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One of life’s greatest and simplest pleasures is food – the mouth-watering aromas, delightfully-balanced flavors, and the comforting feeling of a full stomach. For those of us fortunate enough to have access to regular meals, we easily take it for granted that the table will always be full, and our nutritional requirements are being met. But for many, both across town and around the world, tables are not abundantly loaded with food. Changing that reality is far from simple.   

Where We Find Ourselves

This past year, it is estimated that 155 million people lived at a crisis level of hunger.  Crisis level is characterized by “food consumption gaps that [lead to] high or above-usual acute malnutrition,” requiring urgent intervention*. This number is a 20-million-person increase over the prior year, with countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Syria among those most devastated.**  Such estimates do not even include the hundreds of millions of people that are hungry and not receiving recommended levels of nourishment.  

Why This Happens

The Global Report on Food Crises states that war and conflict are the greatest contributors to food insecurity.** In a state of conflict, people are often displaced, their farmlands and livelihoods are destroyed, and their access to food and aid is disrupted. After war and conflict, extreme weather (ranging from storms and flooding to drought), economic instability, and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic are the most common contributors to food insecurity.  

Responding Through Partnership

Samaritan’s Purse (SP)—one of Dairyland’s partners—recently shared with us their programs designed to fight hunger and keep people healthy across numerous countries and contexts; some highly complex and dangerous. One such response occurs in South Sudan at the Yida refugee camp where 65,000 people fled after their homes and farmland were destroyed by bombings in Sudan. At Yida, SP partners with the World Food Programme to feed this new community who would not have survived without the monthly rations.

In 2016, Dairyland’s president Mike Tachick, joined Samaritan’s Purse at the Yida refugee camp in South Sudan to learn about the carefully coordinated logistics required to help feed so many people.

Reading about issues as large as this can leave one feeling overwhelmed or even numbed by the magnitude of the problem. This is where the power of partnership encourages us, because we know we can accomplish more together than alone. At Dairyland, we have found that we can respond to hunger at multiple levels: the individual, the team, and the company. 

The Individual: One member of our team delivers fresh meals to local seniors every week through Meals on Wheels. Another organized a food drive among our production and supply chain teams this spring. Lastly, our Financial Controller distributed meals to families with school-aged children who could not pick them up when school programming went virtual.  

The Team: Recently our team was able to work with Rise Against Hunger to pack over 18,000 meals which will be distributed in some of the crises mentioned above (read about that experience here).  

The Company: We choose to partner with and learn from effective organizations like Samaritan’s Purse who can respond to a far greater degree than we ourselves are trained for.  

What role might you play? We invite you to join us as we grapple with this reality and how we can Live Engaged to make a safer world, both for our own families and others. If you are looking for a great place to start, sign up for Volunteer Day this fall.  

 

*Global Report on Food Crises, 2021, p. 11
**World Food Programme, 2021

The day started with the rhythmic beeping of a supply truck slowly backing down the driveway. Soon a crew began unloading large bags of rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables, and tubs of supplies. After the 12 stations were assembled, the noise and activity levels quickly increased as masks, gloves, and hairnets were handed out, and individuals stepped into to their assigned roles. With the strike of a gong (yes, a real one), the Dairyland team and their families got to work assembling meals while lively music and healthy competition filled the space.  

The Dairyland Picnic

Every July the Dairyland team and their families gather for a summer afternoon of food and fun. This year was even more special because we had the opportunity to partner with Rise Against Hunger, volunteering our time to pack meals for others affected by food insecurity. We divided into groups – measuring and combining ingredients into individual meal packets before weighing, sealing, and boxing them for distribution around the world. In just under two hours, 52 people packaged 18,576 meals.  

Rise Against Hunger is an organization that is “growing a global movement to end hunger by empowering communities, nourishing lives and responding to emergencies.” Across the globe there are 821-million people who don’t have enough food to eat (Rise Against Hunger), with 41-million experiencing “life-threatening hunger” (World Food Program). The need for nutrient-dense nourishment is critical. Over the past year, issues like conflict, extreme weather and poverty have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, heightening the need for food and relief. Rise Against Hunger not only provides short-term emergency supplies—like the meals our team packaged—but they also work to empower communities toward sustainable self-sufficiency.  

