Agropur expands in Little Chute
Cooperative meets growing demand for cheese products
When 87 Canadian farmers each kicked in $50 to establish a cooperative in Quebec in 1938, they couldn’t have known that their investment would one day blossom into a world dairy-processing powerhouse.
The cooperative, today known as Agropur, expanded its operations into Ontario in 1995, western Canada in 1998, the U.S. in 2008, and Atlantic Canada in 2013. Its growth trajectory yielded results. In 2023, the cooperative logged $8.2 billion in gross annual sales.
It’s not surprising that its U.S. expansion included Wisconsin, America’s Dairyland. Wisconsin has more than 6,000 dairy farms, and the dairy industry contributes more than $45 billion to the state’s economy each year.
Market growth triggers facility growth
Émile Cordeu, CEO, Agropur
Growing market demand for its cheese and dairy ingredients led Agropur to expand its plant in Little Chute, just outside of Appleton. In 2021, Agropur announced the $168 million expansion, the cooperative’s second-largest capital investment ever in the U.S. The 210,000-square-foot facility also included a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility that generates electricity and supports the cooperative’s sustainability efforts.
The expanded plant, which opened in 2023, allowed the plant’s milk processing volume to more than double—and created at least 54 high-paying new jobs. In addition to the Little Chute plant, Agropur has Wisconsin facilities in Appleton, Weyauwega, and Luxemburg. To help make the expansion a reality, WEDC authorized $4.5 million in Enterprise Zone Tax Credits.
“The announcement of this significant investment highlights our commitment to modernize our asset base in both Canada and the U.S. and expand our cheese manufacturing activities in the Midwest U.S.,” said Émile Cordeu, Agropur’s CEO.
Agropur’s Little Chute facility specializes in individually quick-frozen cheese sticks for worldwide food service and retail channels. Each day, the plant receives 3.3 million pounds of milk, which is used to create mozzarella and provolone that is then extruded, cut, packaged, and frozen. In all, its team of 150 employees produce 12.6 million cheese sticks every day.
Building on cooperative strengths
The expansion helped Agropur serve market needs, expand capacity, boost demand for milk, and stimulate employment in the Fox Valley. “Having a new state-of-the-art facility will help us to solidify our leadership position in the dairy industry,” said Doug Simon, Agropur’s president of U.S. operations. “Beyond speed and efficiency, the process and equipment will provide greater flexibility and will allow Agropur to offer a broader line of products to meet our customers’ needs.”
WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes emphasized the downstream benefits of Agropur’s Little Chute expansion. “Wisconsin is uniquely positioned to help Agropur develop new products and succeed in the dairy industry,” Hughes said. “In turn, Agropur invests in our dairy farms, pays family-sustaining wages, and, through the company’s charity work, helps ensure access to healthy food for our communities.”
