Ontario, Calif.-based Niagara Bottling LLC plans to build a $56 million, 377,000-square-foot facility in Pleasant Prairie, Kenosha area economic development officials announced last week.
The facility will be built in the LakeView Corporate Park at 11031 88th Ave. in Pleasant Prairie. The facility will package and distribute private label water for customers as well as the Niagara label. It is expected to open in early 2015.
The plant initially will include one production line with the option for installing additional lines in the future. The $56 million project is expected to create about 40 jobs in the first phase.
“We are thrilled to expand in Kenosha County,” said Derieth Sutton, economic development and government relations manager for Niagara Bottling. “This location is centrally located between Milwaukee and Chicago, and is ideal to help us better serve our customers. We look forward to bringing new jobs and opportunities to this region.”
Niagara Bottling will be a major utility user in the Pleasant Prairie, which will help drive down sewer and water rates for others in the village, Village Administrator Mike Pollocoff said. That will help Pleasant Prairie attract other food and beverage manufacturers, he said.
“It will make the village much more competitive for food manufacturers and food processors,” he said. “This is really going to help the village.”
Officials with the Village of Pleasant Prairie, Kenosha County, M-7 and the Kenosha Area Business Alliance worked with Niagara officials to attract the plant to Wisconsin.
The Niagara Bottling project is the latest in a growing list of economic development projects coming to Kenosha County. A 1 million-square-foot and a 500,000-square-foot distribution center will be built for Amazon.com in Kenosha. Meijer Inc. is spending $146 million to expand the former Supervalu distribution center in Pleasant Prairie. Kenall Manufacturing will move from Gurnee, Ill. to a new corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility that will be built in Kenosha.
“Niagara Bottling’s decision to open its Midwest plant in Wisconsin is yet another indication of how companies around the country are becoming more aware of the state’s strong pro‐business climate and outstanding workforce,” said Gov. Scott Walker. “We welcome Niagara to our state and look forward to working with the company as it plans move forward.”