Volunteering together helped meet a critical need in our world and allowed us to think beyond ourselves, but it was also a great experience for our team to do together – exemplifying what it means to Live Engaged. Everyone—kids, teens, and adults—easily found a role to play, whether ladling ingredients into funnels, labeling individual packages, or restocking heavy bags of supplies. We laughed, bantered, and connected as a team while the music reverberated and a sense of meaningful accomplishment settled around the room. 

 

Logan said of the event: 
“This event was so cool to be a part of! All my coworkers and our families were in the same room working for a pretty inspiring movement. I genuinely felt fulfilled and that I was on a mission as I just hauled bags of rice. I couldn’t help but keep going!” 

 

 

Laurie later commented: 
“What made the experience most meaningful for me was that an engineer and a homemaker could work shoulder-to-shoulder together for two hours and accomplish so much for a common good. When I looked around at the end of the event, I found I had tears in my eyes at the beauty of everyone working together. What I thought was a simple food drive turned into one of the most meaningful things I have done in 2021.” 

 

 

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If you want to respond to global hunger and engage your team, we highly recommend hosting a meal packing party with Rise Against Hunger. This would also make a great group activity for Volunteer Day!  

For years, the Dairyland team has participated in a 6-month wellness challenge spanning May through October. While there is always a physical component to the challenge, we have increasingly tried to look for more holistic ways to be healthy people. This year, we designed a challenge that addresses all 4 areas of Live Engaged to impact yourself, your circle, your community, and maybe even the world. We hope you will maximize that impact and join us!

Have you ever taken a close look at NFL players’ shoes? If so, you may be familiar with the “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign in which players feature a nonprofit they are passionate about (including some of our partner organizations like International Justice Mission) on their cleats, using the opportunity to raise awareness and money while further motivating their athletic performance. We are doing something similar this year, but don’t worry, you won’t have to decorate your shoes.

Here’s how it goes:

1.Pick an organization

Choose an organization to exercise for throughout the challenge. Is there a cause or charity you are particularly passionate about? Why?

2. Log your miles

Walk or run 7,000 steps each day from May – October. That’s 3.5 miles per day, 24.5 miles per week, and 637 miles total to successfully complete the challenge.

3. Choose your support

Pick 2 ways you want to support, celebrate, or bring awareness to this organization or the people it serves. You could walk a benefit 5K, give a check or material donation, raise awareness, write a letter to encourage their team, or volunteer your time.

Ready to join us? Let us know you’re tracking along here and we’ll send you a gift for successfully completing the challenge with us!

 

Spotlight: Sandy Paton

My organization: I’m choosing Agrace because they were wonderful while my mom was receiving in-home hospice care. The nurses were angels on earth!

How I’ll support them: By participating in the 3K Agrace Run and donating clothes/household items to the Agrace Thrift Store.

What does it mean to experience poverty? How is it defined differently based on your perspective?

   

At a glance, you may define poverty as experiencing an acute or systematic material lack – not having finances, food, clothing, shelter, and other basic material items needed for survival. However, many people categorized as “poor” by those definitions describe poverty in more nuanced terms (World Bank, Voices of the Poor, 2000).

When asked “What is poverty?” they use words and phrases like these:

“Being poor is always being tired.” (Kenya, p. 36)

“Deciding who will eat, you or your son.” (Ukraine, p. 35)

“Poverty is lack of freedom, enslaved by crushing daily burden, by depression and fear of what the future will bring.” (Georgia, p. 37)

It’s having “numerous small, often dangerous, jobs, rather than one job.” (South Africa, p. 37)

“I feel ashamed, standing before my children when I have nothing to help feed the family. I’m not well when I’m unemployed. It’s terrible.” (Guinea-Bissau, p. 37)

“Fear of the landlord misbehaving, trouble by police. Poor people always fear exploitation.” (Nepal, p. 38)

“A feeling of powerlessness.” (Cameroon, p. 39)

In a recent interview with a member of our team, a new friend of ours Sandeep Maity shares about his own similar experiences with poverty growing up in an Indian shanty and “shopping” as a five-year-old at the nearby dump. We invite you to listen as he vividly retells what his life was like before being welcomed to a Compassion International child development center. Compassion International, a partner of Dairyland, exists to serve families and children, like Sandeep once was, trapped in poverty around the world.

