The expansion of the West Allis plant adds approximately 66 per cent more fermentation capacity and, according to Novonesis, makes it one of the world’s largest lactobacillus production facilities.
Novonesis announced on Monday that it has completed an expansion of its production facility in West Allis, in the US state of Wisconsin. Fermentation capacity for dairy cultures is rising by approximately 66 per cent and packaging capacity by 17 per cent, the company says. According to Novonesis, the expansion has made the site one of the world’s largest lactobacillus production facilities.
The facility has 360 employees and supplies cultures to dairy manufacturers across North America. Novonesis says the expansion creates new jobs, but the company has disclosed neither how many nor the size of the investment.
“For nearly a century, West Allis has played an important role in helping advance dairy innovation. Today, it serves as our North American center of excellence for food cultures,” says Theis Bacher, Senior Vice President, Food & Beverage, Novonesis North America, in the press release.
Room for further growth
Novonesis says the site has been designed so that production can be expanded further over time, building on the existing infrastructure and making use of automation and robotics. The company adds that the project includes energy-efficient equipment, the reuse of water and the recovery of waste heat, all intended to lower the environmental impact of its operations.
“Investments in advanced dairy manufacturing capabilities help strengthen the infrastructure our cheesemakers rely on, support skilled jobs and reinforce Wisconsin’s ability to remain at the forefront of dairy production,” says John Umhoefer, executive director of the trade association Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, in the press release.
The West Allis site opened in 1929. The completion of the expansion was marked on Friday 25 September with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for customers, employees, community leaders and industry partners, who were shown around the expanded production facility and the site’s customer experience centre.
By Maja Løvstrup
Photo: Novonesis
