PLYMOUTH — A major expansion of Masters Gallery Foods is getting a boost from the state, which is supporting the company with up to $1.5 million in performance-based state tax credits from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). The company is investing $60 million into expanding its cheese packaging and distribution facility in Oostburg with plans to create 105 new jobs.
“Sheboygan County has been our home since 1974, and we’re thrilled to continue our growth with the recently completed expansion of our new Oostburg facility,” said Jeff Gentine, Masters Gallery Foods president and CEO. “We’re very grateful for the financial support from the State and WEDC as we remain committed to investing within the community, providing long-term career opportunities for our team members while supporting the needs of our expanding customer base.”
Based in Plymouth, Masters Gallery Foods was founded in 1974 by Leonard “Butch” Gentine Jr. and has grown from a small cheese brokerage firm into a national cheese supplier. The family-owned company now has two state-of-the-art cheese packaging facilities located in Plymouth and Oostburg. Serving private label, retail, and food service customers, Masters Gallery has one of the largest privately held cheese inventories in the United States.
Last year, Masters Gallery began work on a 110,000-square-foot addition to its Oostburg facility. The project doubles the size of the current production area as well as adds storage and warehouse space. The company is spending about $23 million in construction costs, as well as about $37 million on equipment. The expansion is set to create 105 new jobs paying more than $23 an hour on average.
“Cheese is big business in Wisconsin historically, today and, I believe, in the future as well,” WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes said. “Cheese companies, such as Masters Gallery Foods, support our family dairy farms and help feed our world. More than that, though, Wisconsin companies and workers continue to move the dairy industry forward with innovations, research and training that make our state a leader in the food and beverage industry—drawing companies and investors from around the world.”
Wisconsin is the country’s No. 1 producer of cheese with nearly 1,200 licensed cheesemakers producing more than 600 types of cheese. About one-fourth of all U.S. cheese is produced in Wisconsin with the state producing 877 million pounds of specialty cheeses last year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).
Plymouth is known as the “Cheese Capital of the World” and is home to Masters Gallery, Sartori, Sargento, and Great Lakes Cheese. The city estimates that up to 15 percent of the country’s cheese goes through Plymouth.
Gov. Evers made the announcement Thursday during a visit to the Cheese Counter and Dairy Heritage Center with Hughes to coincide with the state’s celebration of June Dairy Month.