From these snapshots we can see that poverty is more than just economics. It is physical, relational, psychological, cultural, geographical, and more. If poverty is more than money, then we must make holistic, meaningful efforts to end it.

That’s why we encourage and choose to partner with organizations that see the whole and contextualized person, honoring their dignity and humanity. Doing so requires relationship, humility, and a posture of genuine care for another’s long-term wellbeing. We must also recognize that since we cannot do it all, we are most effective when we specialize in our area of expertise and join forces with others who are experts in theirs. For example, our partners International Justice Mission and Equal Justice Initiative specialize in strengthening justice systems so people do not need to live in fear of abuse and exploitation. Another partner, Samaritan’s Purse, offer tangible survival supplies in the wake of devastating crises and displacement. Yet others, like Compassion International, co-create development initiatives that stabilize employment opportunities. Through these partnerships we are forming a world that is safer for people experiencing poverty.

In the first few months of this year, our team is doing a deeper dive into understanding poverty and how it is countered through the work of our partners. If you would like to learn more alongside us, or about how your Dairyland partnership has impact, please read more in the Live Engaged blog, or reach out to us at LiveEngaged@dairyland.com.

 

 

Reference: Narayan, D. (2000). Voices of the poor: Can anyone hear us? World Bank. Retrieved from https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/131441468779067441/pdf/multi0page.pdf

How you Live Engaged might look different than the next person, but your actions are rooted in the same thing: a desire to make a positive impact in our world through 4 areas.

INVEST IN YOURSELF | SHOW UP FOR YOUR CIRCLE | STRENGTHEN YOUR COMMUNITY | TRANSFORM THE WORLD

The world is a big place. You might find yourself wondering “How does Dairyland expect me to transform the world?”

The great news is that you already are.

When you partner with Dairyland, through use of our products or your support of Live Engaged, you are helping us achieve our vision: to make a safer world. Whether by helping us inspire others to Live Engaged, or through the percentage of our revenue that goes towards addressing natural disasters, conflict, injustice and poverty around the globe, your partnership with Dairyland is already making an impact around the globe. That’s because we partner with organizations that have a proven track record of effectively and compassionately transforming vulnerable communities.

When you do business with Dairyland, you are furthering our Live Engaged initiative and truly helping to make a safer world.

THANK YOU.

About Our Partners

International Justice Mission
IJM is an international NGO dedicated to enacting justice, ending modern-day slavery and liberating those enslaved in it. They investigate and convict criminals while rescuing and restoring victims so that all may be free. Learn more here.

Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan’s Purse International Relief is a nondenominational organization providing aid to hurting people around the world. They help meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. Learn more here.

Compassion International
Compassion International exists to release children from poverty through sponsorship and holistic child development. They are advocates for children, seeking to transform lives which then impact families, communities, and countries. Learn more here.

Equal Justice Initiative
Equal Justice Initiative is a nonprofit committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the US, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable in American society. Learn more here.

How you Live Engaged might look different than the next person, but your actions are rooted in the same thing: a desire to make a positive impact in our world through 4 areas.

INVEST IN YOURSELF | SHOW UP FOR YOUR CIRCLE | Strengthen Your Community | TRANSFORM THE WORLD

Your community needs you. They might need your volunteer time, your special talents, your coaching abilities, or even your financial resources. You can Live Engaged by making small yet significant contributions that impact your community.

As we Live Engaged, we extend what we have outward to benefit others around us. Our communities are often wonderful places where we experience a sense of home, comfort, safety, and connection, but the same isn’t true for everyone around us. People struggle, setbacks happen, inequality persists, and needs arise that people cannot meet on their own.

Your contribution could be showing up regularly to volunteer with organizations that:

You can stock shelves, donate blood, organize donations, serve meals, build homes, clean parks, or mentor youth. All you have to do is make a choice.

