Foremost Farms USA, Baraboo, Wis., said it plans to build a dairy processing facility in Greenville, Mich. On Nov. 9, 2017, the company closed on the purchase of 96 acres of vacant property in Greenville, and is working closely with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and other Michigan and Greenville entities moving forward to ensure a successful project. The project is contingent upon receiving approvals of necessary local and state incentives and support, including a long-term wastewater treatment solution.

“Foremost Farms’ executive management and board of directors plan to strategically build this facility in Greenville in order to control our own destiny in Michigan and unify our seven-state membership,” said Michael Doyle, Foremost Farms’ president and CEO. "All of our members produce high-quality milk, and this facility is part of the plan to optimize that value today and into the future.

“Greenville is located just 30 miles west of the center point of our member milk in Michigan,” he added. “It is an ideal location for us and we look forward to moving ahead with a future dairy processing facility.”

Doyle said Foremost Farms intends to continue to work with its strategic partners/alliances it has in the region such as the Michigan Milk Producers Association in Constantine, Mich., “to maximize dairy farmer investments, stabilize the regional milk market and add value for all producers in this market.”

The facility is planned to be operational in 12 to 14 months and would receive up to 6 million pounds of raw milk per day. Foremost Farms said it would initially process milk solids for internal use in farmer-owned production facilities in the upper Midwest, and for sales to customers and to strategic alliance partners.

Phase one of this project would provide the base to start a dairy processing “campus” at that site. Foremost Farms said it is engaged in preliminary talks with companies interested in value-added production facilities/capacity in alliance with Foremost Farms at the Greenville site.

“Our board of directors is looking forward to seeing this project become a reality,” said Dave Scheevel, Foremost Farms’ chairman. “The move effectively incorporates our Michigan member milk production into our core manufacturing business with a path to growth and stability in the region and for all Foremost Farms members.”

Greenville is located in west-central Michigan and has a population of about 8,500, the company said. The 96-acre parcel is part of the Greenville industrial park. The property purchase is the first step in Foremost Farms’ long-term strategy of managing milk solids across the cooperative’s seven-state membership (Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio).