Tralee, Ireland-based Kerry Group plc is considering plans to expand its production facility in Jackson.
Kerry Group, which has its Kerry Ingredients U.S. headquarters in Beloit, is doing a company-wide evaluation of its facilities to evaluate expansion options and expansion of the Jackson plant is a possibility, said Christian Tscheschlok, executive director of Economic Development Washington County.
The company is considering a 115,000 to 120,000-square-foot expansion of its Jackson plant, which currently has 165,000 square feet of space, Tscheschlok said. If it expands the facility Kerry will add 50 to 60 jobs there, he said. The plant currently has 125 employees.
A decision about where it plans to expand could be made as early as mid-October, Tscheschlok said.
“We’re competing on this project with other project opportunities they have in other locations in their portfolio,” he said. “We’re not the only opportunity they are considering.”
The Jackson plant converts liquid food ingredients into powder ingredient products.
The village, Washington County, Economic Development Washington County and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. are working together in an attempt to attract an expansion project to Kerry’s Jackson plant, which could include an incentive package for the company, Tscheschlok said.
“We are working with the village and the county to identify areas where there may be gaps in what Washington County and Jackson have to offer compared to the competition,” he said. “We are working to address any of those gaps.”