You might also have a particular talent, area of expertise, or passion that pairs well with a local need. Perhaps your love of sports and teambuilding compels you to coach a local team, investing in the sportsmanship of young players. Maybe your design or coding experience are desperately needed by a nearby nonprofit without resources to create a new website. Consider what you do or know well and look around to see who could flourish if you shared it with them.

Finally, your contribution might be financial – writing a check or making a physical donation. There are creative ways to do this beyond a lump sum or monthly gift. You could:

The possibilities are endless, and the needs of your community are numerous. Use your freedom to choose how you support others in your neighborhood, city, or country. As you do, you will help make your community stronger.

How do you strengthen your community?

How you Live Engaged might look different than the next person, but your actions are rooted in the same thing: a desire to make a positive impact in our world through 4 areas.

INVEST IN YOURSELF | Show Up for Your Circle | STRENGTHEN YOUR COMMUNITY | Transform the World

Your circle represents those who are closest and most important in your life – your family, your friends, your coworkers, or even your neighbors. You can Live Engaged by being present with the people around you.

Choosing to meaningfully connect with someone communicates how much you value them and deepens the relationship you share. You have the opportunity to stand with the people you care about through the ups and downs of life, whether in the peaks of celebration or the valleys of suffering. These interactions don’t have to be complicated or long; the key is the quality of your time together.

Here are some ways you can show up for your circle:

Family: Create a device-free hour at home to connect while making dinner, play a game together, work alongside each other on a project, go on a vacation, take your spouse on a date, spend time listening to the history of an aging parent, take turns sharing a highlight and lowlight from the day, read to your kids before bed, be the cool uncle who makes alien-shaped pancakes.

Friends: Go out for dinner together, send flowers on a hard day, drop off their favorite beverage, listen when they need to verbally process, text just to say you’re thinking about them, have a standing monthly call, celebrate their birthday.

Coworkers: Swing by to ask about their weekend, remember the details they share about their lives, bring treats in spontaneously, send a note of heartfelt appreciation, recognize their contributions, take time to help on a project, mentor an intern or new recruit.

Neighbors: Welcome and introduce yourself to the new people on the block, bake and deliver fresh cookies, rake an elderly neighbor’s yard, host a bonfire or cookout, bring in someone’s trashcans on garbage day.

How do you show up for your circle? Tell us here!

 

How you Live Engaged might look different than the next person, but your actions are rooted in the same thing: a desire to make a positive impact in our world through 4 areas.

Invest in Yourself | SHOW UP FOR YOUR CIRCLE | STRENGTHEN YOUR COMMUNITY | TRANSFORM THE WORLD

Let’s face it, the world is a busy place. If you are not intentional about taking care of yourself, it’s easy to fall into a rut, become discouraged, or feel burnt out. Living engaged is about making time for yourself so you can thrive and bring more to those around you.

 

Investing in yourself is more than just self-care. You invest in yourself by finding activities and rhythms that refresh you. For some, a walk in nature restores their emotional wellbeing; others recharge through a hobby like woodworking, painting, or rock climbing. Whatever it is for you, create the space to make it happen on a regular basis. Notice the beauty, savor the meal, embrace the rest.

We all need the same things: nourishing food, lots of water, full nights of sleep, and some occasional distance from technology. Our minds grow from intellectual stimulation and, when we are able, our bodies benefit from movement. Incorporate healthy habits that give your body the energy it needs.

Another way you can  self-invest is by choosing to develop personally or professionally. You have an incredible ability to continue growing and learning throughout your lifetime. Whether through formal or continuing education, podcasts, personal reading, counseling, coaching, or any other input, find something that expands your thinking, sparks creativity, or forms you as a human being.

These are not frivolous distractions keeping you from the “real work” of life; they are important in your ability to sustain your wellness – physically, emotionally, and relationally – over time. We cannot give to others when we ourselves are squelched or depleted; you’ll notice the difference when you live from a place of being filled up.

Here are some practical examples from our team (read more in our About Us section):

JD: Writes music

Amy: Climbs at the gym and makes time to travel

Tim: Goes on long runs

Katie: Hunts for thrift store treasures and takes Adobe design courses

Greg: Plays golf

Jeff: Paints (and well, we might add)

Mike: Works in the woods with his chainsaw and participates in personal leadership coaching

How do you invest in yourself? 

