Kerry Inc. plans to expand its Sturtevant plant at 1751 Enterprise Dr., the Racine County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC) announced.
Currently, Kerry’s Sturtevant plant employs 78 workers and produces specialty blended ingredients, including savory dairy flavors and seasonings. Kerry’s planned expansion will result in 25 new jobs and over 76,000 square feet of new manufacturing and warehouse space to accommodate spice storage and future growth of the company’s spice lines.
A division of Kerry Group Plc located in Tralee, Ireland, Kerry is a global supplier of taste and nutritional solutions for the worldwide food and beverage industry. Kerry’s business in North America is headquartered in Beloit.
The Village of Sturtevant is expected to provide up to $300,000 in tax increment financing assistance that was made possible through the Renaissance Business Park tax incremental financing (TIF) district. The Village of Sturtevant Board will make the final decision on the TIF funds for the project.
“The village is pleased to partner in the growth of Kerry. The company has been a valuable asset in the community since 2001. Its continued operation and growth will add significant benefit through company investment and the addition of new quality jobs,” said Steve Jansen, village president.
In addition to the Village of Sturtevant assistance, Racine County is providing a $100,000 forgivable loan which will be forgiven based on the company meeting job creation and investment requirements.
Racine County Executive Jim Ladwig said, “growth of existing Racine County businesses is important to a thriving Racine County. Kerry Inc.’s project reinforces the locational advantages of Racine County in the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor for both existing Racine County companies and those new to the area. Access to suppliers and customers, a high quality transportation system and a productive labor force make Racine County an attractive location for growing businesses.”
Ryan O’Toole, director of operations at Kerry said, “we are very proud of our Sturtevant facility and most appreciative of the long-standing partnership we have with the village, the county and the state. We are excited about the expansion and future growth opportunities this provides our company and this wonderful community where we live and work.”
Kerry also recently announced plans to expand its Jackson facility in Washington County. That expansion project will add about 119,000 square feet of space to the company’s existing 165,000-square-foot facility at N168 W21455 Main St. in Jackson, which is at capacity. Construction is expected to be complete in the fall of 2014. The company plans to add 60 jobs at the plant. It currently has 125 employees there.
