Sargento Foods plans to expand, add jobs in Wisconsin

Sargento Foods is planning an expansion of its existing production facility in Kiel, WI.

The Kiel plant opened in 1993 on a 40-acre site in Kiel Industrial Park on Hwy. 67 between AA and XX. It expanded by 40,000 square feet in 2000 and 60,000 square feet in 2007. Sargento Foods natural shredded, sliced and snack cheeses, cheese dips and battered and breaded frozen appetizers are produced at this location.

The expansion would include additional space for production, storage and employee facilities, including a health and wellness center and increased locker area to accommodate up to 720 employees during the next five years, according to a company press release. The plant currently employs 540 people.

Sargento asked the Kiel Planning Commission and city council for  a \"pay as you go\" tax increment financing district based on assessed value. This financial assistance is a precondition to moving forward with the contemplated expansion.

If approved, construction will begin during the second half of 2015 with occupancy expected by late 2016.

Sargento Foods also operates production facilities in Plymouth, WI and Hilbert, WI, and a technical center in Elkhart Lake, WI. Sargento Foods is a third generation, family-owned company with $1.3 billion in net sales.