Customer service is a key component of the Dairyland brand and we emphasize providing exceptional service across the board. Whether you’re new to Dairyland or a long-time customer, we’ll help you get answers – fast! This intense focus on service has been an integral part of Dairyland’s culture since Henry Tachick founded the company in 1983 and it has remained a focal point across the company.

A perfect example of our emphasis on customer satisfaction in action is in our Inside Sales department. Here, our team responds to emails and phone calls, provides quotations and processes orders, gets answers from our engineering staff, and much more. Our team has an strong background in customer service and they are passionate about helping others.

We set high standards for our customer service team and measure it continually. Performance is monitored and reviewed regularly as a part of Dairyland’s ISO 9001:2015 certification which maps all of our processes for consistent output and also emphasizes continuous improvement.

We measure our customer satisfaction based on how well we meet or exceed expectations and track satisfaction with the overall customer experience. Despite achieving very high marks in both these measurements, we still strive for improvement.

The Inside Sales team works tirelessly to improve practices, lower quote and order time, and build a continuously improving experience for our customers

A day in the life

During a typical day in the Dairyland customer service department, our team answers a variety of emails and calls from existing customers and other industry professionals who need answers to their electrical protection questions. Everyone gets helped as promptly and efficiently as possible. Naturally, that builds up a lot of good will for the company.

“People call us because of our reputation for being helpful,” explains Amy Wedell. “Often, when someone contacts us, they don’t know what they need. That means we need to know how to ask the right questions,” she adds. “Our goal is to help them find the best solution – even if it’s less expensive than what they thought they needed.”

Our customer Inside Sales team is prepared for a wide variety of customer inquiries. Whether they need technical support from our business development or engineering departments, up to date manufacturing capabilities from the factory, or need to source information from outside our company, the team is prepared to support in every way they can.

“We’ve all had some really bad experiences when it comes to customer service” says Jens Nelson. “My own personal experiences have given me the motivation to go the extra mile for those I assist. I do not want someone to walk away from us feeling they had a bad experience.”

That focus on helpfulness as priority number one results in excellent rapport with the callers and an industry reputation for customer support that stands out.

Going the extra mile – every day

At Dairyland, going the extra mile to help customers is standard operating procedure for every employee. “Customer service always has its ups and downs. But even when we fall short, there is a heart towards serving that runs through Dairyland” reveals Logan Tachick.

Logan continued, “Going the extra mile isn’t always a grand gesture. Sometimes the most powerful moments are in the details. Recently, there was a miscommunication with a client which ultimately caused no issues – However, the representative involved sent a Dairyland t-shirt and handwritten note as a thank you for their patience in the situation. The response received was exuberant!”

Building Relationships

Thanks to the high bar for customer service set by Henry and Mike Tachick, Dairyland customers are in excellent hands. Over time, our staff has developed friendships with many of our customers. We often know their spouses’ names, their hobbies and other fun facts. They love that they’re not speaking to a big, faceless company, but to real people who really care about their needs.

Have you experienced our customer service? We’d like to hear about your experience and make sure we are meeting your expectations. Call us today at (608) 877-9900 or use our contact form to give us your feedback.

In 1983, Henry Tachick was faced with a dilemma: A power utility contact asked him for help solving an electric system isolation problem it faced, where no such product or solution existed. Henry was well equipped to address such a challenge, with an electrical engineering background, and having worked for power equipment providers such as General Electric. After evaluating the technical requirements regarding this opportunity, Henry formed Dairyland Electrical Industries to develop and market a new solid-state device called the Neutral Isolator that elegantly solved the problem.

Funds didn’t exist for Dairyland to perform AC fault testing on Henry’s Neutral Isolator. But based on the utility’s strong relationship with him, it offered to install the device on its power system and intentionally caused a fault to provide the needed current for evaluation. Such an unusual bond between supplier and client would seem to be an anomaly, but the company has enjoyed numerous close connections and incredible support from its customer base. Why is this?

