Scaling Smart: How Valley Dairy Modernized Training Across 13 Locations

Andrew McCullough, Executive General Manager | Valley Dairy | Michigan

Valley Dairy had done the hard work of building real training materials. Their Director of Training had developed thorough, well-organized paper packets up to 100 pages depending on the department and broken down day-by-day, so trainers and new hires always knew exactly where they were in the process. It was a solid foundation.

As the 13-location all-American family dining chain grew, the paper-based system started to show its limits. Managers were stretched thin, and achieving consistent training across locations was a challenge. Updating materials meant reprinting and redistributing across stores. And for a company that was ready to grow into technology, the process simply wasn't keeping pace with where they wanted to go.

Andrew McCullough, Executive General Manager, had already been experimenting with digital tools on his own — using a free app for group communication and shared calendars at his location. When that came up in conversation at a GM conference, it sparked a company-wide conversation about modernizing. Shifty’s robust yet easy-to-use training features and the team’s capability to respond to specific feature requests was what sold the corporate team. The decision came together naturally.

“The biggest thing Shifty did was bring us closer to technology. Training materials can be updated instantly and distributed to everyone at the same time. That changes everything at our scale.”

— Andrew McCullough, Executive GM, Valley Dairy

Shifty supports the growing needs of a scaling operation, delivering value at both the corporate and store level. While the corporate team relies on the dashboard for visibility across locations, Andrew sees the biggest impact on the floor. The ability to manage Shifty from his phone fits how he and his team actually work day to day, making it easy to stay connected without stepping away from operations.

As operators think about scaling operations, technology becomes integral to success. For Valley Dairy, the training materials were always good, but now they’re accessible, consistent, and ready to grow with the company.