Curd craze: Tax credits awarded for expansion

Ellsworth could receive $175,000

The Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, which produces 80 tons of cheese curds a day, is getting up to $175,000 in state tax credits from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. to expand the creamery in western Wisconsin.

The creamery, which was founded in 1910, has been authorized to receive the state tax credits 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 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,” Paul Bauer, manager of Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, said in a statement.

“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,” Mark Hogan, secretary and CEO of WEDC, said in the statement. Hogan said the expansion is “good news for Pierce County and the region, as well as the entire dairy industry.”

Under WEDC’s Business Development Tax Credit Program, the creamery can earn up to $175,000 in tax credits over a three-year period. The actual amount depends on the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment the company makes during that time frame.

Since the program was created last year, WEDC has awarded $15 million in tax credits to 40 companies throughout the state for projects expected to create or retain more than 7,000 jobs and generate $400 million in capital investment.

Cheese Curds are fresh cheddar cheese in its natural, random shape and form before being processed into blocks of cheddar.

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery was proclaimed the “Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin” in 1984 by former Gov. Anthony Earl.

In addition to cheese curds, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery produces more than 80 varieties of artisan and specialty cheeses at its facility in Comstock.