The dataset contains the entry and exit years of dairy factories in The Netherlands, including a variable whether it is cooperative or private, location, and type of soil. Collected data cover the years 1871-2005; 1,130 observations are reported.Data have been used for a survival study, published in: K. Frenken, 2014, The evolution of the Dutch dairy industry and the rise of cooperatives: a research note, Journal of Institutional Economics, 2014:10(1), 163-174