we do. I’m honored to be part of the team helping to steward that investment wisely. We’re just getting started and I look forward to what we’ll build together.
This article was originally published in the January/February 2026 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »