[Knoxville, TN – 4/29/26] — Weigel’s Dairy, A 95 Year Old Story. Weigel’s is celebrating its 95th anniversary this June with a campaign that highlights the company’s dairy heritage, operational innovation, and continued growth across East Tennessee. As one of the oldest dairies in the Southeast, Weigel’s continues to build on a foundation that began nearly a century ago.
Weigel’s story starts in Powell, Tennessee, where the family converted a portion of the Powell Station farm into Broadacre Dairy, a move that quickly scaled into a growing dairy operation. The iconic Broadacre barn built during that time still stands today and remains in use — a direct connection to the company’s earliest days.
With the introduction of electricity to Powell Station, Broadacre Dairy invested in a 50-gallon pasteurizer, becoming the first dairy in East Tennessee to distribute pasteurized milk. That early commitment to quality was reinforced through a custom piping system that moved milk directly from the milking machines to the processing plant, ensuring that when customers opened their milk, it was the first time it had been exposed to air. Today, that same focus on freshness continues with a farm-to-jug process completed within 24 hours, maintaining product integrity from start to finish.
As the dairy operation expanded, so did its reach into the community. At its peak, Broadacre Dairy operated a fleet of more than 15 mechanically refrigerated delivery trucks, running daily milk routes across the region. This system firmly established Weigel’s as the original “Milk Man” in East Tennessee — delivering fresh dairy directly to customers’ doors and building the trust that still defines the brand today.
Weigel’s continued to innovate within the category, introducing the shatterproof gallon milk jug, known as the “Jug O’ Milk,” improving both safety and convenience for customers.
Retail growth followed with the opening of the first Weigel’s Convenience Store in 1958, a 1,800-square-foot location on Oak Ridge Highway that helped define the early convenience model in East Tennessee by combining fresh dairy access with everyday essentials.
From those beginnings, Weigel’s has grown into a network of 90 stores, supported by integrated operations across dairy, foodservice, and distribution. Today, the company produces a wide range of products beyond traditional milk, including teas, juices, and an expanding portfolio of specialty dairy offerings.
A major step in that evolution came with the development of Skim D’Light, Weigel’s enhanced skim milk process designed to improve the taste and mouthfeel of skim milk while maintaining its nutritional profile. That innovation served as a gateway for broader dairy product development and helped pave the way for Weigel’s expanding specialty milk lineup.
Building on that foundation, Weigel’s introduced a series of limited-time milk flavors that have become signature products within the brand’s dairy program. Rotating and seasonal offerings such as Horchata, Orange Creamsicle, Ellie’s Tracks, Blueberry Cobbler, and Peanut Butter Chocolate reflect the company’s ability to blend heritage dairy expertise with evolving consumer preferences. Alongside these innovations, Weigel’s award-winning egg nog and chocolate milk continue to reinforce its leadership in the dairy category.
Weigel’s early focus on customer loyalty also began within dairy. What started as a simple punch-card style milk rewards program has evolved into today’s Milk Club, where guests buy 19 gallons and receive the 20th free. This progression reflects how Weigel’s has continuously adapted its approach to rewarding customers, carrying those principles forward into its modern digital loyalty ecosystem.
The company’s commitment to dairy extends into the community. Since 1939, Weigel’s has partnered with the Milk Fund, alongside the Knoxville News Sentinel and WIVK, contributing 20–25% of annual funding to support children, elderly individuals, and families in need with dairy and food assistance.
To mark its 95th anniversary, Weigel’s is launching a “95 for 95” sweepstakes, where 95 winners each month will receive free milk for a year. The campaign will run throughout the summer and directly ties the milestone to the product category that established the brand and continues to be a daily driver of customer visits.
Guests can enter the sweepstakes through multiple touchpoints within the MyWeigel’s Rewards ecosystem, including qualifying in-store purchases when using loyalty, redeeming points for entries within the app catalog, and participating in gamification features throughout the app.
“Dairy is where Weigel’s started, and it remains a core part of our business today,” said Doug Yawberry, President & CEO of Weigel’s. “As we celebrate 95 years, this is a clear way to recognize that history while continuing to provide value to our customers.”
The anniversary campaign is fully integrated into the MyWeigel’s Rewards program, allowing guests to participate through the Weigel’s App and in-store engagement.
After 95 years, Weigel’s continues to operate from the same foundation that built the company — delivering fresh dairy products, maintaining operational standards, and expanding access through a growing retail network across East Tennessee.

To learn more about Weigel’s or our Heritage, visit weigels.com or follow @weigelsstores on Instagram, X, and Facebook.

About Weigel’s:

Established in 1931, Weigel’s is a family-owned and operated East Tennessee company committed to serving the communities where its stores operate. The company currently operates 89 convenience