Sprague's Dairy, 2544 Ridge Rd, Brookfield, VT 05036, US

HP Hood is a branded dairy operator that processes and distributes a portfolio of national and regional brands of milk, creams, ice cream, cottage cheese and sour cream. The company distributes brands that include Carb Countdown, LACTAID, Nesquik, Coffee-mate, Stonyfield Farm Organic Milk and Southern Comfort Eggnog. In 2004, the company acquired New York-based Crowley Foods, and also purchased Minnesota-based Kemps. HP Hood utilizes its own research and development operation, which has enabled to company to maintain a more than 150-year-old history of product innovation. In 2004, the company reached annual sales of nearly $2.2 billion and was named Processor of the Year by Dairy Foods magazine. In 2006, Forbes listed HP Hood as the 145th-largest private company. HP Hood, an employer of more than 5,000, is headquartered in Chelsea, Mass., with a location in Barre, Vt.