Governor Doyle Announces $700,000 in Dairy Plant Investment Tax Credits

For Immediate Release: July 14, 2009
Contact: Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608-267-9661
Carla Vigue, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162

MONROE - Governor Jim Doyle today announced that 25 dairy manufacturers will share $700,000 in Dairy Plant Investment Tax Credits. The projects, which have already been completed, totaled $51 million in expenditures and will generate 237 jobs. Governor Doyle made the announcement today as part of his visit to communities in southwest Wisconsin including Monroe, Darlington, Spring Green and Mineral Point to discuss investments in dairy modernization, specialty cheese production, drinking water infrastructure, and grazing.

"Despite the economic hurdles we are all facing right now, I am confident that agriculture will continue to be an industry that defines Wisconsin and serve as a foundation for our economy," Governor Doyle said. "I am committed to providing farmers, producers, and communities with the tools they need make this happen."

Governor Doyle made the announcement at the Wisconsin Cheese Group in Monroe, which is receiving a $45,334 tax credit to modernize and expand. Wisconsin Cheese Group, Incorporated produces specialty cheeses for wholesale, retail and foodservice customers. It employs 117 persons and is 100 percent Wisconsin-owned. The project, which has $1.4 million in eligible expenditures, included the addition of a robotic arm to place packaged products in line to be labeled and dated, new labelers and drying equipment, and automated filling equipment.

The Dairy Manufacturing Facility Expenditures Credit represents up to a maximum of 10 percent of the amount paid in the taxable year for dairy manufacturing modernization or expansion related to the claimant’s dairy manufacturing operation. Eligible expenditures include building construction, building additions, upgrades to utilities, milk intake and storage equipment, processing and manufacturing equipment, packaging and handling equipment, warehouse equipment, waste treatment and waste management equipment, and computer software and hardware used for managing the dairy manufacturing operation.

A complete list of Manufacturing Facility Expenditures tax credit recipients follows:

Saputo Cheese USA Inc., Alto, $63,405
Saputo is the 15th-largest dairy processor in the world and among the top three U.S. cheese producers. Saputo employs 1,291 at Wisconsin operations in Alto, Almena, Fond du Lac, Lena, Reedsburg, Monroe, New London and Black Creek. The project increases the competitiveness of the dairy processing operations in Alto, expands the dairy product tonnage capacity, and allows for the production of higher value-added products. Total eligible expenditures are $11.2 million.

Marathon Cheese Corporation, Marathon and Medford, $63,405
Marathon Cheese Corporation is one of the largest independent packagers of natural cheese in the world. The company employs 1,505 at operations in Marathon, Medford, and Dorchester. The project included the addition of new packaging lines at Medford and Marathon. The project will create 29 jobs and has $9.6 million in eligible expenditures.

ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods Holdings, Inc., Menomonie, $63,405
ConAgra Foods is one of North America's leading packaged food companies, serving grocery retailers as well as restaurants and other foodservice establishments. The company employs 310 at its Menomonie location. The company installed a new refrigerated pudding line to provide additional case capacity to meet consumer demand. The project represents $6.6 million in eligible expenditures.

Protient, Inc., Juda, $63,405
Protient is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of dairy proteins for the food, dairy, health, and sports markets. It employs 52 at this facility. The project included the addition of equipment for the production of whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate-80 percent. The project will create six jobs and represents $5.9 million in eligible expenditures.

Lake Country Dairy, Inc., Turtle Lake, $63,405
Lake Country Dairy manufactures a number of Italian cheeses including hard cheeses such as Parmesan and Romano, along with a soft, rich cheese known as Mascarpone. The company also produces milk by-products such as sweet cream and whey cream. It employs 147 at this facility. The projects included the addition of mascarpone cheese manufacturing capabilities and a cheese brine system. The project will create 107 jobs and represent $5.8 million in eligible expenditures.

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese LLC, Portland, $61,234
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese LLC, which employs 35, produces a variety of specialty cheeses. The project included the completion of a building addition to allow the company to double its production and produce new cheeses. The project will create 20 jobs and represents $1.9 million in eligible expenditures.

Gibbsville Cheese Company, Inc., Lima, $51,456
Gibbsville Cheese has earned a reputation as a producer of fine Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, and Two-tone (Monterey and Colby) cheeses. The company has five employees. The project included a building addition and equipment to increase the company’s cheese production capacity by 100 percent. The project will create nine jobs and represents eligible expenditures of $1.6 million.

Cedar Valley Cheese, Inc., Fredonia, $43,223
Cedar Valley Cheese produces Mozzarella, Provolone, and string cheese. It has 41 employees. The project included the acquisition of new equipment that will increase packaging capacity by 75 percent, which, in turn, will allow the company to produce more cheese. The project will create one job and represents eligible expenditures of $1.3 million.

Galloway Company, Neenah, $27,111
Galloway Company is the largest manufacturer of frozen dairy dessert mixes in Wisconsin, and is also the largest sweetened condensed milk producer in the nation. It employs 74. The projects included improved controls for storing and separating milk, additional cooling capacity, an ammonia process management system, and numerous other upgrades. The projects will create two jobs and represents $855,187 in eligible expenditures.

