This Website is under construction.

Humble Beginnings, Quality Products,
and a Determination to Succeed

In the 1940’s Arcadia Dairy Farms, Inc. was a small first generation dairy business with 30 cows and 70 acres in Arden. Today, although it is still a family business, Arcadia has a 200,000 square foot facility, 30 employees and a three million bottle a month business during peak summer months.

Arcadia Dairy Farms began by selling raw milk to local dairies. Eventually they were pasteurizing their own milk and selling it to their old neighbors in West Asheville.

Next came six dairy stores in Asheville selling ice cream, dairy products and later general food items. Nathan Arthur, now president of Arcadia Dairy Farms, remembers working on Saturdays in the dairy bars that resembled the convenience stores of today.

Nathan and his wife Carolyn have guided Arcadia’s growth for the past 35 years, including rebuilding the business after milk wars in the early 70’s nearly shut them down. Because wars caused people to buy milk at grocery stores cheaper, the Arthur’s starting selling their milk to independent grocers.

Eventually, consumers were requesting Arcadia’s milk at a major grocery chain in the Western North Carolina area, so Arcadia was able to re-penetrate the mass market.

During the latter part of the 70’s, Arcadia’s dairy line included yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, and cheese, as well as milk. But the Arthur’s were working long hours, seven days a week and Arcadia decided the time was right to get out of the highly competitive milk business. So in 1980, they sold all of their milk routes and started bottling juices. Instead of competing with all of those dairies, Arcadia is now selling to them, Nathan said.

A new plant was completed in 1984 on acreage next door to the original Arcadia Dairy Farm, and the facility began bottling water as well as juices.
The juices are made with well water pumped from a significant aquifer running under the Brevard Road area. Following an extensive pre-filtering process, the water is then blended with “only the best” flavors.

Arcadia’s water purification system is only part of their commitment to excellence and quality. Their plant exceeds cleanliness standards of both the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Some of Arcadia’s products include Arcadia Farms orange juice, and numerous private labels including orange juice, fruit drink and tea for several major grocery chains.

Although part of Arcadia’s success is due to quality products, Nathan also credits “humble beginnings, hard work, and determination to succeed. Success doesn’t just happen, people make their own luck” he said. Nathan said although they have a lot of opportunities come their way, they don’t always know which one to take. However, they do make the most out of the ones they’ve chosen.