Agropur Dairy Co-op wins tax credits + building a $168 million cheese factory in Little Chute, WI
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced in November the state will be supporting the expansion of Agropur Dairy Cooperative in Little Chute with up to $4.5 million in business tax credits from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).
Officials say Agropur, one the world’s largest dairy suppliers, will be building a $168 million cheese factory in Little Chute that will āset the company up for future success in the stateāā by investing in the latest cheese-making technology and making room for growth. According to a news release, Agropur will be eligible for up to $4.5 million in business tax credits over the next four years based on meeting hiring and capital expenditure goals.
Agropur, the largest dairy cooperative in North America and one of the top 20 dairy producers in the world, operates facilities in La Crosse, Appleton, Little Chute, Weyauwega, and Luxemburg in Wisconsin. They employ about 850 employees, officials said. The cooperative anticipates spending nearly $60 million more a year on milk from Wisconsin farms and creating at least 54 new full-time jobs with this project.
Gov. Evers was joined for the announcement by Missy Hughes, Ā WEDC chief executive, and Randy Romanski, secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The announcement came while the officials were visiting a family dairy farm in Seymour. The farm is run by Lorraine Steffens and her sons, Steve and Dan. The family, which has owned the farm since 1971, milks 130 cows on about 300 acres.
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Stay InformedāWisconsin is uniquely positioned to help Agropur develop new products and succeed in the dairy industry,āā Hughes said. āIn turn, Agropur invests in our dairy farms, pays family-sustaining wages and through the companyās charity work helps ensure access to healthy food for our communities.āā
$168 Million New Cheese Factory
The new Agropur cheesemaking facility is under construction on 24.5 acres in Little Chute. The 210,000 square-foot facility will allow Agropur to increase its production and make future expansions in Little Chute possible, according to a press release.
āThis expansion is a promise to farmers that weāre going to be here, and youāll have a place for your milk to go,ā said Lorraine Steffens.
Officials say the facility’s milk processing would more than double from 300 million pounds a year to 750 million pounds with about 85 percent of that milk coming from within 40 miles of the plant.