History from OHA: Mooo…ving Ahead! The Story of Byrne Dairy

In January 1933, Byrne Diary (formerly the Bonnie Dale Dairy Company) was founded by local Syracusan, Matthew V. Byrne. Eighty-five years later, Byrne Diary continues to offer a variety of wholesome dairy products throughout the Northeast. 

Matthew Byrne located his first processing plant at 306 W. Genesee St. (located kitty corner from the current-day Dinosaur Bar-B-Que). He constructed this building in 1920 and his first tenants were the Miller Tire Co. (he was a distributor for their tire line) and the Grange Federation League. When he began his dairy venture, Byrne redesigned the “Byrne Square Building”, a flat iron building noted for its ornate trim and terracotta façade, to meet his processing needs. It was bounded on all sides by large plate-glass windows that invited the general public to view the milk being pasteurized and processed. From this location, eight horse-drawn yellow and brown painted wagons distributed the milk daily throughout Syracuse and its environs.

Matthew Byrne turned the day-to-day running of the business over to his three sons — John, William, and C. Vincent — in 1946. The business continued to flourish and, in 1948, the family moved the milk plant to a larger facility located at 240 Oneida St. Milk deliveries were, by then, being made primarily by motorized vehicles, allowing the dairy to deliver its products to a wider audience more efficiently (the last horse was retired in 1952). 

Byrne Dairy in 1954 decided to purchase the McMahon Dairy in Central Square. This acquisition made Byrne Dairy the third-largest dairy business in Central New York at the time and allowed the company to expand its presence into the southern portion of Oswego County as well as further facilitate its operations in the North Syracuse, Cicero, and Brewerton areas of Onondaga County. Home deliveries continued until the spring of 1977 when, due primarily to increases in gas prices, they were suspended.

Another milestone occurred in the early 1970s when the company purchased its own bulk milk tanker. Byrne Dairy was then able to pick up the milk directly from dairy farmers in the area under contract with them, thus eliminating the middleman. The company increased the size of its fleet of trucks as business demands increased. Convenience stores offering all of Byrne’s products were first built in the early 1950s, but have since expanded to include the sale of other grocery items, along with gas, in order to appeal to today’s more convenience-minded society. During the late 70s and early 80s, the business expanded to include its own brand of ice cream and butter. To remain competitive in its core business, Byrne Dairy even offered milk in diverse flavors such as strawberry and banana and green milk in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

The business enlarged and updated its Oneida Street plant in the late 80s, allowing Byrne Dairy to increase its production by 25 percent. One of Byrne Dairy’s most innovative updates occurred in 2004 when it opened its new manufacturing plant in DeWitt. This plant was devoted to producing the company’s ultra-pasteurized products. Ultra-pasteurization extended the shelf life of dairy products to 140 days. Byrne Dairy is one of only a handful of family-owned and managed dairies to build this type of plant. 

Just recently, further investment and expansion resulted in the construction of a 75,000-square-foot facility in Cortlandville. This facility is dedicated primarily to the manufacture of Byrne Hollow Farm yogurt and to promoting agri-tourism. Perhaps as a throwback to its original building, a viewing mezzanine was designed for visitors to watch the manufacturing process. Eighty five years of innovation and dedication permit the company’s slogan “Byrne Diary Milk is Mighty Fine” to continue to ring true today.         

Karen Y. Cooney is support services administrator at OHA in Syracuse.

In January 1933, Byrne Diary (formerly the Bonnie Dale Dairy Company) was founded by local Syracusan, Matthew V. Byrne. Eighty-five years later, Byrne Diary continues to offer a variety of wholesome dairy products throughout the Northeast. 

Matthew Byrne located his first processing plant at 306 W. Genesee St. (located kitty corner from the current-day Dinosaur Bar-B-Que). He constructed this building in 1920 and his first tenants were the Miller Tire Co. (he was a distributor for their tire line) and the Grange Federation League. When he began his dairy venture, Byrne redesigned the “Byrne Square Building”, a flat iron building noted for its ornate trim and terracotta façade, to meet his processing needs. It was bounded on all sides by large plate-glass windows that invited the general public to view the milk being pasteurized and processed. From this location, eight horse-drawn yellow and brown painted wagons distributed the milk daily throughout Syracuse and its environs.

Matthew Byrne turned the day-to-day running of the business over to his three sons — John, William, and C. Vincent — in 1946. The business continued to flourish and, in 1948, the family moved the milk plant to a larger facility located at 240 Oneida St. Milk deliveries were, by then, being made primarily by motorized vehicles, allowing the dairy to deliver its products to a wider audience more efficiently (the last horse was retired in 1952). 

Byrne Dairy in 1954 decided to purchase the McMahon Dairy in Central Square. This acquisition made Byrne Dairy the third-largest dairy business in Central New York at the time and allowed the company to expand its presence into the southern portion of Oswego County as well as further facilitate its operations in the North Syracuse, Cicero, and Brewerton areas of Onondaga County. Home deliveries continued until the spring of 1977 when, due primarily to increases in gas prices, they were suspended.

Another milestone occurred in the early 1970s when the company purchased its own bulk milk tanker. Byrne Dairy was then able to pick up the milk directly from dairy farmers in the area under contract with them, thus eliminating the middleman. The company increased the size of its fleet of trucks as business demands increased. Convenience stores offering all of Byrne’s products were first built in the early 1950s, but have since expanded to include the sale of other grocery items, along with gas, in order to appeal to today’s more convenience-minded society. During the late 70s and early 80s, the business expanded to include its own brand of ice cream and butter. To remain competitive in its core business, Byrne Dairy even offered milk in diverse flavors such as strawberry and banana and green milk in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

The business enlarged and updated its Oneida Street plant in the late 80s, allowing Byrne Dairy to increase its production by 25 percent. One of Byrne Dairy’s most innovative updates occurred in 2004 when it opened its new manufacturing plant in DeWitt. This plant was devoted to producing the company’s ultra-pasteurized products. Ultra-pasteurization extended the shelf life of dairy products to 140 days. Byrne Dairy is one of only a handful of family-owned and managed dairies to build this type of plant. 

Just recently, further investment and expansion resulted in the construction of a 75,000-square-foot facility in Cortlandville. This facility is dedicated primarily to the manufacture of Byrne Hollow Farm yogurt and to promoting agri-tourism. Perhaps as a throwback to its original building, a viewing mezzanine was designed for visitors to watch the manufacturing process. Eighty five years of innovation and dedication permit the company’s slogan “Byrne Diary Milk is Mighty Fine” to continue to ring true today.         

Karen Y. Cooney is support services administrator at OHA in Syracuse.