DAIRY NEWS – The ability to scale operations, develop talent and manage complexity are key elements of successful businesses. During the 2026 Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals®, presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP), dairy executives will learn how leaders in non-dairy Puerto Rican industries identify opportunities to sustainably grow their operations.
The three-day, executive level program will be held January 20-22, 2026, at the Marriott’s Hotel Rumbao in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
One full day of the program is dedicated to out-of-industry tour experiences, including:
- Hacienda Muñoz, a coffee farm and award-winning roaster, has grown from using hillside cultivation to implementing modern depulping, sun-drying and grading systems while maintaining high craftsmanship standards. Attendees will tour the integrated operation from plant propagation through roasting and tasting to observe how lean start-up principles, resource optimization and customer-focused quality converge.
- Casa BACARDÍ is the world’s largest rum distillery; their distillery team members will lead a discussion on how tradition, innovation, craftsmanship and operational scaling have shaped the brand into a global leader.
- Finca Neo Jibairo is Puerto Rico’s first certified agrotourism farm to have successfully launched a successful cigar business and hospitality concept. The tour will feature seedbeds of specialty produce and tobacco fields as well as an artisan cigar-rolling workshop during which experts will share the ins and outs of their operations, infrastructure and local supply chain.
“The out-of-industry tours are always a highlight of the Managers Academy program, and this year is no different,” said Brady Weiland, Columbus, Wis., dairy producer and PDP board treasurer. “Not only will we learn from executives who have found innovative and sustainable ways to grow their businesses, we’ll be immersed in the culture and history of Puerto Rico. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for dairy producers and industry executives to connect and learn from each other.”
Managers Academy’s featured trainers include Marissa Nehlsen, author and founder/CEO of an eight-figure, debt-free financial firm, and Dick Wittman, business consultant with Wittman Consulting. They’ll use real-world case studies and executive-level conversations to help attendees create governance, leadership and succession strategies they can apply to their businesses right away.
Managers Academy is developed by PDP in collaboration with Progressive Dairy, Progressive Dairy Solutions and Rabo AgriFinance. Registration is open with limited space available; registration fee includes all sessions, training materials, meals, tours and travel to tour sites. Travel to the program and hotel are not included with registration. A block of discounted rooms is available at Marriott’s Hotel Rumbao when booked by Dec. 19, 2025, through the PDP website.
For more details and lodging information visit www.pdpw.org or contact PDP at 800-947-7379.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.”
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