A family-owned cheesemaker in Wisconsin is expanding and modernizing its operations. This news release from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) says Baker Cheese Factory, a fourth-generation company that is nearly a century old, is investing $7 million in new equipment that will make the company more efficient and enable it to produce additional products.

“Wisconsin is the number one cheese-producing state in the country and in order to ensure the industry remains strong, it’s important that state cheese-makers continue to aggressively upgrade their operations,” said Governor Scott Walker. “I commend Baker Cheese Factory for making this significant investment in its operations as a way to modernize and reach new markets—which is good for Fond du Lac County and the entire region.”

“Baker Cheese is committed to the growth of the Wisconsin dairy industry by investing in our Wisconsin cheese plant operations. High-quality Wisconsin milk and dedicated employees allow our company to supply award-winning string cheese to the growing domestic and international markets,” said company President Brian Baker. “As an organization, we have remained focused on providing high-quality jobs to our local economy and are excited about this next project for the continued growth of our company.”

The company will get up to $800,000 in state Economic Development Tax Credits over the next three years. The project is expected to be completed by October 2016.