File photo
File photo
Nuestro Queso has broken ground on a $15 million expansion at its plant in Kent.
The price tag for the expansion includes new processing and packaging equipment, as well as expanded cooler space, according to the Greater Freeport Partnership’s website. The company also plans to add space for use in future production expansion.
“We’ve purchased a significant amount of farmland and surrounding properties to allow for further expansion as well as for traffic and trucks that will be running product with our increased capacity,” Hispanic Cheese Makers: Nuestra Queso CEO Mark Braun said
Nuestro Queso produces a variety of offerings, including Mexican, Caribbean and Central American cheeses and cremas. All have seen recent increases in market demand.
“We thank Nuestro Queso for their commitment to Stephenson County,” Greater Freeport Partnership Executive Director Mark Williams said. “We are excited to welcome this investment in our area and the expansion to the value-added agriculture segment of economic development in our region.”
This is the latest step in approximately two years of growth for the company. Previous improvements at the plant have included equipment updates, such as a reverse osmosis filter to increase the quality of water used in production. That was in addition to a variety of improvements – from LEDs to better-insulated doors and upgraded refrigeration – aimed purely at improving the sustainability and energy efficiency of the plant, according to the post.
“This is part of our holistic approach across our operations to set goals and standards for the company to reflect our focus on quality across the entire manufacturing process, including sustainable systems and operations at the plant level,” Braun said.
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