History

A Rich Heritage of Trust

When Dairyland Laboratories began, founder Glen Reit and his family literally lived where they worked to make ends meet. In fact, his first child was “born into” the business. For her first few years of life, Tami Reit Taysom was raised under the same laboratory roof where she now manages daily operations.

Looking back on its history, the story of Dairyland Laboratories amazes even Glen himself, who started a company that now serves clients worldwide and stands poised to meet the agriculture industry’s emerging needs.

Glen’s vision for Dairyland Laboratories formed in the 1950s when Wisconsin farmers demanded unbiased, consistent testing for milk that entered cheese factories. From the beginning, he identified opportunities: Glen saw voids in agricultural testing, and he determined solutions. He trusted his instincts and found a future in Arcadia, Wis, where operations began in 1958.

Word-of-mouth praise spread news of Dairyland Laboratories’ work, backed by a reputation of honesty, accuracy and professionalism. Within a decade, Dairyland Laboratories became Wisconsin’s first commercial forage testing site.  Eventually, Glen made the decision to sell the milk testing unit to concentrate on analysis for forages, grains, molds and mycotoxins, and eventually, soils and water, too.

By 1986, Dave Taysom, Tami’s husband, entered the business. Glen credits Dave’s background in animal science and knowledge, vision and access to a network of people in the agriculture industry for keeping the business aligned with modern and future needs in the industry.

“Our vision is to be integrally involved with the agricultural industry so we can understand new trends and continually work to serve our clients, which ultimately charts our business’s direction,” Dave says.  

The laboratory’s services have attracted a wide audience that extends beyond Wisconsin. Their customer base ranges from private individuals to some of the world’s largest and most respected agricultural companies. Their work is trusted throughout the United States, Canada and in countries worldwide. That’s because, since 1958, Dairyland Laboratories has delivered truth. Three generations of family reliably and consistently serve the industry’s needs, making Dairyland Laboratories a premier, independent, full-service agricultural testing laboratory.

Over time, the family business has grown to add satellite laboratories in Stratford and De Pere in Wisconsin, St. Cloud in Minnesota, Battle Creek in Michigan, and in Jerome, Idaho. The headquarters remain in Arcadia, Wisconsin. Glen's daughter Tami manages the office, accounting and human resources. President, Dave Taysom, oversees the management and direction for the lab and has expanded the company’s services worldwide. Glen's grandson, Kyle Taysom, has joined the family legacy as the CEO. He earned a bachelor’s degree in dairy science and an MBA, an educational foundation that will further strengthen the family business.

Dairyland Laboratories exemplifies a dream come true. Glen always wanted to provide opportunities – opportunities for the next generation to earn a livelihood and opportunities to meet the emerging needs of the agriculture industry.