The city of Platteville is closing in on a deal to bring a brand new $44 million cheese-making facility and a minimum of 32 news jobs to the area by July 1, 2013.
Platteville has agreed in principle to pledge an incentive package worth $3.6 million to the project that would bring Swiss-owned cheesemaker Emmi Roth USA to the City of the Mound.
The parameters of the proposed agreement were discussed at last Tuesday's weekly meeting of the Platteville Common Council. Further discussion on the agreement took place at this week's meeting on Tuesday night.
A vote on the proposal is expected at the April 10 meeting of the Common Council and an official agreement could be signed as early as mid-April.
While the deal is not yet official, Platteville is the leader among five Midwestern cities; two others from Wisconsin, one from Iowa and another from Illinois.
"We felt that Platteville is the one city, based on our selection criteria, that is the leader in our selection process. But it has been very competitive," explained Mike Green of Emmi Roth USA.
Green was employed at the Swiss Valley plant in Platteville until 2010. He noted that his familiarity of the city, knowledge of the milk supply in the area and past good relationships have helped reach an agreement with Platteville.
Platteville's contribution to the project would include two separate incentives, an up-front payment $2 million ($1 million at the completion of the case storage curing cellar and $1 million once the factory is up and running) and another $1.6 pay-as-you-go payment paid for with funds from the TID.
The $14 million building would be built in the Platteville Industrial Park located within the boundaries of Tax Incremental District No. 6. The project would be worth $44 million in total, including facilities and dairy processing equipment.
"The city of Platteville is very pleased with our newfound partner Emmi Roth Case," explained Platteville City Planner Larry Bierke. "Together we are brining jobs and an increased tax base to the city.
"Platteville is very competitive at trying to attract business to our town," added Birke. "Competition against other communities is something we have successfully done in the past and we will prosper as a result."
Emmi Roth USA has experience 20 percent growth in the last 15 years. The company topped $180 million in sales last year and expected to reach $400 by 2015. Emmi Roth's parent company has been making cheese since 1868. In 1991 Emmi Roth bought a cheese plant in Monroe. That facility started with 18 employees 21 years ago and now employs 186 people.
Emmi Roth also entered a joint venture with White Hill Cheese in Shullsburg in 2010.