Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers showed his support for Manitowoc County’s dairy industry after taking a tour of a local dairy manufacturer.
Evers stopped at the Pine River Pre-Pack plant in Newton to learn about what the dairy company does and what they produce.
Company Owners Ian and Chauncey Behm and Cory Meyer explained that their company has 42 employees working to make cheese spreads for Wisconsin and across the country.
Pine River was one of 15 other Wisconsin dairy companies to receive a Wisconsin DACTP Dairy Processor Grant which Evers says it helps modernize the plant.
“Production equipment, but also some training opportunities for their employees too,” Evers described. “So, they’ve used it for a various number of things, and it looks like it’s been successful.”
The DATCP said in a press release earlier this year that they’ve invested $300,000 annually for the grant program so the state can provide $500,000 for this year’s grant awardees.
He says he’s impressed with what the grants have done for the dairy industry.
“I’m just amazed that the processing grants have done to kind of even diversify more the products that have been made in Wisconsin,” the governor explained. “Dairy is a $45 billion industry in the state of Wisconsin.”
Evers also visited as a part of the end of June Dairy month.