During the last 34 years, Dairyland’s growth has been fueled by this type of customer-focused innovation – solving problems related to isolation issues, such as in cathodic protection systems, and over-voltage protection from lightning and AC fault current, in a variety of industries. Dairyland has pioneered many modern protection approaches, applying solid-state technology to create isolation and grounding products that are extensively used worldwide.

But customers and industry contacts have an unusually strong affinity for this small company from the dairy state of Wisconsin (they get many questions about their company name) that goes beyond consistent product performance. There is a following due to unusually strong personal connections that get established between staff and the outside world. No caller is turned away without receiving assistance of some kind – either technical solutions for their specific application problem, or a steer toward another industry source who is more knowledgeable on a particular matter, or perhaps obtaining brief training on the caller’s topic of interest.

The company has intentionally developed a unique customer-focused approach that values serving people and meeting their needs above selling products. This means that customer support staff will help anyone who needs commercial or application assistance, whether or not they will be purchasing products. Dairyland also prides itself on being a resource to the industry. It provides extensive technical training at conferences and for individual companies to help them understand electrical phenomena, safety and system improvement.

Throughout his career, this focus on helping others has always been a big part of Henry’s approach to life and work. So it’s not surprising that the company he founded reflects his personality. Mike Tachick, Henry’s son, serves as Dairyland’s president today, and has helped to form and cultivate these values that they established many years ago.

Mike recently provided an overview of the company’s most significant product innovations over the years and some intriguing insights into the customer-centric culture they continue to cultivate.

Significant product milestones

1990 – Isolator/Surge Protector (ISP)
“This was our first entry into the corrosion prevention market,” Mike recalls. “In the electrical transmission industry, liquid chemical polarization cells were used to ground certain types of power cables. But they weren’t very reliable, and when they failed, did so as an open circuit. In addition to potentially exposing workers to shock hazards, they also contained potassium hydroxide, a highly caustic fluid,” he explains. “We researched the needed characteristics for this demanding application, and developed a suitable product.”

Dairyland’s solid-state ISP was a major improvement in safety, reliability, and performance, and was readily accepted by the electrical transmission companies.

1994 – Polarization Cell Replacement (PCR)
As Dairyland’s technical staff learned about corrosion protection in the pipeline industry, they noticed that it had needs that were very similar to the electrical transmission industry. In fact, many pipelines had more extensive use of liquid chemical polarization cells for corrosion protection.

“The ISP was much too large and expensive for this application. So we redesigned and down-scaled an approach with a size, rating, and price point that would make it an attractive alternative to the liquid cells that were widely used at the time,” Mike remembers. “In fact, we were quite bold: We named the new product the Polarization Cell Replacement or PCR. We wanted to make it very obvious what it was designed to supersede. This is the product that really helped us make Dairyland a familiar and accepted name.”

1998 – Over-Voltage Protection (OVP)
Dairyland’s reputation as a company that was skilled at creating solutions for cathodic protection, lightning, and fault protection was starting to grow. As a result, the Army Corp of Engineers approached the company about its need to isolate pipelines used for aircraft fueling systems on military bases.

“They were using low-cost lightning arresters for this application, which clearly wasn’t adequate,” Mike recalls. “Arresters are not impressive with regard to lifetime issues in handling large current spikes from lightning strikes, don’t have any AC fault capability, and devices at that time weren’t certified to the needed codes for use in hazardous locations. The solid-state OVP devices we developed are fully certified and very robust. They’re now used at hundreds of military and civilian airports worldwide.”

2005 – Solid State Decoupler (SSD)
The SSD was an evolution of the PCR technology Dairyland developed for the cathodic protection industry. It uses proven, solid-state construction, combined with innovative production and packaging techniques, to offer exceptional performance at an attractive price. “We saw that we could redesign and open the market to additional applications if the device was more compact, with a lower cost,” Mike recalls.

To emphasize its dual role as a corrosion protection and over-voltage protection device, Dairyland even invented a new term to describe it – the “decoupler.” The industry adopted the term, and the Dairyland SSD, proven over many years, is now the most commonly used decoupler in the world.

Other products, Ongoing development
Numerous additional products were developed over the years, addressing unmet needs, such as safety grounding mats, isolation switches, other protection devices, and mounting accessories, among others. Close customer connections have directed Dairyland toward valuable product contributions.

