Starting with just 20 cows and a Model T delivery truck in Arizona, Shamrock Dairy (now Shamrock Farms) now is a multimillion-dollar company with more than 10,000 cows and nationwide distribution. Although it’s come a long way in nearly 100 years, the company has stayed true to its roots.

The company began in 1922 with Irish immigrant W.T. McClelland and his wife hand-delivering milk to local customers. Their goal was to deliver fresh, pure and delicious milk, according to its website. Over the years, Shamrock Farms invested in milking machines, refrigerated trucks, state-of-the-art facilities and new products, but maintained its entrepreneurial spirit.

“My parents had faith that if you treated your employees like family and your customers like friends, you would succeed,” said Norman McClelland, founder of Shamrock Foods Co., Phoenix, on the company’s website. “We’re a multimillion-dollar company now, but we’re still managed by the same principles.”

Today, Shamrock Farms offers dozens of dairy products, including a vast array of milk drinks such as organic milk, flavored milk, protein drinks and more. Most recently, the company introduced a line of “hybrid” chocolate milk drinks called Swirled. The beverages blend dairy and plant-based ingredients, resulting in a creamy chocolate milk with healthy fats and reduced sugar content thanks to the infusion of coconut cream and almonds, according to a company release.

“With Shamrock Farms Swirled, we’re putting a new twist on chocolate milk by blending sweet and creamy coconut, the richness of real almonds and fresh milk into one drink,” said Ann Ocaña, chief marketing officer for Shamrock Farms, in a statement. “Swirled is a delicious, upscale take on the classic beverage and answers an unmet need of many adults who love chocolate milk, but are looking for something more decadent yet still healthy. With an uncompromising flavor, it’s perfect for those who are plant-curious or plant-based but crave the benefits and taste of real milk.”

Available in Chocolate Coconut and Chocolate Almond Coconut varieties, the beverages feature less sugar than the leading chocolate milk, the company says. They’re also free of artificial colors, ingredients, sweeteners and growth hormones.

Rockin’ that protein drink

Similarly, the company put a twist on protein drinks in 2019 when it introduced its Rockin’ Protein Energy drinks. Available in Café Latte, Mocha Latte and Caramel Latte flavors, the beverages feature high-quality protein from milk along with natural caffeine from cold-brew coffee. The launch came following the discovery that 80 percent of adults said they wanted the added benefit of energy in their drinks, a company statement noted.

“With Rockin’ Protein Energy, we’re solving an unmet need for consumers by offering a natural way to energize the day,” Ocaña said in a statement. “This innovation is a prime example of how we’re making more possible with milk. It’s a great-tasting protein beverage delivering the energy people crave.”

Rockin’ Protein Energy drinks boast 30 grams of protein and are free of lactose and added sugars, as well as artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and growth hormones.

Rockin’ Protein Energy drinks build on the company’s original line of protein drinks, which includes Rockin’ Protein Builder, Recovery and Builder Max varietals. Earlier this year, Shamrock Farms announced that its Rockin’ Protein Builder drinks would be available in Kroger stores nationwide. This follows the company’s recent distribution expansion into nationwide Dollar General stores in 2020.

Alongside these expansions, Shamrock Farms put a twist on its marketing last year by building a unique vending machine to promote its Rockin’ Protein beverages. Instead of accepting money, the machine only accepted jumping jacks. Consumers in Atlanta were challenged to complete a different number of jumping jacks each time to earn a Rockin’ Protein drink. In a matter of hours, every beverage was gone.

Although Shamrock Farms uses its forward thinking to innovate and expand, it makes sure to stay true to its founding principle of producing “fresh, pure, delicious” dairy products.