Baker Tilly recognizes Brakebush Brothers’ needs and partners with WEDC to meet them
For nearly a century, Brakebush Brothers, Inc. has been calling Marquette County, Wisconsin, home. Members of the founding family still live on the company grounds and their children are known to run the headquarters hallways from time to time.
So, when customer demand created the need for expansion, the leading processor of poultry products preferred to do it where it all began. Brakebush Brothers turned to its trusted advisory firm Baker Tilly to help make it happen.
Knowing the financial hurdles Brakebush Brothers needed to overcome to stay in Marquette County, Baker Tilly began working with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to uncover the best possible way to help their client grow.
Making Brakebush Brothers’ growth goals a reality
Baker Tilly began by laying out the financing obstacles Brakebush Brothers was facing in order to expand in its hometown. WEDC responded by creating an incentive package that supported Brakebush Brothers’ desired growth. This ensured that high-quality jobs would be created and that the capital investment was there to support the expansion.
Having gained a better understanding of the financial concerns the company had, WEDC authorized up to $6.5 million in state income tax credits over five years contingent upon the number of jobs created, the amount of capital investment and the amount spent on employee training during that period. But perhaps most importantly, Brakebush Brothers could keep calling Marquette County home.
Brakebush Brothers opens Line 9 production operation
When Brakebush Brothers opened its initial $50 million expansion in Westfield, Wisconsin, it allowed the operations on its Line 9 production to begin. With nearly 50,000 square feet added, the total production space reached almost 600,000 square feet. The investment in the company’s growth is expected to create an initial 74 new production jobs and an additional 20 corporate jobs by 2021. Among the company’s clients being served by the expansion are all five U.S. military service academies, the University of Wisconsin and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Its products now ship to all 50 states, Canada and parts of the Caribbean.