“Research into new equipment for the energy industry has been a continual focus of our company,” Mike explains, “because we receive input from all directions – domestic and foreign – from sources such as distributors, contractors, consultants, end users and research associations.” He adds, “New products and markets open to us often, due to the wide application of our technology. And where satisfied users point us in the right direction, we enjoy support for each new development.”

The Knowledge Base – a key customer-support tool

Dairyland’s support for clients comes in various ways. Much of it is personal contact, providing commercial and technical guidance via phone, email, and industry training sessions. One notable component of Dairyland’s commitment to customer support is its sprawling Knowledge Base. This section of the company’s website contains a categorized collection of white papers, application guides, videos and interactive tools that visitors can access on a self-service basis.

“It’s hugely valuable to customers, especially those from other parts of the world, where the time difference becomes a factor. It’s a big part of how they get answers to their questions,” Mike explains. He adds that the company is committed to expanding the Knowledge Base to make even more valuable.

Becoming a service-driven company

As Dairyland has grown and evolved as a company, it has worked hard to become a trusted resource to the industries it serves. “We spend many hours per week on calls, emails and online training sessions, answering people’s technical and commercial questions and helping them properly apply our products, as well as solve related technical challenges,” Mike explains.“We are very free with our time on technical matters. We’ve discovered that if we solve these issues, and provide exceptional commercial support, sales takes care of itself.”

“We are here to serve, and we talk and train internally on having a service mentality and what that means, whether our ‘customer’ is another employee or the buyer of our products” he adds. “It takes a lot of effort to stay on track and encourage each other toward an attitude of service, because we all can drift if we’re not careful. Even if we fail sometimes at serving others, we keep going back to this goal, in order for us to show that all people have value.

“We believe that our words and actions matter, and others will be able to tell if we truly care or not,” he continues. “As a manufacturer of products that provide safety for personnel, public and the environment, our service to others comes via designing and manufacturing high quality devices, interfacing with all relevant parties, training others about the product use and all related safety matters – more than they even expected – and doing so with real care.

“We are always trying to get better,” Mike concludes. “Dairyland pursued certification via ISO 9001 some years ago as a challenge and a path to improvement. Wow, did we get humbled in the process! But are much improved, with more consistent, measurable performance, and with analysis and structure to guide present and future operations.

“The better we operate, the better we can serve others.”

We are dedicated to understanding our customers’ needs and providing reliable products and service. If a solution to your problem does not yet exist, we’ll work to find one.  Connect with us or call 608-877-9900.

“We believe that our words and actions matter, and others will be able to tell if we truly care or not. Our goal is to deliver exceptional value to our customers, prospects, and employees. The better we operate, the better we can serve others.”

Mike Tachick, President

For 40 years, Dairyland has sought to be a change maker for the corrosion prevention industry in not only providing rugged products but also reliable support. The folks here have a genuine passion for their work and making your experience as simple and straightforward as possible. We can support you whether you are still researching your needs and aren’t sure what product fits your application, or if you are deep into an install in the field and need some troubleshooting backup.

That’s why we created a set of values that is geared toward treating each contact, customer, and stakeholder as unique and important. Our ability to listen, a portfolio of rugged and fail-safe products, and our commitment to reliable tech and customer support are what make Dairyland a trusted partner around the world.

 

Listening To Our Customers

Here at Dairyland, we are more than just a voice on the phone. We want to develop a strong personal connection with you as our customer, and we accomplish that through listening to your questions, suggestions and concerns. Many of our innovations over the last four decades have been developed because of the needs and suggestions of people like you. Dairyland has pioneered new technologies and set new standards in the market in order to solve problems – everything from isolation issues in CP systems to over-voltage protection from lightning and AC fault current. Our first product, the Neutral Isolator, was invented by Henry Tachick in 1983 as a direct response to dairy farmers’ concerns with stray voltage as a nuisance to cattle. Since the beginning, we have been listening to the needs of our industry and responding with reliable solutions.

 

Building Safe, Reliable Products

When you buy a product from Dairyland, you can expect outmatched safety features and a virtually unlimited lifespan. Our decouplers are designed to be “fail-safe,” a standard that Dairyland set and introduced to the corrosion prevention industry. During an over-voltage event, or in the very rare case of product failure, your device is designed to close to ground, safely passing any harmful voltage away from workers or equipment.

