Wisconsin-based Foremost Farms is expanding in Greenville investing tens of millions of dollars creating jobs. Foremost Farms is a dairy processing cooperative based in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Its milk processing and marketing cooperative that is farmer-owned. The co-op has roughly 1,400 dairy farmer members. Its annual sales are $1.5 billion ranking 28th in the nation.
As it grows sales there’s a need for expansion. Late last year Foremost Farms made a $1.1 million investment in the Greenville Industrial Park purchasing 96-acres from the City of Greenville. This is where its breaking ground on 55,000square foot milk condensing facility with a completion date scheduled for the end of the year.
Foremost calls this phase one in Greenville where the plant will condense more than 3 million pounds of raw milk daily with full capacity targeted for 4 million pounds. There are multiple phases planned for the campus increasing production over several years. Construction of phase one is ticketed at nearly $58 million dollars creating 33 new jobs. Additional jobs will be created with additional expansions.
In a news release from regional development organization, The Right Place, explains, “The company is already engaged in talks with companies interested in creating value-added production facilities on the campus to serve Foremost’s cooperative partners.”
The Michigan Strategic Fund is awaiting approval of a private activity bond inducement valued at up to $12 million. Pending approval the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is supporting the project with a $500,000 grant and the City of Greenville plans to support the project with a 12-year property tax abatement valued at more than $2 million.
Patrick Center, WGVU News.