PRESS RELEASE


 


 


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


CONTACT:  Chase Gentry 575-763-6600

 

 


Southwest Cheese Bringing Fifty New


High Wage Jobs to Clovis, New Mexico

 

Clovis New Mexico - Clovis Industrial Development Corporation is proud to announce a $90 million dollar expansion to Southwest Cheese.  The expansion will significantly increase the capacity of the cheese and whey plant and will bring an additional 50 high wage jobs to the facility.  The plant currently employs over 240 full time employees.   

Clovis Industrial Development Corporation has been working with Southwest Cheese over the last 12 months to finalize the plant expansion.  On April 2nd, the City of Clovis authorized a $100 million Industrial Revenue Bond and waived the IRB fee for Southwest Cheese as a local incentive package.  An Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) is an economic development incentive available to industries.  The IRB is not a financing tool but does provide property tax exemption to the company for a twenty-year period.  “Southwest Cheese continues to be an excellent return on investment for Clovis and Curry County,” said Lee Malloy, Chairman of Clovis Industrial Development Corporation. The overall economic impact of Southwest Cheese continues to stabilize and expand the local economy. 

Clovis Industrial Development Corporation would like to thank New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, the New Mexico State Legislature, Clovis Mayor Gayla Brumfield, the Clovis City Commission and Curry County for their support and dedication to the expansion of Southwest Cheese.  

Southwest Cheese will be adding an additional 70,000 square feet to their existing 342,000 square foot building and investing $69 million in additional equipment.  The expansion will increase the daily milk processing capacity from 7 million pounds to 10.5 million pounds of milk daily. The plant will have the daily production capacity of 1.1 million pounds of American style cheese and 70,000 pounds of high value-added whey protein powder.  

Clovis Industrial Development Corporation and the New Mexico Economic Development Department estimate that the economic benefit over the next ten years relating to the $100 million expansion will be: 

Expansion Economic Impact over the next ten years is:

            Direct and Indirect Jobs                                               74 employees

            Additional salaries (direct and indirect)                       $37.5 million

            Expected additional gross receipts                               $40.7 million
 

Southwest Cheese, a recent Gold medalist at the US & World Cheese Championship, produces award winning Cheeses as well as high-quality whey protein powders.  Southwest Cheese is one of the largest natural cheese and high-protein whey processing plants in the world.  Glanbia plc, the international cheese and nutritional ingredients group, owns fifty percent of the business with the remainder owned by the partners in the Greater Southwest Agency, consisting of Dairy Farmers of America, Select Milk Producers, Lone Star Milk Producers and Zia Milk Producers.  Milk is supplied to Southwest Cheese by the Greater Southwest Agency, who coordinates supplies from its members. Glanbia is responsible for day-to-day management and operation of Southwest Cheese and for the sales of all cheese and whey produced. The plant started operations in 2005.

 

# # #

 

 

 

Chase Gentry

Executive Director

Clovis Industrial Development Corp.

105 East Grand Street

PO Box 930, Clovis, NM  88102

(575) 763-6600 Direct (575) 935-2000

chase@clovisedc.com

www.clovisedc.com