Great Lakes Cheese (GLC), Hiram, Ohio, announced plans to build a new cheese packaging plant in the Wausau West Industrial Park in Wausau, Wis. Groundbreaking for the $55 million state-of-the-art facility will occur in late July.

“We are grateful to the City of Wausau for its significant contribution to our project,” says Matt Wilkinson, project manager. “This assistance makes it possible for GLC to remain in Wausau, where our cheese business has a 90-year history.”

GLC acquired Lemke Cheese & Packaging in 2003, and has since made considerable investments in the DeVoe Street plant, where more than 200 workers are employed.

In addition to the construction jobs, GLC anticipates adding at least 125 new jobs within three years of completing the new facility.

“It is part of GLC’s culture to take a long-term approach to every business decision,” says Dan Zagzebski, chief executive officer. “We think in terms of generations, not quarters. Looking through a long-term lens allows us to focus not only on what will make us more competitive, but also on what’s right for our employees and our communities.”