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Private company

Foster Farms Dairy

Logo: https://crystalcreamery.com/, Non-free logo, via Wikipedia3

American dairy company

Crystal Creamery was founded in 1901 by George Knox in Sacramento, California, as Crystal Cream & Butter. 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.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1941Founded1

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Crystal Creamery was founded in 1901 by George Knox in Sacramento, California, as Crystal Cream & Butter. 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."2

Timeline

  1. 1941Founded Founded1

Sources

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