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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery Expands Production Hub In Ellsworth, Wisconsin

03/31/2017
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, which creates 80 tons of cheese curds a day, is getting a boost from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for the expansion of its production facility, situated 50 miles east of Minneapolis and 66 miles west of Eau Claire, in Ellsworth, Wisconsin.

The expansion includes a 28,000-square-foot building that will be used for packaging of cheese products as well as additional cooler and dry storage space. The expansion will enable the creamery to purchase additional equipment needed to keep up with the growing demand for its cheese curds and cut cheese products.

“We’ve outgrown our space,” said Paul Bauer, Manager of the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. “These tax credits helped this project move forward, allowing us to expand employment opportunities and grow our market share outside of the state, both domestically and internationally.”

“The support of the WEDC affirms Wisconsin’s commitment to our business and agriculture overall. To us, this project is about more than square footage; we’re building a stronger dairy infrastructure for our employees, member owners and community,” add Bauer.

The creamery, which was founded in 1910, has been authorized by WEDC to receive up to $175,000 in state tax credits over a three-year period for the 28,500-square-foot expansion of its plant in Ellsworth, which is known as the “Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin.” The expansion project is expected to create 14 new jobs.

The actual amount of credits earned is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment the company makes during that time frame.

The Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery was founded in 1910 to sell eggs and manufacture butter, and began making cheese in 1966. Two years later, the creamery began selling packaged cheese curds, which are sold at stores nationwide, online and internationally. The creamery has about 450 dairy farm family owners in Wisconsin and Minnesota who produce the milk used to manufacture its products.

“Wisconsin is the top cheese-producing state in the nation, and the success of businesses like the Ellsworth Creamery is crucial to ensuring the industry remains strong,” said Mark Hogan, Secretary & CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development organization. “We are pleased to be able to support this expansion, which is good news for Pierce County and the region, as well as the entire dairy industry.”

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