Mullins Cheese, Inc., Knowlton, $23,170
Mullins Cheese specializes in Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, Jacko, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses, as well as cheese curds. It employs 110. The project included the acquisition of equipment to increase production and become more energy-efficient. The project will create six jobs and totals $730,846 in eligible expenditures.

Mullins Whey, Inc., Knowlton, $19,546
Mullins Whey is a manufacturer of condensed whey products. The company is located in the same facility as Mullins Cheese and it employs 23. The project included the acquisition of equipment to increase production. The project will create six jobs and represents $616,548 in eligible expenditures.

Meister Cheese Company, LLC, Muscoda, $21,422
Meister Cheese Company produces and packages "gourmet-quality" specialty cheeses including Wild Morel and Leek, Roasted Red Pepper, Horseradish, Habanero, and Jalapeno. It employs 60. To support its growth, Meister Cheese added silos for milk storage, upgraded pasteurizer controls for increased throughput, installed higher-capacity packaging equipment, and expanded a dry storage building. The project will create two jobs and represents $675,710 in eligible expenditures.

Muscoda Protein Products, LLP, Muscoda, $19,205
Muscoda Protein Products is a manufacturer of food grade, whey-derived protein and lactose. It has 19 employees. The project included pasteurizer, silo and evaporator upgrades. The project will create two jobs and represents $605,793 in eligible expenditures.

Schoepp’s Ice Cream Co., Inc., Madison, $15,227
Schoepp’s Ice Cream Co. is Wisconsin’s largest independent ice cream manufacturer. It employs 132 and its project included upgrades to existing refrigeration equipment, new storage racks, new carton packaging equipment, replacement of an aging waste silo, and computer hardware and software for logistics and inventory. The project will create three jobs and represents $480,320 in eligible expenditures.

Henning Cheese, Inc., Schleswig, $14,638
Henning Cheese, Inc. is known for its Cheddar and Colby cheese and also its production of "Mammoth Cheddars," wheels of cheese that can range in size from 75 to 1,200 pounds. It has 23 employees. The project included the construction of an addition to the existing plant to provide additional warehouse and office space, and the installation of upgraded power to the plant. The project will create three jobs and totals $461,722 in eligible expenditures.

Nasonville Dairy, Inc., Lincoln, $9,227
Nasonville Dairy is a family-owned cheese manufacturer with 53 employees. Their project included the installation of equipment to package smaller packs of feta to supply more restaurants and distributors, along with more retail customers. The project will create eight jobs and represents $291,066 in eligible expenditures.

Carr Valley Cheese Company, Inc., Portage, $8,420
Carr Valley Cheese Company, Inc. is a specialty cheese manufacturer that has production locations in La Valle, Fennimore, and Mauston. It has 50 employees in Wisconsin. The company built a new clean room and installed a cheese smoker machine to increase production. The project will create five jobs and has $265,600 in eligible expenditures.

Alcam Creamery Co., Inc., Richland Center, $5,477
Alcam Creamery Co. is primarily a butter manufacturer with 24 employees. It completed projects to modernize and expand its operations, including a new churn and buttery trolley, space remodeling to accommodate future packaging machines, new energy-efficient lighting, and a water softener to increase energy efficiency. The project will create three jobs and represents $172,767 in eligible expenditures.

Saxon Homestead Creamery, Cleveland, $4,875
Saxon Homestead Creamery produces artisan and specialty cheeses. The project included a buildout of unused space to add aging space for cheese in-processing and to run the plant to the full capacity of its current production room. The project will create three jobs and represents $153,771 in eligible expenditures.

K & K Cheese, LLC, Cashton, $5,269
K & K Cheese, LLC produces a mix of high-quality artisan and specialty cheeses. It has 21 employees. The project included additional intake equipment for unloading milk. The project will create one job and represents $166,212 in eligible expenditures.

Maple Grove Cheese, Inc., Milladore, $3,328
Maple Grove Cheese, Inc. is a manufacturer of specialty cheeses. It has seven employees and its project included the addition of a silo to store additional milk, testing equipment to update the antibiotic screening of the milk supply, and a flow pump and packaging machine to replace older, inefficient equipment. The project represents $104,963 in eligible expenditures.

Graf Creamery, Inc., Angelica, $2,557
Graf Creamery, Inc. has 45 employees and produces butter. The company remodeled part of the existing plant to improve efficiency and to separate the raw product area from the finished product area. The project represents $80,645 in eligible expenditures.

Whey To Go, LLC, Arena, $1,196
Whey To Go is a limited liability company that is owned equally by Arena Cheese, Inc. and Mill Creek Cheese, Inc. Started in 2007, it has one full-time and three part-time employees. It recently added a holding tank. The project will create one job and represents $37,714 in eligible expenditures.

Arena Cheese, Inc., Arena, $1,061
Arena Cheese, Inc. is a cheese manufacturer employing 26 persons. The project included replacement of a pasteurizer and flow meter with new energy-efficient models that will result in improved profitability, increased capacity due to reduced downtime, and reduced energy consumption. The project represents $33,471 in eligible expenditures

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