Sartori Plymouth WI Whey Plant Adds 68,000 SF in $47M Expansion

The Sartori Plymouth, WI, whey converting plant is getting a $47 million expansion that adds 68,000 square feet, five production lines and up to 27 jobs, with the building due for completion in spring 2027, according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

What Happened

WEDC announced on Oct. 29 that it has authorized up to $450,000 in state income tax credits over three years to support the Sartori Plymouth WI project, with the actual amount tied to the jobs created and capital invested during that period (WEDC). Area Development reported the project on Nov. 2, describing Sartori as a manufacturer of specialty and artisan cheeses for retail and foodservice markets.

The 68,000-square-foot addition expands an existing 106,254-square-foot converting plant, according to WEDC. The new space will house five production lines intended to support the company’s growth over the next five years, according to Insight on Business.

CEO Bert Sartori said the addition “will increase capacity and create opportunities for innovation,” according to WEDC, and noted that the company’s milk comes from local Wisconsin family farms. Area Development said the expansion aims to increase capacity and support demand for local Wisconsin milk (Area Development).

Project Timeline

• Groundbreaking: December 2025 (WEDC).
• Building completion: spring 2027 (Insight on Business).
• Production lines: installed in phases after the building is finished (Insight on Business).
• Full project completion: 2030 (WEDC).

No general contractor, design firm or equipment supplier was named in the announcements reviewed for this report.

About Sartori and Plymouth

Sartori is a fourth-generation, family-owned company founded by Paolo Sartori in 1939, and it has won more than 330 domestic and international awards, according to WEDC. WEDC said Wisconsin produces 25 percent of the nation’s cheese and 14 percent of its milk, and that Plymouth, known as the “Cheese Capital of the World,” produces over 14 percent of the cheese consumed in the U.S.

WEDC Secretary and CEO John W. Miller said the investment is “a testament to Wisconsin’s agricultural tradition,” according to Area Development.

Where Things Stand

The project is already under construction, having broken ground in December 2025, and the tax credit authorization is performance-based over three years (WEDC). Because the production lines go in after the building shell is complete and run through 2030, the equipment and process installation phase will extend well beyond the 2027 building turnover (Insight on Business).

The Sartori expansion adds to a wave of dairy processing investment that we covered in our report on more than $15 billion in dairy processing plant investment, where New York leads.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Phased fit-out spreads the work. Building a shell first and adding lines over several years lets an owner match capacity to demand. For contractors, that means a building contract followed by repeated process, utility and sanitary piping packages rather than one large job.
• Sanitary design drives cost. Whey converting and cheese processing spaces typically call for washdown-rated finishes, drainage, insulated metal panels and tight humidity and temperature control. Subs with food-grade experience have an edge.
• Operating plants stay running. Additions to an active converting plant demand careful tie-ins, food safety controls and phasing around production.
• Incentives are a small share of cost. Up to $450,000 in state credits is less than 1 percent of the $47 million project cost, so owners and lenders should treat them as a modest offset rather than a core funding source.

What to Watch

• Building completion in spring 2027 and the start of line installation.
• Hiring toward the 27 new jobs tied to the WEDC credits.
• Further dairy plant investments in Wisconsin and New York.

Bottom Line

Sartori’s $47 million Plymouth expansion is a measured, phased build: a 68,000-square-foot addition finishing in 2027 and five production lines added through 2030. It adds capacity at an existing plant rather than a new site, with the building and the equipment phases on separate schedules.

Key Questions

How much is Sartori investing in Plymouth, WI?

Sartori Company is investing $47 million to expand and equip its whey converting site in Plymouth, Wisconsin (WEDC).

How big is the Sartori Plymouth expansion?

The Sartori project adds 68,000 square feet to an existing 106,254-square-foot converting plant in Plymouth and will house five new production lines (WEDC).

How many jobs will the Sartori expansion create?

The Sartori Plymouth expansion is expected to create up to 27 new jobs, and WEDC authorized up to $450,000 in state income tax credits over three years (Area Development).

When will the Sartori Plymouth, WI, expansion be finished?

The Sartori addition in Plymouth broke ground in December 2025, is expected to be finished in spring 2027 and will reach full completion with all lines in 2030 (Insight on Business).

Related Coverage

• Dairy Processing Plant Investment Tops $15 Billion as New York Leads
• Food and Beverage Plant Projects: 65 New Planned Projects in September
• UNC Dairy's $250 Million West Seneca Expansion Is Now Under Construction: Western New York's Largest Active Food Manufacturing Build

Image credit: Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (aerial photo of the Sartori plant and rendering of the new facility). Image from the source article: WEDC.

Sources

• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, “Sartori Company invests some serious cheddar in Plymouth,” https://wedc.org/sartori-company-invests-some-serious-cheddar-in-plymouth/
• Area Development, “Sartori Company Expands Plymouth, Wisconsin, Production Operations,” https://www.areadevelopment.com/newsItems/11-2-2026/sartori-company-plymouth-wisconsin.shtml
• Insight on Business, “Sartori expansion in Plymouth to be complete in spring 2027,” https://insightonbusiness.com/sartori-expansion-in-plymouth-to-be-complete-in-spring-2027/