Product failure is calculated at 0.01%, so rare that our customers have only reported a handful of failures over the last 30 years globally. Dairyland is committed to providing quality, reliable products that will last a lifetime.

Don’t take our word for it, however. We have accumulated many independent, third-party certifications, ensuring that our product performs to the top standard worldwide. Some examples include:

We also meet strict ISO 9001:2015 requirements for our business operations and management. This standard sets the bar for quality processes and quality products, covering our entire operations, and we have shown continuous improvement in meeting this high standard.

 

Strong Technical Resources 

Commitment requires more than quality engineering and design. We are committed to providing excellent technical training and support to our customers. In fact, we travel around the world to provide extensive technical training at industry conferences and to individual companies. Through our expertise in isolation and grounding, we are a strong resource within the corrosion prevention industry.

We want you to be able to use and understand your product with ease, so you can have the confidence in its reliability like we do. That’s why we created the Knowledge Base, an online resource full of white papers, application guides, videos, and interactive tools that can be accessed on a self-service basis. You can use it to start learning all about how our decouplers work and how you can apply them to your specific needs.

 

Commitment to You

All this adds up to something we highly value: serving people and meeting their needs above selling products. At Dairyland, we are generous with our time and experience, willing to spend the time needed on the phone to help address your needs. We know that the more time we invest in you as a customer, the more trust we gain as experts in the industry. We also know that our knowledge, however extensive, will meet limits. So if your topic is outside our areas of expertise, we have many other knowledgeable industry contacts that can help you.

We truly value each and every customer, and this pushes us to resolve your requests as efficiently as possible. Our customers love our turn-around times, getting them from inquiry to quotation fast. Dairyland’s has a 98% favorability rating from ongoing customer surveys, yet another metric for our value-focused support.

At Dairyland, we are dedicated to understanding our customers’ needs and providing reliable products and service. If a solution to your problem does not yet exist, we’ll work to find one. Connect with us or call 608-877-9900.

Our experienced team excels at finding innovative solutions for your toughest problems.

Having excellent product quality, reliability, and support gives you an advantage in your cathodic protection system. But a culture that prizes worker safety above all else is how you establish yourself as a brand built on protection, trust, and performance.

At Dairyland, safety drives every decision we make. Here are a few examples of that commitment in action:

Built to Last

We build rugged, reliable decouplers that are practically indestructible. Their failure rate is remarkably low, with only a handful of reported failures since we first introduced them to the corrosion industry in 1994.

Fail-Safe

In the unlikely event that a Dairyland decoupler fails in the field, it does so safely as a closed circuit. Other products can fail open, which can expose workers to shock hazards and pipelines to over-voltage conditions.

If your application is in North America, a safe failure mode is typically required by that country’s National Electrical Code. Regardless of where our products are used around the globe, and regardless of local regulations, worker safety remains our top priority. All of our products are “fail-safe,” ensuring safety grounding under all conditions.

Conservative Product Ratings and Designs

We engineer our decouplers to be exceptionally rugged, reliable, and safe. Our design and manufacturing processes have been proven and refined over decades in the industry. By sourcing the highest-quality materials and components, we ensure that our products withstand even the harshest environments. We prefer to err on the side of rugged, reliable, and safe performance—no matter what. What does this mean for you? A product you can trust and depend on.

Certification

Every third-party certification we’ve earned represents a promise—that you’ll receive the performance and safety you need, in every application, on every job.

Application Advice

We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service every day. Your technical questions matter to us and deserve accurate, thorough answers that help you safely address your application challenges. Our highly trained teams will help you, whether you end up needing a Dairyland decoupler or not! This commitment to service has been a cornerstone of Dairyland’s culture since our founding in 1983—and it remains central to our core values today.

Our Philosophy

When it comes to worker safety, there’s no such thing as “good enough.”

We don’t cut corners when it comes to safety—and neither should you when specifying decouplers for your cathodic protection projects. We’re here to ensure you get the performance and safety you need, in every application, on every job.